TSMC & Sony Associate on new $7bn Chip Plant in Japan
Chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and the Sony Group are reportedly considering joint construction of a semiconductor factory in western Japan amid a global chip shortage.
According to Nikkei Asia, the total investment in the project is estimated at 800 billion yen ($7 billion), with the Japanese government expected to provide up to half the amount.
Japan's top auto parts maker Denso is also looking to participate through such steps as setting up equipment at the site. The Toyota Motor group member seeks stable supplies of chips used in its auto parts, the report said.
Sony may also take a minority stake in a new company that will manage the factory, which will be located in Kumamoto Prefecture, on land owned by Sony and in an area adjacent to the latter's image sensor factory, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The factory will make semiconductors that used in-camera image sensors, as well as chips for automobiles and other products, and is slated to go into operation by 2024.
Plans for the facility -- which would be TSMC's first chip production operation in Japan -- come as the global tech industry grapples with unprecedented semiconductor shortages and supply chain disruptions.