Sony to invest $500 million in TSMC wafer fab deal
Sony Semiconductor Solutions will be a minority shareholder in JASM. Construction of a wafer fab scheduled to begin in 2022 with chip production expected before the end of 2024. The initial manufacturing process will be at 22nm/28nm, a node that can address strong global demand for specialty technologies, the companies said.
The wafer fab will have an eventual manufacturing capacity of 45,000 wafer starts per month and employ 1,500 people directly. The initial capital expenditure is approximately US$7 billion. TSMC and Sony said that the Japanese government will provide “strong support” but that was not quantified.
SSS plans to make an equity investment in JASM of approximately US$500 million, representing a less than 20 percent equity stake in JASM.
“While the global semiconductor shortage is expected to be prolonged, we expect partnership with TSMC to contribute to securing a stable supply of logic wafers, not only for us but also for the overall industry. We believe that further strengthening and deepening our partnership with TSMC, which has the world’s leading semiconductor production technology, is extremely meaningful for the Sony Group,” said Terushi Shimizu, CEO of Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp., in a statement.
TSMC said it continues to work with Japanese partners to on advanced packaging technology through the creation of the 3DIC research center in Ibaraki Prefecture (see Report: TSMC plans Japan R&D center ahead of packaging facility).
Nothing was disclosed about the possibility of TSMC making a move to support customers in Europe with local foundry capacity. TSMC chairman Mark Liu told shareholders in July that the company was considering possibilities in both Japan and Germany (see TSMC confirms German, Japanese fab plans).
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