TSMC is committing roughly ¥282B to a new image sensor venture with Sony, a binding deal that adds another big chip project to Japan’s manufacturing revival.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions will hold the controlling stake, contributing ¥465B against TSMC’s ¥282B and putting the combined value near $4.7B.
The new company, to be registered as Advanced Vision Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., will run its plant in Koshi City, close to TSMC’s existing Kumamoto fab.
Commercial production is planned for 2029, with government support built into the plan, and Sony will operate the venture as a subsidiary.
The logic behind the tie-up: AI demand is straining Sony’s 40nm image sensor lines, and the new plant gives the company a dedicated high-volume source for smartphone camera chips.
For TSMC, the venture locks in another anchor customer in Japan and deepens its strategy of building capacity beyond Taiwan as geopolitical pressure on the island’s fabs grows.
Japan gains a third pillar in its semiconductor push, which already spans logic fabs, advanced packaging and now specialized sensors, backed by government subsidies aimed at reviving domestic chip production.
