Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp to create a joint venture to develop and produce next-generation images sensors.
The partnership seeks to explore and address emerging opportunities in physical artificial intelligence (AI) applications, such as automotive and robotics, paving the way for innovations and expanded technological advancements, TSMC said in a statement.
Sony would be the majority and controlling shareholder of the joint venture, the statement said, adding that the company would set up development and production lines in its newly constructed fab in Kumamoto Prefecture’s Koshi City in Japan, the statement said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Sony and TSMC are discussing potential investments via the joint venture. These investments, along with Sony’s new capital investment in its plant in Nagasaki, are being considered on the premise that they would be implemented in phases based on market demand, and that they would receive support from the Japanese government.
TSMC yesterday posted its slowest pace of monthly revenue expansion since October last year, highlighting the potential challenges of sustaining a torrid AI-fueled pace of growth.
Its sales last month increased 17.5 percent to NT$410.7 billion (US$13.1 billion), their smallest rise in about six months.
While the uptick reflects just 30 days of business and its revenue could fluctuate month-to-month, analysts on average expect the company’s second quarter revenue to grow about 35 percent.
TSMC has become an essential player in the global AI industry by making cutting-edge semiconductors for the likes of Nvidia Cor and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
That is as Alphabet Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Meta Platforms Inc and Microsoft Corp said they are setting aside US$725 billion for AI this year, significantly more than previously anticipated.
TSMC is exposed to a plateauing smartphone and consumer electronics market, where soaring memory chip costs are forcing brands to hike prices. Economic uncertainty is also dampening consumer demand in many parts of the world.
The chipmaker is bullish on global AI chip demand. Last month, it raised its full-year sales guidance and said its capital spending should trend toward the upper end of an existing forecast range of as much as US$56 billion, conveying confidence in the year’s economic outlook.
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