Sony ups sensor production amids increased smartphone demand

The Japanese company holds about 40% of the CMOS image sensor market. And at a news conference on Friday – at the company’s sensor factory in the Kumamoto – President Yasuhiro Ueda of Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, told media that: "The business environment for our customers is improving," reports Reuters. An earlier slowdown on the global smartphone market forced the company to decrease its sensor production in the October-March half of last year, however, it seems as demand has increased. According to Reuters, President Ueda said that the company’s – combined – monthly production would increase in the second half of this business year. In numbers this means that Sony will increase production from the current 70’000 wafers to 73’000 wafters – which is full capacity at Sony’s five image sensor plants (excluding outsourced production). Additionally, the company informs that the sensor shipments from its Kumamoto plant – which was damaged during a series of earthquakes back in April – is now back up to pre-earthquake levels, the report concludes.