This info originally appeared in a number of forums, such as this one, but it has no official confirmation. The info can be a hoax.
Said all that, it seems that Sony intends to discontinue its entire line of CCD products. The story started unfolding at the end of January with closing the production line for the complementary color filters and the Kagoshima 200mm wafer production line. Last week, Framos, one of the Sony CCD distributors, sent the following email to its customers:
"Dear Customer!
This message is to inform that SONY decided to discontinue all their CCD image sensor products! Attached please find the official letters from SONY!
The CCD End-of-Life plan of SONY is the following:
- customers need to order their last-time-buy quantities by end of Aug 2015
- SONY fab will shut-down March 2017
- deliveries can be made until March 2020
Please note: for new designs, especially with CMOS sensors we can offer in-depth technical support and are able to provide reference designs etc to you under certain conditions. Especially we are already working on reference designs of the upcoming IMX25x-series.
If there are any questions or any further need, please contact your FRAMOS account manager, or sales@framos.com as soon as possible!"
Before that, Sony reportedly sent to its customers two announcements dated by the end of January:
Thanks to NA for the info!
Update: According to Sony Semiconductor flyer dated by Feb. 4, 2015, CCD used to be manufactured at Kagoshima and Kumamoto fabs:
Said all that, it seems that Sony intends to discontinue its entire line of CCD products. The story started unfolding at the end of January with closing the production line for the complementary color filters and the Kagoshima 200mm wafer production line. Last week, Framos, one of the Sony CCD distributors, sent the following email to its customers:
"Dear Customer!
This message is to inform that SONY decided to discontinue all their CCD image sensor products! Attached please find the official letters from SONY!
The CCD End-of-Life plan of SONY is the following:
- customers need to order their last-time-buy quantities by end of Aug 2015
- SONY fab will shut-down March 2017
- deliveries can be made until March 2020
Please note: for new designs, especially with CMOS sensors we can offer in-depth technical support and are able to provide reference designs etc to you under certain conditions. Especially we are already working on reference designs of the upcoming IMX25x-series.
If there are any questions or any further need, please contact your FRAMOS account manager, or sales@framos.com as soon as possible!"
Before that, Sony reportedly sent to its customers two announcements dated by the end of January:
Thanks to NA for the info!
Update: According to Sony Semiconductor flyer dated by Feb. 4, 2015, CCD used to be manufactured at Kagoshima and Kumamoto fabs:
