Reuters-1, Reuters-2: Sony will bring production of image sensors to full capacity in the October-March half-year, said Yasuhiro Ueda, president of Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp at a news conference on Friday at Sony's Kumamoto fab in southern Japan. The combined monthly production would rise to 73,000 wafers at Sony's five image sensor plants, from 70,000 wafers now.
"The business environment for our customers is improving," Ueda said. He said brisk demand for Sony's sensors reflects the firm's effort to diversify its client base, noting clients had recently experienced some ups and downs (does Uedo mean Apple?). "Our client portfolio is getting less reliant on specific customers, as we are adding Chinese smartphone makers that are recently thriving," he said.
He also said sensor shipments from the Kumamoto fab, which was damaged by a series of earthquakes earlier this year, have recovered to pre-disaster levels.
"The business environment for our customers is improving," Ueda said. He said brisk demand for Sony's sensors reflects the firm's effort to diversify its client base, noting clients had recently experienced some ups and downs (does Uedo mean Apple?). "Our client portfolio is getting less reliant on specific customers, as we are adding Chinese smartphone makers that are recently thriving," he said.
He also said sensor shipments from the Kumamoto fab, which was damaged by a series of earthquakes earlier this year, have recovered to pre-disaster levels.
