"Lead in Core Mobile Technology Development" Sony Ships 20 Billion Image Sensors

Nikkei Interview with Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing President
Last Year Market Share 53%, Ranked 'No.1'
"Shipment Volume 10 Billion → 20 Billion Units Achieved Faster"

Yoshihiro Yamaguchi, president of Japan's Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing, which ranks first in the image sensor field serving as the "eyes of smartphones," expressed his determination to "lead technology development" in celebration of the cumulative shipment of 20 billion units.

In an interview with Nihon Keizai Shimbun published on the 17th, President Yamaguchi said, "I feel a deep sense of emotion as the business rapidly expands." He explained, "Sony started producing charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors in the 1980s and has since developed its current complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor business." He revealed that the cumulative shipment of image sensors reached 10 billion units in May 2019 and has now reached 20 billion units this year, five years later.

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Image sensors are system semiconductors known as the "eyes of the 4th Industrial Revolution," converting light entering through camera lenses into digital signals to generate images. According to market research firm TSR, Sony's overall image sensor market share last year (including smartphones, vehicles, cameras, etc.) was 52.7%, showing a gap of nearly 40 percentage points compared to second-place Samsung Electronics at 13.7%. Sony has established itself as the absolute leader in the image sensor market by exclusively supplying image sensors for the iPhone.

President Yamaguchi explained that the achievement of 20 billion cumulative shipments was driven by the rapid expansion of the image sensor business in the mobile sector. He said, "From around 2010, when smartphones began to spread, to 2019, we shipped 10 billion units at once, and then accelerated to reach 20 billion units." He added, "The increase in the number of cameras installed in smartphones also contributed to accelerating the growth of image sensors." However, he noted, "We are not running toward a set goal of 30 billion cumulative shipments; this is simply the result of what has been accumulated."

He stated that since the image sensor market is expected to grow overall in the mid to long term, mainly for mobile use, Sony will focus on technology development in this field. The company is conducting business in various areas including mobile, automotive, smart factories, and smart ICT cameras, emphasizing the development of technologies that can be used for multiple purposes as camera applications diversify.

Since the 1980s, Sony has produced semiconductors at four bases in the Kyushu region: Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima. Additionally, a new factory is being built in Kumamoto Prefecture. President Yamaguchi said, "The new factory will produce image sensors for mobile use," and that it will handle excess orders from other factories.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.