Sony discussing $7 billion investment with TSMC, chip factory in Japan

TSMC is expected to have a chip facility operational in the next couple of years, somewhere in the 2023-2024 period, with Sony reportedly ready to invest $7 billion into TSMC's new factory.

The new chip factory would find a new home in Japan on Sony's own property, with Sony and TSMC's joint venture into the world of chip manufacturing. The Japanese government is reportedly ready to cough up half of the $7 billion, resulting in $3.5 billion of financing that would be given towards Sony and TSMC's new factory.

The new factory won't be pumping out chips for the PlayStation 5, or a next-gen PlayStation 6, but rather would be making around 40,000 wafers per month on the older 28nm node. The big new factory would be making camera image sensors, chips for cars, and other products.

TSMC announced earlier this year that it would be spending $100 billion on advancing its domination on the market, with new plants in various parts of the world -- including the US. As tensions continue to get worse between China and Taiwan (and in the middle of it, the US and more especially, the world) the shift away from TSMC making chips in Taiwan, and into Japan, makes sense.