According to reports, TSMC and Sony are considering a joint investment of approximately US$7 billion to build a semiconductor fab in western Japan.

The report pointed out that the fab will be located in Kumamoto Prefecture, adjacent to Sony's current image sensor factory. Sony will be the main customer of this new fab and will hold a minority stake in the semiconductor factory management company established by TSMC.

The fab will be used to produce camera image sensors, as well as chips used in automobiles and other products, and is scheduled to be put into operation in 2023 or 2024.