Sony Image Sensor Shipments Exceed 20 Billion Units
According to reports, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi, President of Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing, has announced that the company has surpassed 20 billion units in image sensor shipments to date. Sony is also building a new manufacturing facility in Kumamoto, Japan, which is located in the rapidly growing semiconductor industry cluster in the region. The company has no plans to slow its expansion efforts.
Yamaguchi highlighted that Sony's long history of innovation dates back to the company's early days in transistor manufacturing. In the 1980s, Sony began producing CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensors, eventually evolving into the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor business it leads today. In May 2019, the company's shipments hit 10 billion units, and within just over five years, this number doubled to 20 billion.
The surge in Sony's image sensor shipments to 20 billion units can be attributed largely to the rise of mobile devices. Since smartphones gained widespread adoption around 2010, the number of shipments accelerated rapidly, reaching 10 billion by 2019 and continuing to rise as more cameras were integrated into each device.
Additionally, Yamaguchi shared insights into Sony's operations across its four production bases in Japan's Kyushu region. He noted that while no major changes are planned for each facility, the Nagasaki, Oita, and Kumamoto locations are focused on processing 300mm wafers, while the Kagoshima site uses 200mm wafers to produce unique equipment, primarily analog ICs (Integrated Circuits). Image sensor production is centralized in Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Oita, with Kumamoto also catering to automotive and other growing markets. Nagasaki and Oita focus on sensors for mobile devices. Sony plans to maintain this operational structure moving forward.
A recent report by MarketsandMarkets revealed that the global image sensor market is expected to reach $20.66 billion by 2024, with projections of reaching $29.62 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% from 2024 to 2029. The expansion of image sensor applications across various industries, combined with technological advancements in sensor products, are key drivers of this market growth.
The report also highlighted that image sensors with resolutions above 16 MP are expected to dominate the market in the coming years, as they fulfill the growing demand for high-quality imaging across a variety of applications. With rising consumer demand for exceptional image quality, manufacturers are increasingly integrating higher-resolution sensors into smartphones, digital cameras, and professional devices. The surge in social media use and digital content creation has further fueled the demand for visually stunning images and videos.
Sony's continued investment in image sensor technology and production capabilities positions the company to maintain its leadership in this rapidly expanding market.
