Taiwan's CMOS image sensor (CIS) packaging specialists including Kingpak Technology, Xintec,VisEra Technologies and Tong Hsing Electronic Industries are expected to benefit significantly from Sony's move to expand CIS capacity and launch smart CIS devices in 2020 to meet increasing demand for 5G, AI and automotive electronics applications, according to industry sources.
The sources said that Sony, Japan's top CIS maker, is set to largely expand capacity to satisfy the mounting demand for multi-lens solutions for use in mobile devices and AR/VR gears, and will expand its outsourcing orders for wafer foundry and backend services.
Sony is also keen on developing high-end CIS devices incorporating AI algorithms as next-generation offerings in 2020. In the second half of 2019, the company has rolled out 3D CIS modules incorporating memory chips through TSV (through silicon via) for use in new handset models by Apple and Huawei, the sources said.
Sony's efforts will generate more business opportunities for Taiwanese partners already validated by the firm for providing backend support. Among them, Kingpak Technology saw revenues from packaging automotive-use CIS devices for Sony surge over 20% on year and command over 70% of its total revenues for the first 11 months of 2019, the sources said. The firm's revenues for November alone increased 4% sequentially and 33% on year to a record high of NT$214 million (US$7.02 million).
Kingpak has also developed new clients in Europe, the US and Japan to secure orders for packaging auto-use CIS products in the next 3-5 years while also steadily proceeding with deployments in 5G and autonomous driving sectors.
The sources said Taiwan-based CIS makers including Silicon Optronics and PixArt Imaging are also poised to benefit from ever-expanding demand for CIS devices for mobile phones, autonomous driving and other applications in the 5G era.
Article translated by Willis Ke
