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Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.
2013 : SK Hynix BSI camera sensors manufacturer to boost production for 13 mpxls cameras. Samsung great customer.
Samsung Electronics is increasing its dependence on SK
hynix to provide sensors for cameras installed in its smartphones and
touch-screen tablets. This also means that Japan’s Sony is at risk of
losing one of its biggest customers.
Samsung’s partnership with SK hynix is interesting because the two
companies are competing for the title of the world’s largest provider of
computer memory chips. In the fast-moving technology scene, no friends
are forever and neither are enemies.
``As cameras in mobile devices have become essential features, we are
buying more backside illuminated (BSI) sensors from SK hynix because
they provide good pricing and output commitment,’’ said a Samsung
official Friday.
``The resolution in phone cameras has been improving, evidenced by
lavish pixel counts. We need to hedge risks across suppliers and we are
still buying billions of dollars worth of sensors from Sony. But it’s
also true that we are increasing BSI sensor supplies from SK hynix
significantly.’’
In comparison to front-side illuminated (FSI) sensors, BSI provide
better picture quality for small gadgets such as mobile Internet
devices. These sensors are used in some of the most advanced
smartphones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy handsets and Apple’s iPhones.
Sony has been the industry’s main provider of BSI
sensors. However, handset vendors such as Samsung and Apple are
increasingly concerned about Sony’s tight supplies because the
smartphone sales are continuing to increase rapidly, the official said.
Industry sources say that SK hynix has been providing Samsung with image
sensors used for five-megapixel cameras, which are to be installed in
Samsung’s lower-end smartphone models. Samsung buys about 45 percent of
the image sensors manufactured by SK hynix.
An SK hynix official expected BSI sensors to account for a larger part of the company’s business in the future.
``We are heavily investing to boost our presence in the market for these sensors. From the first quarter of next year, we will be mass producing sensors for eight-mega pixel cameras and from late next year for 13-megapixel cameras,’’ he said.
2013 will be then the year for 13 mpxls cameras on the smartphones. However ASUS took the lead with the recent announced PadFone 2 in Milan, which sports a 13 mpxls camera.
Official spokesmen from Samsung and SK hynix declined to comment on the story.
Market analysts and fund managers say SK hynix’s focus on the BSI sensor
business will help it lower its heavy dependence on the volatile and
highly-cyclical memory chips business and find another cash-generator.
SK hynix is the world’s second biggest supplier of conventional DRAM
memory chips, while it is the world’s third-biggest maker of flash-type
memory chips.
The revenue portion from non-memory chip business such as BSI sensors,
which are a variant of logic chips, is reportedly below 5 percent.
