Sony may buy chip factory to boost sensor production

Sony may buy a factory from chipmaker Renesas Electronics to boost production of its imaging sensors, sources told Reuters on Wednesday. 

The purchase will help the company meet rising demand from Chinese smartphone makers.

Negotiations are ongoing and no agreement has been reached, the sources said. Both companies declined to comment on the matter.

Sony is looking to increase production of its CMOS imaging sensors, which are used in smartphones including Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The company currently has about a third of the global market for the sensors.