Sony buys back semiconductor plant from Toshiba

Word is going around that Sony is planning on buying back a Nagasaki semiconductor plant back from Toshiba. Sony originally sold the facility to Toshiba back in 2008 and the latest transaction is said to be 50 billion Yen ($599 million) and will allow Sony to double the output of its CMOS image sensors for smartphones and other handheld electronics. Once Sony is back in control of the factory, it will be capable of producing nearly 40,000 silicon wafers per month, which is about twice its current capacity, helping Sony compete better with Samsung and other competitors out there.