Sony Corp. is considering to outsource its manufacturing of advanced microchips with circuitry widths of 45 nanometres to Taiwan's TSMC.

TSMC's system chip output volume is 10 times as big as Sony's and the Tokyo-based electronics maker can cut manufacturing costs of the cutting-edge microchips substantially by turning to the world's largest contract chip maker.

Sony said in February it was tentatively planning to start commercial production of 45-nanometre chips by early 2009 and that it may not carry out manufacturing activities itself..

Shares in Sony, which on Thursday reported stellar quarterly earnings, were up 0.6 percent at 6,390 yen, outperforming the Tokyo stock market's electrical machinery index, which was down 2.44 percent.