Well, I've worked in Sony fabs, they've made plenty of chips for plenty of people which were not their designs. Some customers actually better utilize the process node than others, including internal customers. It doesn't work quite how your thinking. Technology nodes are built, design rules are given to perspective customers, which includes the people who design the electronics of the chips within Sony.
There's no reason why someone couldn't build a better chip at their fab than they are. I've seen it first hand. Consider as an example, Sony is on a design cycle. It's not good business to supersede themselves before they make any money. On top of that, an external vendor comes in to build a chip and not only is the process more mature and stable, a few new tricks have been incorporated.
On top of all that many of these sensors are stacked chips (check out the A9 video). So Sony may only be making the actual sensor, another fab that specializes in advanced CMOS processes with a more advanced technology, like a TSMC, which allows a lot more on-board processing to be done (think Moore's Law) could be doing all the processing of the data coming from the pixels.
While this may not be the case with this specific chip, this is how it works.
Tony, I wouldn't worry about a Nikon ban. It would only be a piece part in the camera. Intel had fabs in Israel and I doubt Lebanon banned Apple or PCs that has one of these chips in it; or were designed in whole or part there. I'm sure the chips are sent somewhere else to be packaged (usually Korea or the Philippines), then somewhere else for test, then somewhere else to be put on a PCB, the finally somewhere else where it ends up in the final product and says made (or assembled) in China or somewhere else. Otherwise you'd be in deep doo0doo because, even the raw materials come from all over the world.
There's no reason why someone couldn't build a better chip at their fab than they are. I've seen it first hand. Consider as an example, Sony is on a design cycle. It's not good business to supersede themselves before they make any money. On top of that, an external vendor comes in to build a chip and not only is the process more mature and stable, a few new tricks have been incorporated.
On top of all that many of these sensors are stacked chips (check out the A9 video). So Sony may only be making the actual sensor, another fab that specializes in advanced CMOS processes with a more advanced technology, like a TSMC, which allows a lot more on-board processing to be done (think Moore's Law) could be doing all the processing of the data coming from the pixels.
While this may not be the case with this specific chip, this is how it works.
Tony, I wouldn't worry about a Nikon ban. It would only be a piece part in the camera. Intel had fabs in Israel and I doubt Lebanon banned Apple or PCs that has one of these chips in it; or were designed in whole or part there. I'm sure the chips are sent somewhere else to be packaged (usually Korea or the Philippines), then somewhere else for test, then somewhere else to be put on a PCB, the finally somewhere else where it ends up in the final product and says made (or assembled) in China or somewhere else. Otherwise you'd be in deep doo0doo because, even the raw materials come from all over the world.