Taiwanese contract manufacturing giant Foxconn has been extending its business model for a couple of years now, to reduce its reliance on assembling handsets – for Apple in particular. Having taken a majority stake in Japanese display maker Sharp, it now looks set to leverage that to build its first semiconductor fab. This move, reported before the holiday by the Nikkei news agency, would take Foxconn – also known as Hon Hai Precision – a big step further on its road to making its own components and devices, rather than justs assembling for others. It already makes its own tablets under a brand licensed from Nokia, as well as operating mobile services under an MVNO deal in its home country.…