Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is commonly abbreviated as TSMC.
Founded in 1987, TSMC pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model. Rather than designing and selling its own branded chips as its main business, it manufactures integrated circuits designed by other companies. This separation allows customers to compete in chip design while relying on TSMC’s advanced production facilities.
TSMC manufactures processors and other chips for customers across smartphones, computers, networking, automobiles, and artificial intelligence. Its customers have included major technology companies such as Apple, AMD, and NVIDIA. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, where Taiwan’s technology industry developed around science parks and semiconductor research. TSMC is sometimes confused with Taiwan’s stock-exchange abbreviation or with individual customer brands; TSMC is the company’s standard English acronym.