Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, commonly abbreviated TSMC, is the largest contract chipmaker and produces many leading AI processors.
TSMC pioneered the dedicated foundry model, in which one company manufactures integrated circuits designed by other companies. This lets firms such as Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm focus on chip design without owning the full fabrication infrastructure required to manufacture advanced processors.
Founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang, TSMC became a crucial part of the global semiconductor supply chain. Its advanced manufacturing processes are used for high-performance computing, smartphones, networking equipment, and artificial-intelligence accelerators.
TSMC is often confused with a chip designer such as Nvidia or with an integrated manufacturer such as Intel. Its market value reflects the strategic importance and capital intensity of semiconductor fabrication, as well as demand from many large technology customers.