TSMC is the largest contract semiconductor manufacturer and is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang. Its business model separated chip design from chip fabrication: companies could design processors and hire TSMC to manufacture them without owning their own leading-edge factories.
This “pure-play foundry” model helped TSMC become a crucial supplier for advanced chips used in smartphones, computers, data centers, and artificial-intelligence systems. Its customers include major chip designers, although customers and product relationships change over time.
TSMC’s market capitalization is affected by semiconductor cycles, fabrication technology, capital spending, geopolitical risk, and demand from industries such as mobile devices and cloud computing. It trades in Taiwan and also has American depositary receipts in the United States.