TSMC is the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer and a major semiconductor company by market capitalization.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Its pioneering foundry model allowed customers to design chips while TSMC manufactured them, avoiding the need for each design company to build and operate its own fabrication plants.
TSMC manufactures processors and other advanced chips for many leading technology companies. It has been especially important in producing chips designed for smartphones, high-performance computing, and artificial-intelligence systems.
TSMC is often confused with a chip designer or a branded consumer-electronics maker. It generally manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than selling most products under its own consumer brand. Its market value reflects the strategic importance of advanced semiconductor production and the enormous cost of competing fabrication facilities.