TSMC is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of advanced semiconductors and is headquartered in Taiwan.
Founded in 1987, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pioneered the dedicated foundry model. Instead of designing and selling its own branded processors as its main business, TSMC manufactures chips designed by other companies.
This model enabled firms such as Nvidia, Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm to focus on chip architecture while relying on TSMC’s factories for production. Its advanced process technologies and large manufacturing capacity made it a crucial supplier to the global technology industry.
TSMC is often confused with a chip designer because many famous processors bear the names of companies that do not fabricate them. TSMC’s market value reflects its strategic role in AI, smartphones, high-performance computing, and other electronics.