TSMC operates the world’s largest contract semiconductor manufacturing business.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, commonly called TSMC, is the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry. It manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than primarily selling chips under its own consumer brand. This business model is a major reason it is regularly counted among the world’s most valuable companies.
TSMC was founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang. The company helped establish the modern pure-play foundry model, allowing designers such as NVIDIA, Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm to outsource manufacturing while concentrating on chip architecture and products.
TSMC is often confused with a chip-design company. NVIDIA, for example, designs many processors but relies on foundries for fabrication. TSMC’s importance comes from its advanced process technologies, large production capacity, and role in manufacturing high-performance processors used in smartphones, servers, computers, and artificial-intelligence systems.