TSMC is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang. Instead of designing and selling its own branded processors as its main business, TSMC manufactures chips designed by other companies. This model allows customers to invest heavily in chip architecture without building their own fabrication plants.
TSMC manufactures processors and other semiconductors for clients across computing, smartphones, communications, automobiles, and artificial intelligence. Its advanced process technologies have made it a critical supplier to companies such as Apple and Nvidia.
The terms “foundry” and “fabless” are commonly mixed up. A foundry manufactures chips, while a fabless company designs chips but outsources production. TSMC’s scale and technological lead have helped make it one of the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization.