TSMC was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang and is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model. Instead of designing most chips under its own consumer brand, TSMC manufactures chips designed by other companies, allowing clients to avoid building and operating their own advanced fabrication plants.
Its customers have included major technology companies such as Apple, Nvidia, and AMD. TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes have made it a critical supplier for smartphones, computers, data centers, and artificial-intelligence hardware.
The company’s strategic importance and strong growth helped make it one of the world’s most valuable businesses by market capitalization. TSMC is not the same company as Samsung Electronics or Intel, which both design chips and operate their own manufacturing operations, although Intel has also pursued foundry services.