TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry and was founded in 1987.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was established in Hsinchu, Taiwan, by Morris Chang. Its business model focused on manufacturing chips designed by other companies rather than selling large ranges of its own branded processors. This dedicated-foundry model enabled companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and AMD to design advanced chips without owning comparable fabrication plants.
TSMC operates some of the industry’s most advanced fabrication facilities and has expanded production in Taiwan and overseas. Its manufacturing role makes it a critical supplier for smartphones, computers, data centers, and artificial-intelligence hardware.
A foundry is not the same as a chip designer. Nvidia and AMD primarily design processors, while TSMC manufactures many of the chips those companies design. TSMC’s market value reflects its importance to the global semiconductor supply chain as well as its financial performance.