TSMC manufactured many of the world’s advanced chips and was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, commonly called TSMC, pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model. It manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than primarily selling chips under its own consumer brand.
Morris Chang founded TSMC in Hsinchu, Taiwan, with support from the Taiwanese government and Philips. The company’s model enabled designers such as Nvidia, Apple, and AMD to develop products without owning comparable fabrication plants.
TSMC is often confused with chip designers or integrated device manufacturers. Its importance to market capitalization reflects its role in the global semiconductor supply chain, especially as smaller process technologies support powerful smartphones, servers, and AI systems.