TSMC is the Taiwanese company that manufactures many of the world’s leading-edge semiconductors and trades as TSM.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company was founded in 1987 by Morris Chang. It pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model, manufacturing chips designed by other companies rather than primarily selling chips under its own consumer brand. This separation lets customers such as Nvidia, Apple, and AMD focus on chip design while TSMC operates advanced fabrication plants.
TSMC’s manufacturing processes are described by technology nodes, commonly using labels such as 7-nanometer or 5-nanometer. These names are useful generation markers but do not simply equal one physical measurement found everywhere on a chip. Advanced nodes can improve performance, power efficiency, or transistor density.
TSMC’s US-listed American depositary shares use the ticker TSM, while its ordinary shares trade in Taiwan. It is therefore distinct from Samsung Electronics, which both designs and manufactures chips under its own corporate structure.