Which Taiwanese semiconductor company is commonly identified by the abbreviation TSMC?

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is the company commonly identified by the abbreviation TSMC.

TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, meaning it manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than primarily selling chips under its own consumer brand. This business model made it a crucial supplier to major technology companies and a frequent member of the world’s highest-market-cap companies.

The company was founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang. Its manufacturing plants, known as fabs, produce advanced processors for smartphones, computers, data centers, and artificial-intelligence systems.

TSMC is sometimes confused with chip designers such as Nvidia or AMD. Those firms design important processors, while TSMC manufactures many chips designed by them. This distinction explains why TSMC can be central to the technology economy without being the most visible consumer brand.