TSMC manufactures chips for companies such as Apple and Nvidia.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company pioneered the dedicated foundry model. Instead of mainly designing chips under its own consumer brand, TSMC manufactures integrated circuits designed by other companies. This separation lets chip designers outsource fabrication while focusing on architecture and products.
TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes are important for smartphones, data centers, graphics processors, and artificial-intelligence hardware. Its scale and technical capabilities have helped make it one of the world’s most valuable semiconductor companies by market capitalization.
The company was founded in Taiwan in 1987 by Morris Chang. TSMC is sometimes confused with a chip designer such as Nvidia or a diversified electronics manufacturer such as Samsung. Its headquarters and main manufacturing base are in Taiwan, although it has expanded production and research internationally.