Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, commonly called TSMC, became one of the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalization as demand for advanced chips expanded. Its importance comes from its specialized foundry business.
TSMC manufactures semiconductors designed by other companies, including processors for smartphones, computers, and artificial-intelligence systems. It generally does not sell chips under a major consumer brand of its own. This separation between design and manufacturing helped reshape the global semiconductor industry.
TSMC’s market value is closely linked to its leadership in advanced process technologies and its large customer base. It is often confused with Samsung Electronics, which both designs and manufactures chips, or with Nvidia, which designs many chips that TSMC produces.