TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, was established in 1987 by Morris Chang.
Chang founded TSMC in Hsinchu, Taiwan, with support from the Taiwanese government and Philips. The company pioneered the dedicated semiconductor foundry model: it manufactures chips designed by other companies rather than competing with customers by selling its own branded processors.
This separation allowed many firms to design advanced chips without building their own fabrication plants. TSMC became a critical supplier to companies in computing, smartphones, networking, automobiles, and artificial intelligence. Its customers have included major designers such as Apple and Nvidia.
TSMC is not the same kind of business as Intel, although both operate in semiconductor manufacturing. TSMC’s corporate name is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, and “TSMC” is its standard abbreviation. Its main operations remain centered in Taiwan, with additional facilities in other countries.