Who founded TSMC, the leading dedicated semiconductor foundry, in 1987?

Morris Chang founded TSMC, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, in 1987.

Chang established TSMC in Taiwan with government support and backing from 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 design firms to outsource production while TSMC concentrated on manufacturing technology and scale.

Before founding TSMC, Chang spent more than two decades at Texas Instruments, where he held senior positions and worked in semiconductor manufacturing. His experience helped shape TSMC’s strategy and its emphasis on serving many independent chip designers.

TSMC became a crucial supplier to companies designing advanced processors for smartphones, computers, data centers, and artificial-intelligence systems. It is often described as the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry. TSMC is the company’s common English abbreviation, while its full English name is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.