Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited is a leading Taiwanese multinational firm specializing in semiconductor contract manufacturing and design services. Recognized as one of the most valuable semiconductor firms globally, it stands as the largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry and is considered Taiwan's most significant company, with its headquarters and primary operations situated in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan. While the Taiwanese government remains the largest single shareholder, a substantial portion of TSMC is owned by international investors. In 2023, the company secured the 44th position on the Forbes Global 2000 list. Taiwan's exports of integrated circuits reached $184 billion in 2022, contributing nearly 25 percent to the nation's GDP. TSMC accounts for roughly 30 percent of the main index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
Established in 1987 by Morris Chang, TSMC became the world's first dedicated semiconductor foundry and has consistently led the industry ever since. Upon Chang’s retirement in 2018 after three decades of leadership, Mark Liu assumed the role of chairman, while C. C. Wei became the Chief Executive Officer. The company has been publicly traded on the Taiwan Stock Exchange since 1993 and was the first Taiwanese entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1997. TSMC has recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4 percent in revenue and 16.1 percent in earnings since 1994.
Numerous fabless semiconductor companies, including AMD, Apple, ARM, Broadcom, Marvell, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Nvidia, rely on TSMC for their production needs, alongside up-and-coming firms such as Allwinner Technology, HiSilicon, Spectra7, and UNISOC. Companies specializing in programmable logic devices, Xilinx and previously Altera, also utilize TSMC's foundry services. Additionally, several integrated device manufacturers with their own fabrication plants, including Intel, NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments, outsource part of their production to TSMC. In fact, semiconductor company LSI re-sells TSMC wafers through its ASIC design services and design IP portfolio.
TSMC pioneered the market in 7-nanometer and 5-nanometer production capabilities and was the first to commercially implement extreme ultraviolet lithography technology developed by ASML at high volumes.