TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world's second-most valuable semiconductor company, the world's largest dedicated independent ("pure-play") semiconductor foundry, and its country's largest company, with headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The majority of TSMC is owned by foreign investors, and the central government of Taiwan is the largest shareholder. In 2023, the company was ranked 44th in the Forbes Global 2000.
Some of the key events about TSMC
- 1987Founded as the world's first dedicated semiconductor foundry
- 1987Faced criticism for potentially transferring sensitive semiconductor technology to mainland China
- 1994Became the first foundry to produce 0.35-micron technology
- 1999Introduced copper interconnect technology into volume production
- 1999Experienced production delays and yield issues with its 0.18-micron process technology
- 2002Launched the industry's first 300mm wafer fabrication facility
- 2002Suffered financial losses due to a global semiconductor industry downturn
- 2004Began volume production of 90nm process technology
- 2005Encountered challenges in ramping up 90nm chip production, causing delays for customers
- 2007Started mass production using 45nm process technology
- 2009Struggled with low capacity utilization during the global financial crisis
- 2011Commenced volume production of 28nm technology
- 2013Faced a lawsuit from GlobalFoundries over alleged patent infringement
- 2015Announced plans to build the world's first 5nm fab
- 2015Experienced a data breach that compromised sensitive customer information
- 2018Began volume production of 7nm process technology
- 2018Suffered production disruptions due to a computer virus attack on its systems
- 2020Started volume production of 5nm process technology
- 2020Halted new orders from Huawei due to U.S. export restrictions, losing a major customer
- 2021Faced criticism for prioritizing automotive chip production during the global chip shortage
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
