TSMC

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC)
Type Public limited
(TWSE: 2330)
(NYSETSM)
Industry Semiconductor Foundry
Founded 1987 at the Industrial Technology Research Institute
Headquarters Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan
Key people Chairman and CEO: Dr Morris Chang, President: Dr. Rick Tsai,
Products Silicon Wafers
Revenue $13.982 billion (2010)[1]
Operating income $4.444 billion (2009)[1]
Net income $5.552 billion (2010)[1]
Total assets $20.433 billion (2009)[1]
Total equity $17.146 billion (2009)[1]
Employees 30,000+ (2010)
Website www.tsmc.com
TSMC
Traditional Chinese 台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Limited or TSMC (TWSE: 2330, NYSETSM) is the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, with its headquarters and main operations located in the Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Contents

Overview

Founded in 1987, TSMC is the world's first dedicated semiconductor foundry.[2] In addition to semiconductors, the company has also begun investing in lighting and solar energy-related industries.[2] It is listed on both the Taiwan Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. Dr. Morris Chang serves as Chairman and CEO, while Dr. F.C. Tseng serves as Vice Chairman and Dr. Rick Tsai serves as President of New Businesses.[3]

Although TSMC offers a variety of wafer product-lines (high-voltage, mixed-signal, analog), TSMC is best known for its logic chip product line. Various fabless high-tech companies such as Applied Micro Circuits Corporation, Qualcomm, Altera, Broadcom, Conexant, Marvell, NVIDIA, and VIA are customers of TSMC. Some fab-owning companies like Intel also outsource some production to TSMC.[4] At least one semiconductor company, LSI Logic, re-sells TSMC wafers through its ASIC design services and design IP-portfolio.

TSMC's market capitalization reached a high in December 2010, reaching a value of NT$1.9 trillion (US$63.4 billion).[5] In 2011, the company plans to increase research and development expenditures by almost 39% to NT$50 billion in an effort to fend off growing competition.[6] The company also plans to expand capacity by 30% in 2011 to meet strong market demand.[7]

On Friday, August 12, 2011, the partnership between TSMC and Apple was announced and TSMC has begun trial production the A6 chip for Apple's next-generation iPads and iPhones.[8][9]

Facilities

TSMC announced plans to invest US$9.4 billion to build its third 12-inch (300 mm) wafer fabrication facility in Central Taiwan Science Park (Fab 15), which will use advanced 40 and 20-nanometer technologies.[10] It is expected to become operational by March 2012. The facility will output over 100,000 wafers a month and generate $5 billion per year of revenue.[11] On January 12, 2011, TSMC announced the acquisition of land from Powerchip Semiconductor for NT$2.9 billion (US$96 million) to build two additional 300 mm fabs to cope with increasing global demand.[12] Further, TSMC has disclosed plans that it will build a 450-mm fab[13], which may begin its pilot lines 2013, and production as early as 2015.[14]

WaferTech subsidiary

WaferTech, a subsidiary of TSMC, is a pure-play semiconductor foundry located in Camas, Washington, U.S.A. It is the largest pure-play foundry in the United States. The facility employs 1100 workers.

WaferTech was established in June 1996 as a joint venture with TSMC, Altera, Analog Devices, and ISSI as key partners. The four companies along with minor individual investors invested US$1.2 billion dollars into this venture, which was at the time the single largest startup investment in the state of Washington. The company started production in July 1998 in its 200 mm (8 inch) semiconductor fabrication plant. Its first product was a 0.35 micrometre part for Altera.

TSMC bought out the joint venture partners in 2000 and acquired full control, and currently operates it as a fully owned subsidiary.[15]

WaferTech is based in Camas, 20 miles (30 km) outside of Portland, Oregon. The WaferTech campus contains a 1 million square foot (90,000 m²) complex housed on 260 acres (1 km²). The main fabrication facility consists of a 130,000 square feet (12,000 m²) 200 mm (8 inch) wafer fabrication plant.

TSMC Design Technology Canada

TSMC Design Technology Canada has been a part of the TSMC family since August 1, 2007. It is Located at 349 Terry Fox Drive, Kanata, ON.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e TSMC ANNUAL REPORT 2009
  2. ^ a b "Company Profile". TSMC. http://www.tsmc.com/english/aboutTSMC/company_profile.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  3. ^ "Corporate Executives". TSMC. http://www.tsmc.com/english/aboutTSMC/executives.htm. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  4. ^ "Intel Outsourcing Some Atom Manufacturing to TSMC". http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/03/intel_outsourcing_some_atom_ma.html. 
  5. ^ "Market capitalization of TSMC reaches a historic high: CEO". AsiaOne Business. 2010-12-21. http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20101221-253866.html. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  6. ^ Lisa Wang (2010-12-21). "TSMC plans to increase research spending". Taipei Times. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2010/12/21/2003491466. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  7. ^ "TSMC to expand capacity by 30% in 2011". China Knowledge. 2010-12-08. http://www.chinaknowledge.com/Newswires/News_Detail.aspx?type=1&cat=CMP&NewsID=%2039307. Retrieved 2010-12-20. 
  8. ^ Steve Chuang, Chinese Economic News Service. "TSMC Kicks Off A6 Processor Trial Production with Apple." Aug 12, 2011. Retrieved Sep 13, 2011.
  9. ^ Chris Velazco, Techcrunch. "TSMC Beginning Production Of Apple’s New A6 Processor." Aug 12, 2011. Retrieved Sep 13, 2011.
  10. ^ "UPDATE 1-TSMC says plans $9.4 bln Taiwan plant". Reuters. 2010-07-16. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE66F03G20100716. Retrieved 2010-07-16. 
  11. ^ "Analyst Warns Of Semiconductor Monopoly". Information Week. 2010-07-21. http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226100063&subSection=Processors. Retrieved 2010-07-22. 
  12. ^ "TSMC Acquires PSC Land for New Fab Construction". Taiwan Economic News. 2011-01-13. http://news.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_35080.html. Retrieved 2011-01-13. 
  13. ^ http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4212716/TSMC-tips-450-mm-fab
  14. ^ http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4213622/TSMC-to-make-FinFETs-in-450-mm-fab
  15. ^ Company News; Chip maker is buying out three WaferTech partners The New York Times, 2000-12-15.

External links