Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) chairman Mark Liu speaks during an interview in Hsinchu, Taiwan August 31, 2018. Picture taken August 31, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
HSINCHU, Taiwan: In late August, the new chairman of chip-making titan Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Mark Liu, got the sort of news that would make any boss smile: his biggest competitor was throwing in the towel.
Just under three months into Liu’s tenure, rival GlobalFoundries had announced that it would not compete in the latest generation of chip-making technology. It was a reminder of just how dominant TSMC has become in manufacturing chips for other companies, a business it all but invented.
