☐ | REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
☐ | SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited | Republic of China | |
(Translation of Registrant’s Name Into English) | (Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) |
Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||
Common Shares, par value NT$10.00 each* | TSM | The New York Stock Exchange, Inc. |
Large Accelerated Filer ☑ | Accelerated Filer ☐ | Non-Accelerated Filer ☐ | Emerging Growth Company ☐ |
U.S. GAAP ☐ | International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☑ | Other ☐ |
* | Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. of American Depositary Shares (“ADS”) representing such Common |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
EX-1.1 ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED ON JUNE 8, 2022.
EX-2a.1 DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 12 OF THE EXCHANGE ACT.
EX-3.1 RULES FOR ELECTION OF DIRECTORS, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED ON JULY 26, 2021.
i
EX-3.2 RULES AND PROCEDURES OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS, AS AMENDED AND RESTATED ON NOVEMBER 8, 2022.
EX-4.13 LAND LEASE WITH CENTRAL TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO THE FABS LOCATED IN TAICHUNG SCIENCE PARK (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024 TO SEPTEMBER 1, 2029) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.31 LAND LEASE WITH HSINCHU SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO AP3 LOCATED IN LONGTAN SCIENCE PARK (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024 TO DECEMBER 31, 2034) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.34 LAND LEASE WITH CENTRAL TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO AP5 LOCATED IN TAICHUNG SCIENCE PARK (EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024 TO JULY 26, 2031) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.52 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD. EMPLOYEE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS RULES FOR YEAR 2023.
EX-4.53 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD. EMPLOYEE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS RULES FOR YEAR 2024 (AS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN FEBRUARY 2024, AND SUBJECT TO SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL AND APPROVAL BY THE R.O.C. FINANCIAL SUPERVISORY COMMISSION).
EX-4.62 LAND LEASE WITH HSINCHU SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO FAB20 (EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2023 TO DECEMBER 31, 2042) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.63 LAND LEASE WITH HSINCHU SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO FAB20 (EFFECTIVE JULY 14, 2023 TO DECEMBER 31, 2042) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.64 LAND LEASE WITH SOUTHERN TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO THE FABS (FAB 14 BRIDGE) LOCATED IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK (EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2023 TO MAY 31, 2043) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-4.65 LAND LEASE WITH SOUTHERN TAIWAN SCIENCE PARK ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO AP7(EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 15, 2024 TO FEBRUARY 14, 2044) (ENGLISH SUMMARY).
EX-8.1 SUBSIDIARIES OF TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
EX-12.1 CERTIFICATION OF CEO - RULE 13A-14(A)
EX-12.2 CERTIFICATION OF CFO - RULE 13A-14(A)
EX-13.1 CERTIFICATION OF CEO - RULE 13A-14(B)
EX-13.2 CERTIFICATION OF CFO - RULE 13A-14(B)
EX-15.1 CONSENT OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE
EX-17 ISSUERS OF GUARANTEED SECURITIES
EX-97 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED CLAWBACK POLICY
EX-101.INS iXBRL INSTANCE DOCUMENT (EMBEDDED WITHIN THE INLINE XBRL DOCUMENT)
EX-101.SCH iXBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA DOCUMENT
EX-101.CAL iXBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION CALCULATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101.DEF iXBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION DEFINITION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101.LAB iXBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-101.PRE iXBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
EX-104 COVER PAGE INTERACTIVE DATA FILE (EMBEDDED WITHIN THE INLINE XBRL DOCUMENT)
“TSMC”, “tsmc”, “GIGAFAB”, “Open Innovation Platform”, “CyberShuttle”, “CoWoS”, “TSMC-SoIC
ii
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This annual report includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of U.S. securities laws. Such statements are made under the “safe harbor” provision under Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The terms “anticipates,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should” and other similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These statements appear in a number of places throughout this annual report and include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategies and the industries in which we operate.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industries in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this annual report. Important factors that could cause those differences include, but are not limited to:
general local and global economic conditions;
the political stability of our local region;
our ability to deal with the challenges and risks related to our global operations and expansion;
outlook of the major and emerging end markets for our products, such as smartphones, high performance computing, smartphones, internet of things (“IoT”), automotive and digital consumer electronics;
the volatility of the semiconductor and electronics industry;
our ability to develop new technologies successfully and remain a technological leader;
the increased competition from other companies and our ability to retain and increase our market share;companies;
overcapacity in the semiconductor industry;
our reliance on certain major customers;
the reliability of our information technology systems and resilience to any cyberattacks;
our ability to maintain control over expansion and facility modifications;
our ability to generate growth and profitability;
our ability to hire and retain qualified personnel;
our ability to acquire required equipment and supplies necessary to meet business needs;
our ability to protect our technologies, intellectual property (“IP”) rights and third-party licenses;
disruptive events such as earthquakes or droughts;industrial accidents;
shortages or increased prices of power and other utility shortages;utilities; and
fluctuations in foreign currency rates, in particular, any material appreciation of the NT dollar against the U.S. dollar, and our ability to manage such risks.
1
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our strategy and future plans, future business condition and financial results, our capital expenditure plans, our capacity management plans, expectations as to the commercial production using 3-nanometer2-nanometer and more advanced technologies, technological upgrades, investment in research and development, future market demand, future regulatory or other developments in our industry, business expansion plans or new investments as well as business acquisitions and financing plans. If any one or more of the assumptions underlying the industry or market data turns out to be incorrect, actual results may differ from the projections based on these assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Please see “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors” for a further discussion of certain factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by our forward-looking statements.
As used in this annual report, all references to “we,” “us,” the “Company” and “TSMC” are to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited and its consolidated subsidiaries.
EXCHANGE RATES
We publish our financial statements in New Taiwan dollars, the lawful currency of the R.O.C. In this annual report, “$,” “US$” and “U.S. dollars” mean United States dollars, the lawful currency of the United States, and “NT$” and “NT dollars” mean New Taiwan dollars. This annual report contains translations of certain NT dollar amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from NT dollars to U.S. dollars in this annual report were made at NT$27.7430.62 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on December 30, 2021.
No representation is made that the NT dollar or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or NT dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.
2
PART I
ITEM 1. | IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISORS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. | OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE |
Not applicable.
ITEM 3. | KEY INFORMATION |
Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not applicable.
Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable.
Risk Factors
We wish to caution readers that the following important factors, and those important factors described in other reports submitted to, or filed with, the SEC,U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“U.S. SEC”), among other factors, could affect our actual results and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, and that such factors may adversely affect our business and financial status and therefore the value of your investment:
Risks Relating to Our Business
Any global systemic political, economic and financial crisis (as well as the indirect effects flowing therefrom) could negatively affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In recent times, several major systemic political, economic and financial crises negatively affected global business, banking and financial sectors, including the semiconductor industry and markets.
Since 2018, there have been political and trade tensions among a number of the world’s major economies. These tensions have resulted or may result in the implementation of tariff,
3
Any future systemic political, economic or financial crisis or market volatility, including but not limited to interest rate and foreign exchange rate fluctuations, inflation or deflation andor changes in economic, fiscal and monetary policies in major economies, could cause revenue or profits for the semiconductor industry as a whole to decline dramatically, and ifdramatically. If the economic conditions or financial conditions of our customers were to deteriorate, the demand for our products and services may decrease and additional accounting related allowances may be required, which could reduce our operating income and net income. Further, in times of market instability,In addition, sufficient external financing may not be available to us on a timely basis, on commercially reasonable terms to us, or at all. If sufficient external financing is not available when we need such financing to meet our capital requirements, we may be forced to curtail our expansion, modify plans or delay the deployment of new or expanded services until we obtain such financing. In conclusion, any of these events, including any future global systemic crisis includingor further escalation of trade tensions as described above, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
Our global manufacturing, design and sales activities subject us to risks associated with political, economic, financial, military or other conditions or developments in various jurisdictions, including in particular the R.O.C., as well as in international trade, which could negatively affect our business and financial status and therefore the market value of your investment.
The majority of our principal executive officers and our principal production facilities are located in the R.O.C., and the majority of our net revenue is derived from our operations in the R.O.C. In addition, we have operations worldwide and a significant percentage of our revenue comes from sales to locations outside the R.O.C. Operating in the R.O.C. and overseas exposes us to changes in laws, rules, regulations and the enforcements of such laws, rules and regulations in certain key areas that could have a material impact on our operations, such as intellectual property, labor, antitrust, export control, import restrictions, and trade barriers or disputes. In addition, deterioration in general political, economic, financial or social conditions, military conflicts, the risk of outbreak of war or hostilities, terrorism events, security risks, social unrest, health conditions and possible disruptions in transportation networks in the various jurisdictions in which we operate or elsewhere, could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations as well as the market price and the liquidity of our ADSs and common shares. Furthermore, any major change in economic, fiscal and/or trade policies in the U.S. from which we derive a substantial portion of our revenue or in another major jurisdiction could severely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, recent political and trade tensions among major economies as well as military conflicts (such as the conflict in Ukraine insince early 2022) have resulted in the imposition of trade barriers, such as sanctions and import and export controls, which could increase our manufacturing costs, limit our access to certain supplies, make our pricing less competitive, and limit our ability to offer our products and services in some markets or source key materials and key production equipment, which may have adverse direct or indirect effects on our sales.
Any law or government policy that encourages our customers to relocate their manufacturing capacity or supply chain to their own countries or require their respective contractors, subcontractors and relevant agents to do so could also impair our ability to sustain our current level of productivity and manufacturing efficiency. An important aspect of our business operation is an ecosystem of interconnected semiconductor fabs, employees and suppliers in the R.O.C. that provides us with significant operational synergies, flexibility and efficiencies. For example, we are able to temporarily reassign thousands of our engineers and other relevant personnel from one manufacturing site to another to refine specific designs and adapt manufacturing processes in a timely manner. These advantages permit us to operate our manufacturing fabs efficiently and resolve any technical or commercial difficulties quickly to maintain our competitive edge. Restrictions on our ability to transfer people among our operations in the R.O.C., the United States, the P.R.C., Japan, and JapanEurope efficiently due to, for example, immigration or travel restrictions may impair or reduce these advantages, and we may not be able to sustain our current ability to supply our customers with goods and services at the current level of cost, quality, quantity and delivery schedule to which our customers have been accustomed.
In addition, the financial markets have viewed certain past developments in relations between the R.O.C. and the P.R.C. as occasions to depress general market prices of the securities of R.O.C. companies, including our own. Also, the R.O.C. government has not lifted some trade and investment restrictions imposed on R.O.C. companies on the amount and types of certain investments that can be made in the P.R.C. Our plans, investment applications and/or any relevant regulatory approvals to establish or possibly expand operations in the P.R.C. may be delayed, interrupted, suspended or cancelled due to unforeseeable social and political factors in the R.O.C. or the P.R.C., and these potential operational risks can be aggravated by applicable export controls which impose license requirements on our P.R.C. fab’s acquisition of certain manufacturing tools.
4
If we are unable to successfully manage the complexity of our global operations and deal with the challenges and risks related to our global expansion, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We have multiple expansion projects that are currently underway, including the design and construction of new fabs worldwide. Global expansion has required and will continue to require considerable managerial, financial and other resources. We expect to face particular challenges in global expansion and operations, including but not limited to:
higher costs associated with construction of new fabs, establishing supply chains for various materials in different overseas locations, the impact on our ability to sustain our current level of productivity and manufacturing efficiency provided by our ecosystem of interconnected semiconductor fabs, employees and suppliers in the R.O.C., and recruiting and retaining talent in various overseas locations;
labor shortages, interruptions in the supply chains for various materials, and construction issues, which could substantially delay the completion of our expansion projects, and could further result in substantial additional costs or failure to meet our capacity expansion plans;
• | disruptions to our operations caused by natural or man-made disasters, including earthquakes, flooding, typhoons, droughts, tsunamis, sandstorms, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, fire, gas/chemical leakage, pandemic, supply chain disruption, geopolitical tensions, sabotage, failure of critical facilities and equipment and shortages in the supply of utilities, such as water, electricity and natural gas, etc.; |
• | scarcity of industrial-use land, which could limit our future expansion of operations; |
compliance with applicable foreign laws and regulations, and the risk of penalties if our practices are deemed not to be in compliance;
challenges in managing information technology infrastructure in multiple locations and across different systems and risks of our information technology infrastructure succumbing to cyberattacks by third parties worldwide;
adverse changes relating to government grants or other government incentives;
challenges in creating an inclusive workplace in new sites to embrace the cultural differences and managing the operation over large geographic distances;
limited or insufficient intellectual property protection or difficulties enforcing our rights to intellectual property; and
exposure to different tax jurisdictions and potential adverse tax consequences.
If we are unable to overcome the above challenges, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Decreases in demand and average selling prices for products that contain semiconductors may adversely affect demand for our products and may result in a decrease in our revenue and earnings.
A vast majority of our revenue is derived from customers who use our products in smartphones, high performance computing (“HPC”), smartphones, IoT, automotive, and digital consumer electronics. Any deterioration in or a slowdown in the growth of such end markets resulting in a substantial decrease in the demand for overall global semiconductor foundry services, including our products and services, could adversely affect our revenue. Further, semiconductor manufacturing facilities require substantial investment to construct and are largely fixed cost assets once they are in operation. Because we own most of our manufacturing capacities, a significant portion of our operating costs is fixed. In general, these costs do not decline when customer demand or our capacity utilization rates drop, and thus declines in customer demand, among other factors, may significantly decrease our margins. Conversely, as product demand rises and factory utilization increases, the fixed costs are spread over increased output, which can improve our margins. In addition, the historical trend of declining average selling prices (or “ASP”(“ASP”) of end useend-use applications places downward pressure on the prices of the components that go into such applications. Decreases in the ASP of end use applications may increase pricing pressure on components produced by us, which, in turn, may negatively impact our revenue, margin and earnings.
5
Since we are dependent on the highly cyclical semiconductor and electronics industries, which have experienced significant and sometimes prolonged periods of downturns and overcapacity, our revenue, earningsmargins and marginsearnings may fluctuate significantly.
The electronics industries and semiconductor market are cyclical and subject to significant and often rapid fluctuations in product demand, which could impact our semiconductor foundry business. Variations in customer order levels from our customers may result in volatility in our revenue and earnings. From time to time, the electronics and semiconductor industries have experienced significant and occasionally prolonged periods of downturns and overcapacity. Because we are, and will continue to be, dependent on the requirementsdemand of electronics and semiconductor companies for our services, periods of downturns and overcapacity in the general electronics and semiconductor industries could lead to reduced demand for overall semiconductor foundry services, including our services. If we cannotare not able to take appropriate actions, such as reducing our costs to sufficiently offset declines in demand, our revenue, marginmargins and earnings will likely suffer during periods of downturns and overcapacity.
If we are unable to remain a technological leader in the semiconductor industry, unable to timely respond to fast-changing semiconductor market dynamics, or unable to maintain our edge in product quality, we may become less competitive.
The semiconductor industry and its technologies are constantly changing. We compete by developing process technologies using increasingly advanced nodes and on manufacturing products with more functions. We also compete by developing new derivative technologies. If we do not anticipate these changes in technologies and rapidly develop new and innovative technologies, or our competitors unforeseeably gain sudden access to additional technologies, we may not be able to provide foundry services on competitive terms. For example, the global surge in the development of artificial intelligence (“AI”) has had a significant impact on customer demand for advanced semiconductor chips and the market dynamics in our industry; thus, our ability to continuously develop relevant technologies, products and services to meet these customer needs will be critical for us to effectively compete in this space. We also believe that the effective use of AI in our internal operations is important to our long-term success. As the AI technologies are rapidly evolving, if we are unable to deploy new AI technologies in our internal operations as effectively as our competitors, it may hurt our competitive position. In addition, our customers have significantly decreased the time in which their products or services are launched into the market. If we are unable to meet these shorter product
In light of the rise of new foundry service providers worldwide, if we are unable to compete effectively in the highly competitive foundry segment of the semiconductor industry, we may lose customers and/or our profit margin and earnings may decrease.
The markets for ourcompetition in the semiconductor foundry services are highly competitive.industry is fierce. We compete with other foundry service providers, as well as a number of integrated device manufacturers. Some of these companies may have access to more advanced or different technologies than us. Other companies may have greater financial and other resources than us, such as the possibility of receiving direct or indirect government subsidies, economic stimulus funds, or other incentives that may be unavailable to us. For example, Chinese companies are expected to be key players for new semiconductor fab development and fab equipment spending in part due to various incentives provided by the Chinese government. The governments of Europe, the United States, China, Europe, South Korea and Japan also haveprovide various incentive programs to incentivizepromote developments of their domestic semiconductor industries.industries, such as the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act of 2022 (the “U.S. CHIPS Act”), which provides financial incentives to incentivize the development of U.S. semiconductor industry. Although governments in certain of the countries or regions where we are currently expanding or planning to expand our production capacity have extended or may in the future extend certain financial incentives to us, there is no assurance that we will be able to apply for or receive such financial incentives at the levels we expectanticipate or at all. Additionally, any financial incentives we receive may be subject to strict conditions imposed by the grantors, such as restrictions on the expansion of facilities in foreign countries of concern and on joint research and technology licensing efforts with foreign entities of concern on any technology or product that raises national security concerns, or the grantors could seek to recover any funds provided to us, or cancel, reduce or deny our requestsrequested subsidies or grants in the future. This could materially increase our operating costs andor otherwise adversely affect our results of operations.
Moreover, our competitors may, from time to time, also decide to undertake aggressive pricing initiatives in one or several technology nodes. Our competitors may also compete for our customers who seek to diversify their supply chains. These competitive activities may decrease our customer base, or our ASP,pricing, or both. If we are unable to compete effectively with such new and aggressive competitors on technology, manufacturing capacity, product quality, supply chain diversification and resilience, and customer satisfaction, we risk losing customers or business to such new contenders.
If we are unable to manage our capacity and production facilities effectively, our competitiveness may be weakened.
We perform long-term market demand forecasts for our products and services to manage our overall capacity. Based on our market demand forecasts, we have continued to add capacity to meet market needs for our products and services, including in Taiwan, in Arizona, U.S., in Nanjing, China, in Arizona, U.S.,Kumamoto, Japan and in Kumamoto, Japan.Dresden, Germany.
6
Implementing these capacity expansion plans will increase our costs, and the increases may be substantial. For example, we would need to build new facilities, purchase additional equipment and hire and train personnel to operate the new equipment. If we do not increase our net revenue accordingly, our financial performance may be adversely affected by these increased costs. See “Item 4. Information on The Company – Capacity Management and Technology Upgrade Plans” for a further discussion
In addition, market conditions are dynamic and our market demand forecasts may change significantly at any time. During periods of decreased demand, certain manufacturing lines or tools in some of our manufacturing facilities may be suspended or shut down temporarily. However, if demand subsequently increases rapidly over a short period of time, we may not be able to restore the capacity in a timely manner to take advantage of the upturn. In such circumstances, our financial performance and competitiveness may be adversely affected.
Having one or more large customers that account for a significant percentage of our revenue may render us vulnerable to the loss of or significant curtailment of purchases by such customers that could in turn adversely affect our results of operations. Similarly, the increasing consolidation of our customers may further increase our revenue concentration.
Over the years, our customer profile and the nature of our customers’ business have changed dramatically. While we generate revenue from hundreds of customers worldwide, our ten largest customers in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 20212023 accounted for approximately, 71%, 74%68% and 71%70% of our net revenue in the respective year. Our largest customer in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 20212023 accounted for 23%26%, 25%23% and 26%25% of our net revenue in the respective year. Our second largest customer in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 20212023 accounted for 14%10%, 12%less than 10% and 10%11% of our net revenue in the respective year. A more concentrated customer base will subject our revenue to seasonal demand fluctuations from our large customers and cause different seasonal patterns ofin our business. This customer concentration results in part from the changing dynamics of the electronics industry with the structural shift to mobile and high performance computing devices and applications and software that provide the content for such devices.
There are only a limited number of customers who are successfully exploiting this new business model paradigm. Also, we have seen changes in the changesnature of nature in our customers’ business models in response to this new business model paradigm. For example, there is a growing trend toward theamong system companies developingdesigning their own designed semiconductors and working directly with the semiconductor foundries, which makes their products and services more marketable in a changing consumer market.
Also, since the global semiconductor industry is becominghas become increasingly competitive, some of our customers have engaged in industry consolidations in order to remain competitive. Such consolidations have taken the form of mergers and acquisitions. If more of our major customers consolidate, this will further decrease the overall number of our customer pool. In addition, regulatory restrictions, such as export controls directed at our major customers, could impact our ability to supply products to those customers or reduce those customers’ demand for our products and services and thus impact their business operations.
The loss of, or significant curtailment of purchases by, one or more of our top customers including curtailments due to increased competitive pressures, heightened regulatory scrutiny, industry consolidation, changes in applicable regulatory restrictions, product designs, manufacturing sourcing or outsourcing policies or practices of these customers, or the timing of customer or distributor inventory adjustments, or changes in our major customers’ business models, may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
If our information technology systems or those of our service providers with whom we share our confidential information succumb to cyberattacks by third parties worldwide, our business and operations may be severely interrupted or even shut down, and our results of operations, financial condition, prospects and reputation may also be materially and adversely affected.
Even though we have established a comprehensive internet and computing security network, we cannot guarantee that our computing systems which control or maintain vital corporate functions, such as our manufacturing operations and enterprise accounting, would be completely immune to crippling cyberattacks. In the event of a serious cyberattack, our systems may lose important corporate data or our production lines may be shut down pending the resolution of such attack. Major cyberattacks could also lead to loss or divulgence of trade secrets and other sensitive information, such as proprietary information of our customers and other stakeholders and personal information of our employees. While we seek to continuously review and assess our cybersecurity policies and procedures to ensure their adequacy and effectiveness, we cannot guarantee that we will not be susceptible to new and emerging risks and attacks in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
Malicious hackers may also try to introduce computer viruses, corrupted software or ransomware into our network systems to disrupt our operations, blackmail us to regain control of our computing systems, or spy on us for sensitive information. These attacks may result in us having to pay damages for our delayed or disrupted orders or incur significant expenses in implementing remedial and improvement measures to further enhance our cybersecurity network, and may also expose us to significant legal liabilities arising from or related to legal proceedings or regulatory investigations associated with such breaches.
7
In the past, we experienced and may in the future be subject to attack by malicious software contained in the equipment we purchase and install.software. We have implemented and continually update rigorous cybersecurity measures to prevent and minimize harm caused by such attacks. Such measures include advanced virus scanning tools to preventSee “Item 16K. Cybersecurity” for a fab from installing virus-infected software, strengthening firewall and network controls to prevent computer viruses from spreading among tools and fabs, the installation of anti-virus and advanced malware detection solutions across our computer devices, and enhancement of data center security through faster patch cycle times. In addition, we have deployed secure PCs and laptops, developed a public cloud security policy with monitoring, defined and regularly reviewed the security key performance indicators (“KPI”), introduced new technology for data protection, and improved email phishing detection and regularly performed employee awareness testing. We also established an integrated and automatic security operation platform, enhanced the automation of cybersecurity event detection and response, enhanced internal assessment automation, practiced the response to ransomware attacks and conducted external security risk assessments. In addition, to reduce supply chain risks, through collaboration, we helped major suppliers improve their security maturity with KPI monitoring and share with them industry security events and best practices on demand and by schedule. Moreover, we led the SEMI standard taskforce to formulate and release information security standards for semiconductor equipment (SEMI E187) to help improve the resilience of semiconductor supply chain.further discussion. While these ongoing enhancements further improve our cybersecurity defense solutions, there can be no assurance that we are immune to cyberattacks.
In addition, we employ certain third-party service providers for us and our affiliates worldwide with whom we need to share highly sensitive and confidential information to enable them to provide the relevant services. While we require such third-party service providers to strictly fulfill the confidentiality and/or internet security requirements in our service agreements with them, there is no assurance that each of them will comply with such obligations. Moreover, such third-party service providers may also be susceptible to cyberattacks. If we or our service providers are not able to timely resolve the respective technical difficulties caused by such cyberattacks, or ensure the integrity and availability of our data (and data belonging to our customers and other third parties) or maintain control of our or our service providers’ computing systems, our commitments to our customers and other stakeholders may be materially impaired and our results of operations, financial condition, prospects and reputation may also be materially and adversely affected.
We may not be able to implement our planned growth and development or maintain our leading position if we are unable to recruit and retain key executives, managers and skilled technical and service personnel.
We rely on the continued services and contributions of our management team, as well as skilled technical and professional personnel. Our business could suffer from the inability to fulfill personnel needs with high quality professionals in a timely fashion caused by the loss of personnel, talent shortages, illegal talent poaching, immigration controls, or related changes in market demand for our products and services. Since there is fierce competition for talent recruitment, we cannot ensure timely fulfillment of our personnel demand.
We may be unable to obtain in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost equipment that is necessary for us to remain competitive.
Our operations and ongoing expansion plans depend on our ability to obtain an appropriate amount ofnecessary equipment and related services available from a limited number of suppliers insuppliers. As a market that is characterized from time to time byresult, we may encounter the situation of limited supply andand/or long delivery cycles. During such times, supplier-specific or industry-wide lead times for delivery can be longer than previously expected and the cost of ownership may intrinsically increase. To better manage our supply chain, we evaluate and project delivery lead times to minimize the impact of supply chain risks on operating costs. We have also implemented various collaborative business models and risk management contingencies with suppliers to ensure supply and shorten the procurement lead time. To enhance our sourcing capabilities for our global sites, we have also taken steps to strengthen our understanding of local regulations, policies, and supply chains. However, if we are unable to acquire in a timely acquiremanner the equipment and parts we need, we may fail to successfully implement our capacity expansion plans and exploit time sensitive business opportunities. Additionally, ongoing trade tensions could result in increased prices for, or even unavailability of, key equipment, including as a resultthrough delay or denial of necessary export licenses, being delayed or denied,adoption of additional export control measures and other tariff or
Our revenue and profitability may decline if we are unable to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials in a timely manner and at commercially reasonable prices.
Our production operations require that we obtain adequate supplies of raw materials, such as silicon wafers, gases, chemicals, and photoresist, on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices. In the past, shortages in the supply of some materials, whether by specific vendorssuppliers or by the semiconductor industry generally, have resulted in occasional industry-wide price adjustments and delivery delays. Moreover, major natural disasters, trade barriers and political or economic turmoil, including military conflicts and inflation, occurring within the country of origin of such raw materials may also significantly disrupt the availability of such raw materials or increase their prices. Also, since we procure some of our raw materials from sole-sourced suppliers, there is a risk that our need for such raw materials may not be met or that
8
Any inability to obtain, preserve, enforce, defend and protect our technologies, intellectual property rights and third-party licenses could harm our competitive position.
Our ability to compete successfully and to achieve future growth depends in part on the continued strength of our intellectual property portfolio. While we actively enforce and protect our intellectual property rights, there can be no assurance that our efforts will be adequate to prevent the misappropriation or improper use of our proprietary technologies, software, trade secrets or
We have received, from time to time, communications from third parties, including
If we fail to obtain or maintain certain technologies or intellectual property licenses or fail to prevent our intellectual property from being misappropriated and, if litigation relating to alleged intellectual property matters occurs, it could: (i) prevent us from manufacturing particular products or selling particular services or applying particular technologies; and (ii) reduce our ability to compete effectively against entities benefiting from our misappropriated intellectual property, which could reduce our opportunities to generate revenue.
Our operational results could also be materially and adversely affected by disruptive events such as earthquakes and droughts,or industrial accidents, in the locations in which we, our customers or our suppliers operate oroperate.
Disruptions caused by industrial accidents, fires or explosions.
Thus, if one or more natural disasters result in a prolonged disruption to our operations or those of our customers or suppliers, or if any of our fabs or vendor facilities were to be damaged or cease operations as a result of an explosion or fire,unforeseen disruptive event, it could reduce our manufacturing capacity and cause the loss of important customers, and thereby have an adverse, material impact on our operational and financial performance.
Our operations in several ways, including but not limited to: (i) interruption of the operations of our supply chains for equipment, parts and materials in terms of manufacturing, logistics, and manpower arrangements for tool installation; (ii) significant fluctuation in our customers’ demands for certain products, leading to uncertainties for our capacity planning and also for meeting customer demand, which may harm our business with our customers and subject us to the risk of legal disputes; and (iii) strict border control measures which may delay or restrict our employees or vendors from completing necessary training programs or providing services; and (iv) potential production delays for our products due to forced factory or office closures or partial operation.
We have occasionally suffered power outages, dips or surges in Taiwan caused by difficulties encountered by our electricity supplier the Taiwan Power Company, or other power consumers on the same power grid. Some of these incidents have resulted in interruptions to our operations. Such outages, shortages or interruptions in electricity supply could further be exacerbated by changes in the energy policy of the government, which intends to make Taiwan a nuclear-free country by 2025.governments. If we are unable to secure reliable and uninterrupted supply of electricity to power our manufacturing fabs, within Taiwan, our ability to fill customers’ orders would be severely jeopardized.
In addition, due to climate change, severe weather events, such as droughts, and any measures taken by governments in response to such severe weather events may materially affect our operations.operations and our suppliers’ production. For further information, see “— Our operational results could also be materiallyexample, the measures taken by governments in response to droughts, including water rationing and adversely affected by disruptive events, such as earthquakes and droughts, in the locations in which we,conservation, may cause interruption to our customersoperations or our suppliers operate or by industrial accidents, fires or explosions.”expansion plans.
9
If such events were to occur over prolonged periods of time, our operations and financial performance may be materially adversely affected.
Adverse fluctuations in exchange rates could decrease our operating margin and/or revenue.
Substantially all of our sales are denominated in U.S. dollars and over half of our capital expenditures are denominated in currencies other than the NT dollar, primarily in U.S. dollars, Euros and Japanese yen. As a result, any significant fluctuations to our disadvantage in the exchange rate of the NT dollar against such currencies, in particular a weakening of the U.S. dollar against the NT dollar, would have an adverse impact on our revenue and operating profit as expressed in NT dollars. For example, every 1% depreciation of the U.S. dollar against the NT dollar would result in an approximately 0.4 percentage point decrease in our operating margin based on our 20212023 results.
Conversely, if the U.S. dollar appreciates significantly versus other major currencies, the demand for the products and services of our customers and for our goods and services will likely decrease, which will negatively affect our revenue. Please see “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for a further discussion.
Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations material to our operations, such as export control, environmental and climate related laws and regulations, or the inability to timely obtain requisite approvals necessary for the conduct of our business, such as fab land and construction approvals, could harm our business and operational results or subject us to potential significant legal liability.
Because we engage in manufacturing activities in multiple jurisdictions and conduct business with our customers located worldwide, such activities are subject to a myriad of governmental regulations. For example, the manufacturing, assembling and testing of our products require the use of equipment that is subject to export control laws and regulations, as well as metals, chemicals, and materials that are subject to environmental, climate-related, health and safety, and humanitarian forced labor prohibition and conflict-free sourcing laws, regulations and guidelines issued worldwide. Our failure to comply with any such laws or regulations, as amended from time to time, and our failure to comply with any information and document sharing requests from the relevant authorities in a timely manner could result in:
significant penalties and legal liabilities, such as the denial of import or export permits or third party private lawsuits, criminal or administrative proceedings;
the temporary or permanent suspension of production of the affected products;
the temporary or permanent inability to procure or use certain production critical chemicals or materials;
unfavorable alterations in our manufacturing, fabrication and assembly and test processes;
challenges from our customers that place us at a significant competitive disadvantage, such as loss of actual or potential sales contracts in case we are unable to satisfy the applicable legal standard or customer requirement;
restrictions on our operations or sales;
loss of tax benefits, including termination of current tax incentives, disqualification of tax credit application and repayment of the tax benefits that we are not entitled to; and
damages to our goodwill and reputation.
Complying with applicable laws and regulations, such as environmental and climate related laws and regulations, could also require us, among other things, to do the following: (a) purchase, use or install remedial equipment; (b) implement remedial programs such as climate change mitigation programs;programs and air pollution reduction plans; (c) modify our product designs and manufacturing processes, or incur other significant expenses such as paying any incurred carbon fees if our emission levels exceed applicable thresholds, and obtaining renewable energy sources, renewable energy certificates or carbon credits, substitute raw materials or chemicals that may cost more or be less available for our operations.
Our inability to timely obtain approvals necessary for the conduct of our business could impair our operational and financial results. For example, if we are unable to timely obtain environmental related approvals needed to undertake the development and construction of a new fab or expansion project, then such inability may delay, limit, or increase the cost of our expansion plans that could also in turn adversely affect our business and operational results. In light of increased public interest in environmental issues, our operations and expansion plans may be adversely affected or delayed respondingin response to public concern and social environmental pressures even if we comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
10
For further details, please see our compliance record with Taiwan and international environmental and climate related laws and regulations as well as our business continuity management of climate change policy in “Item 4. Information on The Company – Environmental and Climate Related Laws and Regulations”.
Any adverse results of potential antitrust proceedings that we may be subject to could harm our business and operational results or subject us to potential significant legal liability.
We are subject to antitrust laws and regulations in multiple jurisdictions, and from time to time receive related inquiries from enforcement agencies. For example, on September 28, 2017, we were contacted by the European Commission, which asked us for information and documents concerning alleged anti-competitive practices in relation to semiconductor sales. We cooperated with the European Commission to provide the requested information and documents. The European Commission subsequently decided to close the investigation in May 2020. Any adverse results of potential antitrust proceedings could harm our business and distract our management, and thereby have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or prospects, and subject us to potential significant legal liability.
Any impairment charges may have a material adverse effect on our net income.
Under IFRSs, we are required to evaluate our tangible assets,
The determination of an impairment charge at any given time is mainly based on the projected results of operations over several years subsequent to that time. Consequently, an impairment charge is more likely to occur during a period when our operating results are otherwise already depressed. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Reviews and Prospects – Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation and Uncertainty” for a discussion of how we assess if an impairment charge is required and, if so, how the amount is determined.
Any failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reasonable assurance with respect to our financial reports and to effectively prevent fraud. If we cannot provide reasonable assurance with respect to our financial reports and effectively prevent fraud and corruption, our reputation and results of operations could be harmed.
We are required to comply with various R.O.C. and U.S. laws and regulations on internal controls, but internal controls may not prevent or detect misstatements because of their inherent limitations, including the possibility of human error, the circumvention or overriding of controls, fraud or corruption.
Therefore, even effective internal controls can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, our business and operating results could be harmed, we could fail to meet our reporting obligations, and there could be a material adverse effect on the market price of our common shares and ADSs.
Any amendments to existing tax regulations or the implementation of any new tax laws in the R.O.C., the United States or other jurisdictions in which we operate our business may have an adverse effect on our net income.
While we are subject to tax laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we operate or conduct business, our principal operations are in the R.O.C. and we are exposed primarily to taxes levied by the R.O.C. government. Any unfavorable changes of tax laws and regulationsThe R.O.C. Controlled Foreign Company (“CFC”) rules enacted in this2016 have been implemented since January 1, 2023, pursuant to which, certain profits retained at a CFC located in a low-tax jurisdiction could increase our effective tax rate and have an adverse effect on our operating results.would be taxable at its parent company in Taiwan. Further, changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)(“BEPS”) project that was undertaken by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)(“OECD”). These changes may increase tax uncertainty and have an adverse effect on our operating results. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Reviews and Prospects – Taxation” for further discussion of significant tax regulation changes.
11
Risks Relating to Ownership of ADSs
Your voting rights as a holder of ADSs will be limited.
Holders of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)(“ADRs”) evidencing ADSs may exercise voting rights with respect to the common shares represented by these ADSs only in accordance with the provisions of our ADS deposit agreement. The deposit agreement provides that, upon receipt of notice of any meeting of holders of our common shares, the depositary bank will, as soon as practicable thereafter, mail to the holders (i) the notice of the meeting sent by us, (ii) voting instruction forms and (iii) a statement as to the manner in which instructions may be given by the holders.
ADS holders will not generally be able to exercise the voting rights attaching to the deposited securities on an individual basis. According to the provisions of our ADS deposit agreement, the voting rights attaching to the deposited securities must be exercised as to all matters subject to a vote of shareholders collectively in the same manner, except in the case of an election of directors. Election of directors is by means of cumulative voting. See “Item 10. Additional Information – Voting of Deposited Securities” for a more detailed discussion of the manner in which a holder of ADSs can exercise its voting rights.
You may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of your holdings.
We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under our ADS deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”), with respect to all holders of ADSs, or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. Although we may be eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions for rights offerings by certain foreign companies, we can give no assurance that we can establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have such a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.
If the depositary bank is unable to sell rights that are not exercised or not distributed or if the sale is not lawful or reasonably practicable, it will allow the rights to lapse, in which case you will receive no value for these rights.
The value of your investment may be reduced by possible future sales of common shares or ADSs by us or our shareholders or fluctuations in foreign exchange.
One or more of our existing shareholders may, from time to time, dispose of significant numbers of our common shares or ADSs. For example, the National Development Fund of the R.O.C., which owned 6.38% of TSMC’s outstanding shares as of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, had from time to time in the past sold our shares in the form of ADSs in several transactions.
We cannot predict the effect, if any, that future sales of ADSs or common shares, or the availability of ADSs or common shares for future sales, will have on the market price of ADSs or common shares prevailing from time to time. Sales of substantial amounts of ADSs or common shares in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could depress the prevailing market price of our ADSs or common shares. In addition, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the NT dollar may affect the U.S. dollar value of our common shares and the market price of the ADSs and the U.S. dollar value of any cash dividends paid in NT dollars on our common shares represented by ADSs.
The market value of our shares may fluctuate due to the volatility of, and government intervention in, the R.O.C. securities market.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange has experienced from time to time substantial fluctuations in the prices and volumes of sales of listed securities. There are currently limits on the range of daily price movements on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. In response to past declines and volatility in the securities markets in Taiwan, and in line with similar activities by other countries in Asia, the government of the R.O.C. formed the Stabilization Fund, which had purchased and may from time to time purchase shares of Taiwan companies to support these markets. In addition, other funds associated with the R.O.C. government had in the past purchased, and may from time to time purchase, shares of Taiwan companies on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or other markets. These funds had disposed and may from time to time dispose shares of Taiwan companies so purchased at a later time. In the future, market activity by government entities, or the perception that such activity is taking place, may take place or cease, may cause fluctuations in the market prices of our ADSs and common shares.
12
ITEM 4. | INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY |
Our History and Structure
Our legal and commercial name is 台灣台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司 (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited). We believe we are currently the world’s largest dedicated foundry in the semiconductor industry. We were founded in 1987 as a joint venture among the R.O.C. government and other private investors and were incorporated in the R.O.C. as a company limited by shares on February 21, 1987. Our common shares have been listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange since September 5, 1994, and our ADSs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) since October 8, 1997.
Our Principal Office
Our principal executive office is located at No. 8,
Business Overview of the Company
As a foundry, we manufacture semiconductors using our manufacturing processes for our customers based on proprietary integrated circuit designs provided by them. We offer a comprehensive range of wafer fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture complementary metal oxide siliconmetal-oxide-semiconductor (“CMOS”) logic, mixed-signal, radio frequency (“RF”), embedded memory, bipolar complementary metal oxide siliconmetal-oxide-semiconductor (“BiCMOS”, which uses CMOS transistors in conjunction with bipolar junction transistor) mixed-signal and others. We also offer design, mask making, TSMC 3DFabric
We believe that our scale and capacity, particularly for advanced technologies, is a major competitive advantage. Please see “– Semiconductor Manufacturing Capacity and Technology” and “– Capacity Management and Technology Upgrade Plans” for a further discussion of our capacity.
We count among our customers many of the world’s leading semiconductor companies, ranging from fabless semiconductor companies, system companies to integrated device manufacturers, including, but not limited to, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Amazon Web Services, Inc., Broadcom Limited, Infineon Technologies AG, Intel Corporation, MediaTek Inc., NVIDIA Corporation, NXP Semiconductors N.V., OmniVision Technology Inc., Qualcomm Inc., and Renesas ElectronicsSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation.
Our Semiconductor Facilities
We currently operate one 150mm wafer fab, six 200mm wafer fabs, fivesix 300mm wafer fabs, and fourfive advanced backend fabs. Our corporate headquarters and seveneight of our fabs are located in the Hsinchu Science Park, two fabs are located in the Central Taiwan Science Park, four fabs are located in the Southern Taiwan Science Park, one fab is located in the United States, one fab is located in Shanghai, one fab is located in Nanjing, and one fab is located in Nanjing.Japan. Our corporate headquarters and our seveneight fabs in Hsinchu Science Park occupy parcels of land of a total of approximately 814,3551,427,155 square meters. We havemeters, of which, approximately 1,283,940 square meters of land is leased these parcelsby us from the Hsinchu Science Park Administration for our seven fabs in Hsinchu Science Park under agreements that will be up for renewal between December 2026 and December 2040.2042, and approximately 143,215 square meters of land is owned by us, where Advanced Backend Fab 6 and related offices are located. We have leased from the Central Taiwan Science Park Administration a parcel of land of approximately 590,584590,457 square meters for our Taichung fabs under agreements that will be up for renewal between September 2029 and June 2041. We have leased from the Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration approximately 1,842,0391,962,384 square meters of land for our fabs in the Southern Taiwan Science Park under agreements that will be up for renewal between December 2024 and December 2041.June 2043. We also ownhave leased from the Kaohsiung City Government approximately 143,215228,013 square meters of land in the Kaohsiung Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, where Fab 22 will be located, in Miaoli, Taiwan. WaferTech,under agreements that will be up for renewal by December 2024. TSMC Washington, LLC (“WaferTech”TSMC Washington”) owns a parcel of land of approximately 1,052,186 square meters in the State of Washington in the United States, where the WaferTechTSMC Washington fab and related offices are located. TSMC China owns the land use rights of 369,087 square meters of land in Shanghai, where Fab 10 and related offices are located. TSMC Nanjing owns the land use rights of 453,401 square meters of land in Nanjing, where Fab 16 and related offices are located. TSMC Arizona Corporation (“TSMC Arizona”) owns a parcel of land of approximately 4,775,885 square meters in the State of Arizona where Fab 21 and related offices are located. Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, Inc. (“JASM”) owns a parcel of land of approximately 195,035 square meters in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, where Fab 23 and related offices are located. European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) GmbH (“ESMC”) is in the process of acquiring approximately 51 hectares of land in the City of Dresden in Germany, where Fab 24 and related facilities will be located. Other than certain equipment under leases located at testing areas, we own all of the buildings and equipment for our fabs.
13
Semiconductor Manufacturing Capacity and Technology
We manufacture semiconductors on silicon wafers based on proprietary circuitry designs provided by our customers. Two key factors that characterize a foundry’s manufacturing capabilities are output capacity and fabrication process technologies. Since our establishment, we have possessed the largest capacity among the world’s dedicated foundries. We also believe that we are the technology leader among the dedicated foundries in terms of our net revenue of advanced semiconductors of 7-nanometer and below, and are one of the leaders in the semiconductor manufacturing industry for mainstream and specialty technologies. We were recognized with the 2021 IEEE Corporate Innovation Award for our leadership in
The following table lists our wafer fabs and those of our subsidiaries in operation as of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, together with the year of commencement of commercial production, wafer size and the most advanced technology for volume production:
Fab (1) | Year of commencement of commercial production | Wafer size | The most advanced technology for volume production (2) | |||
2 | 1990 | 6-inch | 450 | |||
3 | 1995 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
5 | 1997 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
6 | 2000 | 8-inch | 110 | |||
8 | 1998 | 8-inch | 110 |
Fab (1) | Year of commencement of commercial production | Wafer size | The most advanced technology for volume production (2) | |||
10 | 2004 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
11 | 1998 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
12 | 2001 | 12-inch | 5 | |||
14 | 2004 | 12-inch | 16 | |||
15 | 2012 | 12-inch | 7 | |||
16 | 2018 | 12-inch | 16 | |||
18 | 2020 | 12-inch | 5 |
Fab(1) | Year of commencement of commercial production | Wafer size | The most advanced technology for volume production(2) | |||
2 | 1990 | 6-inch | 450 | |||
3 | 1995 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
5 | 1997 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
6 | 2000 | 8-inch | 110 | |||
8 | 1998 | 8-inch | 110 | |||
10 | 2004 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
11 | 1998 | 8-inch | 150 | |||
12 | 2001 | 12-inch | 3 | |||
14 | 2004 | 12-inch | 16 | |||
15 | 2012 | 12-inch | 7 | |||
16 | 2018 | 12-inch | 16 | |||
18 | 2020 | 12-inch | 3 |
(1) | Fabs 2, 3, 5, 8 and Fab 12 are located in Hsinchu Science Park. Fab 6, Fab 14, and Fab 18 are located in the Southern Taiwan Science Park. Fab 15 is located in Central Taiwan Science Park. Fab 11 is located in the Washington State, United States. Fab 10 is located in Shanghai, China and Fab 16 is located in Nanjing, China. |
(2) | In nanometers, as of 2023 year-end. |
In 2021,2023, our annual capacity (in
Capacity Management and Technology Upgrade Plans
We manage our overall capacity and technology upgrade plans based on long term market demand forecasts for our products and services. According to our current market demand forecasts, we intend to maintain the strategy of expanding manufacturing capacity and upgrading manufacturing technologies to meet both the fabrication and the technology needs of our customers.
Our capital expenditures in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 20212023 were NT$460,422839,196 million, NT$507,2391,082,672 million and NT$839,196949,817 million (US$30,03930,448 million, translated from a weighted average exchange rate of NT$27.9431.19 to US$1.00), respectively. Our capital expenditures in 20222024 are expected to be between US$4028 billion and US$4432 billion, which, depending on market conditions, may be adjusted later. Our capital expenditures for 2019 were funded by our operating cash flow. Our capital expenditures for 20202021, 2022 and 20212023 were funded by our operating cash flow and proceeds from the issuance of corporate bonds, and our capital expenditures for 20222024 are also expected to be funded in the same way. In 2022,2024, we anticipate our capital expenditures to focus primarily on the following:
• | installing and expanding capacity, mainly for 2-nanometer, 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer nodes, including building/facility expansion for Fab 20, Fab 21 and Fab 22; |
14
expanding capacity for specialty technologies and advanced packaging, including building/facility expansion for the Kumamoto fab in Japan;Fab 23; and
investing in research and development projects for new process technologies.
We are entering a period of higher growth as the multiyear megatrends of 5G and high performance computing are expected to fuel strong demand for our semiconductor technologies in the next several years. In addition, the
These investment plans are preliminary and may change according to market conditions.
Markets and Customers
We categorize our net revenue mainly based on the countries where our customers are headquartered, which may be different from the countries to which we actually sell or ship our products or different from where products are actually ordered. Under this approach, the following table presents a geographic breakdown of our net revenue during the periods indicated:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Geography | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | ||||||||||||||||||
(NT$ in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
North America | 640,335 | 60% | 827,511 | 62% | 1,035,982 | 65% | ||||||||||||||||||
Asia Pacific (1) | 96,512 | 9% | 144,448 | 11% | 225,950 | 14% | ||||||||||||||||||
China | 208,101 | 20% | 233,783 | 17% | 164,552 | 10% | ||||||||||||||||||
EMEA (2) | 67,568 | 6% | 70,214 | 5% | 89,010 | 6% | ||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 57,469 | 5% | 63,299 | 5% | 71,921 | 5% | ||||||||||||||||||
Total | 1,069,985 | 100% | 1,339,255 | 100% | 1,587,415 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Geography | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | ||||||||||||||||||
(NT$ in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
North America | 1,035,982 | 65% | 1,534,642 | 68% | 1,470,215 | 68% | ||||||||||||||||||
China | 164,552 | 10% | 245,169 | 11% | 267,154 | 12% | ||||||||||||||||||
Asia Pacific(1) | 225,950 | 14% | 241,214 | 11% | 174,947 | 8% | ||||||||||||||||||
EMEA(2) | 89,010 | 6% | 123,767 | 5% | 117,348 | 6% | ||||||||||||||||||
Japan | 71,921 | 5% | 119,099 | 5% | 132,072 | 6% | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||
Total | 1,587,415 | 100% | 2,263,891 | 100% | 2,161,736 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | China and Japan are excluded from Asia Pacific. |
(2) | EMEA stands for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. |
In 2021,2023, our net revenue decreased by a total of NT$102,155 million compared to 2022, which was mainly due to a decrease in orders from Asia Pacific of NT$66,267 million, or a 27% year-over-year decrease and from North America of NT$64,427 million, or a 4% year-over-year decrease. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in orders from China of NT$21,985 million, or a 9% year-over-year increase. In 2022, our net revenue increased by a total of NT$248,160676,476 million compared to 2020,2021, which was mainly due to an increase in orders from North America of NT$208,471498,660 million, or a 25%48% year-over-year increase, from Asia PacificChina of NT$81,50280,617 million, or a 56%49% year-over-year increase and from EMEAJapan of NT$18,79647,178 million, or a 27%66% year-over-year increase. The increase was partially offset by a decrease in orders from China of NT$69,231 million, or a 30% year-over-year decrease. In 2020, our net revenue increased from all geographies by a total of NT$269,270 million compared to 2019, which was mainly due to an increase in orders from North America of NT$187,176 million, or a 29% year-over-year increase, and from Asia Pacific of NT$47,936 million, or a 50% year-over-year increase.
We provide worldwide customer support. Our office in Hsinchu and wholly-owned subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Japan, China, the Netherlands and South Korea are dedicated to serving our customers worldwide. Foundry services, which are both technologically and logistically intensive, involve frequent and
Advance Payment by Customers.
The Semiconductor Fabrication Process
In general, the semiconductor manufacturing process begins with a thin silicon wafer on which an array of semiconductor devices is fabricated. The following processes cover assembly, packaging, and testing of the semiconductor devices. Our focus is on wafer fabrication although we also provide other services either directly or through outsourcing arrangements.
15
Our Foundry Services
Range of Services.
Fabrication Processes.
Types of Semiconductors We Manufacture.
High Performance Computing (“HPC”): Driven by data explosion and AI application innovation, HPC has become one of the key growth drivers for our business. We offer leadingprovide customers, including both fabless IC design companies and system companies, with leading-edge logic process technologies such as
Smartphone: For customers’ premium product applications, we offer leading logic process technologies such as 3-nanometer FinFET enhanced (“N3E”), 3-nanometer FinFET, 4-nanometer FinFET plus (“N4P”), 4-nanometer FinFET, 5-nanometer FinFET plus (“N5P”), and 5-nanometer FinFET, as well as comprehensive intellectual properties to further enhance chip performance, reduce power consumption, and decrease chip size. For mainstream product applications, we offer a broad range of logic process technologies, including
16
Internet of Things (“IoT”): To serve the leading integrated
Automotive Platform:
Digital Consumer Electronics (“DCE”(“DCE”) Platform
The following table presents a breakdown of our net revenue by platform during the periods indicated:
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Platform | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | ||||||||||||||||||
(NT$ in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Smartphone | 523,613 | 49% | 645,304 | 48% | 695,091 | 44% | ||||||||||||||||||
High Performance Computing | 315,822 | 30% | 439,810 | 33% | 587,780 | 37% | ||||||||||||||||||
Internet of Things | 86,343 | 8% | 110,355 | 8% | 133,006 | 8% | ||||||||||||||||||
Automotive | 47,914 | 4% | 44,367 | 3% | 67,077 | 4% | ||||||||||||||||||
Digital Consumer Electronics | 53,733 | 5% | 54,556 | 4% | 55,577 | 4% | ||||||||||||||||||
Others | 42,560 | 4% | 44,863 | 4% | 48,884 | 3% | ||||||||||||||||||
Total | 1,069,985 | 100% | 1,339,255 | 100% | 1,587,415 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Platform | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | Net Revenue | Percentage | ||||||||||||||||||
(NT$ in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
High Performance Computing | 587,780 | 37% | 932,384 | 41% | 934,769 | 43% | ||||||||||||||||||
Smartphone | 695,091 | 44% | 888,879 | 39% | 814,914 | 38% | ||||||||||||||||||
Internet of Things | 133,006 | 8% | 196,115 | 9% | 161,917 | 8% | ||||||||||||||||||
Automotive | 67,077 | 4% | 116,381 | 5% | 133,654 | 6% | ||||||||||||||||||
Digital Consumer Electronics | 55,577 | 4% | 56,159 | 3% | 47,000 | 2% | ||||||||||||||||||
Others | 48,884 | 3% | 73,973 | 3% | 69,482 | 3% | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||
Total | 1,587,415 | 100% | 2,263,891 | 100% | 2,161,736 | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The decrease in our net revenue from 20202022 to 20212023 mainly came from the High Performance Computing PlatformSmartphone of NT$147,970 million, or a 34% year-over-year increase, and from the Smartphone Platform of NT$49,78773,965 million, or an 8% year-over-year increase. The increase also camedecrease, and from the Automotive PlatformInternet of Things of NT$22,71034,198 million, or a 51%17% year-over-year decrease. The decrease was partially offset by an increase from Automotive of NT$17,273 million, or a 15% year-over-year increase. The increase in our net revenue from 20192021 to 20202022 mainly came from the High Performance Computing Platform of NT$123,988344,604 million, or a 39%59% year-over-year increase, and from the Smartphone Platform of NT$121,691193,788 million, or a 23%28% year-over-year increase. The increase also came from the Internet of Things Platform of NT$24,01263,109 million, or a 28%47% year-over-year increase.
Design and Technology Platforms.
17
For years, we and our alliance partners have spent considerable effort, time and resources to build our technology platforms. We unveiled an Open Innovation Platform
Multi-project Wafer Program (“CyberShuttle
We developed our multi-project wafer program in response to the current SoC development methodologies, which often require the independent development, prototyping and validation of several intellectual properties before they can be integrated onto a single device. By sharing mask costs among our customers to the extent permissible, the SoC supplier can enjoy reduced prototyping costs and greater confidence that the design will be successful.
Customer Service
We believe that our dedication to customer service has been an indispensable factor in attracting new customers, helping to ensure the satisfaction of existing customers, and building a mutually beneficial relationship with our customers. The key elements are our:
customer-oriented culture through multi-level interaction with customers;
• | ability to deliver products of consistent quality, competitive ramp-up speed and fast yield improvement; |
responsiveness to customers’ issues and requirements, such as engineering change and special wafer handling requests;
flexibility in manufacturing processes, supported by our competitive technical capability and production planning;
dedication to help reduce customer costs through collaboration and services, such as our multi-project wafer program, which combines multiple designs on a single mask set for cost-saving; and
availability of our online service which provides necessary information in design, engineering and logistics to ensure seamless services to our customers throughout the product life cycle.
We also conduct an annual customer satisfaction survey to assess customer satisfaction and to ensure that their needs are adequately understood and addressed. Continuous improvement plans based upon customer feedback are an integral part of this business process. We use data derived from the survey as a base to identify future focus areas. We believe that satisfaction leads to better customer relationships, which would result in more business opportunities.
Research and Development
The semiconductor industry is characterized by rapid changes in technology, frequently resulting in the introduction of new technologies to meet customers’ demand and in the obsolescence of recently introduced technology and products. We believe that, in order to stay technologically ahead of our competitors and to maintain our market position in the foundry segment of the semiconductor industry, we need to maintain our position as a technology leader not only in the foundry segment but in the semiconductor industry in general. We spent NT$91,419124,735 million, NT$109,486163,262 million, and NT$124,735182,370 million (US$4,4975,956 million) in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 2021,2023, respectively, on research and development, which represented 8.6%7.9%, 8.2%7.2% and 7.9%8.5% of our net revenue, respectively. We plan to continue to invest significant amounts on research and development in 2022,2024, with the goal of maintaining a leading position in the development of advanced process technologies. Our research and development efforts have allowed us to provide our customers access to certain advanced process technologies, such as 16-7-,
18
In continuing to advance our process technologies, we intend to rely primarily on our internal engineering capability,
We also continually create inventions and
Competition
We compete internationally and domestically with other foundry service providers, as well as with a number of integrated device manufacturers. We compete primarily on process technologies, manufacturing excellence, customer trust and service quality, such as earlier technology readiness, better quality, faster yield improvement and shorter cycle time. The level of competition varies with the process technologies involved. For example, in more mature technologies, competitors tend to be numerous and offer specialized processes. Some companies compete with us in selected geographic regions or niche application markets. In recent years, substantial investments have been made by others to establish new foundry capacities worldwide, or to transform certain manufacturing operations of integrated device manufacturers into foundry capacities.
Equipment
The quality and technology of the equipment used in the semiconductor manufacturing process are important in that they effectively define the limits of our process technologies. Advances in process technologies cannot be brought about without commensurate advances in equipment technology. We have periodic meetings with important suppliers with respect to
The principal pieces of equipment used by us to manufacture semiconductors are scanners, cleaners and track equipment, inspection equipment, etchers, furnaces, wet stations, strippers, implanters, sputterers, chemical vapor deposition (CVD)(“CVD”) equipment, chemical mechanism polish (CMP)(“CMP”) equipment, testers and probers. Other than certain equipment under leases located at testing areas, we own all of the equipment used at our fabs.
In implementing our capacity management and technology advancement plans, we expect to make significant purchases of equipment required for semiconductor manufacturing. Some of the equipment is available from a limited number of vendorssuppliers and/or is manufactured in relatively limited quantities, and certain equipment has only recently been developed. We believe that ourwell management of the relationships with our equipment suppliers are good and that we have enjoyed the advantages of beingis important for us as a major purchaser of semiconductor fabrication equipment. We work closely with manufacturers tothat provide equipment customized to our needs for certain advanced technologies.
Raw Materials
Our manufacturing processes use many raw materials, primarily silicon wafers, chemicals, gases and various types of precious metals. Although most of our raw materials are available from multiple suppliers, some materials are purchased through sole-sourced vendors.suppliers. Our raw material procurement policy is to select only those vendorssuppliers who have demonstrated quality control and reliability on delivery time and to maintain multiple sources for each raw material whenever possible so that a quality or delivery problem with any one vendorsupplier will not adversely affect our operations. The quality and delivery performance of each vendorsupplier is evaluated quarterly and quantity allocations are adjusted for subsequent periods based on the evaluation.
19
The most important raw material used in our production is silicon wafer, which is the basic raw material from which integrated circuits are made. The principal suppliers for our wafers are Formosa SUMCO Technology Corporation of Taiwan, GlobalWafers of Taiwan, Shin-Etsu Handotai of Japan, Siltronic AG of Germany, Soitec Microelectronics of Singapore, and SUMCO Corporation of Japan. Together they supplied approximately 91.8%96.0%, 92.6%95.0% and 96.0%96.2% of our total wafer needs in 2019, 20202021, 2022 and 2021,2023, respectively. We have in the past obtained, and believe we will continue to be able to obtain, a sufficient supply of wafers. In order to secure a reliable and flexible supply of high quality wafers, we have entered into long-term agreements and intend to continue to develop strategic relationships with major wafer vendorssuppliers to cover our anticipated wafer needs for future years. Also, we actively address supply chain issues and bring together fab operations, materials management, quality system and risk management teams to mitigate potential supply chain risks and enhance supply chain agility. This taskforce works with our primary suppliers to review their business continuity plans, qualify their dual-plant materials, prepare safety inventories, improve the quality of their products, and manage the supply chain risks of their suppliers. Please see “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Our Business” for a discussion of the risk related to raw materials, including the fluctuation of prices of our main raw materials.
Environmental and Climate Related Laws and Regulations
The semiconductor production process generates gaseous chemical wastes, greenhouse gases (“GHG”), liquid wastes, wastewater and other industrial wastes in various stages of the manufacturing process. We have installed in our fabs various types of pollution control equipment for the treatment of gaseous and liquid chemical wastes and wastewater, equipment for GHG emission reduction and equipment for the recycling of used chemicals and treated water. Operations at our fabs are subject to regulations and periodic monitoring by the R.O.C. Environmental Protection Administration,Ministry of Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China and the Japan Ministry of the Environment, and local environmental protection authorities in Taiwan, the U.S., China and Japan.
We have adopted pollution control and GHG emission reduction measures to ensure compliance with environmental protection and climate related standards consistent with the practice of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan, the U.S., China, Japan and Japan.Europe. We conduct environmental audits at least once annually to ensure that we are in compliance in all material respects with applicable environmental and climate related laws and regulations. An environmental, safety and health (“ESH”) team operates at the corporate level that is responsible for policy establishment and enforcement, coordination with ESH teams located at each manufacturing facility and for coordination and interaction with government agencies worldwide.
To fulfill our commitment to environmental sustainability in our business and operations, we have continued to explore and participate in initiatives to expand our use of renewable energy. Between 2019 and 2021, we purchased an approximately 3,810In 2023, TSMC used in total 2,590 GWh in renewable energy, renewable energy certificates, and carbon credits globally, of which approximately 1,493 GWh enabled our overseas sites to be 100% powered by clean energy. Following Taiwan’s power liberalization, we are expanding our use of renewable energy.energy for the sixth consecutive year. As of the end of 2021,2023, we have signed power purchase agreements to purchase 1.63.1 GW of renewable energy, thereby eliminating an estimated 2.64.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year.
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Initiatives
We firmly believe that our innovative technologies and services can help to bring positive changes and make positivesignificant contributions to the global community. We are stronglydeeply committed to pursuingcreating a sustainable future and achieving our vision of contributing to society through a range ofvarious ESG initiatives. In 2011, we establishedfounded the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee (renamed as the ESG Committee in 2021), which is in compliance to align with the vision and mission of the TSMC Corporate Social Responsibility Policy (renamed as the ESG Policy in 2021). We have beenIn 2019, we took further connected tosteps toward connecting with the international sustainability trend by establishing a CSR Executive Committee in 2019 (renamed as the ESG Steering Committee in 2021), which is comprised of senior executives from variousdiverse functions and tasked with developing our ESG strategies. In 2023, we established the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee as the highest supervisory unit to ensure our efforts coincide with our values. In addition, we have mapped outcreated a blueprint for sustainable development that connectslinks our core advantagesstrengths with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)(“SDGs”).
We currently focus our ESG efforts inon the following key areas:
Drive green manufacturing. We aspire to be a top benchmarking company in environmental protection and actively integrate green management into daily operations. We apply innovative technologies to climate and energy, water stewardship, circular resources, and air pollution control, promoting a comprehensive range of sustainable actions to pursue sustainable development.
20
Build a responsible supply chain. We are committed to green manufacturing that implements continuous improvement projects inresponsible purchasing and work closely with supply chain partners on technology, quality, delivery, human rights, and environmental protection. In the areasface of severe climate change energy management, water management, waste management,challenges, we plan to further strengthen green innovation and air pollution control.
Create a diverse and inclusive workplace.We seekare dedicated to build a green and sustainable supply chain for the semiconductor industry by working withupholding our supplier partners and helping themresponsibility toward employees to incorporate sustainability standards into their daily operations.
Develop talent. We support employees’ career development and seek to inspire the next generation of talent in the semiconductor industry through collaborationsprofessionals. To achieve this goal, we collaborate with topmiddle and high schools, world-leading universities and research institutions and support ofto promote STEAM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics-relatedmathematics) education.
Care for the disadvantaged.
For further information on our ESG initiatives, please seerefer to our annual Corporate Social ResponsibilitySustainability Reports, which are available on our ESG website athttps://esg.tsmc.com/en/en-US/resources/documents.html.ESG-data-hub. The information contained on our website is not incorporated herein by reference and does not constitute part of this annual report. Pursuant to the requirements of the R.O.C. Financial Supervisory Commission (the “R.O.C. FSC”), commencing in 2022, our Corporate Social Responsibility Report will be renamed the Sustainability Report.
Electricity and Water
We have occasionally suffered power outages, dips or surges in Taiwan caused by difficulties encountered by our electricity supplier, the Taiwan Power Company or other power consumers on the same power grid. Such power outages, dips or surges may lead to interruptions in our production schedule. The semiconductor manufacturing process uses extensive amounts of electricity and fresh water. Due to changes in the energy policy of the government, the growth of manufacturers in the Hsinchu Science Park, Southern Taiwan Science Park and Central Taiwan Science Park, and the droughts that Taiwan experiences from time to time, there is concern regarding future availability of sufficient electricity and fresh water for our production in Taiwan. To help address these potential shortages and avoid the potential impact that insufficient electricity and water supplies may have on our semiconductor production. To help address these potential shortages,production, we have adopted various natural resources conservation methodologies. Moreover, we have encountered and may continue to encounter increases in the prices of utilities. For example, effective from April 1, 2024, we are subject to a higher electricity tariff rate in Taiwan, which is estimated to increase by 25%, as compared to the tariff rate applicable to us in 2023. The hike in electricity prices could increase our manufacturing costs and therefore adversely impact our financial results. Please see “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Our Business” for a discussion of the risk related to shortages or increased prices in electricity and water.
Risk Management
We maintainare committed to maintaining a comprehensiveproactive and robust enterprise risk management (“ERM”) system, as well as fostering a risk-aware culture, to integrateenable us to respond to the preventiondynamic business environment and controlshifting business demands and capitalize new opportunities. The Board of risk. Directors has delegated risk oversight responsibilities to the Audit and Risk Committee, which is authorized to review our ERM framework, including risk governance, risk management policy, ERM procedures and implementation status. With close reference to the International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) and Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) standards, our ERM framework was established to provide a systematic approach for risk management, which outlines the risk governance structure, processes and tools to assist with the identification, assessment, response, monitoring and reviewing of risks, and thereby assisting the management in making informed decisions to implement business strategies and achieve corporate objectives.
We have also prepared emergencyimplemented pre-crisis risk assessments, response crisis managementprocedures and business continuityrecovery plans to respond to natural disasters and other disruptive events such as cyberattacks or epidemic/pandemic outbreaks that could interrupt the operation of our business. These plans have beenwere developed in orderaccordance with business continuity management standards. Continuous efforts to prevent or reduce the loss of personnel or damageenhance our operational resilience through ongoing exercises will enable us to our facilities, equipment and machinery caused by natural disasters and other disruptive events. respond effectively to a business disruption.
We also maintain insurance with respect to our facilities, equipment and inventories. The insurance for the fabs and their equipment covers, subject to some limitations, various risks, including earthquake, fire, typhoons, earthquakestyphoon and other risks generally up to the respective policy limit for their replacement values and lost profits due to business interruption. In addition, we have insurance policies covering losses with respect to the construction of all our fabs. Equipment and inventories in transit are also insured. No assurance can be given, however, that insurance will fully cover any losses and our emergency response plans will be effective in preventing or reducing losses in the future.losses.
21
For further information, please see detailed risk factors related to the impact of climate change regulations and international accords, and natural disasters on our operations in “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Our Business”.
Our Subsidiaries and Affiliates
Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (“VIS”).
TSMC Washington, LLC (“TSMC Washington”, previously WaferTech, LLC (“WaferTech”)).In 1996, we entered into a joint venture called WaferTech (of which the manufacturing entity is Fab 11) with several U.S.-based investors to construct and operate a foundry in the United States. Initial trial production at WaferTech commenced in July 1998 and commercial production commenced in October 1998. In December 2023, WaferTech was renamed as TSMC Washington. As of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, we owned 100% of the equity interest in WaferTech.
TSMC Global Ltd. (“SSMC”TSMC Global”).
Global Unichip Corporation (“GUC”). In January 2003, we acquired a 52.0% equity interest in GUC, a SoC design service company that provides large scale SoC implementation services. GUC listed its shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in November 2006. As of February 29, 2024, we owned approximately 34.8% of the equity interest in GUC. Please see “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions” for a further discussion.
TSMC China. In August 2003, we established TSMC China (of which the manufacturing entity is Fab 10), a wholly-owned subsidiary primarily engaged in the manufacture and sale of integrated circuits. TSMC China commenced commercial production in late 2004.
VisEra Technologies Company, Ltd. (“VisEra Technologies”). In October 2003, we and OmniVision Technologies Inc. (“OVT”), entered into an agreement to form VisEra Technologies, a joint venture in Taiwan, for the purpose of providing back-end service for CMOS image sensor manufacturing business. In November 2015, we acquired all of OVT’s equity interest in VisEra Technologies. In March 2021, we disposed certain common shares of VisEra Technologies to facilitate its initial public offering (“IPO”). Immediately following VisEra Technologies’ IPO in June 2022, our shareholding was diluted to approximately 67.9%. As of February 29, 2024, we owned approximately 67.4% of the equity interest in VisEra Technologies.
Xintec, Inc. (“Xintec”).
TSMC Nanjing.
TSMC Arizona.
22
Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing, Inc. (
European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) GmbH (“ESMC”). In June 2023, we established ESMC, which is expected to be primarily engaged in the manufacturing and sale of integrated circuits. In January 2024, Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, and NXP Semiconductors Germany GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NXP Semiconductors N.V. (“NXP”), together acquired 30% equity interest in ESMC. ESMC plans to build and operate a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany. Construction on the site is expected to commence in 2024. As of February 29, 2024, we owned 70.0% of the equity interest in ESMC.
ITEM 4A. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 5. | OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEWS AND PROSPECTS |
The following discussion covers items for and a comparison between the fiscal years ended December 31, 20212023 and 2020.2022. For the discussion covering items for the fiscal year ended December 31, 20192021 and a comparison between the fiscal years ended December 31, 20202022 and 2019,2021, please refer to “Item 5” of our annual report on Form
Overview
We manufacture a variety of semiconductors based on designs provided by our customers. Our business model is commonly called a “dedicated semiconductor foundry.” As thea leader of the foundry segment, our net revenue and net income attributable to shareholders of the parent were NT$1,339,2552,263,891 million and NT$510,744992,923 million in 2020,2022, and NT$1,587,4152,161,736 million (US$57,22570,599 million) and NT$592,359851,740 million (US$21,35427,816 million) in 2021,2023, respectively. OurPlease see “– Year-to-Year Comparisons – Net Revenue” for a discussion of the changes in net revenue in 2021 increased by 18.5% comparedfrom 2022 to 2020, mainly attributed to the growing demand for 5-nanometer and 7-nanometer products, partially offset by the appreciation of the NT dollar against the U.S. dollar on a weighted average basis from 2020 to 2021.
The principal source of our revenue is wafer fabrication, which accounted for approximately 89%87% of our net revenue in 2021.2023. The rest of our net revenue was mainly derived from packaging and testing services, mask making, design, and royalty income. Factors that significantly impact our revenue include:
worldwide demand and capacity supply for semiconductor products;
pricing;
production capacity;
technology development; and
fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates.
While the above factors are significant factors, four of which are elaborated as follows:
Pricing.
23
Production Capacity.
Technology Development.
Year ended December 31, | ||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||
Resolution | Percentage of total wafer revenue (1) | Percentage of total wafer revenue (1) | Percentage of total wafer revenue (1) | |||
5-nanometer | — | 8% | 19% | |||
7-nanometer | 27% | 33% | 31% | |||
10-nanometer | 3% | — | — | |||
16-nanometer | 20% | 17% | 14% | |||
20-nanometer | 1% | 1% | — | |||
28-nanometer | 16% | 13% | 11% | |||
40/45-nanometer | 10% | 9% | 7% | |||
65-nanometer | 8% | 5% | 5% | |||
90-nanometer | 3% | 2% | 2% | |||
0.11/0.13 micron | 2% | 3% | 3% | |||
0.15/0.18 micron | 8% | 7% | 6% | |||
≥0.25 micron | 2% | 2% | 2% | |||
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Year ended December 31, | ||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||
Resolution | Percentage of total wafer revenue(1) | Percentage of total wafer revenue(1) | Percentage of total wafer revenue(1) | |||
3-nanometer | — | — | 6% | |||
5-nanometer | 19% | 26% | 33% | |||
7-nanometer | 31% | 27% | 19% | |||
16-nanometer | 14% | 13% | 10% | |||
20-nanometer | — | — | 1% | |||
28-nanometer | 11% | 10% | 10% | |||
40/45-nanometer | 7% | 7% | 6% | |||
65-nanometer | 5% | 5% | 6% | |||
90-nanometer | 2% | 2% | 1% | |||
0.11/0.13 micron | 3% | 3% | 2% | |||
0.15/0.18 micron | 6% | 6% | 5% | |||
≥0.25 micron | 2% | 1% | 1% | |||
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
(1) | The figure represents wafer revenue from a certain technology as a percentage of the total wafer revenue. |
In 2021,2023, the
In 2020,2022, the
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate.
Critical Accounting Policies, Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation and Uncertainty
Summarized below are our accounting policies that we believe are important to the portrayal of our financial results and also involve the need for management to make estimates about the effect of matters that are uncertain in nature. Actual results may differ from these estimates, judgments and assumptions. Certain accounting policies are particularly critical because of their significance to our reported financial results and the possibility that future events may differ significantly from the conditions and assumptions underlying the estimates used and judgments made by us in preparing our financial statements. We have considered the economic implications of
Critical Accounting Policies and Judgments
Revenue Recognition.
Commencement of Depreciation Related to Property, Plant and Equipment Classified as Equipment under Installation and Construction in Progress (EUI/CIP)(“EUI” and “CIP”).
24
Judgments on Lease Terms.
Critical Accounting Policies and Key Sources of Estimation and Uncertainty
Estimation of Sales Returns and Allowances.
Inventory Valuation.
A significant amount of our manufacturing costs is fixed because our extensive manufacturing facilities (which provide us large production capacity) require substantial investment to construct and are largely fixed-cost assets once they become operational. When the capacity utilization increases, the fixed manufacturing costs are spread over a larger amount of output, which would lower the inventory cost per unit.
We evaluate our ending inventory based on standard cost under normal capacity utilization, and reduce the carrying value of our inventory when the actual capacity utilization is higher than normal capacity utilization. No adjustment is made to the carrying value of inventory when the actual capacity utilization is at or lower than normal capacity utilization. Normal capacity utilization is established based on historic loadings compared to total available capacity in our wafer manufacturing fabs.
We also evaluate our ending inventory and reduce the carrying value of inventory for normal waste, obsolescence and unmarketable items by an amount that is the difference between the cost of the inventory and the net realizable value. The net realizable value of the inventory is determined mainly based on assumptions of future demand within a specific time horizon, which is generally 180 days or less.
Impairment of Tangible Assets,
Indicators we consider important which could trigger an impairment review include, but are not limited to, the following:
significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results;
significant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or our overall business strategy; and
significant unfavorable industry or economic trends.
When we determine that the carrying value of tangible assets,
25
In the process of evaluating the potential impairment of tangible assets,
Realization of Deferred Income Tax Assets.
Because the determination of the amount of deferred tax assets that can be realized is based, in part, on our forecast of future profitability, it is inherently uncertain and subjective. Changes in market conditions and our assumptions may cause the actual future profitability to differ materially from our current expectation, which may require us to increase or decrease the deferred tax assets that we have recorded. AsFor further information, including the amount of December 31, 2020 and 2021, deferred tax assets were NT$25,958 millionas of the end of 2022 and NT$49,154 million (US$1,772 million), respectively. Deferred tax assets increased by NT$23,196 million in 2021, mainly due2023, please refer to depreciation of certain fixed assets that resulted in temporary differences betweennote 26 to the carrying value of these fixed assets and their tax basis, which may be deductible for tax purposes in the future.
Determination of Lessees’ Incremental Borrowing Rates.
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, certain financial data from our consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, expressed in each case as a percentage of net revenue:
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||||||
Net revenue | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||||
Cost of revenue | (48.4 | )% | (40.4 | )% | (45.6 | )% | ||||||
Gross profit | 51.6 | % | 59.6 | % | 54.4 | % | ||||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | (7.9 | )% | (7.2 | )% | (8.5 | )% | ||||||
General and administrative | (2.3 | )% | (2.4 | )% | (2.8 | )% | ||||||
Marketing | (0.5 | )% | (0.4 | )% | (0.5 | )% | ||||||
Total operating expenses | (10.7 | )% | (10.0 | )% | (11.8 | )% | ||||||
Other operating income and expenses, net | 0.0 | % | (0.1 | )% | 0.0 | % | ||||||
Income from operations | 40.9 | % | 49.5 | % | 42.6 | % | ||||||
Non-operating income and expenses | 0.9 | % | 1.0 | % | 2.7 | % | ||||||
Income before income tax | 41.8 | % | 50.5 | % | 45.3 | % | ||||||
Income tax expense | (4.5 | )% | (6.6 | )% | (5.9 | )% | ||||||
Net income | 37.3 | % | 43.9 | % | 39.4 | % | ||||||
Other comprehensive income (loss) for the year, net of income tax | (0.4 | )% | 1.8 | % | (0.4 | )% | ||||||
Total comprehensive income for the year | 36.9 | % | 45.7 | % | 39.0 | % | ||||||
Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent | 37.3 | % | 43.9 | % | 39.4 | % | ||||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests | 0.0 | % | 0.0 | % | 0.0 | % |
26
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||
Net revenue | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | |||||||||
Cost of revenue | (54.0)% | (46.9)% | (48.4)% | |||||||||
Gross profit | 46.0% | 53.1% | 51.6% | |||||||||
Operating expenses | ||||||||||||
Research and development | (8.6)% | (8.2)% | (7.9)% | |||||||||
General and administrative | (2.0)% | (2.1)% | (2.3)% |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||
Marketing | (0.6 | )% | (0.5 | )% | (0.5 | )% | ||||||
Total operating expenses | (11.2 | )% | (10.8 | )% | (10.7 | )% | ||||||
Other operating income and expenses, net | 0.0 | % | 0.0 | % | 0.0 | % | ||||||
Income from operations | 34.8 | % | 42.3 | % | 40.9 | % | ||||||
Income before income tax | 36.4 | % | 43.7 | % | 41.8 | % | ||||||
Income tax expense | (3.3 | )% | (5.5 | )% | (4.5 | )% | ||||||
Net income | 33.1 | % | 38.2 | % | 37.3 | % | ||||||
Other comprehensive loss for the year, net of income tax | (1.1 | )% | (2.3 | )% | (0.4 | )% | ||||||
Total comprehensive income for the year | 32.0 | % | 35.9 | % | 36.9 | % | ||||||
Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent | 33.1 | % | 38.1 | % | 37.3 | % | ||||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests | 0.0 | % | 0.1 | % | 0.0 | % |
Year-to-Year Comparisons
Net Revenue and Gross Margin
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | % Change in NT$ from 2019 | 2021 | % Change in NT$ from 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except for percentages and wafer shipment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net revenue | 1,069,985 | 1,339,255 | 25.2 | % | 1,587,415 | 57,225 | 18.5 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of revenue | (577,283 | ) | (628,125 | ) | 8.8 | % | (767,878 | ) | (27,681 | ) | 22.2 | % | ||||||||||||
Gross profit | 492,702 | 711,130 | 44.3 | % | 819,537 | 29,544 | 15.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Gross margin percentage | 46.0 | % | 53.1 | % | — | 51.6 | % | 51.6 | % | — | ||||||||||||||
Wafer (12-inch equivalent) shipment(1) | 10,068 | 12,398 | — | 14,179 | 14,179 | — |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | % Change in NT$ from 2021 | 2023 | % Change in NT$ from 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except for percentages and wafer shipment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Net revenue | 1,587,415 | 2,263,891 | 42.6 | % | 2,161,736 | 70,599 | (4.5 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Cost of revenue | (767,878 | ) | (915,536 | ) | 19.2 | % | (986,625 | ) | (32,222 | ) | 7.8 | % | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Gross profit | 819,537 | 1,348,355 | 64.5 | % | 1,175,111 | 38,377 | (12.8 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Gross margin percentage | 51.6 | % | 59.6 | % | — | 54.4 | % | 54.4 | % | — | ||||||||||||||
Wafer (12-inch equivalent) shipment(1) | 14,179 | 15,253 | — | 12,002 | 12,002 | — |
(1) | In thousands. |
Net Revenue
Our net revenue in 2021 increased2023 decreased by 18.5%4.5% from 2020,2022, which was mainly attributed to an increasea decrease in wafer shipments, and ASP due to higher advanced technology
Gross Margin
Our gross margin fluctuates with the level of capacity utilization, price change, cost improvement, product mix and exchange rate, among other factors. Furthermore, our gross margin would be negatively impacted in the year when a new technology is introduced.
In 2021,2023, our gross margin decreased to 51.6%54.4% of net revenue from 53.1%59.6% in 2020,2022, mainly ascribedattributable to an unfavorable impact from NT dollar appreciationlower capacity utilization and dilution from
Operating Expenses
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | % Change in NT$ from 2019 | 2021 | % Change in NT$ from 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Research and development | 91,419 | 109,486 | 19.8% | 124,735 | 4,497 | 13.9% | ||||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | 21,737 | 28,457 | 30.9% | 36,929 | 1,331 | 29.8% | ||||||||||||||||||
Marketing | 6,349 | 7,113 | 12.0% | 7,559 | 272 | 6.3% | ||||||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 119,505 | 145,056 | 21.4% | 169,223 | 6,100 | 16.7% | ||||||||||||||||||
Percentage of net revenue | 11.2% | 10.8% | — | 10.7% | 10.7% | — | ||||||||||||||||||
Other operating income and expenses, net | (496 | ) | 710 | — | (333 | ) | (13 | ) | (146.9 | )% | ||||||||||||||
Income from operations | 372,701 | 566,784 | 52.1% | 649,981 | 23,431 | 14.7% | ||||||||||||||||||
Operating Margin | 34.8% | 42.3% | — | 40.9% | 40.9% | — |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | % Change in NT$ from 2021 | 2023 | % Change in NT$ from 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Research and development | 124,735 | 163,262 | 30.9 | % | 182,370 | 5,956 | 11.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | 36,929 | 53,525 | 44.9 | % | 60,873 | 1,988 | 13.7 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Marketing | 7,559 | 9,921 | 31.2 | % | 10,591 | 345 | 6.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Total operating expenses | 169,223 | 226,708 | 34.0 | % | 253,834 | 8,289 | 12.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Percentage of net revenue | 10.7 | % | 10.0 | % | — | 11.8 | % | 11.8 | % | — | ||||||||||||||
Other operating income and expenses, net | (333 | ) | (368 | ) | 10.5 | % | 189 | 6 | — | |||||||||||||||
Income from operations | 649,981 | 1,121,279 | 72.5 | % | 921,466 | 30,094 | (17.8 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Operating Margin | 40.9% | 49.5% | — | 42.6% | 42.6% | — |
Operating expenses increased by NT$24,16727,126 million in 2021,2023, or 16.7%12%, from 2020.2022.
27
Research and Development Expenses
We remain strongly committed to being the leader in advanced process technologies development. We believe that continuing investment in process technologies is essential for us to remain competitive in the markets we serve.
Research and development expenses increased by NT$15,24919,108 million in 2021,2023, or 13.9%11.7%, from 2020.2022. The increases were mainly attributed to a higher level of research activities for
We plan to continue our investment in technology research and development in 2022.
General and Administrative and Marketing Expenses
General and administrative and marketing expenses in 20212023 increased by NT$8,9188,018 million, or 25.1%12.6%, compared to 2020,2022, mainly reflecting donation of vaccines and
Other Operating Income and Expenses, Net
Net other operating income and expenses in 2021 decreased2023 increased by NT$1,043557 million from 2020,2022 to a net gain of NT$189 million (US$6 million), mainly due to a loss on disposalthe absence of property, plant and equipment of NT$274 million, compared to a gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment of NT$189 million in 2020, and higher impairment loss on property, plant and equipment of NT$264 million compared to 2020.
Non-Operating
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | % Change in NT$ from 2019 | 2021 | % Change in NT$ from 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share of profits of associates | 2,861 | 3,562 | 24.5 | % | 5,513 | 199 | 54.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income | 16,190 | 9,018 | (44.3 | )% | 5,708 | 206 | (36.7 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Other income | 417 | 661 | 58.5 | % | 973 | 35 | 47.2 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net | 2,095 | (3,303 | ) | (257.7 | )% | 13,663 | 492 | — | ||||||||||||||||
Finance costs | (3,251 | ) | (2,082 | ) | (36.0 | )% | (5,414 | ) | (195 | ) | 160.0 | % | ||||||||||||
Other gains and losses, net | (1,151 | ) | 10,106 | — | (7,388 | ) | (266 | ) | (173.1 | )% | ||||||||||||||
Net non-operating income | 17,161 | 17,962 | 4.7 | % | 13,055 | 471 | (27.3 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | % Change in NT$ from 2021 | 2023 | % Change in NT$ from 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share of profits of associates | 5,513 | 7,680 | 39.3 | % | 4,800 | 157 | (37.5 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Interest income | 5,708 | 22,422 | 292.8 | % | 60,293 | 1,969 | 168.9 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Other income | 973 | 947 | (2.7 | )% | 480 | 16 | (49.3 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net | 13,663 | 4,506 | (67.0 | )% | (2,686 | ) | (88 | ) | (159.6 | )% | ||||||||||||||
Finance costs | (5,414 | ) | (11,750 | ) | 117.0 | % | (11,999 | ) | (392 | ) | 2.1 | % | ||||||||||||
Other gains and losses, net | (7,388 | ) | (1,012 | ) | (86.3 | )% | 6,962 | 227 | — | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Net non-operating income | 13,055 | 22,793 | 74.6 | % | 57,850 | 1,889 | 153.8 | % | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-operating
Income Tax Expense
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | % Change in NT$ from 2019 | 2021 | % Change in NT$ from 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income tax expense | (35,835 | ) | (73,738 | ) | 105.8 | % | (70,155 | ) | (2,529 | ) | (4.9 | )% | ||||||||||||
Net income | 354,027 | 511,008 | 44.3 | % | 592,881 | 21,373 | 16.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent | 353,948 | 510,744 | 44.3 | % | 592,359 | 21,354 | 16.0 | % | ||||||||||||||||
Net margin attributable to shareholders of the parent | 33.1% | 38.1% | — | 37.3% | 37.3% | — |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | % Change in NT$ from 2021 | 2023 | % Change in NT$ from 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||||
(in millions, except percentages) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income tax expense | (70,155 | ) | (150,777 | ) | 114.9 | % | (128,288 | ) | (4,190 | ) | (14.9 | )% | ||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Net income | 592,881 | 993,295 | 67.5 | % | 851,028 | 27,793 | (14.3 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent | 592,359 | 992,923 | 67.6 | % | 851,740 | 27,816 | (14.2 | )% | ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||
Net margin attributable to shareholders of the parent | 37.3 | % | 43.9 | % | — | 39.4 | % | 39.4 | % | — |
Income tax expenses decreased by NT$3,58322,489 million in 2021,2023, or 4.9%14.9%, from 2020.2022. The decrease was mainly due to thean adjustment of the accrued surtax imposed on prior year’s unappropriated earnings, resulting from qualified capital expenditure in 2021, partially offset by higher surtax imposed on current year’sthe three succeeding years that can be deducted from the unappropriated earnings as a result of higher 2021 undistributed earnings. The adjustment of unappropriated earnings in 2021 was the deduction of capital expenditures in calculation of surtax imposed on undistributed earnings.
28
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our sources of liquidity include cash flow from operations, cash and cash equivalents, current portion of marketable securities, and issuances of corporate bonds.
Our primary source of liquidity is cash flow from operations. Cash flow from operations for 20212023 was NT$1,112,1611,241,967 million (US$40,09240,561 million), reflecting an increasea decrease of NT$289,495368,632 million from 2020.
Our cash, cash equivalents and current portion of marketable securities increased to NT$1,188,4561,687,644 million (US$42,84355,116 million) as of December 31, 2021,2023, compared to NT$791,4771,561,486 million as of December 31, 2020.2022. The current portion of marketable securities primarily consisted of fixed income securities. In 2021,2023, we issued NT dollar-denominated corporate bonds totaling NT$114,60085,700 million (US$4,1312,799 million) and US dollar-denominated corporate bonds of US$9,000 million.. For further information, please refer to note 1918 and note 31 to the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that our cash generated from operations, cash and cash equivalents, current portion of marketable securities, and ability to access capital market will be sufficient to fund our working capital needs, capital expenditures, debt repayments, dividend payments and other business requirements associated with existing operations over the next 12 months.
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||
Net cash generated by operating activities | 615,139 | 822,667 | 1,112,161 | 40,092 | ||||||||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (458,802 | ) | (505,782 | ) | (836,366 | ) | (30,150 | ) | ||||||||
Net cash generated by (used in) financing activities | (269,639 | ) | (88,615 | ) | 136,608 | 4,925 | ||||||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (9,114 | ) | (23,498 | ) | (7,584 | ) | (274 | ) | ||||||||
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (122,416 | ) | 204,772 | 404,819 | 14,593 |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||
Net cash generated by operating activities | 1,112,161 | 1,610,599 | 1,241,967 | 40,561 | ||||||||||||
Net cash used in investing activities | (836,366 | ) | (1,190,928 | ) | (906,120 | ) | (29,592 | ) | ||||||||
Net cash generated by (used in) financing activities | 136,608 | (200,244 | ) | (204,894 | ) | (6,692 | ) | |||||||||
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | (7,584 | ) | 58,397 | (8,339 | ) | (273 | ) | |||||||||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | 404,819 | 277,824 | 122,614 | 4,004 |
Cash and cash equivalents increased by NT$404,819122,614 million in 2021,2023, following an increase of NT$204,772277,824 million in 2020.
Operating Activities
In 2021,2023, we generated NT$1,112,1611,241,967 million (US$40,09240,561 million) net cash from operating activities, as compared to NT$822,6671,610,599 million in 2020.2022. The net cash generated from operating activities was primarily from NT$663,036979,316 million in income before income tax and NT$422,395532,191 million in
In 2020,2022, we generated NT$1,610,599 million net cash from operating activities, as compared to NT$1,112,161 million in 2021. The net cash generated from operating activities was primarily from NT$584,7461,144,072 million in income before income tax, and NT$331,725437,254 million in
Investing Activities
In 2021,2023, net cash used in investing activities was NT$836,366906,120 million (US$30,15029,592 million), as compared to NT$505,7821,190,928 million in 2020.2022. The primary use of cash in investing activities in 20212023 was for capital expenditures of NT$839,196949,817 million.
In 2020,2022, net cash used in investing activities was primarilyNT$1,190,928 million, as compared to NT$836,366 million in 2021. The primary use of cash in investing activities in 2022 was for capital expenditures of NT$507,2391,082,672 million.
Our capital expenditures for 20212023 were primarily related to:
• | installing and expanding capacity, mainly for 3-nanometer and 5-nanometer nodes, including building/facility expansion for Fab 18 and Fab 21; |
29
expanding capacity for specialty technologies and advanced packaging, and specialty technologies;
investing in research and development projects for new process technologies.
See “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors”Factors – Risks Relating to Our Business” section for the risks associated with the inability of raising the requisite funding for our expansion programs. Please also see “Item 4. Information on The Company – Capacity Management and Technology Upgrade Plans” for discussion of our capacity management and capital expenditures.
Financing Activities
In 2021,2023, net cash generated byused in financing activities was NT$136,608204,894 million (US$4,9256,692 million), as compared to net cash used of NT$88,615200,244 million in 2020.2022. The net cash generated byused in financing activities in 20212023 was mainly fromdue to cash dividend payments, partially offset by the proceeds from issuance of corporate bonds and an increase in short-termbank loans partially offset by cash dividend payments.
In 2020,2022, net cash used byin financing activities was NT$200,244 million, as compared to net cash generated of NT$136,608 million in 2021. The net cash used in financing activities in 2022 was mainly fordue to cash dividend payments repayments of corporate bonds and decrease in short-term loans, partially offset by the proceeds from issuance of corporate bonds.
As of December 31, 2021,2023, our short-termbank loans under hedging financial liabilities were NT$114,92127,290 million (US$4,143891 million), which were denominated in Euros. Our and our aggregate long-term debt was NT$617,947927,576 million (US$22,27630,293 million), of which NT$4,5679,293 million (US$165303 million) was classified as current. The long-term debt mainly included NT dollar- and U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds with fixed interest rates ranging from 0.36% to 3.25%4.63% and remaining maturity ranging from less than 1one year to 3937 years.
Cash Requirements
The following table sets forth information on our material contractually obligated payments (including principals and interests) for the periods indicated as of December 31, 2021:
Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | |||||||||||||||
(in NT$ millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Short-Term Loans (1) | 114,767 | 114,767 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Long-Term Debt (2) | 757,900 | 13,764 | 45,019 | 192,612 | 506,505 | |||||||||||||||
Capital Leases (3) | 24,302 | 2,372 | 3,896 | 3,385 | 14,649 | |||||||||||||||
Other Obligations (4) | 185,994 | 30,613 | 155,381 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Capital Purchase or Other Purchase Obligations (5) | 1,280,304 | 1,185,814 | 94,490 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Total Contractual Cash Obligations | 2,363,267 | 1,347,330 | 298,786 | 195,997 | 521,154 |
Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations | Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | |||||||||||||||
(in NT$ millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Hedging Financial Liabilities-Bank Loans(1) | 27,290 | 27,290 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Long-Term Debt(2) | 1,142,688 | 27,262 | 227,952 | 304,110 | 583,364 | |||||||||||||||
Capital Leases(3) | 34,847 | 3,182 | 5,248 | 4,663 | 21,754 | |||||||||||||||
Temporary Receipts(4) | 278,295 | 114,640 | 163,655 | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Capital Purchase or Other Purchase Obligations(5) | 1,121,148 | 1,060,587 | 60,343 | 218 | — | |||||||||||||||
Total Contractual Cash Obligations | 2,604,268 | 1,232,961 | 457,198 | 308,991 | 605,118 |
Represents bank loans |
(2) | Represents corporate bonds payable and long-term bank loans. See note |
(3) | Capital lease obligations are described in note 6, note 16, note 31 and note 33 to our consolidated financial statements. |
(4) | Represents advance temporary receipts from customer. See “Item 4. Information on The Company — |
(5) | Represents commitments for construction or purchase of equipment, raw material and other property or services. These commitments were not recorded on our statement of financial position as of December 31, |
During 2021,2023, we used derivative financial instruments to partially hedge the currency exchange rate risk related to
30
We provided letters of credit and entrusted financial institutions to or guarantees for, any entity other thanprovide performance guarantees. See note 36 to our consolidated subsidiaries.
Significant amount of capital is required to build, expand, and upgrade our production facilities and equipment. Our capital expenditures for 20222024 are expected to be between US$4028 billion and US$4432 billion, which, depending on market conditions, may be adjusted later.
Taxation
The corporate income tax rate in R.O.C. is 20%. PursuantThe R.O.C. Controlled Foreign Company (“CFC”) rules enacted in 2016 have been implemented since January 1, 2023, pursuant to which, certain profits retained at a CFC located in a low-tax jurisdiction would be taxable at its parent company in Taiwan. On the regulations underother hand, effective from January 1, 2023, the R.O.C. Statute for Industrial Innovation wewas amended such that eligible companies that develop innovative technologies domestically and possess leading position in global supply chain may claim investment tax credit of 25% on qualified R&D expenditure and 5% on procurement of machinery/equipment for advanced processes. We are eligible for a tax creditthese new incentives pursuant to the R.O.C. Statute for 10% or 15% of qualified research and development expenditures. In addition, our undistributed earnings are reduced by deduction of capital expenditures in calculation of surtax imposed on undistributed earnings.
The alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) imposed under the R.O.C. AMT Act is a supplemental income tax which applies if the amount of regular income tax calculated pursuant to the R.O.C. Income Tax Act and relevant laws and regulations is below the amount of basic tax prescribed under the R.O.C. AMT Act. The taxable income for calculating AMT includes most income that is exempt from income tax under various legislations, such as tax holidays. The prevailing AMT rate for business entities is 12%. As we are eligible for tax holidays, AMT is generally applicable to us.
We arewere eligible for five-year tax holidays for income generated from construction and capacity expansions of production facilities according to regulations under the Statute for Upgrading Industries of the R.O.C. The exemption period may begin at any time within five years, as applicable, following the completion of a construction or expansion of production facilities. The Statute for Upgrading Industries expired at the end of 2009. However, under the Grandfather Clause, we can continue to be eligible for five-year tax holidays if the relevant investment plans were approved by R.O.C. tax authority before the expiration of the Statute. Pursuant to the Grandfather Clause, we commenced the exemption period for part of Fab 15 (Phase I to IV) and part of Fab 14 (Phase III to IV) in 2018. The aggregate tax benefits of such exemption periods in 2020 and 20212022 were NT$47,11596,378 million, and NT$57,000 million (US$2,055 million), net of AMT effect, respectively.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
There are no
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Please refer to note 4 to the consolidated financial statements.
Summary Financial Information of the Obligor Group
The debt securities issued by TSMC Arizona under an indenture (the “Indenture”), dated as of October 18, 2021, among TSMC Arizona, as the issuer, TSMC, as guarantor, and Citibank, N.A., as trustee, are unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed as to payment of principal, interest and premium, if any, by TSMC. TSMC Arizona and TSMC are referred to collectively as the Obligor Group. Each guarantee provided under the Indenture is referred to as a Guarantee and collectively, the Guarantees. TSMC Arizona Corporation is a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Arizona and a wholly-owned subsidiary of TSMC. As of December 31, 2021,2023, the debt securities issued by TSMC Arizona are: (i) US$1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of the 1.750% Guaranteed Notes due 2026, (ii) US$1.25 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2.500% Guaranteed Notes due 2031, (iii) US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 3.125% Guaranteed Notes due 2041, and (iv) US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 3.250% Guaranteed Notes due 2051.2051, (v) US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 3.875% Guaranteed Notes due 2027, (vi) US$500 million aggregate principal amount of the 4.125% Guaranteed Notes due 2029, (vii) US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 4.250% Guaranteed Notes due 2032, and (viii) US$1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 4.500% Guaranteed Notes due 2052.
31
Under the terms of the Indenture and the Guarantees, TSMC fully, unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to each holder the full and prompt payment of the principal of, and premium (if any) and interest on, such debt securities (including any Additional Amounts, as defined in the Indenture, payable in respect thereof) when and as the same shall become due and payable as provided in such debt securities. TSMC (i) agrees that its obligations under the Guarantees will be enforceable irrespective of any invalidity, irregularity or unenforceability of the debt securities or the Indenture and (ii) waives its right to require the trustee to pursue or exhaust its legal or equitable remedies against the issuer prior to exercising its rights under the Guarantees. Moreover, if at any time any amount paid under a debt security or the Indenture is rescinded or must otherwise be restored, the rights of the holders of the debt securities under the Guarantees will be reinstated with respect to such payments as though such payment had not been made.
The Guarantees (i) constitute senior unsecured obligations of TSMC, (ii) at all times rank at least equally with all other present and future senior unsecured obligations of TSMC, except as may be required by mandatory provisions of law, (iii) are senior in right of payment to all future subordinated obligations of TSMC and (iv) are effectively subordinated to secured obligations of TSMC, to the extent of the assets serving as security therefor.
TSMC will be released from and relieved of its obligations under a Guarantee in the event (i) of repayment in full of the relevant series of debt securities, or (ii) that there is a Legal Defeasance (as defined in the Indenture) of the relevant series of debt securities, in each case provided that the transaction is otherwise carried out pursuant to and in accordance with all other applicable provisions of the Indenture.
The following summarized financial information is presented for the Obligor Group on a combined basis after elimination of intercompany transactions between entities in the combined group and amounts related to investments in any subsidiary that is a
Statement of Profit or Loss for Obligor Group
For the year ended December 31, 2023 | ||||||||
NT$ | US$ | |||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||
Net sales – external | 693,146 | 22,637 | ||||||
Net sales – to subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 1,459,994 | 47,681 | ||||||
Total net sales | 2,153,140 | 70,318 | ||||||
Gross profit | 1,130,480 | 36,920 | ||||||
Income from operations | 891,677 | 29,121 | ||||||
Net income | 851,740 | 27,816 | ||||||
Net income attributable to Obligor Group | 851,740 | 27,816 |
32
For the year ended December 31, 2021 | ||||||||
NT$ | US$ | |||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||
Net sales – external | 533,649 | 19,237 | ||||||
Net sales – to subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 1,041,097 | 37,531 | ||||||
Total net sales | 1,574,746 | 56,768 | ||||||
Gross profit | 788,629 | 28,429 | ||||||
Income from continuing operations | 625,383 | 22,544 | ||||||
Net income | 592,359 | 21,354 | ||||||
Net income attributable to Obligor Group | 592,359 | 21,354 |
Statement of Financial Position for Obligor Group
As of December 31, 2021 | ||||||||
NT$ | US$ | |||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets – external | 753,642 | 27,168 | ||||||
Current assets – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 143,110 | 5,159 | ||||||
Total current assets | 896,752 | 32,327 | ||||||
Non-current assets—external | 2,047,339 | 73,804 | ||||||
Non-current assets – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 564,084 | 20,335 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 2,611,423 | 94,139 | ||||||
Total assets | 3,508,175 | 126,466 | ||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||
Current liabilities – external | 701,370 | 25,284 | ||||||
Current liabilities – due from subsidiaries outside the Obligor Group | 28,782 | 1,038 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 730,152 | 26,322 | ||||||
Non-current liabilities – external | 501,401 | 18,075 | ||||||
Non-current liabilities – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 127,362 | 4,591 | ||||||
Total non-current liabilities | 628,763 | 22,666 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 1,358,915 | 48,988 |
As of December 31, 2023 | ||||||||
NT$ | US$ | |||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||
Assets | ||||||||
Current assets – external | 1,235,111 | 40,337 | ||||||
Current assets – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 159,258 | 5,201 | ||||||
Total current assets | 1,394,369 | 45,538 | ||||||
Non-current assets—external | 3,021,982 | 98,693 | ||||||
Non-current assets – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 778,769 | 25,433 | ||||||
Total non-current assets | 3,800,751 | 124,126 | ||||||
Total assets | 5,195,120 | 169,664 | ||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||
Current liabilities – external | 759,099 | 24,791 | ||||||
Current liabilities – due from subsidiaries outside the Obligor Group | 109,612 | 3,580 | ||||||
Total current liabilities | 868,711 | 28,371 | ||||||
Non-current liabilities – external | 762,834 | 24,912 | ||||||
Non-current liabilities – due from subsidiaries outside of the Obligor Group | 134,053 | 4,378 | ||||||
Total non-current liabilities | 896,887 | 29,290 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 1,765,598 | 57,661 |
Climate Change Related Issues
The manufacturing, assembling and testing of our products require the use of chemicals and materials that are subject to environmental, climate related, health and safety laws and regulations issued worldwide as well as international accords such as the Paris Agreement. Climate change related laws or regulations currently are too indefinite for us to assess the impact on our future financial condition with any degree of reasonable certainty. For example, the Taiwan “Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act”, which became effective on July 1, 2015, was amended in October 2021, and the amendment is expected to come into force in 2022. The act will be renamed as “Climate Change AdaptationResponse Act”. The amendments became effective in February 2023, which set a goal of reaching net-zero emissions in Taiwan by 2050 and mayalso established a carbon fee system to collect carbon fees on direct and indirect emissions from emitters whose emissions reach certain thresholds. The government will start collecting carbon fees from 2025 but the rate for such fees has yet to be determined by the relevant authorities. We could be required to pay any incurred carbon fees since our emission levels exceed applicable thresholds pursuant to the current regulatory requirements, which will result in increased operating costs for us and affect us financially to a certain extent, such as through the levying of a carbon tax/fee.extent. We expect to see more of its relevant regulations promulgated by the regulators in the future. Also, the R.O.C. legislative authority is reviewing, at all times, various environmental issues to develop laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and climate related changes. The impact of such laws and regulations, as well as of the carbon tax/fee, is indeterminable at the moment. Please see detailed risk factors related to the impact of climate change regulations and international accords in “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Our Business”. Please also see our compliance record with Taiwan and international environmental and climate related laws and regulations in “Item 4. Information on The Company – Environmental and Climate Related Laws and Regulations”.
ITEM 6. | DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES |
Directors and Executive Officers
MANAGEMENT
Members of our Board of Directors are elected by our shareholders. Our Board of Directors is currently composed of ten directors. Of our current ten directors, six are independent directors: Sir Peter L. Bonfield,
33
Pursuant to the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, effective from January 1, 2007, a public company is required to either establish an audit committee or to have supervisors. A public company’s audit committee should be composed of all of its independent directors but not less than three, of which at least one member should have accounting or related financial management expertise, and the relevant provisions under the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, the R.O.C. Company Act and other laws applicable to the supervisors are also applicable to the audit committee. Pursuant to the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, effective from March 18, 2011, we are also required to establish a compensation committee which must be composed of qualified independent members as defined under local law. TSMCWe established itsour audit committee (the “Audit Committee”) and compensation committee (the “Compensation Committee”) in 2002 and 2003, respectively (several years before being legally required to do so), both of which are now composed entirely of independent directors.
Pursuant to the R.O.C. Company Act, a person may serve as our director in his personal capacity or as the representative of another legal entity. A director who serves as the representative of a legal entity may be removed or replaced at any time at the discretion of that legal entity, and the replacement director may serve the remainder of the term of office of the replaced director. For example, the National Development Fund of the R.O.C., one of our largest shareholders, has served as our director since our founding. As a corporate entity, the National Development Fund is required to appoint a representative to act on its behalf. Dr. Ming-Hsin Kung has been the representative of the National Development Fund since July 24, 2020.
In December 2023, we announced that our Chairman Dr. Mark Liu plans to retire from TSMC in June 2024, and will not seek re-election to the Board of Directors. Our Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee has recommended Dr. C.C. Wei, while remaining as CEO, to succeed as our next Chairman, subject to the Board of Directors election in our Shareholders’ Meeting in June 2024.
In February 2024, our Board of Directors approved the appointment of Senior Vice President of R&D, Dr. Y.J. Mii and Senior Vice President of Operations, Mr. Y.P. Chyn, as Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Chief Operating Officers (“Co-COOs”) of TSMC, effective on March 1, 2024. The two Executive Vice Presidents and Co-COOs will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Dr. C.C. Wei.
The following table setstables set forth each director and executive officer’s name, position and years with our company, the nameage range of each director and executive officer, their positions, the year in which theireach director’s term expires and the number of years they have been with us as of February 28, 2022.29, 2024. The business address for each of our directors and executive officers is No. 8, Li Hsin Road 6, Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Name | Position with our company | Term Expires | Years with our company | |||||||
Mark Liu | Chairman | 2024 | 29 | |||||||
C.C. Wei | Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer | 2024/ — | 24 | |||||||
Ming-Hsin Kung | Director (Representative of the National Development Fund) | 2024 | 2 | |||||||
F.C. Tseng | Director | 2024 | 35 | |||||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield | Independent Director | 2024 | 20 | |||||||
Kok-Choo Chen | Independent Director | 2024 | 11 | |||||||
Michael R. Splinter | Independent Director | 2024 | 7 | |||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov | Independent Director | 2024 | 3 | |||||||
Yancey Hai | Independent Director | 2024 | 2 | |||||||
L. Rafael Reif (1) | Independent Director | 2024 | 1 | |||||||
Lora Ho | Senior Vice President, Europe & Asia Sales and Human Resources | — | 23 | |||||||
Wei-Jen Lo | Senior Vice President, Research & Development | — | 18 | |||||||
Rick Cassidy | Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy Office/ CEO & President, TSMC Arizona | — | 25 | |||||||
Y.P. Chin | Senior Vice President, Operations | — | 35 | |||||||
Y.J. Mii | Senior Vice President, Research & Development | — | 28 | |||||||
J.K. Lin | Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Materials Management & Risk Management | — | 35 | |||||||
J.K. Wang | Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning Organization | — | 35 | |||||||
Cliff Hou | Senior Vice President, Europe & Asia Sales and Research & Development/ Corporate Research | — | 25 | |||||||
Kevin Zhang | Senior Vice President, Business Development | — | 6 | |||||||
Sylvia Fang | Vice President, Legal and General Counsel/ Corporate Governance Officer | — | 27 |
Board of Contents
Name | Age | Position with our company | Term Expires | Years with our company | ||||||||
Mark Liu | 66-70 | Chairman | 2024 | 31 | ||||||||
C.C. Wei | 71-75 | Vice Chairman | 2024 | 26 | ||||||||
Ming-Hsin Kung | 56-60 | Director (Representative of the National Development Fund) | 2024 | 4 | ||||||||
F.C. Tseng | 76-80 | Director | 2024 | 37 | ||||||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield | 76-80 | Independent Director | 2024 | 22 | ||||||||
Kok-Choo Chen | 76-80 | Independent Director | 2024 | 13 | ||||||||
Michael R. Splinter | 71-75 | Independent Director | 2024 | 9 | ||||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov | 66-70 | Independent Director | 2024 | 5 | ||||||||
Yancey Hai | 71-75 | Independent Director | 2024 | 4 | ||||||||
L. Rafael Reif | 71-75 | Independent Director | 2024 | 3 |
Executive Officers
Name | Position with our company | company | |||||||||||
C.C. Wei | Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||||||
Lora Ho | Senior Vice President, Human Resources | ||||||||||||
Wei-Jen Lo(1) | Senior Vice President, Research & Development | 20 | |||||||||||
Rick Cassidy(1) | Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy Office and Overseas Operations Office; Chairman, TSMC Arizona | 27 |
34
Name | Position with our company | Years with our company | ||||||||
Y.P. Chyn(2) | Senior Vice President, Operations and Overseas Operations Office | 37 | ||||||||
Y.J. Mii(2) | Senior Vice President, Research & Development | 30 | ||||||||
J.K. Lin(1) | Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Materials Management & Risk Management; Chief Information Security Officer | 37 | ||||||||
Cliff Hou(3) | Senior Vice President, Europe & Asia Sales and Research & Development/ Corporate Research | 27 | ||||||||
Kevin Zhang(3) | Senior Vice President, Business Development and Overseas Operations Office | 8 | ||||||||
Sylvia Fang | Senior Vice President, Legal; General Counsel; Corporate Governance Officer | 29 | ||||||||
Wendell Huang | Senior Vice President, Finance; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson | 25 | ||||||||
Y.L. Wang | Vice President, Operations/ Fab Operations | |||||||||
Douglas Yu | Vice President, Pathfinding for System Integration; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | 30 | ||||||||
T.S. Chang | Vice President, Operations/ Advanced Technology and Mask | |||||||||
Michael Wu | Vice President, Research & Development/ Platform | |||||||||
Min Cao | Vice President, Research & Development/ Pathfinding | |||||||||
Y.H. Liaw | Vice President, Operations/ Fab Operations | |||||||||
Simon Jang | Vice President, Research & Development/ Advanced Tool and Module Development | |||||||||
C.S. Yoo | Vice President, Research | |||||||||
Jun He | Vice President, Quality and Reliability and Operations/ Advanced Packaging Technology and Service | |||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap | Vice President, Research & Development/ Platform | |||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin | Vice President, Corporate Information | |||||||||
Jonathan Lee | Vice President, Corporate Planning Organization | |||||||||
Arthur Chuang | Vice President, Operations/ Facility | |||||||||
L.C. Lu | Vice President, Research & Development/ Design & Technology | |||||||||
K.C. Hsu | Vice President, Research & Development/ Integrated Interconnect & Packaging | |||||||||
Ray Chuang(5) | Vice President, Operations/ Fab Operations I; CEO, ESMC |
(1) | Dr. |
(2) | Mr. |
(3) | Dr. Cliff Hou and Dr. Kevin Zhang were appointed as Deputy Co-COOs, effective on March 1, 2024. |
(4) | In addition to his current position, Dr. Min Cao was appointed as Vice President of Research & Development/ Corporate Research, effective on March 1, 2024. |
(5) | Mr. Ray Chuang was promoted to Vice President on |
Mark Liu
C.C. Wei
35
Ming-Hsin Kung,
F.C. Tseng
Sir Peter L. Bonfield
Kok-Choo
Michael R. Splinter
36
Moshe N. Gavrielov
Yancey Hai
L. Rafael Reif
Lora Ho
Wei-Jen
Rick Cassidy
37
Y.P. Chin
Y.J. Mii
J.K. Lin
Cliff Hou is our Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning Organization. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Operations/ Fab Operations from November 2018 to April 2020.Europe & Asia Sales and Deputy Co-Chief Operating Officer. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations in November 2018. He was Vice President of Operations/ 300mm Fabs from August 2010 to August 2018 and Operations/ Fab Operations from August to November 2018. He joined us in 1987 and held various positions in manufacturing and research and development functions. He holds a master degree in chemical engineering from National Cheng-Kung University.
Kevin Zhang
Sylvia Fang
Wendell Huangis our Senior Vice President of Human Resources. SheFinance and Chief Financial Officer/ Spokesperson. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in February 2024. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Human Resources inFinance and Chief Financial Officer/ Spokesperson from September 2019 to February 2024, Deputy Chief Financial Officer from January 2019 to August 2014.2019, and Senior Director of Finance Division from 2010 to 2018. Prior to joining us as Director of Human Resources in June 2014, she1999, he was a Senior Vice President of Global Human ResourcesCorporate Finance at Trend Micros, Inc. SheING Barings. He holds an EMBAMBA from National TaiwanCornell University.
Y.L. Wang
Douglas Yu
38
T.S. Chang
Michael Wu
Min Cao
Y.H. Liaw
Simon Jang
C.S. Yoo
Jun He
Geoffrey Yeap
Chris
Jonathan Lee
Arthur Chuang
39
L.C. Lu
K.C. Hsu
Ray Chuang is our Vice President of Operations/ Fab Operations I and CEO of ESMC. He was promoted to Vice President in May 2023 and was our Senior Fab Director of Operations/ Fab 18A from October 2020 to May 2023, and Fab Director of Operations/ Fab 18A from June 2019 to September 2020. Prior to that, he was Director of Operations/ Fab 12B from November 2018 to June 2019. He joined us in 1997 and has served in a variety of production management positions at TSMC Fabs. He holds a M.S. degree in Materials Science & Engineering/Engineering Economics System from Stanford University.
There is no family relationship between any of the persons named above. Other than that one of our Directors, Dr. Ming-Hsin Kung, is the representative of our shareholder, National Development Fund of the Executive Yuan, there is no arrangement or understanding with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others, pursuant to which any person referred to above was selected as a director or member of senior management.
Share Ownership
The following table sets forth certain information as of February 28, 202229, 2024 with respect to our common shares owned by our directors and executive officers.
Name of Shareholders(1) | Number of Common Shares Owned(2) | Percentage of Outstanding Common Shares(2) | ||||||
Mark Liu, Chairman | 12,967,192 | 0.05 | % | |||||
C.C. Wei, Vice Chairman; Chief Executive Officer | 6,392,834 | 0.02 | % | |||||
Ming-Hsin Kung, Director (Representative of the National Development Fund)(3) | 1,653,709,980 | 6.38 | % | |||||
F.C. Tseng, Director | 29,472,675 | 0.11 | % | |||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Kok-Choo Chen, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Michael R. Splinter, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Yancey Hai, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
L. Rafael Reif, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | 4,414,753 | 0.02 | % | |||||
Wei-Jen Lo, Senior Vice President | 1,457,328 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Rick Cassidy, Senior Vice President; Chairman of TSMC Arizona | — | — | ||||||
Y.P. Chyn, Senior Vice President(4) | 4,932,964 | 0.02 | % | |||||
Y.J. Mii, Senior Vice President(4) | 1,016,273 | 0.00 | % | |||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President; Chief Information Security Officer | 12,660,501 | 0.05 | % | |||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President(5) | 435,570 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President(5) | 115,867 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Sylvia Fang, Senior Vice President; General Counsel; Corporate Governance Officer | 707,793 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Wendell Huang, Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson | 1,660,166 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President; CEO of TSMC Arizona | 226,043 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Douglas Yu, Vice President; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | 258,496 | 0.00 | % | |||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | 181,289 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | 493,404 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Min Cao, Vice President | 371,055 | 0.00 | % |
40
Name of Shareholders (1) | Number of Common Shares Owned (2) | Percentage of Outstanding Common Shares (2) | ||||||
Mark Liu, Chairman | 12,913,114 | 0.05 | % | |||||
C.C. Wei, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | 5,879,207 | 0.02 | % | |||||
Ming-Hsin Kung, Director (Representative of the National Development Fund) (3) | 1,653,709,980 | 6.38 | % | |||||
F.C. Tseng, Director | 29,472,675 | 0.11 | % | |||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Kok-Choo | — | — | ||||||
Michael R. Splinter, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Yancey Hai, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
L. Rafael Reif, Independent Director | — | — | ||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | 4,570,080 | 0.02 | % | |||||
Wei-Jen | 1,441,127 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Rick Cassidy, Senior Vice President/ CEO & President of TSMC Arizona | — | — | ||||||
Y.P. Chin, Senior Vice President | 6,920,122 | 0.03 | % | |||||
Y.J. Mii, Senior Vice President | 1,000,419 | 0.00 | % | |||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President | 12,648,251 | 0.05 | % | |||||
J.K. Wang, Senior Vice President | 2,603,947 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President | 384,676 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President | 70,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Sylvia Fang, Vice President & General Counsel/ Corporate Governance Officer | 700,285 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Connie Ma, Vice President | 236,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President | 218,535 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Doug Yu, Vice President & TSMC Distinguished Fellow | 250,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President & TSMC Fellow | 173,781 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | 483,501 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Min Cao, Vice President | 363,152 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Marvin Liao, Vice President | 90,485 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President | 370,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | 350,695 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Wendell Huang, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer/ Spokesperson | 1,651,756 | 0.01 | % | |||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | 1,703,690 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Jun He, Vice President | 9,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | 22,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Chris Horng-Dar | 16,000 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | 334,458 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Arthur Chuang,Vice President | 2,602,981 | 0.01 | % | |||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President & TSMC Fellow | 130,227 | 0.00 | % | |||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President | 16,000 | 0.00 | % |
Name of Shareholders(1) | Number of Common Shares Owned(2) | Percentage of Outstanding Common Shares(2) | ||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President; CEO of JASM | 375,532 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | 356,832 | 0.00 | % | |||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | 1,709,617 | 0.01 | % | |||||
Jun He, Vice President | 33,310 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | 72,532 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President; Chief Information Officer | 41,137 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | 395,044 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President | 2,608,118 | 0.01 | % | |||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | 180,957 | 0.00 | % | |||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President | 90,927 | 0.00 | % | |||||
Ray Chuang, Vice President; CEO of ESMC(6) | 180,318 | 0.00 | % |
(1) | None of our directors and executive officers owned any stock option as of February |
The disclosed number of shares owned by the directors and executive officers did not include any common shares held in the form of ADS by such individuals as such individual ownership of ADSs had not been disclosed or otherwise made public. The disclosed number of shares owned by the directors and executive officers also did not include shares owned by their related parties. |
(3) | Represented shares held by the National Development Fund, Executive Yuan. |
(4) | Mr. Y.P. Chyn and Dr. Y.J. Mii were appointed as Executive Vice Presidents and Co-COOs, effective on March 1, 2024. |
(5) | Dr. Cliff Hou and Dr. Kevin Zhang were appointed as Deputy Co-COOs, effective on March 1, 2024. |
(6) | Mr. Ray Chuang was promoted to Vice President on May 9, 2023 and was appointed as CEO of ESMC, effective on December 1, 2023. |
The following table sets forth certain information as of March 1, 2022,2024 with respect to restricted stock awards (“RSAs”the Restricted Stock Awards (the “RSAs”) held by our executives under our equity incentive plan for the year 2021 (see(the “2021 Rules”, see “— Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2021”Years 2021, 2022 and 2023” for a further discussion). Under the 2021 Rules, 274,034 shares have vested and 766,216 shares have been reclaimed as of March 1, 2024.
41
Name | Common Shares Underlying Outstanding RSAs (1) | Exercise Price | Grant Date | Expiration Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.C. Wei, Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.P. Chyn, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.J. Mii, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wei-Jen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
J.K. Wang, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sylvia Fang, Senior Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1,387,000 | — | March 1, 2022 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wendell Huang, Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connie Ma, Vice President(2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Douglas Yu, Vice President; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Min Cao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marvin Liao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jun He, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President; Chief Information Officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L.C. Lu, Vice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.C. Huang (2)(3) |
(1) | ||||||||||||||||
The RSAs granted under the |
(2) | Dr. Y.C. Huang retired, effective from May 1, 2022. Mr. J.K. Wang retired, effective from May 7, 2022. Ms. Connie Ma retired, effective from November 1, 2022. Dr. Marvin Liao retired, effective from November 11, 2022. |
(3) | Dr. Y.C. Huang is an eligible executive in accordance with the |
The following table sets forth certain information as of March 1, 2024, with respect to RSAs held by our executives under our equity incentive plan for the year 2022 (the “2022 Rules”, see “— Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for YearYears 2021, 2022 and 2023” for a further discussion). Under the 2022 Rules, no share has vested and 1,055,000 shares have been reclaimed as of March 1, 2024.
42
Name | Common Shares Underlying Outstanding RSAs(1) | Exercise Price | Grant Date | Expiration Date | ||||||||||||
C.C. Wei, Vice Chairman; Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Y.P. Chyn, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Y.J. Mii, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Wei-Jen Lo, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President; Chief Information Security Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Sylvia Fang, Senior Vice President; General Counsel; Corporate Governance Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Wendell Huang, Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson | 2,110,000 | — | March 1, 2023 | — | ||||||||||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Douglas Yu, Vice President; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Min Cao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Jun He, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President; Chief Information Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President |
(1) | The RSAs granted under the 2022 Rules held by each of these directors and executives represent less than one percent of our total outstanding common shares. |
The following table sets forth certain information as of March 1, 2024, with respect to RSAs held by our executives under our equity incentive plan for the year 2023 (the “2023 Rules”, see “— Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Years 2021, we2022 and 2023” for a further discussion).
43
Name | Common Shares Underlying Outstanding RSAs(1) | Exercise Price | Grant Date | Expiration Date | ||||||||||||
C.C. Wei, Vice Chairman; Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Y.P. Chyn, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Y.J. Mii, Executive Vice President; Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Wei-Jen Lo, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President; Chief Information Security Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO | ||||||||||||||||
Sylvia Fang, Senior Vice President; General Counsel; Corporate Governance Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Wendell Huang, Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson | 2,960,000 | — | March 1, 2024 | — | ||||||||||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Douglas Yu, Vice President; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Min Cao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Jun He, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President; Chief Information Officer | ||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||
Ray Chuang, Vice President |
(1) | The RSAs granted under the 2023 Rules held by each of these directors and executives represent less than one percent of our total outstanding common shares. |
Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Years 2021, 2022 and 2023
We adopted the Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for each of Year 2021 (the “2021 Rules”), whichYear 2022 (the “2022 Rules”) and Year 2023 (the “2023 Rules”) to attract and retain corporate executives and/or critical talents at TSMC and/or its subsidiaries. These rules link the compensation of employees with shareholders’ interests and/or our ESG achievements. The 2021 Rules, 2022 Rules and 2023 Rules authorized the grant of up to 2,600,000 common shares, up to 3,065,000 common shares and up to 6,249,000 common shares, with par value of NT$10 per share, respectively. The grants are in the form of RSAs. The 2021 Rules, 2022 Rules and 2023 Rules became effective on August 6, 2021, July 25, 2022 and December 28, 2023, respectively.
44
Under these rules, RSAs may be granted to full-time executives and/or critical talents who meet specific performance requirements. The number of RSAs granted is determined by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Compensation and People Development Committee and the Board of Directors. The number of RSAs granted under the 2023 Rules also requires approval from the Audit and Risk Committee. Grants under these rules are made free of charge to the recipients and are subject to certain vesting conditions, as separately outlined in the rules for each respective year.
Under each of the 2021 Rules, 2022 Rules and 2023 Rules, the maximum amount of RSAs that may vest each year are as follows: 50% on the first anniversary of the grant, 25% on the second anniversary and 25% on the third anniversary.
Issuances under these rules can be granted over a period of one year from the effective date of the rules for each respective year. In February 2022, our Board of Directors resolved to approve the issuance of 1,387,000 units of RSAs under the 2021 Rules. In February 2023, our Board of Directors resolved to approve the issuance of 2,110,000 units of RSAs under the 2022 Rules. In February 2024, our Board of Directors resolved to approve the issuance of 2,960,000 units of RSAs under the 2023 Rules.
Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2024
In February 2024, our Board of Directors approved the Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2024 (the “2024 Rules”), which authorize the grant of up to 4,185,000 common shares, with par value of NT$10 per share, in the form of RSAs to eligible executives and critical talents of TSMC.TSMC and TSMC’s subsidiaries. The 20212024 Rules became effective on August 6, 2021.are subject to shareholder approval at the 2024 General Shareholders’ Meeting and approval by the R.O.C. Financial Supervisory Commission (the “R.O.C. FSC”). The purpose of the 20212024 Rules is to attract and retain corporate executives and critical talents and link their compensation with shareholders’ interests andand/or our ESG achievements.
The 20212024 Rules provide that RSAs may only be granted to full-time executives or critical talents of TSMC and TSMC’s subsidiaries who meet certain performance requirements. The number of RSAs granted is determined by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Compensation and People Development Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee and the Board of Directors. Grants under the 20212024 Rules are made free of charge to the recipient and are subject to certain vesting conditions, as outlined in the 20212024 Rules. In particular, the maximum amount of RSAs that may vest each year are as follows: 50% on the first anniversary of the grant, 25% on the second anniversary of the grant and 25% on the third anniversary of the grant.
Issuances under the 20212024 Rules may be granted over a period of one yeartwo years from the effective date.
Global Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In February 2022, we established an employee stock purchase plan (the “ESPP”), which provides an opportunity for eligible employees to purchase our BoardADSs or common shares through voluntary automatic payroll deductions, in order to contribute to a real and sustainable culture of Directors resolved to approve the issuance of 1,387,000 units of RSAsemployees as shareholders. The ESPP became effective on May 10, 2022 and was implemented from October 1, 2022. ADSs and common shares available for purchase by participants under the 2021 Rules.
Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors. Grants under the 2022 Rules would be made free of charge to the recipient and are subject to certain vesting conditions, as outlined in the 2022 Rules. In particular, the maximum amount of RSAs that may vest each year would be as follows: 50% on the first anniversary of the grant, 25% on the second anniversary of the grant and 25% on the third anniversary of the grant.
According to our Articles of Incorporation, not more than 0.3 percent of our annual profits, after recovering any losses incurred in prior years, may be distributed as compensation to our directors and at least one percent of our annual profits may be distributed as profit sharing bonuses to employees, including executive officers. Compensation to directors is always paid in cash, while bonuses to our executive officers may be granted in cash, stock, or stock options or the combination of all these three. Individual awards are based on each individual’s job responsibility, contribution and performance. See note 3029 to our consolidated financial statements. Under our Articles of Incorporation, directors who also serve as executive officers are not entitled to any director compensation.
45
Remuneration Paid toof Directors
The following table presents the remuneration paid and benefits in kind granted toaccrued in 2023 for our
Name/Title | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Stock Awards | All Other Compensation (2) | Total | ||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | ||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mark Liu, Chairman | 398.7 | — | 1.6 | 400.4 | 14.4 | |||||||||||||||
F.C. Tseng, Director (1) | 10.6 | — | 1.3 | 11.9 | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||
Ming-Hsin Kung, Director (Representative of National Development Fund, Executive Yuan) | 10.6 | — | — | 10.6 | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield, Independent Director | 14.8 | — | — | 14.8 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Stan Shih, Independent Director | 7.5 | — | — | 7.5 | 0.3 | |||||||||||||||
Kok-Choo Chen, Independent Director | 13.2 | — | — | 13.2 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Michael R. Splinter, Independent Director | 14.8 | — | — | 14.8 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov, Independent Director | 14.8 | — | — | 14.8 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Yancey Hai, Independent Director | 13.2 | — | — | 13.2 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
L. Rafael Reif, Independent Director | 6.4 | — | — | 6.4 | 0.2 | |||||||||||||||
Total | 504.4 | — | 2.9 | 507.3 | 18.3 | |||||||||||||||
Name/Title | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Stock Awards | All Other Compensation(2) | Total(3) | ||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | ||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mark Liu, Chairman | 519.3 | — | 1.7 | 521.0 | 17.0 | |||||||||||||||
F.C. Tseng, Director(1) | 10.6 | — | 1.2 | 11.8 | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||
Ming-Hsin Kung, Director (Representative of National Development Fund, Executive Yuan) | 10.6 | — | — | 10.6 | 0.3 | |||||||||||||||
Sir Peter L. Bonfield, Independent Director | 16.4 | — | — | 16.4 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Kok-Choo Chen, Independent Director | 13.2 | — | — | 13.2 | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||
Michael R. Splinter, Independent Director | 16.4 | — | — | 16.4 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Moshe N. Gavrielov, Independent Director | 16.4 | — | — | 16.4 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
Yancey Hai, Independent Director | 13.2 | — | — | 13.2 | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||
L. Rafael Reif, Independent Director | 16.4 | — | — | 16.4 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||
Total | 632.6 | — | 2.9 | 635.5 | 20.8 | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | In addition to the above, Dr. F.C. Tseng received NT$ non-consolidated affiliates and NT$ |
(2) | Included pensions funded according to applicable law and expenses for company cars, but did not include compensation paid to car drivers made available to directors. |
(3) | The compensation of directors was expensed based on the estimated payment amounts. If the actual amounts subsequently paid differ from the above estimated amounts, the differences will be recorded in the year fully paid as a change in accounting estimate. |
On March 1, 2022, March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024, Dr. Mark Liu was granted cash-settled compensation linked to the price of TSMC’s common shares. Such cash-settled compensation represents the right to receive an amount of cash equal to the market value of common shares of TSMC at the time of vesting. The grant is subject to the same vesting conditions as the aforementioned 2021, 2022 and 2023 Rules.
46
Compensation Paid toof Executive Officers
The following table presents the compensation paid and benefits in kind granted toaccrued in 2023 for our executive officers in 2021:
Name/Title | Salary | Bonus (6) | Stock Awards | All Other Compensation (7) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.C. Wei, Chief Executive Officer | 13.3 | 381.9 | — | 5.1 | 400.3 | 14.4 | ||||||||||||||||||
Wendell Huang, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer/ Spokesperson | 5.2 | 54.3 | — | 1.5 | 61.1 | 2.2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wei-Jen Lo, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rick Cassidy, Senior Vice President/ CEO & President of TSMC Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.P. Chin, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.J. Mii, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J.K. Wang, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sylvia Fang, Vice President & General Counsel/ Corporate Governance Officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connie Ma, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Doug Yu, Vice President & TSMC Distinguished Fellow | 137.6 | 1,728.6 | — | 50.6 | 1,916.8 | 69.1 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President & TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Min Cao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marvin Liao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jun He, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President and Chief Information Officer(2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President & TSMC Fellow (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 156.2 | 2,164.8 | — | 57.3 | 2,378.2 | 85.7 | ||||||||||||||||||
Name/Title | Salary | Bonus(2) | Stock Awards | All Other Compensation(3) | Total | |||||||||||||||||||
NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | NT$ | US$ | |||||||||||||||||||
(in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.C. Wei, Chief Executive Officer | 15.0 | 438.7 | 88.0 | 6.1 | 547.7 | 17.9 | ||||||||||||||||||
Wendell Huang, Senior Vice President; Chief Financial Officer; Spokesperson(4) | 6.0 | 80.4 | 15.4 | 1.8 | 103.5 | 3.4 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||
Y.P. Chyn, Executive Vice President; Co-COO(5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.J. Mii, Executive Vice President; Co-COO(5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lora Ho, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wei-Jen Lo, Senior Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rick Cassidy, Senior Vice President; Chairman of TSMC Arizona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
J.K. Lin, Senior Vice President; Chief Information Security Officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cliff Hou, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO(6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kevin Zhang, Senior Vice President; Deputy Co-COO(6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sylvia Fang, Senior Vice President; General Counsel; Corporate Governance Officer(4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.L. Wang, Vice President; CEO of TSMC Arizona | 162.3 | 2,156.3 | 361.1 | 50.5 | 2,730.2 | 89.2 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
Douglas Yu, Vice President; TSMC Distinguished Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
T.S. Chang, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michael Wu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Min Cao, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Y.H. Liaw, Vice President; CEO of JASM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simon Jang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
C.S. Yoo, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jun He, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Geoffrey Yeap, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chris Horng-Dar Lin, Vice President; Chief Information Officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Lee, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arthur Chuang, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
L.C. Lu, Vice President; TSMC Fellow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
K.C. Hsu, Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ray Chuang, Vice President; CEO of ESMC(7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||||||||||
Total | 183.2 | 2,675.3 | 464.5 | 58.4 | 3,381.4 | 110.4 | ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) | The total compensation paid to the executive officers is decided based on their job responsibility, contribution, company performance and projected future risks the Company will face. It is reviewed by the Compensation and People Development Committee then submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. |
(2) | Included cash bonus and profit sharing bonus. |
(3) | Included pensions funded according to applicable law and expenses for company cars. |
(4) | Mr. Wendell Huang and Ms. Sylvia Fang were appointed as Senior Vice Presidents, effective on February 6, 2024. |
(5) | Mr. Y.P. Chyn and Dr. |
Dr. Cliff Hou and Dr. Kevin Zhang were appointed as Deputy Co-COOs, effective on March 1, 2024. |
(7) | Mr. |
Aggregate amount for executive officers other than Dr. C.C. Wei and Mr. Wendell Huang. |
Board Practices
General
For a discussion of the term of office of the Board of Directors, see “– Directors and Executive Officers – Management”. No benefits are payable to members of the Board upon termination of their relationship with us.
Audit and Risk Committee
Our Audit Committee was established on August 6, 2002 to assist our Board of Directors in the review and monitoring of our financial and accounting matters, and the integrity of our financial reporting process and controls. In February 2023, the Board of Directors approved the renaming of our Audit Committee as “Audit and Risk Committee” to reflect its oversight responsibility for the risk management program, effective as of February 14, 2023.
47
Our Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for the risk oversight of our operations and financial controls. Please see “Item 4. Information on The Company – Risk Management” and “Item 16K. Cybersecurity” for a further discussion on our Audit and Risk Committee’s role in risk management and our management of risks from cybersecurity threats.
All members of the Audit and Risk Committee must have a basic understanding of finance and accounting and at least one member must have accounting or related financial management expertise.
Currently, the Audit and Risk Committee consists of six members comprising all of our independent directors. The members of the Audit and Risk Committee are Sir Peter L. Bonfield, the Chairman of our Audit and Risk Committee,
The Audit and Risk Committee convened four regular meetings and two special meetings in 2021.2023. In addition to these meetings, the Audit and Risk Committee members and consultant participated in one special meeting and three telephone conferences to discuss our annual report to be filed with the Taiwan and U.S. authorities and investor conference materials with management.
Compensation and financial controls, our AuditPeople Development Committee receives and reviews periodic reports from the head of Corporate Information Security function relating to our information technology and security matters, including any cybersecurity incidents, assessment of new and emerging cybersecurity risks and threats and their proposed improvement measures. Based on such reviews and their discussions with the head of Corporate Information Security function, our Audit Committee assists our Board to review, assess, and enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of our cybersecurity policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.
Our Board of Directors established a Compensation Committee in June 2003 to assist our Board of Directors in discharging its responsibilities related to our compensation and benefit policies, plans and programs, and the compensation of our directors of the Board and executives.
The members of the Compensation and People Development Committee are appointed by the Board as required by the R.O.C. laws. The Compensation and People Development Committee, by its charter, shall consist of no fewer than three independent directors of the Board. Currently, the Compensation and People Development Committee comprises all of our six independent directors. The members of the Compensation and People Development Committee are Mr. Michael R. Splinter, the Chairman of our Compensation and People Development Committee, Sir Peter L. Bonfield,
The Compensation and People Development Committee convened four regular meetings in 2023.
Nominating, Corporate Governance and two specialSustainability Committee
In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved the establishment of a Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, effective as of February 14, 2023, to assist our Board of Directors mainly in selecting candidates for nomination to be elected as independent directors to the Board, and advising on corporate governance and sustainability matters.
The members of the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee are appointed by the Board. The Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, by its charter, shall be composed of the Chairman of the Board and three to six independent directors. The members of the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee are Mr. Moshe N. Gavrielov, the Chairman of our Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, Dr. Mark Liu, Sir Peter L. Bonfield, Ms. Kok-Choo Chen, Mr. Michael R. Splinter, Mr. Yancey Hai and Dr. L. Rafael Reif.
The Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee convened five meetings in 2021.
Employees
The following table sets out, as of the dates indicated, the number of our full-time employees serving in the capacities indicated.
48
As of December 31, | ||||||||||||
Function | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||
Managers | 5,364 | 5,857 | 6,635 | |||||||||
Professionals | 24,416 | 27,767 | 31,920 | |||||||||
Assistant Engineers/Clericals | 4,357 | 4,832 | 6,620 | |||||||||
Technicians | 17,160 | 18,375 | 19,977 | |||||||||
Total | 51,297 | 56,831 | 65,152 | |||||||||
As of December 31, | ||||||||||||
Function | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||
Managers | 6,635 | 7,295 | 7,861 | |||||||||
Professionals | 31,920 | 35,189 | 36,807 | |||||||||
Assistant Engineers/Clericals | 6,620 | 8,665 | 9,235 | |||||||||
Technicians | 19,977 | 21,941 | 22,575 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
Total | 65,152 | 73,090 | 76,478 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The following table sets out, as of the dates indicated, a breakdown of the number of our full-time employees by geographic location:
As of December 31, | ||||||||||||
Location of Facility and Principal Offices | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |||||||||
Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan | 24,442 | 25,776 | 27,382 | |||||||||
Southern Taiwan Science Park, Taiwan | 12,771 | 16,114 | 20,428 | |||||||||
Central Taiwan Science Park, Taiwan | 7,333 | 7,668 | 8,486 | |||||||||
Taoyuan County, Taiwan | 1,475 | 1,661 | 1,701 | |||||||||
Miaoli County, Taiwan | — | — | 628 | |||||||||
China | 3,679 | 3,859 | 4,131 | |||||||||
North America | 1,513 | 1,620 | 2,188 | |||||||||
Europe | 50 | 52 | 54 | |||||||||
Japan | 32 | 78 | 152 | |||||||||
Korea | 2 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||
Total | 51,297 | 56,831 | 65,152 | |||||||||
As of December 31, | ||||||||||||
Location of Facility and Principal Offices | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||
Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan | 27,382 | 30,219 | 31,524 | |||||||||
Southern Taiwan Science Park, Taiwan | 20,428 | 23,508 | 24,444 | |||||||||
Central Taiwan Science Park, Taiwan | 8,486 | 9,075 | 8,775 | |||||||||
Taoyuan City, Taiwan | 1,701 | 1,713 | 2,007 | |||||||||
Miaoli County, Taiwan | 628 | 1,152 | 1,675 | |||||||||
Kaohsiung Nanzih Technology Industrial Park, Taiwan | — | — | 35 | |||||||||
China | 4,131 | 4,517 | 4,484 | |||||||||
North America | 2,188 | 2,547 | 2,668 | |||||||||
Europe | 54 | 53 | 60 | |||||||||
Japan | 152 | 304 | 804 | |||||||||
Korea | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
Total | 65,152 | 73,090 | 76,478 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As of December 31, 2021,2023, our total employee population was 65,15276,478 with an educational makeup of 4.1% Ph.Ds, 47.3%3.9% PhDs, 47.7% masters, 27.6%29.5% university bachelors, 8.9%8.0% college degrees and 12.0%10.9% others. Among this employee population, 59.2%58.4% were at a managerial or professional level. Continuous learning isOur talent development strategies emphasize the cornerstoneearly development of our employee development strategy. Individual development plans are tailor-made to individual developmentthe capabilities of all employees, take employees’ needs for each employee. Employee development is further supportedthe next career stage into consideration in advance, and enforced by a comprehensive networkguide our active seeking of resources including onnew talents to fill the job training, coaching, mentoring, job rotation, classroom training,
Pursuant to our Articles of Incorporation, our employees participate in our profits sharing program by way of a bonus. Employees in the aggregate are entitled to not less than 1% of our annual profits (defined under local law), after recovering any losses incurred in prior years. Our practice has been to determine the amount of the bonus based on our operating results and industry practice in the R.O.C. In 20202022 and 2021,2023, we distributed employees’ business performance bonus of NT$34,75360,702 million and employees’ cash profit sharing bonus of NT$34,75360,702 million to our employees in relation to year 20202022 profits. In 20212023 and 2022,2024, we distributed employees’ business performance bonus of NT$35,60150,091 million (US$1,2831,636 million) to our employees in relation to year 20212023 profits. Employees’ cash profit sharing bonus of NT$35,60150,091 million (US$1,2831,636 million) in relation to year 20212023 profits will be distributed in July 2022.
As to employee relations, we value
There was no erroneously awarded compensation that was required to be recovered pursuant to our compensation recovery policy during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
ITEM 7. | MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
Major Shareholders
The following table sets forth certain information as of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, with respect to our common shares owned by (i) each person who, according to our records, beneficially owned five percent or more of our common shares and by (ii) all directors and executive officers as a group.
49
Names of Shareholders | Number of Common Shares Owned | Percentage of Total Outstanding Common Shares (1) | ||||||
National Development Fund, Executive Yuan | 1,653,709,980 | 6.38 | % | |||||
BlackRock, Inc. (2) | 1,317,566,696 | 5.08 | % | |||||
Directors and executive officers as a group (3) | 87,626,164 | 0.34 | % |
Names of Shareholders | Number of Common Shares Owned | Percentage of Total Outstanding Common Shares | ||||||
National Development Fund, Executive Yuan | 1,653,709,980 | 6.38 | % | |||||
BlackRock, Inc.(1) | 1,320,767,102 | 5.09 | % | |||||
Directors and executive officers as a group(2) | 83,808,527 | 0.32 | % |
(1) |
According to the Schedule 13G of BlackRock, Inc. filed with the U.S. SEC on February |
Excluded ownership of the National Development Fund, Executive Yuan. |
As of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, a total of 25,928,993,45825,932,070,992 common shares were outstanding. With certain limited exceptions, holders of common shares that are not R.O.C. persons are required to hold their common shares through their custodians in the R.O.C. As of February 28, 2022, 5,320,503,16329, 2024, 5,314,658,063 common shares, represented by 1,062,931,607 ADSs, were registered in the name of a nominee of Citibank, N.A., the depositary under our ADS deposit agreement. Citibank, N.A., advised us that, as of February 28, 2022, 1,064,100,62729, 2024, such ADSs representing 5,320,503,135 common shares, were held of record by Cede & Co. and 166173 other registered shareholders domiciled in and outside of the United States. We have no further information as to common shares held, or beneficially owned, by U.S. persons.
Our major shareholders have the same voting rights as our other shareholders. For a description of the voting rights of our shareholders, see “Item 10. Additional Information – Description of Common Shares – Voting Rights”.
We are currently not aware of any arrangement that may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of us.
Related Party Transactions
Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (“VIS”)
In 1994, we, the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs and other investors established VIS, then an integrated DRAM manufacturer. VIS commenced volume commercial production in 1995 and listed its shares on the Taipei Exchange in March 1998. In 2004, VIS completely terminated its DRAM production and became a dedicated foundry company. As of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, we owned approximately 28.3% of the equity interest in VIS.
Pursuant to the terms of a manufacturing agreement between both parties, VIS was obligated to use its best commercial efforts to manufacture wafers at specified yield rates for us up to a fixed amount of reserved capacity per month, and TSMC was required to use its best commercial efforts to maintain utilization of such reserved capacity. In 2021,2023, we had total purchases of NT$3,7261,069 million (US$13435 million) from VIS, representing 0.5%0.1% of our total cost of revenue.
Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company Pte. Ltd. (“SSMC”)
SSMC is a joint venture in Singapore that we established with Philips and EDB Investment Pte. Ltd. to produce integrated circuits by means of advanced submicron manufacturing processes. These integrated circuits are made pursuant to the product design specifications provided primarily by us and Philips under an agreement with Philips and EDB Investment Pte. Ltd. (the “SSMC Shareholders Agreement”) in March 1999, and primarily by us and NXP, Semiconductors N.V. (“NXP”), subsequent to the assignment by Philips of its rights to NXP and NXP’s assumption of Philips’ obligations under the SSMC Shareholders Agreement pursuant to the Assignment and Assumption Agreement effective September 25, 2006. SSMC’s business is limited to manufacturing wafers for us, our subsidiaries, NXP and NXP’s subsidiaries. On November 15, 2006, we and NXP exercised the option rights under the SSMC Shareholders Agreement to purchase all of the SSMC shares owned by EDB Investment Pte. Ltd.EDB. As a result, we now own 38.8%, and NXP owns 61.2% of SSMC. While we, together with NXP, have the right to purchase up to 100% of SSMC’s annual capacity, we and NXP are required to purchase, in the aggregate, at least 70% of SSMC’s full capacity. See below for a detailed discussion of the contract terms we entered into with SSMC.
We entered into a technology cooperation agreement with SSMC effective on March 30, 1999 in which SSMC agreed to base at least a major part of its production activities on processes compatible to those in use in our metal oxide semiconductor (“MOS”) integrated circuits wafer volume production fabs. In return, we agreed to provide SSMC with access to and benefit of the technical knowledge and experience relating to certain processes in use in our MOS integrated circuits wafer volume production fabs and to assist SSMC by rendering certain technical services in connection with its production activities. In addition, we granted to SSMC limited licenses of related intellectual property rights owned or controlled by us for the purpose of MOS integrated circuit production for the sole use in manufacturing products for us. SSMC pays to us during, and up to three years after, the term of this agreement a remuneration of a fixed percentage of the net selling price of all products manufactured by SSMC. In 2021,2023, we had total purchases of NT$3,8433,494 million (US$139114 million) from SSMC, representing 0.5%0.4% of our total cost of revenue.
50
Global Unichip Corporation (“GUC”)
In January 2003, we acquired a 52.0% equity interest in GUC, a SoC design service company that provides large scale SoC implementation services. GUC listed its shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in November 2006. As of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, we owned approximately 34.8% of the equity interest in GUC.
In 2021,2023, we had total sales of NT$7,70712,758 million (US$278417 million) to GUC, representing 0.5%0.6% of our total revenue.
Xintec, Inc. (“Xintec”)
In January 2007, we acquired a 51.2% equity interest in Xintec, a supplier of wafer level packaging service, to support our CMOS image sensor manufacturing business. Xintec listed its shares on the Taipei Exchange in March 2015. Subsequent to Xintec’s IPO, our shareholding in Xintec was diluted to approximately 41.2%. As of February 28, 2022,29, 2024, we owned approximately 41.0% of the equity interest in Xintec.
In 2021,2023, we incurred total manufacturing expenses of NT$5,4605,044 million (US$197165 million) from Xintec, representing 0.7%0.5% of our total cost of revenue.
ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information
Please see “Item 18. Financial Statements”. Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, no significant change has occurred since the date of the annual consolidated financial statements.
Legal Proceedings
As is the case with many companies in the semiconductor industry, we have received from time to time communications from third parties asserting that our technologies, our manufacturing processes, or the design of the semiconductors made by us or the use of those semiconductors by our customers may infringe upon their patents or other intellectual property rights. These assertions have at times resulted in litigation by or against us and settlement payments by us. Irrespective of the validity of these claims, we could incur significant costs in the defense thereof or could suffer adverse effects on our operations. We are also subject to antitrust compliance requirements and scrutiny by governmental regulators in multiple jurisdictions. Any adverse results of such proceeding or other similar proceedings that may arise in those jurisdictions could harm our business and distract our management, and thereby have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or prospects, and subject us to potential significant legal liability.
In September 2022, Daedalus Prime LLC (“Daedalus”) filed complaints in the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that TSMC, TSMC North America, and other companies infringe four U.S. patents. The ITC instituted an investigation in October 2022. In June 2023, Daedalus dropped two of the asserted patents from its complaint filed with the ITC. Also in June 2023, Daedalus filed another complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that TSMC infringes five U.S. patents. In September 2023, the ITC granted the parties’ joint motion to suspend the procedural schedule while the parties finalized the settlement agreement. In October 2023, the parties jointly requested the ITC to terminate the investigation and also requested the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to dismiss the related litigations. In November 2023, the ITC investigation was terminated and the related litigations in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas were dismissed.
Other than the matter described above, we were not a party to any other material litigation as of December 31, 2021,2023 and are not currently a party to any other material litigation.
Dividends and Dividend Policy
Except as otherwise specified in the Articles of Incorporation or under the R.O.C. laws, we will not pay dividends or make other distributions to shareholders when there are no earnings. Our profits may be distributed by way of cash dividend, stock dividend, or a combination of cash and stock. Pursuant to our Articles of Incorporation, distributions of profits shall be made preferably by way of cash dividend. In addition, the ratio for stock dividends shall not exceed 50% of the total distribution. Distribution of stock dividends is subject to approval by the R.O.C. FSC.
51
Pursuant to our Articles of Incorporation, our Board of Directors is authorized to approve quarterly cash dividends after the close of each quarter. After our Board of Directors approves quarterly cash dividends, we will distribute the dividenddividends within six months. The respective amounts and payment dates of 20212023 quarterly cash dividends are demonstrated in the table below.
Period | Approved Date | Payment Date | Cash Dividends Per Share (NT$) | Total Amount (NT$) | ||||
First quarter of 2021 | June 9, 2021 | October 14, 2021 | 2.75 | 71,308,546,260 | ||||
Second quarter of 2021 | August 10, 2021 | January 13, 2022 | 2.75 | 71,308,546,260 | ||||
Third quarter of 2021 | November 9, 2021 | April 14, 2022 | 2.75 | 71,308,546,260 | ||||
Fourth quarter of 2021 | February 15, 2022 | July 14, 2022 | 2.75 | 71,308,546,260 |
Period | Approved Date | Payment Date | Cash Dividend Per Share (NT$) | Total Amount (NT$) | ||||
First quarter of 2023 | May 9, 2023 | October 12, 2023 | 3.00 | 77,796,212,976 | ||||
Second quarter of 2023 | August 8, 2023 | January 11, 2024 | 3.00 | 77,796,212,976 | ||||
Third quarter of 2023 | November 14, 2023 | April 11, 2024 | 3.49978969 | 90,762,248,472 | ||||
Fourth quarter of 2023 | February 6, 2024 | July 11, 2024 | 3.50 (1) | 90,762,248,472 |
(1) | To be adjusted by then outstanding shares as of record date for such dividend payment. |
Holders of outstanding common shares on a dividend record date will be entitled to the full dividend declared without regard to any subsequent transfer of the common shares.
Holders of ADRs evidencing ADSs are entitled to receive dividends, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, to the same extent as the holders of common shares. Cash dividends will be paid to the depositary and, after deduction of any applicable R.O.C. taxes and except as otherwise provided in the deposit agreement, will be paid to holders. Stock dividends will be distributed to the depositary and, except as otherwise provided in the deposit agreement, will be distributed to holders by the depositary in the form of additional ADSs.
For information relating to R.O.C. withholding taxes payable on cash and stock dividends, see “Item 10. Additional Information – Taxation – R.O.C. Taxation – Dividends”.
ITEM 9. | THE OFFER AND LISTING |
The principal trading market for our common shares is the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Our common shares have been listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under the symbol “2330” since September 5, 1994, and the ADSs have been listed on the NYSE under the symbol “TSM” since October 8, 1997. The outstanding ADSs are identified by the CUSIP number 874039100.
ITEM 10. | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
Description of Common Shares
We are organized under the laws of the R.O.C. Set forth below is a description of our common shares, including summaries of the material provisions of our Articles of Incorporation, the R.O.C. Company Act, the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
General
Our authorized share capital is NT$280,500,000,000, divided into 28,050,000,000 common shares, of which 500,000,000 common shares are reserved for the issuance for our employee stock options and among which 25,930,380,45825,932,070,992 common shares were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021.2023. As of February 28, 2022, 25,928,993,45829, 2024, 25,932,070,992 common shares were outstanding, which excluded 1,387,000 common shares held in treasury as a result of repurchase made pursuant to the Share Repurchase Program (see “Item 16E. Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers” for a further discussion).outstanding. No employee stock options were outstanding as of December 31, 20212023 and February 28, 2022.29, 2024. On March 1, 2024, we reclaimed 346,750 common shares and 1,055,000 common shares formerly granted in the form of RSAs pursuant to our 2021 Rules and 2022 weRules, respectively, while granted a total of 1,387,0002,960,000 common shares in the form of RSAs to our executives pursuant to our 20212023 Rules. Please see “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees – Share Ownership” for a further discussion.
The R.O.C. Company Act, the R.O.C. Act for Establishment and Administration of Science Parks and the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act provide that any change in the issued share capital of a public company, such as us, requires the approval of its board of directors, (or, for capital reduction, a resolution of its shareholders meeting), the approval of, or the registration with, the R.O.C. FSC and the Ministry of Economic Affairs or the Science Park Administration (as applicable) and/or an amendment to its articles of incorporation (if such change also involves a change in the authorized share capital).
52
There are no provisions under either R.O.C. law or the deposit agreement under which holders of ADSs would be required to forfeit the common shares represented by ADSs.
Dividends and Distributions
An R.O.C. company is generally not permitted to distribute dividends or to make any other distributions to shareholders in respect of any year for which it did not have either earnings or retained earnings. In addition, before distributing a dividend to shareholders following the end of a fiscal year, the company must recover any past losses, pay all outstanding taxes and set aside in a legal reserve, until such time as its legal reserve equals its
Before the R.O.C. Company Act was amended in August 2018, the Board of Directors submitted our financial statements for the preceding fiscal year and any proposal for the distribution of a dividend or the making of any other distribution to shareholders from our earnings or retained earnings (subject to compliance with the requirements described above) at the end of the preceding fiscal year to the shareholders for their approval at the annual general meeting of our shareholders. All common shares outstanding and fully paid as of the relevant record date are entitled to share equally in any dividend or other distribution so approved. Dividends may be distributed in cash, in the form of common shares or a combination thereof, as determined by the shareholders at the meeting.
The R.O.C. Company Act, amended in August 2018, allows a company, as authorized by its articles of incorporation, to distribute dividends on a quarterly basis or a semi-annual basis and to have its board of directors to approve the dividends in cash. Our 2019 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting has approved the amendments to the Articles of Incorporation to authorize our Board of Directors to approve cash dividends after the close of each quarter.
In addition to permitting dividends to be paid out of earnings or retained earnings, the R.O.C. Company Act permits us to make distributions to our shareholders in cash or in the form of common shares from capital surplus and the legal reserve. However, dividend distribution out of our legal reserve can only be effected to the extent of the excessive amount of the accumulated legal reserve over 25% of our
For information as to R.O.C. taxes on dividends and distributions, see “– Taxation – R.O.C. Taxation”.
Preemptive Rights and Issues of Additional Common Shares
Under the R.O.C. Company Act, when a public company, such as us, issues new shares of common stock for cash, 10% to 15% of the issue must be offered to its employees. The remaining new shares must be offered to existing shareholders in a preemptive rights offering, subject to a requirement under the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act that at least 10% of these issuances must be offered to the public. This percentage can be increased by a resolution passed at a shareholders’ meeting, thereby limiting or waiving the preemptive rights of existing shareholders. The preemptive rights provisions do not apply to limited circumstances, such as:
issuance of new shares upon conversion of convertible bonds; and
offerings of new shares through a private placement approved at a shareholders’ meeting.
Authorized but unissued shares of any class may be issued at such times and, subject to the above-mentioned provisions of the R.O.C. Company Act and the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, upon such terms as the board of directors may determine. The shares with respect to which preemptive rights have been waived may be freely offered, subject to compliance with applicable R.O.C. law.
Meetings of Shareholders
Meetings of our shareholders may be general meetings or special meetings. General meetings of shareholders are generally held in Hsinchu, Taiwan, within six months after the end of each fiscal year. Special meetings of shareholders may be convened by resolution of the boardBoard of directorsDirectors whenever it deems necessary, or under certain circumstances, by shareholders or the audit committee.Audit Committee. For a public company such as us, notice in writing of shareholders’ meetings, stating the place, time and purpose thereof, must be sent to each shareholder at least thirty days (in the case of general meetings) and fifteen days (in the case of special meetings) prior to the date set for each meeting.
53
Voting Rights
A holder of common shares has one vote for each common share. Except as otherwise provided by law, a resolution may be adopted by the holders of a simple majority of the total issued and outstanding common shares represented at a shareholders’ meeting at which a majority of the holders of the total issued and outstanding common shares are present. The election of directors at a shareholders’ meeting is by cumulative voting. As authorized under the R.O.C. Company Act and as required by the R.O.C. FSC, we have adopted a nomination procedure for election of our directors in our Articles of Incorporation. According to our Articles of Incorporation, ballots for the election of directors and independent directors are cast separately.
The R.O.C. Company Act also provides that in order to approve certain major corporate actions, including but not limited to, (i) any amendment to the articles of incorporation (which is required for, among other actions, any increase in authorized share capital), (ii) execution, modification or termination of any contracts regarding leasing of all business or joint operations or mandate of the company’s business to other persons, (iii) the dissolution, amalgamation or
A shareholder may be represented at a shareholders’ meeting by proxy. A valid proxy must be delivered to us at least five days prior to the commencement of the shareholders’ meeting.
Holders of ADSs will not have the right to exercise voting rights with respect to the common shares represented thereby, except as described in “— Voting of Deposited Securities”.
Other Rights of Shareholders
Under the R.O.C. Company Act, dissenting shareholders are entitled to appraisal rights in the event of amalgamation,
The R.O.C. Company Act allows shareholder(s) holding 1% or more of the total issued shares of a company to, during the period of time prescribed by the company, submit one proposal in writing or through any electronic means designated by us, which contains no more than three hundred words (Chinese characters) for discussion at the general meeting of shareholders. In addition, if a company adopts a nomination procedure for election of directors or supervisors in its articles of incorporation, shareholders representing 1% or more of the total issued shares of such company may submit a candidate list in writing to the company along with relevant information and supporting documents.
Register of Shareholders and Record Dates
Our share registrar, CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., maintains the register of our shareholders at its office in Taipei, Taiwan. Under the R.O.C. Company Act, the transfer of common shares in registered form is effected by endorsement of the transferor’s and transferee’s seals on the share certificates and delivery of the related share certificates. In order to assert shareholders’ rights against us, however, the transferee must have his name and address registered on the register of shareholders. Shareholders are required to file their respective specimen signatures or seals with us. The settlement of trading in the common shares is carried out on the book-entry system maintained by the Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation and therefore, the share transfer will follow the procedures of the Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation.
54
The R.O.C. Company Act permits us to set a record date and close the register of shareholders for a specified period in order for us to determine the shareholders or pledgees that are entitled to certain rights pertaining to common shares by giving advance public notice. Under the R.O.C. Company Act, our register of shareholders should be closed for a period of sixty days, thirty days and five days immediately before each general meeting of shareholders, special meeting of shareholders and record date of dividend distribution, respectively.
Annual Financial Statements
Under the R.O.C. Company Act, ten days before the general meeting of shareholders, our annual financial statements must be available at our principal office in Hsinchu for inspection by the shareholders.
Acquisition of Common Shares by Us
With minor exceptions, neither we nor our subsidiaries may acquire our common shares under the R.O.C. Company Act. However, under the R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, we may, by a board resolution adopted by majority consent at a meeting with
We are not allowed to purchase more than ten percent of our total issued and outstanding common shares. In addition, we may not spend more than the aggregate amount of our retained earnings, premium from issuing stock and the realized portion of the capital reserve to purchase our common shares.
We may not pledge or hypothecate any purchased common shares. In addition, we may not exercise any shareholders’ rights attached to such common shares. In the event that we purchase our common shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, our affiliates, directors, officers and shareholders, together with their respective spouses, minor children and nominees holding more than 10% of our total shares, (asas well as suchthe respective spouses, minor children and nominees)nominees of the foregoing persons, are prohibited from selling any of our common shares during the period in which we purchase our common shares.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of our liquidation, the assets remaining after payment of all debts, liquidation expenses, taxes and distributions to holders of preferred shares, if any, will be distributed pro rata to our shareholders in accordance with the R.O.C. Company Act.
Transaction Restrictions
The R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act (i) requires each director, supervisor, officer or shareholder, together with his/her spouse and minor children and its/his/her nominees, holding more than ten percent of the shares of a public company to report the amount of that person’s shareholding (as well as the shareholding of his/her spouse and minor children and its/his/her nominees), on a monthly basis, to that company and (ii) limits the number of shares that can be sold or transferred on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or on the Taipei Exchange by that person, as well as his/her respective spouse and minor children and its/his/her nominees, per day. The above sale and transfer of shares can be made only after that person (as well as his/her respective spouse and minor children and its/his/her nominees) has held the shares for more than six months and that person should report to the R.O.C. FSC at least three days before the intended sale or transfer; unless the number of shares to be sold or transferred does not exceed 10,000.
Material Contracts
TSMC is not currently a party to any material contract, other than contracts entered into in the ordinary course of our business.
Foreign Investment in the R.O.C.
Since 1983, the R.O.C. government has periodically enacted legislation and adopted regulations to permit foreign investment in the R.O.C. securities market.
55
On September 30, 2003, the R.O.C. Executive Yuan approved an amendment to Regulations Governing Investment in Securities by Overseas Chinese and Foreign National, or the Regulations, which took effect on October 2, 2003. According to the Regulations, the R.O.C. FSC abolished the mechanism of the
Under the Regulations, foreign investors are classified as either “onshore foreign investors” or “offshore foreign investors” according to their respective geographical location. Both onshore and offshore foreign investors are allowed to invest in R.O.C. securities after they register with the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The Regulations further classify foreign investors into foreign institutional investors and foreign individual investors. “Foreign institutional investors” refer to those investors incorporated and registered in accordance with foreign laws outside of the R.O.C. (i.e., offshore foreign institutional investors) or their branches set up within the R.O.C. (i.e., onshore foreign institutional investors). Offshore overseas Chinese and foreign individual investors may be subject to a maximum investment ceiling that will be separately determined by the R.O.C. FSC after consultation with the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Currently, there is no maximum investment ceiling for offshore overseas Chinese and foreign individual investors. On the other hand, foreign institutional investors are not subject to any ceiling for investment in the R.O.C. securities market.
Except for certain specified industries, such as telecommunications, investments in R.O.C.-listed companies by foreign investors are not subject to individual or aggregate foreign ownership limits. Custodians for foreign investors are required to submit to the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Taiwan Stock Exchange a monthly report of trading activities and status of assets under custody and other matters. Capital remitted to the R.O.C. under these guidelines may be remitted out of the R.O.C. at any time after the date the capital is remitted to the R.O.C. Capital gains and income on investments may be remitted out of the R.O.C. at any time.
Foreign investors (other than foreign investors who have registered with the Taiwan Stock Exchange for making investments in the R.O.C. securities market) who wish to make direct investments in the shares of R.O.C. companies are required to submit a foreign investment approval application to the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs or other applicable government authority. The Department of Investment CommissionReview or such other government authority reviews each foreign investment approval application and approves or disapproves each application after consultation with other governmental agencies (such as the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the R.O.C. FSC).
Under current R.O.C. law, any
In addition to the general restriction against direct investment by
The R.O.C. FSC announced on April 30, 2009 the Regulations Governing Mainland Chinese Investors’ Securities Investments (“P.R.C. Regulations”) and amended the same on October 6, 2010. According to the P.R.C. Regulations, a P.R.C. qualified domestic institutional investor (“QDII”) is allowed to invest in R.O.C. securities (including less than 10% (or less in certain industries) shareholding of an R.O.C. company listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange.) Nevertheless, the total investment amount of QDIIs cannot exceed US$500 million. For each QDII, the custodians of such QDIIs must apply with the Taiwan Stock Exchange for the remittance amount for each QDII, which cannot exceed US$100 million, and QDII can only invest in the R.O.C. securities market with the amount approved by the Taiwan Stock Exchange. In addition, QDIIs are currently prohibited from investing in certain industries, and their investment of certain other industries in a given company is restricted to a certain percentage pursuant to a list promulgated by the R.O.C. FSC and amended from time to time. P.R.C. investors other than QDII, however, are prohibited from making investments in an R.O.C. company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange, unless with approval from the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs for its investment of 10% or more (or other percentage applicable to certain restricted industries) of the equity interest of such R.O.C. company.
56
In addition to investments permitted under the P.R.C. Regulations, P.R.C. investors who wish to make (i) direct investment in the shares of R.O.C. private companies or (ii) investments, individually or aggregately, in 10% or more (or other percentage applicable to certain restricted industries) of the equity interest of an R.O.C. company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange are required to submit an investment approval application to the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs or other government authority. The Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs or such other government authority reviews Investment Approvalinvestment approval application and approves or disapproves each application after consultation with other governmental agencies. Furthermore, P.R.C. investor who wishes to be elected as an R.O.C. company’s director or supervisor shall also submit an investment approval application to the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs or other government authority for approval.
Depositary Receipts
In April 1992, the R.O.C. FSC enacted regulations permitting R.O.C. companies with securities listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, with the prior approval of the R.O.C. FSC, to sponsor the issuance and sale to foreign investors of depositary receipts. Depositary receipts represent deposited shares of R.O.C. companies. In December 1994, the R.O.C. FSC allowed companies whose shares are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or traded on the Taipei Exchange, upon approval of the R.O.C. FSC, to sponsor the issuance and sale of depositary receipts.
Our deposit agreement has been amended and restated on November 16, 2007 to: (i) make our ADSs eligible for the direct registration system, as required by the NYSE, by providing that ADSs may be certificated or uncertificated securities, (ii) enable the distribution of our reports by electronic means and (iii) reflect changes in R.O.C. laws in connection with the nomination of candidates for independent directors, for voting at the meeting of the shareholders. A copy of our amended and restated deposit agreement has been filed under the cover of Form
A holder of depositary receipts (other than citizens of the P.R.C. and entities organized under the laws of the P.R.C. save for QDII or those which otherwise obtain the approval of the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs) may request the depositary to either cause the underlying shares to be sold in the R.O.C. and to distribute the sale proceeds to the holder or to withdraw from the depositary receipt facility the shares represented by the depositary receipts to the extent permitted under the deposit agreement (for depositary receipts representing existing shares, immediately after the issuance of the depositary receipts; and for depositary receipts representing new shares, in practice four to seven business days after the issuance of the depositary receipts) and transfer the shares to the holder.
We, or the foreign depositary bank, may not increase the number of depositary receipts by depositing shares in a depositary receipt facility or issuing additional depositary receipts against these deposits without specific R.O.C. FSC approval, except in limited circumstances. These circumstances include issuances of additional depositary receipts in connection with:
dividends or free distributions of shares;
• | the exercise by holders of existing depositary receipts of their pre-emptive rights in connection with capital increases for cash; or |
if permitted under the deposit agreement and custody agreement, the deposit of common shares purchased by any person directly or through a depositary bank on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange (as applicable) or held by such person for deposit in the depositary receipt facility.
However, the total number of deposited shares outstanding after an issuance under the circumstances described in the third clause above may not exceed the number of deposited shares previously approved by the R.O.C. FSC plus any depositary receipts created under the circumstances described in the first two clauses above. Issuances of additional depositary receipts under the circumstances described in the third clause above will be permitted to the extent that previously issued depositary receipts have been canceledcancelled and the underlying shares have been withdrawn from the depositary receipt facility.
Under current R.O.C. law, a
open a securities trading account with a local securities brokerage firm;
open an NT dollars bank account;
pay taxes;
remit funds; and
exercise rights on securities and perform other matters as may be designated by the holder.
57
Holders of ADSs who are
Under existing R.O.C. laws and regulations relating to foreign exchange control, a depositary may, without obtaining further approvals from the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) or any other governmental authority or agency of the R.O.C., convert NT dollars into other currencies, including U.S. dollars, in respect of the following: proceeds of the sale of shares represented by depositary receipts, proceeds of the sale of shares received as stock dividends and deposited into the depositary receipt facility and any cash dividends or cash distributions received. In addition, a depositary, also without any of these approvals, may convert inward remittances of payments into NT dollars for purchases of underlying shares for deposit into the depositary receipt facility against the creation of additional depositary receipts. A depositary may be required to obtain foreign exchange approval from the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on a
Direct Share Offerings
Since 1997, the R.O.C. government has amended regulations to permit R.O.C. companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange to issue shares directly (not through depositary receipt facility) overseas.
Overseas Corporate Bonds
Since 1989, the R.O.C. FSC has approved a series of overseas corporate bonds issued by R.O.C. companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or the Taipei Exchange in offerings outside the R.O.C. Under current R.O.C. law, these overseas corporate bonds can be:
converted by bondholders, other than citizens of the P.R.C. and entities organized under the laws of the P.R.C. save for QDII or those that have obtained the approval of the Department of Investment CommissionReview of the R.O.C. Ministry of Economic Affairs, into shares of R.O.C. companies; or
subject to R.O.C. FSC approval, converted into depositary receipts issued by the same R.O.C. company or by the issuing company of the exchange shares, in the case of exchangeable bonds.
The relevant regulations also permit public companies to issue corporate debt in offerings outside the R.O.C. Proceeds from the sale of the shares converted from overseas convertible bonds may be used for reinvestment in securities listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange or traded on the Taipei Exchange, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Exchange Controls in the R.O.C.
The R.O.C. Foreign Exchange Control Statute and regulations provide that all foreign exchange transactions must be executed by banks designated to handle such business by the R.O.C. FSC and by the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Current regulations favor trade-related foreign exchange transactions. Consequently, foreign currency earned from exports of merchandise and services may now be retained and used freely by exporters, and all foreign currency needed for the importation of merchandise and services may be purchased freely from the designated foreign exchange banks.
58
Trade aside, R.O.C. companies and resident individuals may, without foreign exchange approval, remit to and from the R.O.C. foreign currency of up to US$50 million or its equivalent (or such other amount as determined by the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from time to time at its equivalent)discretion in consideration of the R.O.C.’s economic and financial conditions or the need to maintain the order of the foreign exchange market in the R.O.C.) and US$5 million or its equivalent (or such other amount as determined by the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from time to time at its equivalent)discretion in consideration of the R.O.C.’s economic and financial conditions or the needs to maintain the order of the foreign exchange market in the R.O.C.), respectively, in each calendar year. Furthermore, any remittance of foreign currency into the R.O.C. by a R.O.C. company or resident individual in a year will be offset by the amount remitted out of R.O.C. by such company or individual (as applicable) within its annual quota and will not use up its annual inward remittance quota to the extent of such offset. The above limits apply to remittances involving a conversion of NT dollars to a foreign currency and vice versa. A requirement is also imposed on all enterprises incorporated or registered in the R.O.C. to register their medium- and long-term foreign debts with the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
In addition, foreign persons may, subject to certain requirements, but without foreign exchange approval of the Central Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan), remit outside and into the R.O.C. foreign currencies of up to US$100,000 (or its equivalent) for each remittance. The above limit applies to remittances involving a conversion of NT dollars to a foreign currency and vice versa. The above limit does not, however, apply to the conversion of NT dollars into other currencies, including U.S. dollars, in respect of the proceeds of sale of any underlying shares withdrawn from a depositary receipt facility.
Voting of Deposited Securities
Holders may direct the exercise of voting rights with respect to the common shares represented by the ADSs only in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement as described below and applicable R.O.C. law. See “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors – Risks Relating to Ownership of ADSs – Your voting rights as a holder of ADSs will be limited”.
Except as described below, the holders will not be able to exercise the voting rights attaching to the common shares represented by the ADSs on an individual basis. According to provisions of the deposit agreement, the voting rights attaching to the common shares represented by ADSs must be exercised as to all matters subject to a vote of shareholders by the depositary bank or its nominee, who represents all holders of ADSs, collectively in the same manner, except in the case of an election of directors. Directors are elected by cumulative voting unless our Articles of Incorporation stipulate otherwise.
In the deposit agreement, the holders will appoint the depositary bank as their representative to exercise the voting rights with respect to the common shares represented by the ADSs.
We will provide the depositary bank with copies (including English translations) of notices of meetings of our shareholders and the agenda of these meetings, including a list of the director candidates, if an election of directors is to be held at the meeting. The depositary bank will mail these materials, together with a voting instruction form to holders as soon as practicable after the depositary bank receives the materials from us. In order to validly exercise its voting rights, the holder of ADSs must complete, sign and return to the depositary bank the voting instruction form by a date specified by the depositary bank.
Subject to the provisions described in the second succeeding paragraph, which will apply to the election of directors done by means of cumulative voting, if persons together holding at least 51% of the ADSs outstanding at the relevant record date instruct the depositary bank to vote in the same manner in respect of one or more resolutions to be proposed at the meeting (other than the election of directors), the depositary bank will notify the instructions to the chairman of our board of directors or a person he may designate. The depositary bank will appoint the chairman or his designated person to serve as the voting representative of the depositary bank or its nominee and the holders. The voting representative will attend such meeting and vote all the common shares represented by ADSs to be voted in the manner so instructed by such holders in relation to such resolution or resolutions.
If, for any reason, the depositary bank has not by the date specified by it received instructions from persons together holding at least 51% of all the ADSs outstanding at the relevant record date to vote in the same manner in respect of any resolution specified in the agenda for the meeting (other than the election of directors), then the holders will be deemed to have instructed the depositary bank or its nominee to authorize and appoint the voting representative as the representative of the depositary bank and the holders to attend such meeting and vote all the common shares represented by all ADSs as the voting representative deems appropriate with respect to such resolution or resolutions, which may not be in your interests; provided, however, that the depositary bank or its nominee will not give any such authorization and appointment unless it has received an opinion of R.O.C. counsel addressed to the depositary bank and in form and substance satisfactory to the depositary bank, at its sole expense, to the effect that, under R.O.C. law (i) the deposit agreement is valid, binding and enforceable against us and the holders and (ii) the depositary bank will not be deemed to be authorized to exercise any discretion when voting in accordance with the deposit agreement and will not be subject to any potential liability for losses arising from such voting. We and the depositary bank will take such actions, including amendment of the provisions of the deposit agreement relating to voting of common shares, as we deem appropriate to endeavor to provide for the exercise of voting rights attached to the common shares represented by all ADSs at shareholders’ meetings in a manner consistent with applicable R.O.C. law.
59
The depositary bank will notify the voting representative of the instructions for the election of directors received from holders and appoint the voting representative as the representative of the depositary bank and the holders to attend such meeting and vote the common shares represented by ADSs as to which the depositary bank has received instructions from holders for the election of directors, subject to any restrictions imposed by R.O.C. law and our Articles of Incorporation. Holders who by the date specified by the depositary bank have not delivered instructions to the depositary bank will be deemed to have instructed the depositary bank to authorize and appoint the voting representative as the representative of the depositary bank or its nominee and the holders to attend such meeting and vote all the common shares represented by ADSs as to which the depositary bank has not received instructions from the holders for the election of directors as the voting representative deems appropriate, which may not be in your best interests. Candidates standing for election as representatives of a shareholder may be replaced by such shareholder prior to the meeting of the shareholders, and the votes cast by the holders for such candidates shall be counted as votes for their replacements.
By accepting and continuing to hold ADSs or any interest therein, the holders will be deemed to have agreed to the voting provisions set forth in the deposit agreement, as such provisions may be amended from time to time to comply with applicable R.O.C. law.
There can be no assurance that the holders will receive notice of shareholders’ meetings sufficiently prior to the date established by the depositary bank for receipt of instructions to enable you to give voting instructions before the cutoff date.
Moreover, in accordance with the deposit agreement, as further amended and restated as of November 16, 2007 and pursuant to R.O.C. Company Act, holders that individually or together with other holders hold at least 51% of the ADSs outstanding at the relevant record date are entitled to submit each year one written proposal for voting at the general meeting of shareholders; provided, that (i) such proposal is in Chinese language and does not exceed 300 Chinese characters, (ii) such proposal is submitted to the depositary bank at least two business days prior to the expiry of the relevant submission period, which shall be publicly announced by us each year in a report on Form
Taxation
R.O.C. Taxation
The following is a general summary of the principal R.O.C. tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of ADSs or common shares by and to a
an individual who is not an R.O.C. citizen, who owns ADSs and who is not physically present in the R.O.C. for 183 days or more during any calendar year; or
• | a corporation or a non-corporate body that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the R.O.C. and has no fixed place of business or business agent in the R.O.C. |
Holders of ADSs should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular R.O.C. tax consequences of owning the ADSs which may affect them.
Dividends
60
Distribution of common shares or cash out of our capital reserves is not subject to R.O.C. withholding tax, except under limited circumstances.
Capital Gains
Sales of ADSs are not regarded as sales of R.O.C. securities and thus any gains derived from transfers of ADSs are not regarded as R.O.C.-sourced income. Accordingly, any gains derived from transfers of ADSs by holders are not currently subject to R.O.C. income tax.
Subscription Rights
Subject to compliance with R.O.C. law, we, at our sole discretion, can determine whether statutory subscription rights shall be evidenced by issuance of securities.
Securities Transaction Tax
Estate and Gift Tax
Tax Treaty
United States Federal Income Taxation
This section discusses the material United States federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our common shares or ADSs. It applies to you only if you hold your common shares or ADSs as capital assets for United States federal income tax purposes. This discussion addresses only United States federal income taxation and does not discuss all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your individual circumstances, including foreign, state or local tax consequences, estate and gift tax consequences, and tax consequences arising under the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income or the alternative minimum tax. This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a special class of holders subject to special rules, including:
dealers or traders in securities or foreign currencies;
banks and certain other financial institutions;
brokers;
• | traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; |
• | tax-exempt organizations, retirement plans, individual retirement accounts and other tax-deferred accounts; |
61
life insurance companies;
persons that actually or constructively own 10% or more of the combined voting power of our voting stock or of the total value of our stock;
persons that hold common shares or ADSs as part of a straddle or a hedging or conversion or integrated transaction for United States federal income tax purposes;
persons that purchases or sells common shares or ADSs as part of a wash sale for tax purposes;
persons who are former citizens or former long-term residents of the United States, or
U.S. holders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.
This section is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, its legislative history, existing and proposed Treasury regulations, and published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis. In addition, this section is based in part upon the assumption that each obligation in the Deposit Agreement and any related agreement will be performed in accordance with its terms. In general, for United States federal income tax purposes, if you hold ADRs evidencing ADSs, you will be treated as the owner of the shares represented by those ADSs. Exchanges of shares for ADRs, and ADRs for shares, generally will not be subject to United States federal income tax.
You are a U.S. holder if you are a beneficial owner of common shares or ADSs and you are, for United States federal income tax purposes:
a citizen or resident of the United States;
a United States domestic corporation, or other entity subject to United States federal income tax as a domestic corporation;
an estate whose income is subject to United States federal income tax regardless of its source; or
a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
A
If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of the common shares or ADSs, the United States tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activitiestax treatment of the partnership. A holder of the common shares or ADSs that is a partnership and partners in such a partnership should consult their own tax advisors concerning the United States federal income tax consequences of purchasing, owning and disposing of common shares or ADSs.
The tax treatment of your common shares or ADSs will depend in part on whether or not we are classified as a passive foreign investment company or PFIC,(“PFIC”), for United States federal income tax purposes. Except as discussed below under “—PFIC Rules”, this discussion assumes that we are not classified as a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes.
You should consult your own tax advisor regarding the United States federal, state, local income tax and other tax consequences of owning and disposing of common shares or ADSs in your particular circumstances.
U.S. Holders
Taxation of Distributions
Under the United States federal income tax laws, if you are a U.S. holder, the gross amount of any distribution we pay in respect of your common shares or ADSs out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for United States federal income tax purposes), other than certain
62
The dividend is taxable to you when you, in the case of common shares, or the Depositary, in the case of ADSs, receive the dividend actually or constructively. The dividend will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction generally allowed to United States corporations in respect of dividends received from other United States corporations. The amount of the dividend distribution that you must include in your income will be the U.S. dollar value of the NT dollar payments made, determined at the spot NT dollar/U.S. dollar rate on the date the dividend distribution is includible in your income,distributed, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. Generally, any gain or loss resulting from currency exchange fluctuations during the period from the date you includeof the dividend payment in incomedistribution to the date you convert the payment into U.S. dollars will be treated as ordinary income or loss and will not be eligible for the special tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income. The gain or loss generally will be income or loss from sources within the United States for foreign tax credit limitation purposes.
Subject to generally applicable limitations and restrictions, it is possible that the R.O.C. taxes withheld from dividend distributions and paid over to the R.O.C. willwould be eligible for credit against your U.S. federal income tax liabilities. Special rules apply in determining the foreign tax credit limitation with respect to dividends that are subject to the preferential tax rates. Dividends will generally be income from sources outside the United States. Dividends will generally be “passive” income for purposes of computing the foreign tax credit allowable to you. The rules applicable to the United States foreign tax credit are complex, and you should consult your own tax adviser concerning the availability of the credit in your particular circumstances.
Pro rata distributions of common shares by us to holders of common shares or ADSs may not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Accordingly, such distributions may not give rise to taxable foreign-source income against which the R.O.C. tax imposed on such distributions may be credited.
Taxation of Capital Gains
If you are a U.S. holder and you sell or otherwise dispose of your common shares or ADSs, you will recognize capital gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes equal to the difference between the U.S. dollar value of the amount that you realize and your tax basis, determined in U.S. dollars, in your common shares or ADSs. Capital gain of a noncorporate U.S. holder is generally taxed under existing law at preferential rates where the property is held more than one year. The gain or loss will generally be income or loss from sources within the United States for foreign tax credit limitation purposes. Your ability to deduct capital losses is subject to limitations.
Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) Rules
We believe that our common shares and ADSs should not currently be treated as stock of a PFIC for United States federal income tax purposes and we do not expect to become a PFIC in the foreseeable future. However, this conclusion is a factual determination that is made annually, and thus may be subject to change. It is therefore possible that we could become a PFIC in a future taxable year. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that we will not be considered by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) to be a PFIC in current or future years.
In general, if you are a U.S. holder, we will be a PFIC with respect to you if for any taxable year in which you held our common shares or ADSs:
at least 75% of our gross income for the taxable year is passive income; or
at least 50% of the value, determined on the basis of a quarterly average, of our assets in such taxable year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income.
“Passive incomeincome” generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents (other than certain rents and royalties derived in the active conduct of a trade or business), annuities and gains from assets that produce passive income and certain other specified categories of income. If a foreign corporation owns directly or indirectly at least 25% by value of the stock of another corporation, the foreign corporation is treated for purposes of the PFIC tests as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the other corporation, and as receiving directly its proportionate share of the other corporation’s income.
63
If we are treated as a PFIC, and you are a U.S. holder that does not make a
any gain you realize on the sale or other disposition of your common shares or ADSs; and
any excess distribution that we make to you (generally, any distributions to you during a single taxable year, other than the taxable year in which your holding period in the common shares or ADSs begin, that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received by you in respect of the common shares or ADSs during the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, the portion of your holding period for the common shares or ADSs that preceded the taxable year in which you receive the distribution).
Under these rules:
the gain or excess distribution will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the common shares or ADSs,
the amount allocated to the taxable year in which you realized the gain or excess distribution will be taxed as ordinary income,
the amount allocated to each prior year, with certain exceptions, will be taxed at the highest tax rate in effect for that year, and
the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed in respect of the tax attributable to each such year.
Special rules apply for calculating the amount of the foreign tax credit with respect to excess distributions by a PFIC.
If you own common shares or ADSs in a PFIC that are treated as marketable stock, you may make a
Also, where a company that is a PFIC meets certain reporting requirements, a U.S. holder could avoid certain adverse PFIC consequences described herein by making a “qualified electing fund” (“QEF”) election to be taxed currently on its proportionate share of the PFIC’s ordinary income and net capital gains. U.S. holders will not be able to treat a company as a QEF if the company does not prepare the information that U.S. holders would need to make a QEF election. We do not intend to prepare or provide the information that would enable U.S. holders to make a QEF election.
In addition, notwithstanding any election you make with regard to the common shares or ADSs, dividends that you receive from us will not constitute qualified dividend income to you if we are a PFIC (or are treated as a PFIC with respect to you) either in the taxable year of the distribution or the preceding taxable year. Moreover, your common shares or ADSs will be treated as stock in a PFIC if we were a PFIC at any time during your holding period in your common shares or ADSs, even if we are not currently a PFIC. For purposes of this rule, if you make a
If you own common shares or ADSs during any year that we are a PFIC with respect to you, you generally must file Internal Revenue Service Form 8621.
64
The rules dealing with PFICs and with the QEF and
Information with Respect to Foreign Financial Assets
U.S. Holders that own “specified foreign financial assets” with an aggregate value in excess of US$50,000 may be required to file an information report with respect to such assets with their tax returns. “Specified foreign financial assets” may include any financial accounts maintained by foreign financial institutions, as well as any of the following, but only if they are not held in accounts maintained by financial institutions: (i) stocks and securities issued by
Non-U.S.
Except as described in the section titled “Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” below, a
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
U.S. holders generally are subject to information reporting requirements, on IRS Form 1099, with respect to dividends paid on common shares or ADSs and on the proceeds from the sale, exchange or disposition of common shares or ADSs unless the holder is a corporation or otherwise establishes a basis for exemption. In addition, U.S. holders are subject to
Documents on Display
The U.S. SEC maintains a website
Annual Report to Security Holders
Not applicable.
ITEM 11. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISKS |
We are exposed to financial market risks, primarily in currency exchange rates, interest rates and equity investment prices. A portion of these risks is hedged.
65
Foreign Currency Risk:
We use foreign currency derivatives contracts, such as currency forwards or currency swaps, and non-derivative financial instruments, such as foreign currency denominated debts, to protect against currency exchange rate risks associated with
Interest Rate Risks:
The objective of our investment policy is to achieve a return that will allow us to preserve principal and support liquidity requirements. The policy generally requires us to invest in investment grade securities and limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. Our cash and cash equivalents, as well as fixed income investments in both fixed- and floating-rate securities, carry a degree of interest rate risk. The majority of our fixed income investments are fixed-rate securities, which are classified as financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income and may have(“FVTOCI”) or amortized cost. For those fixed income investments classified as financial assets at FVTOCI, changes in their fair value adversely affected due to a riseare recognized through other comprehensive income; for those classified as financial assets at amortized cost, changes in interest rates. Attheir fair value are not reflected in asset values unless the same time, if interest rates fall, cash and cash equivalents as well as floating-rate securities may generate less interest income than expected.
We have entered and may in the future enter into interest rate derivatives to partially hedge interest rate risk on our fixed income investments and anticipated debt issuance. However, these hedges can offset only a limited portion of the financial impact from movements in interest rates.
Based on a sensitivity analysis performed on our fixed income investments with an aggregate carrying amount of NT$133,369252,448 million and NT$124,637295,764 million (US$4,4939,659 million) as of December 31, 20202022 and 2021,2023, a hypothetical adverse interest rate change of 100 basis points across all maturities would have decreased our other comprehensive income by NT$3,1443,831 million and NT$3,7673,842 million (US$136125 million) in 20202022 and 2021,2023, respectively, after taking into account interest rate hedges. For further information, please refer to note 9, note 10, note 11 and note 33 to the consolidated financial statements.
As of December 31, 2021,2023, we had outstanding floating- and fixed-rate debt with varying maturities for an aggregate carrying amount of NT$732,868954,867 million (US$26,41931,184 million). All of our short-term debt is floating-rate, hence a rise in interest rates may result in higher interest expense than expected. The majority of our long-term debt is fixed-rate and measured at amortized cost and, as such, changes in interest rates would not affect future cash flows or the carrying amount. For further information, please refer to note 18, note 19 note 20 and note 33 to the consolidated financial statements.
Inflation Risk: We are subject to the effects of inflation through increases in the cost of items such as raw materials and equipment used to produce our products, wage expenses and employee benefits, electricity costs, and costs in relation to construction of fabs. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, a high inflation in the future may have an adverse effect on our ability to maintain current levels of profit margin if the selling prices of our fixed income investments are primarily based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), which will be replaced by alternative benchmark rates after June 30, 2023. The transition from LIBOR to alternative benchmark rates might result in a reduction in our interest income.
Other Market Risk:
66
ITEM 12D. | DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES |
Depositary Fees and Charges
Under the terms of the DepositoryDeposit Agreement for the TSMC American Depositary Shares (ADSs)(“ADSs”), an ADS holder may have to pay the following service fees to the depositary bank:
Service | Fees | |
Issuance of ADS | Up to US$0.05 (or fractions thereof) per ADS issued | |
Cancellation of ADS | Up to US$0.05 (or fractions thereof) per ADS cancelled | |
Distribution of cash proceeds (i.e., upon sale of rights and other entitlements) | Up to US$0.02 (or fractions thereof) per ADS held | |
Distribution of ADS rights or other free distributions of Stock (excluding stock dividends) | Up to US$0.05 (or fractions thereof) per ADS issued |
Depositary fees payable upon the issuance and cancellation of ADSs are typically paid to the depositary bank by the brokers (on behalf of their clients) receiving the newly-issued ADSs from the depositary bank and by the brokers (on behalf of their clients) delivering the ADSs to the depositary bank for cancellation. The brokers in turn charge these transaction fees to their clients.
Depositary Payment
In 2021,2023, we received reimbursement of proxy related expenses of US$25026,671 from Citibank, N.A., the Depositary Bank for our ADR program.
67
PART II
ITEM 13. | DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES |
None.
ITEM 14. | MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS |
None.
ITEM 15. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
As of the end of 2021,2023, management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on this assessment, management has determined that our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021,2023, was effective.
Our independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche, independently assessed the effectiveness of our company’s internal control over financial reporting. Deloitte & Touche has issued an attestation report, which is included at the end of this Item 15.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
Attestation Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, of the Company and our report dated April 18, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
68
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche |
Taipei, Taiwan |
Republic of China |
April 18, 2024 |
ITEM 16A. | AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT |
Our Audit and Risk Committee has engaged a financial expert consultant who our Board of Directors determined has the attributes required of an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under the applicable rules of the U.S. SEC issued pursuant to Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In particular, our Board of Directors appointed Mr. Jan C. Lobbezoo to serve as an independent financial expert consultant to our Audit and Risk Committee from February 14, 2006 onwards. Our Board of Directors believes that the Audit and Risk Committee members along with the advisors of the Audit and Risk Committee, including the financial expert consultant, possess sufficient financial knowledge and experience.
ITEM 16B. | CODE OF ETHICS |
We have adopted a “Ethics and Business Conduct Policy” for employees, officers and directors, which also applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller, and any other persons performing similar functions.
We will provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of our “Ethics and Business Conduct Policy”. Any request should be made per email to our Investor Relations Division at invest@tsmc.com.
69
ITEM 16C. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2023 | |||||||
NT$ | NT$ | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Audit Fees | 56,040 | 83,635 | ||||||
Audit Related Fees | 21,994 | 1,480 | ||||||
Tax Fees | 897 | 1,718 | ||||||
All Other Fees | 218 | 403 | ||||||
Total | 79,149 | 87,236 | ||||||
ITEM 16D. | EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E. | PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16F. | CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16G. | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
TSMC’s corporate governance practices are governed by applicable Taiwan law, specifically, the R.O.C. Company Act and R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, and also TSMC’s Articles of Incorporation. Also, because TSMC securities are registered with the U.S. SEC and are listed on the NYSE, TSMC is subject to corporate governance requirements applicable to NYSE-listed foreign private issuers.
71
Under Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, NYSE-listed non-US companies may, in general, follow their home country corporate governance practices in lieu of most of the new NYSE corporate governance requirements. However, all NYSE-listed foreign private issuers must comply with NYSE Sections 303A.06, 303A.11, 303A.12(b), 303A.12(c) and 303A.14.
Item 16G as well as NYSE Section 303A.11 requires that foreign private issuers disclose any significant ways in which their corporate governance practices differ from US companies under NYSE listing standards. This requirement is not intended to suggest that one country’s corporate governance practices are better or more effective than another. A NYSE-listed foreign private issuer is required to provide to its US investors, a brief, general summary of the significant differences, either: (a) on the company website in English, or (b) in its annual report distributed to its US investors. To comply with NYSE Section 303A.11, TSMC has prepared the comparison in the table below.
The most relevant differences between TSMC corporate governance practices and NYSE standards for listed companies are as follows:
NYSE Standards for US Companies under Listed Company Manual Section 303A | TSMC Corporate Practices | |
NYSE Section 303A.01 requires a NYSE-listed company to have a majority of independent directors on its board of directors. | Taiwan law does not require a board of directors of publicly traded companies to consist of a majority of independent directors. Taiwan law requires public companies meeting certain criteria to have at least three independent directors but no less than one fifth of the total number of directors on its board of directors. Starting from 2024, public companies that meet certain criteria are required to have a minimum of one-third of their directors serving as independent directors. In addition, Taiwan law requires public companies to disclose information pertaining to their directors, including their independence status. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for information on the total number of TSMC directors and directors who would be considered independent under NYSE Section 303A.02 and Taiwan law. | |
NYSE Section 303A.02 establishes general standards to evaluate directors’ independence (no director qualifies as independent unless the board of directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the listed company either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the listed company). | Taiwan law establishes comparable standards to evaluate director independence. For further information, please consult TSMC’s Taiwan annual report for the relevant year. | |
NYSE Section 303A.03 requires non-management directors to meet at regularly scheduled executive meetings that are not attended by management. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. Except for meetings of sub-committees of the board of directors and those held by managing directors, Taiwan law does not allow separate board meetings of part but not all of the board of directors. | |
NYSE Section 303A.04 requires listed companies to have a nominating/corporate governance committee comprised entirely of independent directors which committee shall have a written charter establishing certain minimum responsibilities as set forth in NYSE Section 303A.04(b)(i) and providing for an annual evaluation of the committee’s performance. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. Pursuant to Taiwan law, TSMC’s directors must be nominated either by the shareholders or by the entire board of directors. TSMC, however, has established a Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee in February 2023 to assist our Board of Directors mainly in selecting candidates for nomination to be elected as independent directors to the Board and advising on corporate governance and sustainability matters. The Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, by its charter, shall be composed of the Chairman of the Board and three to six independent directors. |
72
NYSE Section 303A.05(a) requires listed companies to have a compensation committee comprised entirely of independent directors. | Taiwan law requires certain public companies, such as us, to establish a compensation committee by September 30, 2011. TSMC, however, has established its Compensation Committee since 2003, which has met the requirements under the Taiwan law. Taiwan law permits a non-director independent member, appointed by the board of directors, to serve as a member on the compensation committee, so long as such member meets the independent and other requirements under the relevant Taiwan law. Also, as required by the TWSE, the compensation committee of the companies listed on the TWSE must consist of a majority of independent directors, and all the members of the compensation committee shall elect an independent director to act as the convener and the chairperson of the meeting. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition and functions of its compensation committee. In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved the renaming of TSMC’s Compensation Committee as “Compensation and People Development Committee”, effective as of February 14, 2023. | |
NYSE Section 303A.05(b) requires a compensation committee’s charter to establish certain minimum responsibilities and to provide for an annual evaluation of the committee’s performance. | Taiwan law requires certain public companies, such as us, to establish a compensation committee by September 30, 2011. TSMC, however, has established its Compensation Committee since 2003, which has met the requirements under the Taiwan law, and TSMC’s Compensation and People Development Committee charter contains the same responsibilities as those provided under NYSE Section 303A.05(b)(i) and mandates the committee to review the adequacy of its charter annually. | |
NYSE Section 303A.06 requires listed companies to have an audit committee that satisfies the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Foreign private issuers must satisfy the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act by July 31, 2005. | TSMC voluntarily established its Audit Committee before the promulgation of related Taiwan law. Our Audit Committee fully complies with both local law requirements and corporate governance standards. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition of its audit committee. TSMC’s Audit Committee members are all financially literate and are assisted by a financial expert consultant. In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved the renaming of TSMC’s Audit Committee as “Audit and Risk Committee”, effective as of February 14, 2023. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires an audit committee to consist of at least three board members. All of its members shall be financially literate or must acquire such financial knowledge within a reasonable period and at least one of its members shall have experience in accounting or financial administration. | Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee of which at least one shall have accounting or financial expertise. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition of its audit committee. TSMC’s Audit and Risk Committee members are all financially literate and are assisted by a financial expert consultant. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires that if an audit committee member is simultaneously a member of the audit committee of more than three public companies, and the listed company does not limit the number of audit committees on which its members may serve, then, in each case the board of that company shall determine whether the simultaneous service would prevent such member from effectively serving on the listed company’s audit committee, and shall report its decision in the annual proxy statement of the company or in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. SEC. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee. Taiwan law forbids an independent director from serving as an independent director on a total of more than four Taiwan public companies. |
73
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires all members of the audit committee to be independent. | Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b) requires an audit committee to have a written charter establishing the duties and responsibilities of its members, including the duties and responsibilities required, at a minimum, by Rule 10A-3(b)(2), (3), (4) & (5) of the Exchange Act. | Taiwan law requires comparable standards. TSMC currently has a written Audit and Risk Committee charter containing the same duties and responsibilities as those provided under Section 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b)(iii)(B) and (C) establishes audit committee objectives: (i) to discuss the annual audited financial statements and the quarterly financial statements of the company with management and the independent auditor, including the information disclosed under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; and (ii) to discuss the company’s press releases relating to its earnings as well as the financial information and guidelines relating to its earnings that are supplied to analysts and rating agencies. | TSMC’s written Audit and Risk Committee charter establishes the same audit committee objectives. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b)(iii)(G) requires an audit committee to establish clear policies for hiring external auditor’s employees. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(c) requires each company to have an internal audit function that provides to the management and to the audit committee ongoing assessments on the company’s risk management processes and internal control system. | Taiwan law requires public companies to establish an internal audit function. Internal auditors are subject to strict qualification standards under Taiwan law, which require the board of directors to approve the appointment of the head of a company’s internal audit function. TSMC’s internal audit function has substantially the same responsibilities as provided under NYSE Section 303A.07(d). | |
NYSE Section 303A.08 requires each company to give to shareholders the opportunity to vote on all equity based compensation plans and material revisions thereto with certain exceptions. | Taiwan law imposes a similar requirement. Employee stock option plans (“ESOPs”) are required to be approved by the board of directors. Shareholders’ approval is not required if the number of options granted under the relevant ESOP does not exceed the reservation made in TSMC’s Articles of Incorporation and if the exercise price is not below the price as determined by relevant regulations. Otherwise, any change to such reservation in the Articles requires shareholders’ approval. Employee restricted stock awards are required to be approved by the board of directors and the shareholders’ meeting with a quorum of holders of at least two-thirds of all issued and outstanding shares of common stock at which the holders of at least a majority of the common stock represented at the meeting vote in favor thereof. However, in the case of a publicly held company such as TSMC, such a resolution by the shareholders’ meeting may be adopted by the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of common stock represented at a shareholders’ meeting at which holders of at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock are present. TSMC currently has three equity-based compensation plans in effect, which were approved by the Board of Directors on April 22, 2021, February 15, 2022, and February 14, 2023, and by the shareholders on July 26, 2021, June 8, 2022, and June 6, 2023, respectively. | |
NYSE Section 303A.09 requires public companies to adopt and disclose corporate governance guidelines, including several issues for which such reporting is mandatory, and to include such information on the company’s website (which website should also include the charters of the audit committee, the nominating committee, and the compensation committee.) | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. TSMC, however, voluntarily adopted corporate governance guidelines in May 2023, and discloses such guidelines at www.tsmc.com. |
74
NYSE Section 303A.09 requires the board of directors to make a self-assessment of its performance at least once a year to determine if it or its committees function effectively and report thereon. | Starting from 2020, companies listed on the TWSE are required by TWSE’s new rule to conduct self-assessment or peer assessment on the performance of the board of directors and each director every year and to submit the assessment results to TWSE by the end of the first quarter of the next year. TSMC has been conducting annual self-assessment on its Audit and Risk Committee’s performance since 2011 and on its Board of Directors as well as each director since 2020 in compliance with TWSE’s requirements. Starting from 2023, TSMC also conducts annual assessment on all its Board committees, including the Audit and Risk Committee, Compensation and People Development Committee, and Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee. | |
NYSE Section 303A.10 provides for the adoption of a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and sets out the topics that such code must contain. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, because of sound corporate governance principles, TSMC has adopted an “Ethics and Business Conduct Policy”, which complies with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s requirements concerning financial officers and CEO accountability. | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(a) requires the CEO, on a yearly basis, to certify to the NYSE that he or she knows of no violation by the company of NYSE rules relating to corporate governance. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. But, in order to comply with relevant U.S. SEC regulations, TSMC’s CEO is required to certify in TSMC’s 20-F annual report that, to his or her knowledge the information contained therein fairly represents in all material respects the financial condition and results of operation of TSMC. | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(b) requires the CEO to notify the NYSE in writing whenever any executive officer of the company becomes aware of any substantial non-fulfillment of any applicable provision under NYSE Section 303A. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, in order to be consistent with the corporate governance principles established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, TSMC’s CEO complies with the notice provision as set forth under NYSE Section 303A.12(b). | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(c) requires each listed company to submit an executed Written Affirmation annually to the NYSE and Interim Written Affirmation each time a specified change occurs in the board or any of the committees subject to Section 303A. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, in order to comply with the corporate governance principles established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, TSMC complies with NYSE Section 303A.12(c). | |
NYSE Section 303A.14 requires each listed company to adopt a policy for the recovery of excess incentive-based compensation earned by current or former executive officers. | In compliance with NYSE Section 303A.14, TSMC adopted the TSMC Clawback Policy in August 2023, available on TSMC’s website. |
ITEM 16H. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16I. | DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16K. | CYBERSECURITY |
Our Audit and Risk Committee of the Board is responsible for the oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats, including reviewing periodic reports from the head of Corporate Information Security function relating to our information technology and security matters, including any cybersecurity incidents, assessment of new and emerging cybersecurity risks and threats and their proposed improvement measures. Based on such reviews and their discussions with the head of Corporate Information Security function, our Audit and Risk Committee assists our Board to review, assess, and enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of our cybersecurity policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.
The head of our Corporate Information Security function assesses and manages the cybersecurity risk and reports to the Audit and Risk Committee. Our head of Corporate Information Security function has over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and other professionals in our Corporate Information Security function have cybersecurity experiences or certifications. Our Corporate Information Security function regularly assesses the threat landscape and takes a holistic view of cybersecurity risks. We have implemented and continually updated rigorous cybersecurity measures to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity risks and to prevent and minimize harm caused by cybersecurity attacks. Such measures mainly include:
• | building a defense shield on the cloud that includes adopting advanced cloud solution against distributed denial-of-service (“DDoS”) attacks, implementing domain name system (“DNS”) service on secure cloud platform, securing internet access by cloud solution, and enhancing phishing mail defense; |
75
certifying office computer security compliance and installing advanced malware defense solutions for critical computers and servers;
establishing advanced portable virus scanning tools that enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of virus scanning for fab tool as well as embedded internal computers; and
enhancing internal security assessment automation, conducting external red team testing and practicing responses to ransomware attacks.
To reduce supply chain risks, we collaborate with major suppliers to improve their security measures, share industry security events and best practices on demand and by schedule and conduct supplier security onsite audit. Moreover, we have collaborated with Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (“SEMI”) to set up a Semiconductor Cybersecurity Committee to promote security standards (SEMI E187) as well as security assessment methodology for improving the resilience of semiconductor supply chain, an action that was recognized by a 2023 SEMI International Standards award. Also, as we employ certain third-party service providers to help us and our affiliates worldwide conduct risk assessment, security defense testing and vulnerability scanning, we require such third-party service providers to strictly fulfill the confidentiality and/or internet security requirements in our service agreements.
As of the date of this annual report, there is no material risk from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operation or financial condition.
76
PART III
ITEM 17. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The Company has elected to provide the financial statements and related information specified in Item 18 in lieu of Item 17.
ITEM 18. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
Refer to the consolidated financial statements starting on page F-1 of this annual report.
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS |
77
78
79
(1) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, filed by TSMC on May 9, 2002. |
(2) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed by TSMC on April 19, 2018. |
(3) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed by TSMC on April 17, 2019. |
(4) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed by TSMC on April 15, 2020. |
(5) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, filed by TSMC on April 14, 2014. |
(6) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed by TSMC on April 11, 2016. |
(7) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, filed by TSMC on April 13, 2017. |
(8) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998, filed by TSMC on April 30, 1999. |
(9) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed by TSMC on April 16, 2021. |
(10) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, filed by TSMC on April 13, 2015. |
(11) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed by TSMC on April 14, 2022. |
(12) | Previously filed in TSMC’s registration statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333- 265664), filed by TSMC on June 17, 2022. |
(13) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed by TSMC on April 20, 2023. |
(P) | Paper filing. |
80
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned.
Date: April 18, 2024
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED | ||
By: | /s/ Wendell Huang | |
Name: | Wendell Huang | |
Title: | Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer / Spokesperson |
81
Page | ||||
Consolidated Financial Statements of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited and Subsidiaries | ||||
F-1 | ||||
F-2 | ||||
F-4 | ||||
F-6 | ||||
F-8 | ||||
F-10 | ||||
F-13 |
ITEM 16D. | EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E. | PURCHASES OF |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16F. | CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16G. | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
TSMC’s corporate governance practices are governed by applicable Taiwan law, specifically, the R.O.C. Company Act and R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, and also TSMC’s Articles of Incorporation. Also, because TSMC securities are registered with the U.S. SEC and are listed on the NYSE, TSMC is subject to corporate governance requirements applicable to NYSE-listed foreign private issuers.
71
Under Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, NYSE-listed non-US companies may, in general, follow their home country corporate governance practices in lieu of most of the new NYSE corporate governance requirements. However, all NYSE-listed foreign private issuers must comply with NYSE Sections 303A.06, 303A.11, 303A.12(b), 303A.12(c) and 303A.14.
Item 16G as well as NYSE Section 303A.11 requires that foreign private issuers disclose any significant ways in which their corporate governance practices differ from US companies under NYSE listing standards. This requirement is not intended to suggest that one country’s corporate governance practices are better or more effective than another. A NYSE-listed foreign private issuer is required to provide to its US investors, a brief, general summary of the significant differences, either: (a) on the company website in English, or (b) in its annual report distributed to its US investors. To comply with NYSE Section 303A.11, TSMC has prepared the comparison in the table below.
The most relevant differences between TSMC corporate governance practices and NYSE standards for listed companies are as follows:
NYSE Standards for US Companies under Listed Company Manual Section 303A | TSMC Corporate Practices | |
NYSE Section 303A.01 requires a NYSE-listed company to have a majority of independent directors on its board of directors. | Taiwan law does not require a board of directors of publicly traded companies to consist of a majority of independent directors. Taiwan law requires public companies meeting certain criteria to have at least three independent directors but no less than one fifth of the total number of directors on its board of directors. Starting from 2024, public companies that meet certain criteria are required to have a minimum of one-third of their directors serving as independent directors. In addition, Taiwan law requires public companies to disclose information pertaining to their directors, including their independence status. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for information on the total number of TSMC directors and directors who would be considered independent under NYSE Section 303A.02 and Taiwan law. | |
NYSE Section 303A.02 establishes general standards to evaluate directors’ independence (no director qualifies as independent unless the board of directors affirmatively determines that the director has no material relationship with the listed company either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the listed company). | Taiwan law establishes comparable standards to evaluate director independence. For further information, please consult TSMC’s Taiwan annual report for the relevant year. | |
NYSE Section 303A.03 requires non-management directors to meet at regularly scheduled executive meetings that are not attended by management. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. Except for meetings of sub-committees of the board of directors and those held by managing directors, Taiwan law does not allow separate board meetings of part but not all of the board of directors. | |
NYSE Section 303A.04 requires listed companies to have a nominating/corporate governance committee comprised entirely of independent directors which committee shall have a written charter establishing certain minimum responsibilities as set forth in NYSE Section 303A.04(b)(i) and providing for an annual evaluation of the committee’s performance. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. Pursuant to Taiwan law, TSMC’s directors must be nominated either by the shareholders or by the entire board of directors. TSMC, however, has established a Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee in February 2023 to assist our Board of Directors mainly in selecting candidates for nomination to be elected as independent directors to the Board and advising on corporate governance and sustainability matters. The Nominating, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee, by its charter, shall be composed of the Chairman of the Board and three to six independent directors. |
72
NYSE Section 303A.05(a) requires listed companies to have a compensation committee comprised entirely of independent directors. | Taiwan law requires certain public companies, such as us, to establish a compensation committee by September 30, 2011. TSMC, however, has established its Compensation Committee since 2003, which has met the requirements under the Taiwan law. Taiwan law permits a non-director independent member, appointed by the board of directors, to serve as a member on the compensation committee, so long as such member meets the independent and other requirements under the relevant Taiwan law. Also, as required by the TWSE, the compensation committee of the companies listed on the TWSE must consist of a majority of independent directors, and all the members of the compensation committee shall elect an independent director to act as the convener and the chairperson of the meeting. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition and functions of its compensation committee. In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved the renaming of TSMC’s Compensation Committee as “Compensation and People Development Committee”, effective as of February 14, 2023. | |
NYSE Section 303A.05(b) requires a compensation committee’s charter to establish certain minimum responsibilities and to provide for an annual evaluation of the committee’s performance. | Taiwan law requires certain public companies, such as us, to establish a compensation committee by September 30, 2011. TSMC, however, has established its Compensation Committee since 2003, which has met the requirements under the Taiwan law, and TSMC’s Compensation and People Development Committee charter contains the same responsibilities as those provided under NYSE Section 303A.05(b)(i) and mandates the committee to review the adequacy of its charter annually. | |
NYSE Section 303A.06 requires listed companies to have an audit committee that satisfies the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Foreign private issuers must satisfy the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act by July 31, 2005. | TSMC voluntarily established its Audit Committee before the promulgation of related Taiwan law. Our Audit Committee fully complies with both local law requirements and corporate governance standards. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition of its audit committee. TSMC’s Audit Committee members are all financially literate and are assisted by a financial expert consultant. In February 2023, our Board of Directors approved the renaming of TSMC’s Audit Committee as “Audit and Risk Committee”, effective as of February 14, 2023. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires an audit committee to consist of at least three board members. All of its members shall be financially literate or must acquire such financial knowledge within a reasonable period and at least one of its members shall have experience in accounting or financial administration. | Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee of which at least one shall have accounting or financial expertise. Please see TSMC’s annual report and Form 20-F for the relevant year filed with the Taiwan authorities and the U.S. SEC (both of which are available online at www.tsmc.com) for further information regarding the composition of its audit committee. TSMC’s Audit and Risk Committee members are all financially literate and are assisted by a financial expert consultant. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires that if an audit committee member is simultaneously a member of the audit committee of more than three public companies, and the listed company does not limit the number of audit committees on which its members may serve, then, in each case the board of that company shall determine whether the simultaneous service would prevent such member from effectively serving on the listed company’s audit committee, and shall report its decision in the annual proxy statement of the company or in the company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. SEC. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee. Taiwan law forbids an independent director from serving as an independent director on a total of more than four Taiwan public companies. |
73
NYSE Section 303A.07(a) requires all members of the audit committee to be independent. | Taiwan law requires all independent directors of a public company to be members of the audit committee if the company has established such a committee. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b) requires an audit committee to have a written charter establishing the duties and responsibilities of its members, including the duties and responsibilities required, at a minimum, by Rule 10A-3(b)(2), (3), (4) & (5) of the Exchange Act. | Taiwan law requires comparable standards. TSMC currently has a written Audit and Risk Committee charter containing the same duties and responsibilities as those provided under Section 10A-3(b)(1) of the Exchange Act. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b)(iii)(B) and (C) establishes audit committee objectives: (i) to discuss the annual audited financial statements and the quarterly financial statements of the company with management and the independent auditor, including the information disclosed under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”; and (ii) to discuss the company’s press releases relating to its earnings as well as the financial information and guidelines relating to its earnings that are supplied to analysts and rating agencies. | TSMC’s written Audit and Risk Committee charter establishes the same audit committee objectives. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(b)(iii)(G) requires an audit committee to establish clear policies for hiring external auditor’s employees. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. | |
NYSE Section 303A.07(c) requires each company to have an internal audit function that provides to the management and to the audit committee ongoing assessments on the company’s risk management processes and internal control system. | Taiwan law requires public companies to establish an internal audit function. Internal auditors are subject to strict qualification standards under Taiwan law, which require the board of directors to approve the appointment of the head of a company’s internal audit function. TSMC’s internal audit function has substantially the same responsibilities as provided under NYSE Section 303A.07(d). | |
NYSE Section 303A.08 requires each company to give to shareholders the opportunity to vote on all equity based compensation plans and material revisions thereto with certain exceptions. | Taiwan law imposes a similar requirement. Employee stock option plans (“ESOPs”) are required to be approved by the board of directors. Shareholders’ approval is not required if the number of options granted under the relevant ESOP does not exceed the reservation made in TSMC’s Articles of Incorporation and if the exercise price is not below the price as determined by relevant regulations. Otherwise, any change to such reservation in the Articles requires shareholders’ approval. Employee restricted stock awards are required to be approved by the board of directors and the shareholders’ meeting with a quorum of holders of at least two-thirds of all issued and outstanding shares of common stock at which the holders of at least a majority of the common stock represented at the meeting vote in favor thereof. However, in the case of a publicly held company such as TSMC, such a resolution by the shareholders’ meeting may be adopted by the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of common stock represented at a shareholders’ meeting at which holders of at least a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock are present. TSMC currently has three equity-based compensation plans in effect, which were approved by the Board of Directors on April 22, 2021, February 15, 2022, and February 14, 2023, and by the shareholders on July 26, 2021, June 8, 2022, and June 6, 2023, respectively. | |
NYSE Section 303A.09 requires public companies to adopt and disclose corporate governance guidelines, including several issues for which such reporting is mandatory, and to include such information on the company’s website (which website should also include the charters of the audit committee, the nominating committee, and the compensation committee.) | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. TSMC, however, voluntarily adopted corporate governance guidelines in May 2023, and discloses such guidelines at www.tsmc.com. |
74
NYSE Section 303A.09 requires the board of directors to make a self-assessment of its performance at least once a year to determine if it or its committees function effectively and report thereon. | Starting from 2020, companies listed on the TWSE are required by TWSE’s new rule to conduct self-assessment or peer assessment on the performance of the board of directors and each director every year and to submit the assessment results to TWSE by the end of the first quarter of the next year. TSMC has been conducting annual self-assessment on its Audit and Risk Committee’s performance since 2011 and on its Board of Directors as well as each director since 2020 in compliance with TWSE’s requirements. Starting from 2023, TSMC also conducts annual assessment on all its Board committees, including the Audit and Risk Committee, Compensation and People Development Committee, and Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee. | |
NYSE Section 303A.10 provides for the adoption of a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and sets out the topics that such code must contain. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, because of sound corporate governance principles, TSMC has adopted an “Ethics and Business Conduct Policy”, which complies with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s requirements concerning financial officers and CEO accountability. | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(a) requires the CEO, on a yearly basis, to certify to the NYSE that he or she knows of no violation by the company of NYSE rules relating to corporate governance. | Taiwan law does not contain such a requirement. But, in order to comply with relevant U.S. SEC regulations, TSMC’s CEO is required to certify in TSMC’s 20-F annual report that, to his or her knowledge the information contained therein fairly represents in all material respects the financial condition and results of operation of TSMC. | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(b) requires the CEO to notify the NYSE in writing whenever any executive officer of the company becomes aware of any substantial non-fulfillment of any applicable provision under NYSE Section 303A. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, in order to be consistent with the corporate governance principles established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, TSMC’s CEO complies with the notice provision as set forth under NYSE Section 303A.12(b). | |
NYSE Section 303A.12(c) requires each listed company to submit an executed Written Affirmation annually to the NYSE and Interim Written Affirmation each time a specified change occurs in the board or any of the committees subject to Section 303A. | Taiwan law does not contain such requirement. But, in order to comply with the corporate governance principles established under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, TSMC complies with NYSE Section 303A.12(c). | |
NYSE Section 303A.14 requires each listed company to adopt a policy for the recovery of excess incentive-based compensation earned by current or former executive officers. | In compliance with NYSE Section 303A.14, TSMC adopted the TSMC Clawback Policy in August 2023, available on TSMC’s website. |
ITEM 16H. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16I. | DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16K. | CYBERSECURITY |
Our Audit and Risk Committee of the Board is responsible for the oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats, including reviewing periodic reports from the head of Corporate Information Security function relating to our information technology and security matters, including any cybersecurity incidents, assessment of new and emerging cybersecurity risks and threats and their proposed improvement measures. Based on such reviews and their discussions with the head of Corporate Information Security function, our Audit and Risk Committee assists our Board to review, assess, and enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of our cybersecurity policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.
The head of our Corporate Information Security function assesses and manages the cybersecurity risk and reports to the Audit and Risk Committee. Our head of Corporate Information Security function has over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and other professionals in our Corporate Information Security function have cybersecurity experiences or certifications. Our Corporate Information Security function regularly assesses the threat landscape and takes a holistic view of cybersecurity risks. We have implemented and continually updated rigorous cybersecurity measures to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity risks and to prevent and minimize harm caused by cybersecurity attacks. Such measures mainly include:
• | building a defense shield on the cloud that includes adopting advanced cloud solution against distributed denial-of-service (“DDoS”) attacks, implementing domain name system (“DNS”) service on secure cloud platform, securing internet access by cloud solution, and enhancing phishing mail defense; |
75
certifying office computer security compliance and installing advanced malware defense solutions for critical computers and servers;
establishing advanced portable virus scanning tools that enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of virus scanning for fab tool as well as embedded internal computers; and
enhancing internal security assessment automation, conducting external red team testing and practicing responses to ransomware attacks.
To reduce supply chain risks, we collaborate with major suppliers to improve their security measures, share industry security events and best practices on demand and by schedule and conduct supplier security onsite audit. Moreover, we have collaborated with Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (“SEMI”) to set up a Semiconductor Cybersecurity Committee to promote security standards (SEMI E187) as well as security assessment methodology for improving the resilience of semiconductor supply chain, an action that was recognized by a 2023 SEMI International Standards award. Also, as we employ certain third-party service providers to help us and our affiliates worldwide conduct risk assessment, security defense testing and vulnerability scanning, we require such third-party service providers to strictly fulfill the confidentiality and/or internet security requirements in our service agreements.
As of the date of this annual report, there is no material risk from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operation or financial condition.
76
PART III
ITEM 17. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The Company has elected to provide the financial statements and related information specified in Item 18 in lieu of Item 17.
ITEM 18. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
Refer to the consolidated financial statements starting on page F-1 of this annual report.
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS |
77
78
79
(1) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, filed by TSMC on May 9, 2002. |
(2) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed by TSMC on April 19, 2018. |
(3) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, filed by TSMC on April 17, 2019. |
(4) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed by TSMC on April 15, 2020. |
(5) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, filed by TSMC on April 14, 2014. |
(6) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed by TSMC on April 11, 2016. |
(7) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, filed by TSMC on April 13, 2017. |
(8) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998, filed by TSMC on April 30, 1999. |
(9) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed by TSMC on April 16, 2021. |
(10) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, filed by TSMC on April 13, 2015. |
(11) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed by TSMC on April 14, 2022. |
(12) | Previously filed in TSMC’s registration statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333- 265664), filed by TSMC on June 17, 2022. |
(13) | Previously filed in TSMC’s annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed by TSMC on April 20, 2023. |
(P) | Paper filing. |
80
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned.
Date: April 18, 2024
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED | ||
By: | /s/ Wendell Huang | |
Name: | Wendell Huang | |
Title: | Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer / Spokesperson |
81
Page | ||||
F-1 | ||||
F-2 | ||||
F-4 | ||||
F-6 | ||||
F-8 | ||||
F-10 | ||||
F-13 |
For the year ended December 31, | ||||||||
2020 | 2021 | |||||||
NT$ | NT$ | |||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Audit Fees | 60,253 | 63,871 | ||||||
Audit Related Fees | 9,982 | 23,197 | ||||||
All Other Fees | 81 | 75 | ||||||
Total | 70,316 | 87,143 | ||||||
Period | Total number of common shares purchased | Average price paid per common share | Total number of common shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs | Maximum number (or approximate dollar value) of common shares that may yet be purchased under the plans or programs | ||||||||||||
(number of common shares) | (NT$) | (number of shares) | (number of common shares) | |||||||||||||
February, 2022 (From February 16, 2022 to February 25, 2022) | 1,387,000 | 628 | 1,387,000 | — | ||||||||||||
Total | 1,387,000 | 628 | 1,387,000 | — |
Total | 79,149 | 87,236 | ||||||
ITEM 16D. | EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16E. | PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16F. | CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16G. | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
TSMC’s corporate governance practices are governed by applicable Taiwan law, specifically, the R.O.C. Company Act and R.O.C. Securities and Exchange Act, and also TSMC’s Articles of Incorporation. Also, because TSMC securities are registered with the U.S. SEC and are listed on the NYSE, TSMC is subject to corporate governance requirements applicable to NYSE-listed foreign private issuers.
71
Under Section 303A of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, NYSE-listed non-US companies may, in general, follow their home country corporate governance practices in lieu of most of the new NYSE corporate governance requirements. However, all NYSE-listed foreign private issuers must comply with NYSE Sections 303A.06, 303A.11, 303A.12(b), 303A.12(c) and 303A.14.
Item 16G as well as NYSE Section 303A.11 requires that foreign private issuers disclose any significant ways in which their corporate governance practices differ from US companies under NYSE listing standards. This requirement is not intended to suggest that one country’s corporate governance practices are better or more effective than another. A NYSE-listed foreign private issuer is required to provide to its US investors, a brief, general summary of the significant differences, either: (a) on the company website in English, or (b) in its annual report distributed to its US investors. To comply with NYSE Section 303A.11, TSMC has prepared the comparison in the table below.
The most relevant differences between TSMC corporate governance practices and NYSE standards for listed companies are as follows:
ITEM 16H. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16I. | DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16K. | CYBERSECURITY |
Our Audit and Risk Committee of the Board is responsible for the oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats, including reviewing periodic reports from the head of Corporate Information Security function relating to our information technology and security matters, including any cybersecurity incidents, assessment of new and emerging cybersecurity risks and threats and their proposed improvement measures. Based on such reviews and their discussions with the head of Corporate Information Security function, our Audit and Risk Committee assists our Board to review, assess, and enhance the adequacy and effectiveness of our cybersecurity policies and procedures on an ongoing basis.
The head of our Corporate Information Security function assesses and manages the cybersecurity risk and reports to the Audit and Risk Committee. Our head of Corporate Information Security function has over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and other professionals in our Corporate Information Security function have cybersecurity experiences or certifications. Our Corporate Information Security function regularly assesses the threat landscape and takes a holistic view of cybersecurity risks. We have implemented and continually updated rigorous cybersecurity measures to assess, identify and manage cybersecurity risks and to prevent and minimize harm caused by cybersecurity attacks. Such measures mainly include:
• | building a defense shield on the cloud that includes adopting advanced cloud solution against distributed denial-of-service (“DDoS”) attacks, implementing domain name system (“DNS”) service on secure cloud platform, securing internet access by cloud solution, and enhancing phishing mail defense; |
75
certifying office computer security compliance and installing advanced malware defense solutions for critical computers and servers;
establishing advanced portable virus scanning tools that enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of virus scanning for fab tool as well as embedded internal computers; and
enhancing internal security assessment automation, conducting external red team testing and practicing responses to ransomware attacks.
To reduce supply chain risks, we collaborate with major suppliers to improve their security measures, share industry security events and best practices on demand and by schedule and conduct supplier security onsite audit. Moreover, we have collaborated with Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute (“SEMI”) to set up a Semiconductor Cybersecurity Committee to promote security standards (SEMI E187) as well as security assessment methodology for improving the resilience of semiconductor supply chain, an action that was recognized by a 2023 SEMI International Standards award. Also, as we employ certain third-party service providers to help us and our affiliates worldwide conduct risk assessment, security defense testing and vulnerability scanning, we require such third-party service providers to strictly fulfill the confidentiality and/or internet security requirements in our service agreements.
As of the date of this annual report, there is no material risk from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operation or financial condition.
76
PART III
ITEM 17. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The Company has elected to provide the financial statements and related information specified in Item 18 in lieu of Item 17.
ITEM 18. | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
Refer to the consolidated financial statements starting on page F-1 of this annual report.
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS |
(a) | See page F-1 for an index of the financial statements
77
78
4.42(9) | 4.43(9) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to Fab18 located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2040) (English summary). | 4.44(9) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to a warehouse (effective October 26, 2020 to October 25, 2040) (English summary). | 4.45(9) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to Fab18 located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective October 20, 2020 to October 19, 2040) (English summary). | 4.46(9) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to Fab14 & Fab18 located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective January 6, 2021 to January 5, 2041) (English summary). | 4.47(11) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to Fab14 & Fab18 located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2041) (English summary). | 4.48(11) | Land Lease with Central Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to TCZWM located in Taichung Science Park (effective June 21, 2021 to June 20, 2041) (English summary). | 4.49(11) | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to the fabs (Fab18 bridge) located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2041) (English summary). | 4.50(11) | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2021. | 4.51(11) | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2022. | 4.52 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2023. | 4.53 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. Employee Restricted Stock Awards Rules for Year 2024 (as approved by the Board of |
79
4.61(13) | 4.62 | Land Lease with Hsinchu Science Park Administration relating to Fab20 (effective June 1, 2023 to December 31, 2042) (English summary). | 4.63 | Land Lease with Hsinchu Science Park Administration relating to Fab20 (effective July 14, 2023 to December 31, 2042) (English summary). | 4.64 | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to the fabs (Fab 14 bridge) located in Southern Taiwan Science Park (effective June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2043) (English summary). | 4.65 | Land Lease with Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration relating to AP7(effective March 1, 2024 to June 30, 2043) (English summary). | 8.1 | Subsidiaries of |
|