>TSMC occupies a different part of the supply chain.....
This is an interesting but not so obvious question, because it is so basic, I would thought it wont be on HN at the same time judging from comments on Hardware topic it really should have been spelled out clearly in the first place.
So first you have IP companies like ARM. They have lots of different IPs. ( Intellectual Properties ) From ISA ( Instruction Set Architecture ), think x86, ARMv8 etc to the actual CPU design, think Intel P-Core, E-Core, Skylake, AMD's Zen core etc. Along with many other IPs from GPU to Network, CPU Interconnect or even DRAM controller. ARM will work with TSMC ( or any other popular Fabs for specific market ) to have those design specific for the Fab and specific to certain Fab technology.
So in an extremely over simplified situation, you buy a few IPs, or there are even reference designs. Stitch them together. Send them over to TSMC and say hey can you print them ( or Fab ) for me.
What TSMC doing that nobody can do ( in the same time frame ) is that they could Fab it using industry leading technology, or the smallest transistor currently available as long as you are willing to pay for it.
There are plenty of chips that doesn't require TSMC to print. From Automotive to low cost semiconductor using very very old semi-conductor Fab's technology. Think about the small chips that goes into toys or electronic appliance. Or simple calculators.
This is an interesting but not so obvious question, because it is so basic, I would thought it wont be on HN at the same time judging from comments on Hardware topic it really should have been spelled out clearly in the first place.
So first you have IP companies like ARM. They have lots of different IPs. ( Intellectual Properties ) From ISA ( Instruction Set Architecture ), think x86, ARMv8 etc to the actual CPU design, think Intel P-Core, E-Core, Skylake, AMD's Zen core etc. Along with many other IPs from GPU to Network, CPU Interconnect or even DRAM controller. ARM will work with TSMC ( or any other popular Fabs for specific market ) to have those design specific for the Fab and specific to certain Fab technology.
So in an extremely over simplified situation, you buy a few IPs, or there are even reference designs. Stitch them together. Send them over to TSMC and say hey can you print them ( or Fab ) for me.
What TSMC doing that nobody can do ( in the same time frame ) is that they could Fab it using industry leading technology, or the smallest transistor currently available as long as you are willing to pay for it.
There are plenty of chips that doesn't require TSMC to print. From Automotive to low cost semiconductor using very very old semi-conductor Fab's technology. Think about the small chips that goes into toys or electronic appliance. Or simple calculators.