TSMC, the world's largest foundry company, posted record third-quarter revenue on demand for AI semiconductors.

On Oct. 8 (local time), CNBC and TSMC said the company's September consolidated revenue rose 54.6 percent from a year earlier to 511.86 billion Taiwan dollars (about 21.5 trillion won). It was down 0.6 percent from August, when it hit a record high. Revenue for January to September rose 41.1 percent from a year earlier to 3.90 trillion Taiwan dollars (about 163.5 trillion won).

Third-quarter revenue, calculated by adding sales from July to September, rose about 50 percent from a year earlier to about 1.49 trillion Taiwan dollars (about 62.7 trillion won), a record high for a quarter. It also beat the market estimate of about 1.46 trillion Taiwan dollars (about 61.2 trillion won).

The key driver of the growth was advanced chips for AI. TSMC counts global big tech firms including Nvidia and Apple among its main customers and is directly benefiting from rising demand for leading-edge processes used in AI accelerators and advanced mobile processors. The company also forecast at its second-quarter earnings announcement that third-quarter growth would be supported by demand for advanced processes, including 2-nanometre technology.

It is also continuing technology investment. Last month, TSMC decided with ASML to build a 12-inch photomask ecosystem needed for next-generation high-NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. TSMC plans to introduce high-NA EUV into mass production of advanced processes from 2030. High-NA EUV is seen as a next-generation lithography technology that can implement finer circuits than existing EUV.

TSMC will announce third-quarter results on Oct. 15 and release its outlook.