Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing — reported to be the supplier of chips for the new iPhone 6 — is to recruit 2,200 engineers to meet surging demand, the company and local media said.

TSMC, the world's biggest contract microchip maker by revenue, will make the hires later this year to keep pace with expansion, it said in a statement.

The Economics Daily News said the recruitment drive, set for the fourth quarter, was due to by robust demand from clients including Apple and US computer chip giant Qualcomm.

Local media have identified TSMC as the supplier of the "A8" chips used in Apple's new iPhone models, which were released in some markets on September 19. TSMC has declined to comment on the reports.

Apple said it sold more than 10 million units of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus globally in the opening weekend that the bigger-screen smartphones went on sale.

TSMC has reported two profitable quarters so far this year and said it expected strong demand to continue.


Its net profit in the first and second quarters rose 21% and 15.2% on-year, respectively, thanks to robust demand for chips used in smartphones and tablets.