TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Tokyo Electron Ltd. confirmed Thursday (Aug. 7) that a former employee was involved in a major industrial espionage breach concerning TSMC's advanced 2-nanometer semiconductor process technology. The Japanese equipment manufacturer stated it had dismissed the individual and is fully cooperating with Taiwanese judicial authorities investigating the case. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (台積電, TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, emphasized that employees illegally stole the cutting-edge 2-nanometer technology secrets and imposed severe penalties on those implicated.
TSMC uncovered a devastating internal security breach involving the unauthorized disclosure of its advanced 2-nanometer process technology, representing the semiconductor industry's most cutting-edge manufacturing capability. Several former employees allegedly leaked this highly sensitive proprietary information to an engineer at Tokyo Electron Limited (東京威力科創, TEL), a major Japanese semiconductor equipment supplier. TSMC terminated the implicated employees immediately after identifying the breach and initiated comprehensive legal proceedings against those involved in the industrial espionage.
Tokyo Electron conducted a thorough internal investigation and found no evidence that leaked confidential information was actually received or utilized by the company. The Japanese semiconductor equipment giant stated it cannot provide further details due to the ongoing judicial process in Taiwan. Tokyo Electron Limited expressed gratitude for the understanding shown by various parties regarding this sensitive industrial espionage case and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to continued cooperation with Taiwanese authorities throughout the investigation. ◼