TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A Taiwan court extended the detention of three former TSMC engineers for two months on Sunday (Feb. 1) in a technology leak case involving 2-nanometer process secrets. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court (智財商業法院) cited concerns over potential evidence tampering by the accused: Chen Li-ming (陳力銘), Wu Ping-chun (吳秉駿), and Ko Yi-ping (戈一平). Authorities have intensified legal actions against the trio at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電).
The High Prosecutors Office (高等檢察署) charged the trio on Wednesday (Aug. 27, 2025) under the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法). Prosecutors seek sentences of 14 years for Chen, 9 years for Wu, and 7 years for Ko. Investigations revealed that Chen, a former engineer in TSMC's yield department, allegedly exploited past connections with current employees to acquire trade secrets related to the company's 2-nanometer process technology.
TSMC's cybersecurity system detected unusual login behaviors by engineers in July 2025, triggering the investigation. The probe uncovered that the suspects allegedly used mobile phones to photograph screen images and remotely transmit confidential data. Prosecutors believe Chen sought to assist Tokyo Electron (東京威力), a Japanese semiconductor equipment maker, in improving its etching machines to win bids to supply mass-production equipment for TSMC's 2-nanometer process.
Chen, Wu, and Ko, all alumni of National Tsing Hua University (清華大學), face accusations of violating the laws on national core technology trade secrets. Prosecutors allege their actions constitute extraterritorial use of these secrets, posing a threat to national security. Taiwan protects trade secrets in "national core key technologies," such as advanced semiconductor manufacturing, on national security grounds, with leaks to foreign entities potentially incurring heavy sentences. ◼