Tokyo Electron Employee Involved in Taiwan Semiconductor Trade Secret Scandal
TAIWAN, AUG 6 – Three individuals including former and current engineers were detained for allegedly stealing TSMC's 2-nanometer chip secrets and leaking them to Tokyo Electron, with several employees fired, prosecutors said.
- On August 6 and 7, 2025, Taiwanese authorities arrested and detained several TSMC employees and a former employee of Tokyo Electron for allegedly stealing confidential 2-nanometer chip technology in Taiwan.
- The arrests followed TSMC's internal investigation that detected abnormal file access and suspected illegal acquisition of national core technology linked to trade secret theft.
- Tokyo Electron fired its Taiwan subsidiary employee involved in the case and has been cooperating with the investigation while its internal probe found no evidence of leaks to third parties.
- Shares of Tokyo Electron closed down 3.2% following the news, while the Taiwanese Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office pledged to thoroughly investigate the suspects' motives and handle the case strictly according to law.
- TSMC confirmed it took strict disciplinary actions against involved personnel and intends to proceed with its planned mass production of the advanced 2-nanometer process within 2025 despite the security breach.
16 Articles
16 Articles
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