TSMC's advanced chip documents were reportedly found at the residence of the company's former executive, who is now part of Intel, suggesting a potential technology leak.
TSMC's Former Executive Could Be in Violation of Local Laws, Amid Possession of Confidential Documents
For those unaware, a few weeks ago, it was reported that a former TSMC executive, who had played a key role in the company's semiconductor revolution, was set to join Intel. This development sparked a massive concern within TSMC, as the Taiwan giant suspected that a former executive joining Intel could put their technology at risk. Dr. Wei-Jen Lo, who has now assumed a crucial role at Intel, was responsible for EUV integration within TSMC's process nodes and had worked with technologies such as 2nm, making him a significant asset for the chipmaker.
According to a report by Taiwan's Liberty Times, Taiwanese authorities conducted an investigation. They recovered confidential documents related to advanced process technologies from Dr. Wei-Jen Lo's residence, suggesting that the executive may violate local laws. The investigation follows TSMC's filing of an official lawsuit against its former executive, raising concerns about his decision to join Intel and claiming that the company's trade secrets could be leaked.
In addition to seizing computers and USB drives, they also seized multiple boxes of documents, including a large amount of confidential information on advanced process technologies under development by TSMC. This means that he took confidential information from TSMC that he should not have taken with him, which could provide irrefutable evidence of a violation of the National Security Act.
- Liberty Times (Automated Translation)
Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has come out in favour of Dr. Wei-Jen Lo joining the company, stating that Team Blue respects the IP technologies of their competitors and is committed to strict IP compliance. However, in a recent report, we discussed how the hiring of TSMC's former executive would help Intel cater to US fabless manufacturers, which have been dominant customers of the Taiwan giant, especially in the realm of advanced packaging.
Intel may not look to TSMC's semiconductor technologies, but the culture it has established with customers ensures that it secures external fab volume the right way.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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