Tokyo Electron Ltd (TEL) yesterday said its internal investigation has so far found no evidence that confidential information about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) 2-nanometer technology was leaked to a third party.
TEL’s statement came one day after the High Prosecutors’ Office indicted three engineers under the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法) on charges of extraterritorial use of “national core key technologies” trade secrets.
A former TSMC employee surnamed Chen (陳) allegedly used his relationships with former colleagues to access trade secrets, with the aim of helping TEL “compete to become a supplier of equipment for more sites in TSMC’s advanced processes,” prosecutors said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“After obtaining these files, Chen reproduced them to help TEL improve etching machine performance and secure a qualification to supply production machinery for TSMC’s 2-nanometer etching process,” they said.
TEL confirmed that a former employee of its Taiwan subsidiary, Tokyo Electron Taiwan Ltd, has been indicted by Taiwanese judicial authorities.
The company said it is treating the case seriously and expressed regret over the matter.
Compliance with laws and ethical standards is its “top management policy,” TEL said, adding that it does not tolerate contraventions.
Information security — including the protection of customers’ and stakeholders’ sensitive data — is “one of its most important operational concerns,” it said.
The company said its internal investigation has “not found any organized instructions directing the former employee to obtain improper information,” and pledged to continue full cooperation with the authorities.
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