Tokyo Electron employee allegedly involved in data theft incident
In a recent development, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has reported a data breach linked to a former employee of Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TEL), specifically from its Taiwanese subsidiary.
The breach targeted highly confidential information about TSMC’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer chip technology, which TSMC plans to start mass producing as early as this year. The former employee, who had previously worked at TSMC before joining the Tokyo Electron subsidiary, allegedly met with a TSMC engineer at a café, asked to view confidential data on the engineer’s laptop, and took numerous photos of this sensitive information.
TSMC internally discovered suspicious activities, including employees repeatedly accessing confidential 2nm data in suspicious three-minute increments and using smartphones to photograph the data. This triggered surveillance and eventually led to the investigation. As a consequence, TSMC fired multiple employees suspected of leaking data.
Tokyo Electron confirmed that it dismissed the implicated employee and stated their internal investigation found no evidence that confidential information was shared with third parties. They are cooperating fully with authorities, but the case is under judicial review and further details have not been disclosed.
Taiwanese prosecutors conducted searches at the Tokyo Electron subsidiary in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This case is notable given Tokyo Electron’s dual role as both a key equipment supplier for TSMC and a participant in Japan’s government-supported 2nm chip development effort via Rapidus, a competitor to TSMC. This duality makes the leak especially sensitive amid growing regional competition in semiconductor technology.
The incident was reported by Taiwanese media, with the details of the case being reported by the Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News. The former employee is suspected of illegally acquiring confidential information from TSMC. The searches were likely conducted to gather evidence related to the theft of TSMC’s confidential information.
- The breach involved a former TSMC employee who allegedly took photos of sensitive 2nm chip technology data, which was subsequently shared with unauthorized parties, raising concerns about cybersecurity in the media.
- Given the dual role of Tokyo Electron as a key equipment supplier for TSMC and a participant in Japan's 2nm chip development effort, this data breach and subsequent leak have significant implications for technology competition among regional players.
