TSMC has discovered a possible leak of trade secrets and taken legal action against the employees responsible. The leak concerns sensitive information about the new 2-nanometer chip technology that is set to go into mass production later this year.
The race for a leading position in the AI era has made advanced chips and memory valuable assets. TSMC and its competitor Samsung both invest over $30 billion (€26 billion) per year in capital expenditures. At the same time, American and Chinese companies are competing to develop the most advanced technology.
China is currently several generations behind TSMC. Huawei and SMIC are now producing silicon at 7nm. In the US, Intel is at a more advanced stage.
Early detection of the problem
TSMC said in a statement that it had conducted an internal investigation and identified the problem “early.” Details about the legal action are not being disclosed, but Nikkei knows that the company has fired several employees. According to Nikkei, these employees allegedly attempted to obtain crucial proprietary information about the 2-nanometer chip.
The timing is sensitive. The advanced 2-nanometer technology is set to go into mass production in the second half of 2025. These chips will eventually find their way into all kinds of devices, from smartphones to AI accelerators.
Consequences for the sector
For chip manufacturer TSMC, which supplies Nvidia and Apple, among others, intellectual property rights are essential for maintaining its technological lead. The company is an integral part of the global semiconductor supply chain.
Investment in chip development is at an all-time high. This development illustrates how important it has become to protect trade secrets in an industry where technological advances can be worth billions.