Recently, the theft of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 2-nanometer process secrets has garnered widespread attention within the technology industry, marking one of the most severe security breaches in TSMC's history. According to reports, several TSMC employees are suspected of involvement in the incident, with Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) also being implicated. Upon discovering the breach, TSMC swiftly acted, terminating the employees involved and collaborating with prosecutors in the ongoing investigation.
It is believed that the leaked materials may have found their way to an engineer who once worked at TSMC and subsequently transferred to TEL. In response, TEL issued a statement confirming the dismissal of the implicated employees from its Taipei branch and its cooperation with the investigation. However, the company has yet to confirm whether any data has been shared with third parties.
This security lapse poses a substantial threat to TSMC's technological edge and has understandably raised significant concerns within the industry regarding semiconductor security.