TSMC employees arrested on suspicion of espionage

The company is considered a key player in the global semiconductor industry and produces for Apple and Nvidia, among others.

TSMC had discovered unusual access to data, which led to the investigation, according to a statement from the responsible Taiwanese public prosecutor's office. The former and current employees are strongly suspected of having unlawfully obtained key national technologies. TSMC itself announced that it had recognized suspicious activities at an early stage and taken legal action.

Was it about the new chip generation?

The Japanese business newspaper Nikkei Asia had previously reported that employees were suspected of having stolen information on the particularly advanced 2-nanometer technology. However, a company spokeswoman would not confirm whether this was actually the case.

The 2 nm technology is considered the next generation of chip production. It should enable higher computing power with lower energy consumption. Current top chips, such as those used in current iPhones, are based on a 3 nm process.