TSMC unlikely to be affected by trade secrets leak: Pegatron chair

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is unlikely to be impacted if some of its technical secrets get leaked, said Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), chairman of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Pegatron Corp., on Wednesday.

Tung made the comment after local media reported that former TSMC executive Lo Wei-jen (羅唯仁) allegedly took confidential data of the company's most advanced 2 nanometer, A16 and A14 manufacturing processes before retiring from TSMC in July and was said to have joined Intel in October.

When asked by reporters about the case before attending a technology forum in Taipei, Tung said Taiwan's semiconductor sector remains "globally competitive" and would not be seriously affected by "one or two individual incidents."

He said that TSMC's advantage stems from a manufacturing system that can adjust to the needs of dozens of different clients while consistently keeping yields high.

Even if manufacturing data were taken, it could only "serve as a reference at best" because other firms likely use different equipment and production-line configurations, making direct replication "nearly impossible," he said.

He added that TSMC's market leadership in advanced processes has endured even as many Taiwanese engineers and former TSMC managers have helped build China's semiconductor supply chain in recent years.

On Tuesday, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said its Intellectual Property Branch has initiated a probe into Lo's actions.

According to local media reports, Lo allegedly asked his subordinates before retiring to brief him about the advanced technologies and took photocopies of confidential documents with him.

As of press time, prosecutors have released few details about the case. Local media reports said TSMC was collecting evidence in preparation for "action" against Lo.