Ex-TSMC executive’s homes raided as Intel dispute deepens
Prosecutors have searched the homes of a former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. executive suspected of leaking trade secrets to Intel Corp. , signalling an escalation in the government’s criminal probe into the high-profile dispute.
Authorities showed up at the Taipei and Hsinchu residences of former Senior Vice President Lo Wei-jen Wednesday, the prosecutors’ office said in a statement, as Lo is suspected of breaching the national security law . Prosecutors also secured court approval to seize Lo’s stocks and real estate.
The action took place days after TSMC sued Lo, citing a high likelihood he leaked sensitive information from the world’s most advanced chipmaker to his United States employer. Intel rejected those allegations, while Lo has remained unavailable for comment through the company.
The unusual attention from TSMC and Taipei underscores the sensitivities around cutting-edge chip technology, which anchors the Asian company’s market lead as well as Taiwan’s own geopolitical clout. TSMC regularly loses employees to competitors and other firms in the supply chain — but seldom of Lo’s standing or seniority. An Intel spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News on Thursday.
Now valued at more than US$1.15 trillion, TSMC has become the global leader in contract chipmaking, surpassing semiconductor pioneer Intel. The company’s data and fabrication techniques are highly prized and a matter of strategic importance for Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has said it will closely monitor the potential impact on the chip industry, and collaborate with local prosecutors on an investigation into whether the case may have violated national security law.
Lo was at one point in charge of research and technology development at TSMC and played a key role in facilitating the mass production of cutting-edge chips, including those used to make AI accelerators. After a tenure spanning more than two decades, Lo left TSMC in July.
Before he joined TSMC in 2004, Lo was employed at Intel. He focused on advanced technology development, including running a chip factory in Santa Clara, California.