Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has initiated legal action against Wei-Jen Lo, a former senior vice president who recently joined rival Intel. The lawsuit, filed on November 25, accuses Lo of breaching his non-compete agreement.
Investigators reportedly discovered a substantial amount of confidential information at Lo’s residence. These materials related specifically to TSMC’s advanced process technologies. TSMC claims Lo took the materials without authorization, prompting the additional charge of misappropriating trade secrets.
The court approved the seizure of Lo's assets, which are estimated to be worth over NT$20 billion. In response to the security breach, TSMC changed project code names for its advanced-process programs to prevent further leaks.
Separately, analysis released on the same day discussed TSMC’s production timeline in Japan. Reports suggest the TSMC Kumamoto plant is unlikely to produce advanced 2nm chips before 2028.