The world’s leading maker of advanced AI chips has initiated legal action and disciplined staff over suspected trade secret leaks uncovered during routine monitoring.
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In an emailed statement to Reuters on Tuesday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) said its “comprehensive and robust monitoring mechanisms” allowed for early detection, prompting swift internal investigations and decisive action against those involved.
The case, now under judicial review, prevents the company from providing further details, TSMC said.
Nikkei Asia earlier reported that the breach involved several former employees suspected of attempting to obtain critical proprietary information on TSMC’s 2-nanometer chip technology.
It remains unclear what the former employees intended to do with the information or whether it was leaked to external parties, with investigations ongoing to determine the scope of the leak, and whether additional parties were involved in the matter, the Nikkei report said.
TSMC’s 2-nanometer chip technology is the most advanced in the semiconductor industry, offering superior density and energy efficiency, according to the company’s website.
The contract chipmaker, which supplies major clients such as Nvidia, Apple, and Qualcomm, emphasized its zero-tolerance stance on trade secret breaches and vowed to pursue violators to the fullest extent of the law. TSMC recently secured a 300,000-unit order for its H20 chipsets from Nvidia.