Overview

• TSMC says routine monitoring flagged unusual access to 2nm files, prompting firings and legal action.
• Authorities arrested six suspects earlier this month, and three have now been charged under trade-secret and national security laws.
• Prosecutors identify the lead suspect as a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen who later worked at Tokyo Electron and allegedly solicited process details from insiders.
• Tokyo Electron says it dismissed a Taipei-based employee tied to the probe, is cooperating with investigators, and has not found evidence that confidential data was leaked.
• Investigators have not disclosed technical specifics of the alleged theft, and TSMC says any material accessed was not critical or usable in isolation.