TSMC 2nm leaks under national security probe; situation is non-critical for now

TSMC has been reported to have a leak of its 2nm process trade secrets, prompting judicial investigators to launch an investigation under suspicion of violating the National Security Act. A senior government official stated that the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has already begun enlisting experts to determine whether the information leaked by a TSMC engineer involves serious national core critical technologies. However, the official also noted that TSMC’s key production parameters and trade secrets are stored in segmented parts; if the leaker only obtained a portion, other companies would be unable to use it even if acquired.