TSMC 2nm Leak Case: Ex-Engineer Chen Li-Ming Sentenced to 10 Years for National Security Law Violations
A former TSMC engineer, Chen Li-Ming, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the National Security Act by leaking critical 2nm technology secrets to Tokyo Electron, a semiconductor equipment supplier. Other current and former employees also received sentences, and Tokyo Electron was fined for its supervisory negligence.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 12:54
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 13:01 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 02:01 (12h 59m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lin Chang-Shun, Taipei, 27th) Former TSMC engineer Chen Li-Ming, current engineers Wu Ping-Chun, Ge Yi-Ping, Chen Wei-Jie, and others were indicted by prosecutors for allegedly leaking key technologies and violating the National Security Act. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court today sentenced Chen Li-Ming to 10 years imprisonment for violating the National Security Act and other offenses, a judgment that can be appealed.
In addition, Wu Ping-Chun and Ge Yi-Ping were sentenced to 3 years and 2 years imprisonment, respectively; TSMC engineer Chen Wei-Jie was sentenced to 6 years, and Tokyo Electron employee Lu Yi-Yin was sentenced to 10 months, with a 3-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay NT$1 million to the public treasury. Tokyo Electron Limited was fined NT$150 million, with a 3-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay NT$100 million to TSMC and NT$50 million to the public treasury.
Prosecutors from the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's Intellectual Property Branch pointed out that Chen Li-Ming had served as an engineer in the yield department of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's Fab 12. After his resignation, he joined the marketing department of Tokyo Electron Limited, a semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier for TSMC.
Prosecutors stated that from the second half of 2023 to the first half of last year, Chen Li-Ming, in order to help Tokyo Electron secure more advanced process equipment supplier sites for TSMC, repeatedly requested current TSMC engineers Wu Ping-Chun and Ge Yi-Ping to provide critical technology and trade secrets, which were photographed and reproduced to facilitate Tokyo Electron's review and improvement of etching machine performance, thereby striving for qualifications to supply mass-production etching equipment for TSMC's 2nm process.
After TSMC discovered abnormalities, an internal investigation was launched, suspecting that current and former employees had illegally obtained key technologies and trade secrets. On July 8 last year, TSMC filed a complaint. Prosecutors from the Intellectual Property Branch, from July 25 to 28 of the same year, directed the Investigation Bureau to conduct searches and interviews, after which Chen Li-Ming, Wu Ping-Chun, and Ge Yi-Ping were approved for detention and solitary confinement.
On August 27 last year, the Intellectual Property Branch indicted the three individuals for theft of trade secrets with intent to use abroad, theft of trade secrets, and use of national core key technologies and trade secrets abroad, all under the Trade Secrets Act and National Security Act. Prosecutors sought 14 years imprisonment for Chen Li-Ming, 9 years for Wu Ping-Chun, and 7 years for Ge Yi-Ping.
Prosecutors subsequently determined that Tokyo Electron Limited had supervisory responsibility over Chen Li-Ming, but beyond insufficient internal regulations, it did not make sufficient efforts to prevent such behavior and should bear corporate criminal responsibility. It was involved in 4 offenses under the National Security Act, among others, and was additionally indicted, with a recommended fine of NT$120 million.
To clarify whether Tokyo Electron Limited met the National Security Act's requirement of "making sufficient efforts to prevent" such behavior, prosecutors later discovered that Tokyo Electron Limited's cloud drive still contained TSMC's national core key technologies, namely trade secret data such as "IC manufacturing technology for processes below 14nm and its key gases, chemicals, and equipment technology."
In January this year, the Intellectual Property Branch additionally indicted Chen Li-Ming, TSMC employee Chen Wei-Jie, Tokyo Electron Limited, and employee Lu Yi-Yin. Prosecutors sought 7 years imprisonment for Chen Li-Ming, 8 years and 8 months for Chen Wei-Jie, 1 year for Lu Yi-Yin (involved in destroying evidence), and a recommended fine of NT$25 million for Tokyo Electron Limited. (Editor: Chen Ching-Fang) 1150427
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(Central News Agency reporter Lin Chang-Shun, Taipei, 27th) Former TSMC engineer Chen Li-Ming, current engineers Wu Ping-Chun, Ge Yi-Ping, Chen Wei-Jie, and others were indicted by prosecutors for allegedly leaking key technologies and violating the National Security Act. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court today sentenced Chen Li-Ming to 10 years imprisonment for violating the National Security Act and other offenses, a judgment that can be appealed.
In addition, Wu Ping-Chun and Ge Yi-Ping were sentenced to 3 years and 2 years imprisonment, respectively; TSMC engineer Chen Wei-Jie was sentenced to 6 years, and Tokyo Electron employee Lu Yi-Yin was sentenced to 10 months, with a 3-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay NT$1 million to the public treasury. Tokyo Electron Limited was fined NT$150 million, with a 3-year suspended sentence, and ordered to pay NT$100 million to TSMC and NT$50 million to the public treasury.
Prosecutors from the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's Intellectual Property Branch pointed out that Chen Li-Ming had served as an engineer in the yield department of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's Fab 12. After his resignation, he joined the marketing department of Tokyo Electron Limited, a semiconductor manufacturing equipment supplier for TSMC.
Prosecutors stated that from the second half of 2023 to the first half of last year, Chen Li-Ming, in order to help Tokyo Electron secure more advanced process equipment supplier sites for TSMC, repeatedly requested current TSMC engineers Wu Ping-Chun and Ge Yi-Ping to provide critical technology and trade secrets, which were photographed and reproduced to facilitate Tokyo Electron's review and improvement of etching machine performance, thereby striving for qualifications to supply mass-production etching equipment for TSMC's 2nm process.
After TSMC discovered abnormalities, an internal investigation was launched, suspecting that current and former employees had illegally obtained key technologies and trade secrets. On July 8 last year, TSMC filed a complaint. Prosecutors from the Intellectual Property Branch, from July 25 to 28 of the same year, directed the Investigation Bureau to conduct searches and interviews, after which Chen Li-Ming, Wu Ping-Chun, and Ge Yi-Ping were approved for detention and solitary confinement.
On August 27 last year, the Intellectual Property Branch indicted the three individuals for theft of trade secrets with intent to use abroad, theft of trade secrets, and use of national core key technologies and trade secrets abroad, all under the Trade Secrets Act and National Security Act. Prosecutors sought 14 years imprisonment for Chen Li-Ming, 9 years for Wu Ping-Chun, and 7 years for Ge Yi-Ping.
Prosecutors subsequently determined that Tokyo Electron Limited had supervisory responsibility over Chen Li-Ming, but beyond insufficient internal regulations, it did not make sufficient efforts to prevent such behavior and should bear corporate criminal responsibility. It was involved in 4 offenses under the National Security Act, among others, and was additionally indicted, with a recommended fine of NT$120 million.
To clarify whether Tokyo Electron Limited met the National Security Act's requirement of "making sufficient efforts to prevent" such behavior, prosecutors later discovered that Tokyo Electron Limited's cloud drive still contained TSMC's national core key technologies, namely trade secret data such as "IC manufacturing technology for processes below 14nm and its key gases, chemicals, and equipment technology."
In January this year, the Intellectual Property Branch additionally indicted Chen Li-Ming, TSMC employee Chen Wei-Jie, Tokyo Electron Limited, and employee Lu Yi-Yin. Prosecutors sought 7 years imprisonment for Chen Li-Ming, 8 years and 8 months for Chen Wei-Jie, 1 year for Lu Yi-Yin (involved in destroying evidence), and a recommended fine of NT$25 million for Tokyo Electron Limited. (Editor: Chen Ching-Fang) 1150427
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a power to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.