Intel Rejects TSMC Claim Linking New Hire to Trade-Secret Leak

Intel has denied accusations from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) that one of its senior hires leaked confidential technology after joining the U.S. chip company.

The allegations centre on Wei-Jen Lo, a former senior vice-president at TSMC who moved to Intel in October.

In a lawsuit filed with Taiwan’s Intellectual Property and Commercial Court, TSMC alleges Lo may have shared sensitive information relating to cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing.

Intel said it sees no basis for TSMC’s claim. In a statement, the company said it enforces strict policies preventing employees from bringing or using confidential data from previous employers. It also described Lo as a respected industry figure with decades of experience.

• TSMC lawsuit raises concerns over talent mobility and IP protection in the chip industry
• Intel rejects claims of leaked semiconductor technology tied to former TSMC executive
• Legal case underscores rising scrutiny in the global race for chip manufacturing leadership

Lo spent more than two decades at TSMC overseeing development of advanced chip-production nodes — including 5-nanometre, 3-nm and 2-nm technologies. Before that, he worked at Intel for 18 years. TSMC said the combination of his role and recent move creates what it calls a “high probability” of trade-secret exposure.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said it will support the investigation, including whether national security rules or technology-protection laws were breached. The legal action highlights increasing tensions surrounding talent movement and intellectual-property protection in the semiconductor industry. As manufacturers race to advance chip-production technology, employee transfers between rivals have drawn more scrutiny from regulators and governments.

No court date has been announced, and neither company has detailed what specific information is alleged to have been leaked.

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TSMC remains the world’s largest contract chipmaker, while Intel is pushing to regain technological leadership and expand its foundry business.