Luo Weiren, former Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy at TSMC, has joined Intel as Vice President of R&D, sparking industry concerns about potential leakage of 2nm process technology. The 75-year-old semiconductor veteran, who holds over 15,000 patents, retired from TSMC in July after 21 years of service and joined Intel just three months later.
According to industry reports, Luo's new role focuses on "advanced equipment and module development from R&D to pre-production"—directly addressing Intel's urgent need to improve advanced process yields. Intel has not yet commented on the appointment.
The move is particularly sensitive because:
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Luo reportedly did not sign TSMC's standard non-compete agreement, which would have prohibited him from joining a competitor for 18 months
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Industry sources claim he ordered extensive copying of TSMC's 2nm, A16, and A14 process documentation before retirement
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He also required core R&D teams to provide technical briefings, actions that went unquestioned due to his senior position
TSMC faces a dilemma:
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Intel is both a major competitor and key advanced process customer
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Luo is a highly respected veteran who contributed significantly to TSMC's technology leadership
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If confidential information was transferred, this would constitute serious trade secret violation
Luo's expertise spans TSMC's entire technology roadmap from mature nodes to 3nm and 2nm processes. His knowledge could significantly accelerate Intel's 2nm development efforts, which have struggled with yield issues and mobile chip customer adoption.
This incident follows another 2nm security breach at TSMC in August, when several employees were arrested for allegedly stealing confidential process technology.
ICgoodFind :While talent mobility is normal, this high-profile case highlights growing concerns about intellectual property protection in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
