Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users 
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Acquires xAI in Historic Deal Uniting Space and Artificial Intelligence 
Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch 
Weight-Loss Drug Ads Take Over the Super Bowl as Pharma Embraces Direct-to-Consumer Marketing 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit on Strong Underwriting and Investment Gains 
Asian Stocks Slip as Tech Rout Deepens, Japan Steadies Ahead of Election 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Missouri Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Starbucks’ Diversity and Inclusion Policies 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm 
Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine 
Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
SpaceX Seeks FCC Approval for Massive Solar-Powered Satellite Network to Support AI Data Centers 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
A high-profile arrest rocks Samsung Electronics Co., as a former senior executive, is charged with stealing confidential data to build a counterfeit chip manufacturing plant in China.
The 65-year-old, charged with violating industrial technology regulations, has been accused of illegally acquiring confidential company data, including chip plant detailed engineering data and design drawings, from August 2018 to 2019. The prosecution has also indicted six others - one employee of a Samsung subcontractor and five staff of a Chinese chipmaker company founded by this executive- for their part in this alleged technology theft.
In semiconductor manufacturing, impurities are a big no-no. That's where BED technology comes in - it ensures every step of the production process is free of unwanted extras. The layout can determine the floor plan and dimensions of a chip plant's eight core production processes. Secrets like these are vital for crafting sub-30-nano DRAM and NAND flash chips and are even considered national core technologies.
Unfortunately, not everyone can be trusted with these secrets. Recently, the former executive was caught trying to steal these secrets to build a copy of Samsung Electronics' chip plant away from the company's chip plant in Xian, western China. His plan fell through after a promised investment of US$6.2 billion from a Taiwanese company fell through.
Last year, the former executive received a staggering investment of 460 billion won from Chinese investors. With this influx of funds, he proceeded to build a state-of-the-art chip manufacturing plant in Chengdu based on Samsung technology.
News has emerged that the chip plant, which employed about 200 people from Samsung and SK hynix Inc., illegally obtained Samsung's semiconductor design data and other trade secrets at the executive's behest. Prosecutors allege that the technology leaks cost Samsung a minimum of 300 billion won in damages.
Photo: Kote Puerto/Unsplash
