[News Today] SAMSUNG SEMICONDUCTOR TECH LEAK

[LEAD]
Samsung Electronics has charged a former executive who allegedly stole proprietary semiconductor technology worth trillions of won to start a chip company in China. Using this core technology, the executive is said to have produced a prototype within a year by recruiting skilled personnel from Samsung.

[REPORT]
Chengdu Gaozhen says its goal is to become a mecca of the Chinese semiconductor sector.

It was founded four years ago by a man who used to hold high-ranking positions at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in a joint effort with a local government in China.

He also scouted talented individuals in the field.
One of the people he hired is a former senior researcher at Samsung Electronics.

Police found evidence that Samsung's semiconductor manufacturing technology was leaked at the time.

They found a semiconductor fabrication chart in the residence of the former Samsung researcher, who was in charge of fabrication design at the new firm.

The leaked technologies include the PRP technology for organizing fabrication order and key conditions, and the MTS technology for quality improvement.

Prof. Lee Jong-hwan / Sangmyung University
Fabrication conditions are determined through numerous evaluations. It can take 5 years to set them up, but manufacturing can begin within months.

Using this method, the firm succeeded at completing pilot wafer production in just one year and three months instead of the usual 4-5 years.

Police believe an entire package of core semiconductor technologies was leaked that way.

Cho Kwang-hyun / Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
The cost of fabrication development reaches KRW 4.3 tn (USD 3.2 bn). Given the economic impact, the actual amount of damage is hard to estimate.

Police have arrested and transferred the two men to the prosecution and are investigating some 30 other employees of the firm.

Police are also urging caution from those in related technological fields, as the Chinese company has been found to have promised generous remuneration to steal human resources, but fired them two or three years later.