former TSMC senior vice president Wei-Jen Lo has reportedly joined Intel as vice president of research and development, according to a Liberty Times report cited by TrendForce. Lo is said to have started in late October after retiring from TSMC in July. the report claims that before his retirement he asked subordinates to brief him on and copy internal documents covering TSMC’s 2 nm, A16, A14 and other next-generation process technologies. at the time the requests appeared routine, but TSMC is investigating and considering possible action and local media say the matter could draw scrutiny under national-security laws if the allegations are confirmed.
concerns around the reported move come amid recent legal action tied to TSMC’s 2 nm development. on August 27 Taiwan’s High Prosecutors Office indicted three TSMC engineers for stealing core technology files related to 2 nm, seeking 7-14 years in prison. the Liberty Times account would mark a second major leak involving 2 nm material if the allegations are substantiated. the timing also intersects with industry roadmaps: Intel is pushing its 18A node into mass production and targets 14A production in 2027, while TSMC plans to begin mass production of A16 in the second half of 2026.
Lo spent 21 years at TSMC and was credited with playing a key role in building its technology portfolio. Commercial Times reported that the team accumulated more than 1,500 patents during his tenure, including about 1,000 in the U.S., and that he retained the trust of founder Morris Chang and remained in his role until age 75, well past TSMC’s typical retirement age of 67. Liberty Times says Lo’s role at Intel involves overseeing advanced equipment and module development from research and development through pre-production, work closely tied to yield improvement. the report also raises questions about whether Lo was bound by TSMC’s usual 18-month non-compete agreement, with some sources suggesting he may not have signed one.
