TSMC, Intel, samsung is a leading manufacturer of semiconductor process technology at present. At present the three are in place ready to launch the latest 10 nm process technology, were hoping to beat the competition to the market, competitive advantage. But recently, samsung but there was a serious leak.

Samsung executives to steal sold 14/10 nm technology secrets to China company?

According to south Korean media reported that south Korean police arrested a samsung System LSI department li executives, the reason is that he sold the company's semiconductor technology secrets to a Chinese company, and the other is the direct rival samsung electronics (who is not open).

It is said that the man sold samsung 14 nm, 10 nm process of confidential information, and it is now the world has not been publicly disclosed anything about 10 nm Exynos processor, but according to the instructions at the beginning of the new flagship Galaxy S8 will be used for the first time.

Reported that samsung has sued the executive, prosecutors will hold more in-depth investigation.

Who will be the "Chinese company"?

Although the report did not reveal whether samsung executives surnamed li will "samsung 14 nm, confidential information of the 10 nm technology" which sold to Chinese company, but as you can see, the report said "the other is the direct rival samsung electronics", and can now be called is samsung's "direct competition" opponent's only TSMC and Intel. And mainland chip foundry leading smic began to mass production 28 nm in the second half of last year, obviously is not samsung "direct competition".

Sure there will be someone questioned said, of course, if it is TSMC, south Korean media should be reported is "leaks to the Taiwan company". However, as early as in 1992, South Korea has admitted that Taiwan is a part of China. So, if it was "TSMC", south Korean media as "China inc" is also reasonable, in addition, if direct said Taiwan company, then the target seems to be more clear and direct.

Present information comprehensively, the samsung executives will "samsung 14 nm, confidential information of the 10 nm technology" to sell to the possibility of TSMC is larger. What's more, samsung and TSMC itself has old grudge, especially on samsung's 14 nm process.

Samsung and TSMC's dark war

In recent years, samsung has been great progress in semiconductor technology, its 14 nm technology as early as December 2014 has already begun to start mass production, leading TSMC at least six months. The samsung was able to successfully transcend TSMC chang love -- the key to the front desk, senior director Liang Mengsong semiconductor and his Huang Guotai, Xia Jinqiu, Zheng Junlong, Hou Yongtian and jian liang of TSMC old subordinate "team" in Taiwan.

Liang Mengsong in 2009 from TSMC, in August to the samsung group into a pavilion at the university, it is learned from that time on, Liang Mengsong gradually gave TSMC secrets to samsung. When 14 nm successful production, samsung Liang Mengsong has the "official" as samsung LSI (i.e., wafer foundry department) technology three and a half years longer.

Why think samsung's success is because Liang Mengsong TSMC secrets leaked to the samsung?

Learned, TSMC commissioned outside experts produced a "TSMC/samsung/IBM product key process structure analysis report", a detailed comparison of three products in recent four generation of the main structure characteristics, as well as the composition of the material.

Because samsung product technology from IBM, in 2009 the company began to mass production of 65 nm process, product characteristics similar to IBM, and TSMC vary enormously. This conforms to the general expected. But to TSMC surprise, and then the samsung 45 nm and then 32 nm, 28 nm generation, and a rapid decline in TSMC differences. Report lists the seven key process characteristics of the transistors, such as the shape of a shallow trench isolation layer, after a period of dielectric layer material combinations, etc., both sides are highly similar.

In addition, samsung 28 nm process p-type transistor electrode silicon germanium compounds, more similar to diamond structure characteristics of TSMC, and IBM's disk U "completely different".

These items as unique as a fingerprint and difficult to imitate the technical features, let TSMC decided that "Liang Mengsong should have leakage of Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company business secrets for the samsung."

This year, and the production of 16, 14 nm FinFET products will be more similar, "from a purely structural analysis may can't tell from samsung or from TSMC company," the report said.

Then, samsung relies on the first production of 14 nm technology got nearly half of the apple A9 order processor, and got the Xiao dragon 820 orders. It also makes the TSMC hit. Fortunately, although TSMC come back on the process technology is samsung, but with a mature and stable 16 nm technology won the A9 apple or half of the order. Here is another samsung is very uncomfortable, so samsung hopes to launch as soon as possible more advanced 10 nm technology, to expand the leading edge.

Techcon 2015 technology conference held at the end of 2015, samsung unveiled the next generation of 10 nm FinFET wafer technology, it is also the first public appearance of 10 nm technology. It also makes the samsung is expected to rob before TSMC 10 nm process mass production. In July this year, qualcomm 830 has landed 10 nm processors Xiao dragon, and will be made by samsung foundry were determined.

In addition, the news that samsung will later in the year production "the second generation of 10 nm chip production process. This means that the samsung may be in production by the end of 10 nm process. TSMC is expected to be 2 to 10 nm process at the end of 2016, began production in 2017.

So if samsung on 10 nm technology is indeed leading TSMC, TSMC may indeed be the front report mentioned in "samsung 14 nm, 10 nm process confidential information" of potential buyers. Before that samsung is "confidential information" in TSMC catch up with the TSMC's success, so why TSMC will not be able to deal with a man as he deals with you?

Of course, this is just a guess. There is no evidence to prove that TSMC is behind the scenes of the samsung leaks buyers. Specific circumstances, we will continue to focus on.