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Jan 26, 2021 -- 삼성전자·SK하이닉스 반도체 핵심기술 유출...중국 경쟁업체 넘어가

https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0103_202101262017550013

via Google Translate

Title: Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix' Semiconductor Core Technology Leaked... to Chinese Competitors

(This article seems to be a written down version of the TV news segment.)

[anchor] A bunch of business partners who leaked SK Hynix's advanced semiconductor technology to Chinese competitors were handed over to trial.

They were caught trying to make and sell semiconductor equipment worth billions of won after stealing the core technology of Samsung Electronics' subsidiaries.

This is reporter Han Dong-oh.

[reporter] This is a cleaning operation that removes impurities in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

It is a key technology that determines the most suitable mixing ratio, spraying sequence, and speed while performing the process with tens of thousands of substrates or more.

Officials from partner companies who leaked SK hynix's cleaning recipe and the latest DRAM semiconductor manufacturing process technology to China were caught by the prosecution.

It was investigated that they secretly handed over key national technologies and information learned through collaboration with manufacturers to Chinese competitors.

In addition, it was revealed that the drawings of semiconductor cleaning equipment developed by a semiconductor equipment company, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, were acquired through former employees.

They also used this information to make their own semiconductor cleaning equipment for export, which costs about 7 billion won per unit.

The prosecution explained that the company appears to have stolen key technologies to expand sales channels in China.

Business officials are said to have admitted to the leak in the prosecution's investigation, but denied that they did not know it was important information.

The prosecution has been investigating for six months after obtaining information from the Industrial Confidential Protection Center under the National Intelligence Service that domestic core technologies have been leaked to China.

The prosecution prosecuted five people, including the head of a research institute of a partner company, for violating the Industrial Technology Protection Act, and indicted 12 people without custody.

Equipment made with the leaked technology was caught before being sold to China, and exports were blocked.