A South Korean court has sentenced a former Samsung engineer, identified as Jeon, to seven years in prison for stealing trade secrets. Jeon, who worked at Samsung for 28 years, was convicted of illegally obtaining the company's 600-step Process Recipe Plan.
The stolen data detailed Samsung's 18nm-class DRAM fabrication processes. Jeon joined ChangXin Memory Technologies in 2016, testifying that the firm lacked research facilities at its start. CXMT later began mass producing 18nm memory in 2023 using this IP.
The ruling confirms CXMT stole intellectual property to accelerate its production capabilities. While Samsung spent five years developing the 18nm node, CXMT utilized the stolen PRP to bypass development hurdles, significantly impacting the global DRAM market.