Taipei, Nov. 19 -- Prosecutors have launched an investigation into allegations that a former executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) stole the chipmaker's secrets related to its advanced processes and transferred them to a foreign entity, Focus Taiwan reported.

The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said Tuesday its Intellectual Property Branch has initiated the probe into the actions of Lo Wei-jen, who allegedly stole restricted information on TSMC's 2 nanometer, A16 and A14 processes before retiring as TSMC's senior vice president for corporate strategy development in July.

Fears are that he then turned over the trade secrets to Intel, his former employer, when he returned to work at the American chipmaking rival in lat...