A Taiwanese investigation into the possible theft of chip technology at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is putting a low-profile, lesser-known tech linchpin in Japan under unusual scrutiny.

Tokyo Electron Ltd yesterday said it has fired an employee at its Taiwan subsidiary over their alleged involvement in a trade secret leak at Taiwanese chipmaking giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電).

Two former employees of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and a third suspect have been arrested for allegedly stealing proprietary technology from the world’s biggest chipmaker, prosecutors in Taiwan said on Tuesday.