Shang-yi Chiang, the former executive VP and co-chief operating officer overseeing R&D for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has been appointed by Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) as an independent. non-executive director of the China-based pure-play foundry. The appointment became effective on December 20.

Chiang ended his position as an advisor to the chairman of TSMC at the end of 2015, according to the Taiwan-based foundry. Chang's new position as an independent director will not violate the non-compete clause, TSMC noted.

TSMC in September 2013 announced Chiang would retire from the company but continue to serve as an advisor to the chairman and sit on the company's board of directors meetings. Chiang joined TSMC in 1997 and led the foundry's R&D team through five generations of technology from 0.25-micron to 65nm. Chiang first retired in 2006, but was invited by Chang to return in 2009. From 2009 to 2013, Chiang led TSMC's R&D through the 28nm and 20nm processes and into the 16nm FinFET generation.

In addition, speculation has circulated in the semiconductor industry that Mong-song Liang has left Samsung and is going to join SMIC. Liang had been sued by TSMC for about four years in a case involving trade secrets.

Taiwan's top court in August 2015 ruled in favor of TSMC in the case against Liang, prohibiting Liang from working for Samsung in any form until the end of the year. About a year later, Liang departed from Samsung, according to the speculation which has not been confirmed.

Liang was previously accused of revealing TSMC's trade secrets and patents related to its advanced process technology to Samsung, which beat TSMC in the 14/16nm race.

Liang was formerly a senior director of R&D at TSMC's advanced modules technology division, and had worked for the foundry for about 17 years. Liang was one of the key figures assisting in TSMC's establishment of advanced process module development and traffic patterns.