Zhang Huy (Hao Zhang)

Zhang Huy (Hao Zhang)

Biography

2020: For theft of secrets the American semiconductor companies have 1.5 years of prison

At the beginning of September, 2020 it became known that District court of Northern California Hai Zhang sentenced the citizen of China to 1.5 years of imprisonment, having found him guilty of theft of trade secrets at the American semiconductor companies Avago Technologies and Skyworks Solutions.

In addition to a prison term, Hai Zhang was sentenced to compensation payment to the specified companies in the amount of $477 thousand.

In addition to Zhang, charges were brought to five more his accomplices. All of them are at large in China. Zhang was arrested in attempt of entry into the USA in 2015.

According to the investigation, Zhang and his accomplice Wei Pang got acquainted in the Southern University of California while they worked on doctoral dissertations. Their scientific activity was connected with the thin-film cavity acoustic resonator — Basic Element of the perspective systems and means of communication, navigation, a radar-location, monitoring and robotics. The project was financed by Management of perspective research projects of the U.S. Department of Defense.

In 2006-2007 Zhang, Pang and four more citizens of China agreed with the National university in Tianjin about transfer of the commercial secrets connected with production of the resonator. In 2009 they left the USA and got a job in the university to which transferred data.

After a while the group created in China joint venture under the name ROFS Microsystems for serial release of resonators on the basis of drawings and documentation which managed to be stolen from the American developers.

According to the investigation, the group could catch not only the description of the part, but also documentation which allowed to build "the modern line of serial production of resonators" in China and to win delivery contracts of parts to commercial and military customers. Information obtained in the USA was also transferred to the government and army of China.^[1]

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