German Engineer Gets 3 Years for Leaking ASML, NXP Tech to Russia

Key Takeaways

1. A German engineer, Aksenov, received a three-year prison sentence for illegally transferring secret semiconductor technology to Russia.
2. Aksenov copied sensitive design files and documents from ASML and NXP onto external drives, which were found in his home.
3. The transferred information is believed to have potentially reached the Russian FSB intelligence agency.
4. ASML and NXP are key targets for espionage due to their valuable intellectual property in electronics.
5. Aksenov’s claim that he was not spying was rejected by the court, which noted violations of EU sanctions against providing technology to Russia.

A Rotterdam court has given a three-year prison sentence to German Aksenov, a 43-year-old ex-process engineer who worked at ASML and NXP, for illegally transferring secret semiconductor technology to a contact in Russia.

Details of the Case

Investigators discovered that Aksenov had copied design files and production-line documents from his company’s servers onto USB drives and external hard drives, which were later found in his home. He also shared manufacturing information with a Russian associate, and prosecutors suspect that these materials eventually made their way to the FSB intelligence agency.

Importance of the Companies

ASML, the only provider of extreme-ultraviolet lithography equipment crucial for modern chip-making, along with NXP, known for co-developing near-field communication technology, are major targets for spying due to the significant value of their intellectual property in both civilian and military electronics. Even though prosecutors asked for a four-year sentence, the court decided on a shorter term after finding no proof that Aksenov received payment for the information.

Court Proceedings

During previous hearings, Aksenov acknowledged having company files but insisted he wasn’t spying, claiming they were meant to “keep up with professional knowledge.” The court dismissed this claim, emphasizing that the engineer intentionally took restricted materials without considering compliance with sanctions.

The ruling points out breaches of European Union sanctions that were put in place in 2014, which forbid offering “technical assistance” or restricted technologies to Russian organizations.

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