Chemical Engineer Faces Theft Charges

A federal grand jury in Texas has indicted Mattias Tezock, a chemical engineer, for stealing trade secrets from his former employer, Voltaix, and setting up a competing business. Voltaix, owned by Air Liquide, makes high-purity germane (GeH₄) used in semiconductors and solar cells. After Tezock left Voltaix in 2005, the indictment charges, he set up a company near Dallas called Metaloid Precursors that makes GeH₄ using trade secrets stolen while he worked at Voltaix. Tezock pled not guilty; he is scheduled to go on trial in mid-August. Tezock’s attorney says Tezock and company shareholders “vehemently deny any allegation of wrongdoing made by the U.S. and Voltaix.”