Federal prosecutors have accused six Chinese citizens as economic spies for allegedly stealing technology, related to radio frequency filtering.  The technology was reportedly taken from two U.S. companies -  Avago Technologies Ltd. and Skyworks Solutions In.c - that developed the source code.

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Hao Zhang, a 36-year-old professor of Tianjin University has been arrested by federal authorities in Los Angeles after arriving from China. The U.S. authorities believed that another Chinese professor, 35-year-old Wei Pang and four of their alleged companions are in China.

The two Chinese professors are facing 32 indictments related to the economic espionage charges. According to the documents, Pang and Zhang were conducting research that involves the use of acoustic technology, where The United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contributed funds to the research.

Pang was eventually employed by Avago Technologies based in Colorado while Skyworks Solutions located in Massachusetts hired Zhang. 

Simply known as FBAR technology, its primary application is to "filter incoming and outgoing wireless signals" from mobile devices such as phones, in which, can also be used for military communications.

Prosecutors stated that the six accused started asking for funds from various universities in China in order to start replicating the FBAR technology in their country. It is alleged that officials from the Tianjin University arrived in the U.S. to meet with the conspirators, and during their meeting, the university officials agreed to bankroll their proposed fabrication facility. It was decided then that the two professors maintain their job with their U.S. employers while the facility is being set up.

After almost a year, the two resigned from their companies and started to work for Tianjin University, where they set up a joint venture called ROFS Microsystem for the purpose of mass producing the FBAR technology.

According to FBI San Francisco Head David Johnson, the alleged conspirators conducted a "methodical ...effort to obtain...valuable U.S. technology".

Zhang is under custody in San Jose, Ca. where his trial will take place.

TagsDARPA, FBAR, Tianjin University, economic espionage, China economic news, ROFS, mobile devices, telecommunications, technology