At SEMICON West, imec leaders Tom Palmaers and Giselle Van Tornout addressed a seldom-discussed but deeply consequential reality: traditional security models often fail in research and development (R&D) environments.

At SEMICON West, Qualcomm’s Daniel O’Loughlin delivered one of the most wide-ranging examinations of semiconductor supply chain security presented at the conference.

Prabhu Jayanna vision for how the semiconductor ecosystem can strengthen trust in the devices it produces. His focus was silicon provenance—a structured, evidence-based approach to proving where a device came from, how it was built, and whether it remained unaltered throughout its lifecycle.

At SEMICON West, Dr. Bertrand Cambou of High Entropy Security explored a fast-evolving challenge in the semiconductor ecosystem: the rise of counterfeit and cloned devices.

Regulatory pressure in the semiconductor industry has reached a historic tipping point. For the first time, global cybersecurity rules are converging in ways that directly reshape how fabs operate, how equipment is designed, and how suppliers demonstrate security to customers around the world.

From synthetic perception to infrared AI and sensor-driven autonomy, the SEMICON TechTALKS session revealed a clear theme: sensors aren’t just collecting data — they’re defining how the world will see and act in real time.

At SEMICON West, industry leaders agreed: Scalable, secure data platforms are now essential for AI-driven semiconductor manufacturing. Federated data sharing, traceability, and edge-to-cloud integration form the digital twin backbone powering intelligent fabs.

Imaging’s role is expanding beyond lithography and inspection into assembly and test. As packages incorporate multiple dies, advanced interconnects, and heterogeneous materials, imaging provides critical visibility into structures that electrical test alone cannot fully characterize.

At SEMICON West, speakers described imaging’s transformation from a reactive inspection function into a proactive intelligence layer. As fabs embrace AI-driven manufacturing, imaging systems are becoming essential data sources for learning, prediction, and optimization across the factory.

Advanced Imaging sessions at SEMICON West underscored a subtle but critical shift: imaging performance is increasingly constrained by materials behavior, particularly advanced dielectrics.