Follow the latest coverage, related explainers and connected technology stories.
Researchers from VUSec and Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna have disclosed a Branch Target Reuse attack that exploits remnants of processor predictions after memory reuse in JIT engines, enabling them to extract the root password hash from Linux within 3 to 5 minutes in tests on Intel processors.
Nexstrom has raised a $12 million seed funding round to develop equipment that grows 2D semiconductor materials directly on 300 mm wafers. The company aims to help chip fabs produce TMD materials in commercial quantities, but does not expect its equipment to be ready for commercial production before the period between 2030 and 2035.
Semiconductor Engineering’s weekly review reveals the synchronization of several shifts in the chip industry: memory deals, the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure, the rising cost of designing advanced nodes, and the emergence of Chinese equipment suppliers. The developments also show that manufacturing, packaging, power, and security gaps continue to determine markets’ ability to capitalize on growing AI demand.
AWS announced the general availability of Amazon EC2 T8i instances powered by sixth-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, offering up to 30% better price performance compared with T3 instances. The instances target low- to moderate-CPU-utilization workloads while retaining the familiar CPU credit model.
It is not enough for a digital twin to emulate the theoretical design of a package; it must remain synchronized with what production lines actually manufacture, while linking chip, material, supplier, and test data. The article reveals that insufficient context, overlapping physical effects, and the need for continuous calibration are the main obstacles to building a digital twin for advanced chip packages.
Investments by Intel and SK hynix, along with quantum projects in Chicago, are driving the transformation of the U.S. Midwest into a new semiconductor hub. However, the skills shortage and the sustainability of funding will determine whether this transformation becomes a genuine industrial ecosystem or a temporary investment wave.