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The smart devices we use every day, phones, cars, even medical monitors, have a common denominator: semiconductors, sometimes called “chips.” These tiny marvels are the unseen hands powering our digital lives. But as the world gets more connected, chips themselves face unseen threats: supply chain vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, and the risk of tampering or counterfeiting. We believe that trust in technology must be built from the ground up, starting with the very materials that form each chip.
A World in Flux Needs Secure Chips
Geopolitical tensions and the race for high performance computing have turned chip security into a global concern. Imagine a hospital relying on a counterfeit chip in a life–saving device, or a power grid thrown into chaos by a hacked microcontroller. These scenarios aren’t science fiction but real – world risks.
Chip security and cybersecurity are two sides of the same coin
Chip security means protecting hardware from physical tampering and counterfeiting. Cybersecurity addresses digital threats, like hacking or data breaches, that arise as chips become ever more connected. For Example, think of the Internet of Things or AI – powered infrastructure.
Breaking Down the Basics:
- Chip Security: Like a safe, a chip needs robust locks, tamper – resistant designs, secure manufacturing, and traceable provenance. Threats range from “hardware Trojans” (malicious code hidden in manufacturing) to fake chips that may fail at critical moments.
- Cybersecurity: As chips get “smarter,” they become prime targets for cyber – attacks. From power grids to autonomous vehicles, a single compromised chip can have cascading effects. Key concerns include supply chain attacks, data leaks, and even chips being used for adversarial military purposes.
Regulators around the world, like those behind the U.S. Chip Security Act, are demanding stronger safeguards, such as traceable materials and built – in verification. For non–experts, think of it like food safety: in the same way we track ingredients to prevent contamination, the chip industry traces every component to keep technology safe and reliable.
Building the Foundations: Our Secure Semiconductor Portfolio
Our Electronics business is at the core of the global chipmaking ecosystem. But we’re not just a supplier of raw materials. We’re a science partner, innovator, and a trusted steward of secure technology.
How We Enable Secure Chips:
- Photoresists & Patterning: Our advanced photoresists, crucial for photolithography, help manufacturers draw circuit patterns only a few nanometers wide (smaller than a DNA strand). This extraordinary precision supports security features like “hardware roots of trust”, chip elements that prove authenticity and resist tampering.
- Hardmasks & Process Materials: From cleaning agents to protective coatings, our hardmasks help build multi–layered chip structures, defending against reverse engineering or physical attacks.
- Directed Self – Assembly & Functional Thin Films: These smart materials enable molecules to “self – organize,” lowering production costs and energy use while embedding new layers of security, such as tamper detection circuits designed into the chip’s very structure.
- Delivery Systems & Consulting: Security isn’t just about materials but how they're handled. Our equipment and consulting ensure safe, traceable delivery of chemicals and components, securing the supply chain from start to finish.
Raising the Bar with Metrology:
In 2024, we acquired Unity – SC – a leader in precision metrology. Their tools measure chip features at the nanoscale, catching defects (or signs of interference) before chips leave the factory. It’s an extra layer of protection that keeps vulnerable or altered chips out of the world’s most critical systems.
Why This Matters:
As AI and next – generation networks drive demand for ever more advanced chips, our materials stand as the unsung heroes behind secure, high – performance computing. Like a master chef who meticulously verifies every ingredient in a gourmet dish, we ensure that our materials are pure, authentic, and traceable, safeguarding technology from counterfeit infiltration and supply chain sabotage.
Cyber – Physical Security: Where Digital Trust Meets the Real World
Being a material science leader is just the start. We are now a driver of cyber – physical trust. A new way to secure technology that blends physical and digital worlds.
Introducing the M-Trust™ Platform:
Launched in 2025, M-Trust™ links any product to its digital data with security features integrated into the value chain enabling seamless traceability and verification of a chip, wafer or any key component. Like a virtual record that tracks the product from factory to final use. This is more than data logging; it’s real-time, tamper-evident verification that each chip is genuine and unchanged and that met every quality step throughout the value chain.
- How it Works:
Every time a chip moves, between suppliers, testers, or end-users, authenticity and compliance is verified with M-Trust™ technology. This is specially useful in highly regulated industries where traceability and quality are paramount. Secure data logging and anti-counterfeiting features prevent supply chain exploits and unauthorized diversions. - Why it Matters:
In a world where chips can be rerouted, altered, or counterfeited, the M-Trust™ platform gives manufacturers and customers confidence, knowing that their products are both authentic and secure.
A Commitment Beyond Compliance:
Our technology builds on the principles outlined in our Sustainability Report: data protection, cyber resilience, and a holistic approach to digital security. Our internal practices, from AI-powered threat detection to robust vendor risk management, create ripple effects across the industry, raising the standard for everyone.