The AES algorithm is widely used today, whether it’s for encrypting a connection to a website, encrypting data on your hard drive, or storing passwords in your favorite password manager. It has been battle-tested for many decades and is still recommended as one of the most secure algorithms. In this article, I explain how AES encryption works and how the algorithm is implemented.
The side channel resistance includes such matters as ensuring that the cypher takes the same amount of time, regardless of the key, but also such super-sneaky insights as the amount of power used to run the cypher, which can be measured from the CPU temperature. Every bit of the cypher that you can be sure of makes it easier to guess the rest. And even if you coded this algorithm in assembly, the CPU will interpret it as microcode and run that, potentially leaving you vulnerable - this is not straightforward stuff.
Like vzq says, implementing this properly is for a cross-disciplinary team of experts in their fields.