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IBM Heralds 3-D Chip Breakthrough
David Kesmodel from WSJ writes to let us know about an IBM breakthrough: a practical three-dimensional semiconductor chip that can be stacked on top of another electronic device in a vertical configuration. Chip makers have worked for years to develop ways to connect one type of chip to another vertically to reduce size and power use. The IBM technique of "through-silicon vias" offers a thousand-fold reduction in connector length and a hundred-fold increase in connector density. The new chips may appear in cellphones and other communication devices as soon as next year. PhysOrg has more details.
Someone please to be taging story "Skynet"! I indeed am for one welcomiming outr new multiply layered siliconical overloads!
Will code for new sig.
It's likely that we'll see custom integration before standards like that settle out. When cell phone vendors crank out tens of millions of a given model, the economy of scale can be achieved reasonably. It won't be much different than the custom IC work that already happens in some devices like this. (The iPhone is a well known example).
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
DISCLAIMER: Of course I didn't RTFA - cmon man, this is /. v2.0...
From the summary saying how it would mostly see use in cellphones and the like, I would think it would operate at low enough speeds/voltages to be able to get by with passive cooling...
How much power is lost due to the interconnects right now? What fraction of power can be saved by almost eliminating the long wires?
You think you're scared now, just wait until the alien patent lawyers show up
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
Quite funny to perfect this now, with thermal considerations already dominating chip design costs. A nice little bit of space saving if it pans out for the super-compact, low-power cellphone market. For any other application, pretty much worthless. It might have some applications at the high end to increase supercompting bandwidth for systems where the half the cost is the cooling system. After the planet runs out of refinable bauxite, some prime locations with fat connections to the hydro grid would become available for server centers based on this technology.