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.

Comments

I wonder how they will cool this?

[LiquidCoooled]

Surely they need to cool the components in the middle of the stack?
Unless they decide to leave some of the holes open then anything in the middle is going to overheat?

I always imagined this kind of tech running on some kind of multi layered wire fence with plenty of room for cooling.

Incidentally, didn't Hitachi beat them to the whole 3d element thing?
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/research/recording_h ead/pr/PerpendicularAnimation.html