3D chips

After several years of discussions it appears that, notwithstanding the above mentioned "power wall" issues, through-silicon-via technology (TSV) is being pushed by several companies to develop 3 dimensional ICs. Reporting on the GSA Memory Conference, Electronic Times notes that a plethora of companies, including IBM, Intel, Samsung, Toshiba, TSMC are exploring the possibility of stacking current devices in a 3-D configuration. Additionally, a 3-D working group within SEMI met for the first time last week to sketch out the initial wafer and tool standards for TSV technology. SEMI has three task groups within its 3-D group. A fourth group is being formed, which may be led by Applied Materials, Inc.