SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers from RTI International have developed a platform technology for integrating multiple layers of silicon into three-dimensional integrated circuits. The new technology, based on high-performance infrared focal plane array detectors, promises to dramatically enhance the on-chip signal-processing capabilities of sensor and actuator devices.
The RTI International (Research Triangle Park, N.C.) researchers presented their work at the International Electron Devices Meeting yesterday (Dec. 11).
The high-density 3-D integration technology uses a back-end, circuits-first methodology and is compatible with standard bulk CMOS IC wafers.
In this approach, all processes employed in the stacking of the silicon IC layers and the fabrication of vertical interconnects are conducted at low temperatures (less than 200 degrees C). The bonding of individual device layers is done in either a die-to-die or die-to-wafer configuration, which allows only known-good die to be processed.
Since each die is aligned in a separate bonding event, the accuracy of the alignment is better than what can be achieved in a standard wafer-to-wafer process, say the researchers. The technology is promising for the formation of 3-D interconnects with high aspect ratios, a key feature for compatibility with bulk silicon IC wafers.
The ICs in the separate layers communicate by means of 3-D interconnects — insulated and metallized vias etched through the body of the chips.
Potential applications of the technology include high-performance focal plane detector arrays, where the ability to integrate multiple layers of silicon electronics within the footprint of each pixel will open doors to readout circuits whose functionality is dramatically improved, say the researchers.
A test chip's histogram showed that the 3-D 256 x 256 array reaches a 97.5 percent operability level. This proves that the 3-D interconnects can transfer the photon response to the detector pixels with high interoperability and without the introduction of additional noise.
The work was done in conjunction with DRS Infrared Technologies under contract to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and is being applied in a government program to take pictures in outer space.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
