Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: SEMATECH, SIA and SRC Team to Establish New Collaborative Program for Enabling 3D ICs

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Abstract:
Industry pulls together to develop industry standards to guide 3D integration and accelerate technology adoption

SEMATECH, SIA and SRC Team to Establish New Collaborative Program for Enabling 3D ICs

Albany, NY & Washington, DC | Posted on December 8th, 2010

SEMATECH, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), and Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) announced today they have established a new 3D Enablement program to drive cohesive industry standardization efforts and technical specifications for heterogeneous 3D integration.

Administered by SEMATECH's 3D Interconnect program, based at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany, working in partnership with SRC, the program aims to establish the infrastructure necessary for the industry to leverage 3D packaging technology for innovative new applications.

The new 3D Enablement program, launched by a group of existing member companies in SIA and SEMATECH, will focus primarily on developing technologies and specifications necessary for establishing standards in critical areas such as inspection, metrology, microbumping, bonding and thin wafer and die handling. To achieve this SEMATECH will partner with SRC to enable select university research projects.

"This initiative underscores the importance of industry-wide convergence on infrastructure and standards. SEMATECH will leverage its existing 3D capabilities to lead a more collaborative approach to reduce risks and development costs for the participants," said Dan Armbrust, president and CEO of SEMATECH. "The 3D Enablement program has been established to bring down the barriers to integrating chips from different suppliers for adoption of 3D technologies in high volume manufacturing."

"The semiconductor industry, specifically the development of 3D integration, is at an inflection point," said Dr. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president and director of research at IBM and chair of SIA's technology steering committee. "In tackling the challenges faced by lack of standardization, we will have deep collaboration with SEMATECH and SRC addressing both bonding processes and 3D inspection. The program will accelerate the adoption of 3D integration technology."

"The lack of convergence will delay industry success. The 3D Enablement program serves as a common ground to serve a broad industry base," said Larry W. Sumney, president and CEO of SRC. "SRC has extensive university programs and expertise. Combined with SEMATECH's existing efforts in developing 3D technologies, we will pursue an ambitious interface standardization for 3D integration to enable the commercialization of 3D ICs."

3D ICs will play an important role in the semiconductor industry, given their potential to alleviate scaling limitations, increase performance and functionality, and reduce cost. While research on 3D technologies has been ongoing for many years, they have not yet made it to mainstream production due to lack of uniform standards and a limited understanding of key manufacturing parameters. In order to build critical industry infrastructure and drive 3D into mainstream high volume manufacturing, the industry will need to come to a consensus on the most promising and cost-effective options.

The program will address these industry infrastructure gaps in phases. First efforts will focus on developing the necessary standards and technical specifications, followed by planning activities to identify the key areas for developing design tools to support 3D chip design.

The program will address these industry infrastructure gaps in phases. First efforts will focus on developing the necessary standards and technical specifications, followed by planning activities to identify the key areas for developing design tools to support 3D chip design.

Designed to meet the needs of diverse business models, the 3D Enablement program is open to international fabless, fab-lite and IDM companies, outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) suppliers, and tool vendors.

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About SEMATECH
For over 20 years, SEMATECH® (www.sematech.org), the international consortium of leading semiconductor manufacturers, has set global direction, enabled flexible collaboration, and bridged strategic R&D to manufacturing. Today, we continue accelerating the next technology revolution with our nanoelectronics and emerging technology partners.

About SIA
The SIA is the voice of the U.S. semiconductor industry, America's number-one export industry over the past five years. SIA seeks to continue U.S. leadership in this critical sector that employs 185,000 people in the U.S. and provides the enabling technology for America's $1.1 trillion high-tech industries with a U.S. workforce of nearly 6 million people. More information about the SIA can be found at www.sia-online.org.

About SRC
Celebrating 28 years of collaborative research for the semiconductor industry, SRC defines industry needs, invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the National Medal of Technology, America’s highest recognition for contributions to technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier students to help innovate and transfer semiconductor technology to the commercial industry. For more information, visit www.src.org.

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Contacts:
SEMATECH Media Contacts:
Erica McGill
518-487-8256

Anne Englander
512-771-7431

SIA Media Contact:
Kirsten Romer
202-446-1707

SRC Media Contact:
Dan Francisco
The Francisco Group for SRC
916-293-9030