Catching Critical Defects In TSVs And Stacked Chips


Key Takeaways Variation is becoming a bigger problem in multi-die assemblies with TSVs and hybrid bonding. Multi-modal approaches are required to test these devices. AI plays a role in improving defect capture rate and distinguishing between yield-killing and false positives. New methods for interconnecting devices using through-silicon vias (TSVs) and hybrid bonding in stac... » read more

Chiplet Fundamentals For Engineers: eBook


Multi-die assemblies are the next phase of Moore's Law, scaling up and out  to improve performance and add flexibility into designs. By decomposing SoCs into building blocks, yield improves for the individual dies and overall performance increases because a chip is no longer bound by reticle limits. But this is much harder than it sounds. Chiplets don't just snap together like LEGOs, and so... » read more

Surface Metrology for Hybrid Bonding in Advanced Semiconductor Packaging


Achieving a reliable hybrid bond requires both surfaces to be pristine. To support this requirement, metrology methods such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and atomic force profilometry (AFP) are critical for surface characterization and process optimization. AFM delivers localized, high-resolution surface measurements, while AFP provides complementary large-area topography scans that ... » read more

HBM4 Sticks With Microbumps, Postponing Hybrid Bonding


The next generation of high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, was widely expected to require hybrid bonding to unlock a 16-high memory stack. A JEDEC move made that unnecessary with this generation, but it’s merely a postponement, not a cancellation. HBM has been in high demand for AI in data centers — especially for training. Data movement dominates energy consumption, and high-bandwidth memories... » read more

AFM-Based Protocol for Characterizing the Incipient Stages of Plasticity on Hybrid Bonding-Ready Copper Pads (NIST, Intel, Colorado School of Mines)


A new technical paper titled "Probing the Nanoscale Onset of Plasticity in Electroplated Copper for Hybrid Bonding Structures via Multimodal Atomic Force Microscopy" was published by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Intel, and Colorado School of Mines. Excerpt  "The slowdown of Moore’s law has elicited a paradigm shift whereby shrinking of in-plane dim... » read more

3D-IC Market Outlook: Technology Roadmaps, Readiness, And Design Implications


The 3D-IC market outlook is entering a decisive phase as the semiconductor industry transitions beyond the limits of traditional Moore's Law scaling. As performance, power efficiency, and system complexity outpace what planar integration can deliver economically, vertical integration and heterogeneous system design are no longer experimental; they are becoming foundational. Advanced packagin... » read more

Reliability Risks Shift To The Materials Stack


The semiconductor industry’s push into 3D integration and large-format substrates has fundamentally changed the role of materials in packaging. What were once structural supports and electrical insulators have become critical performance limiters. Modern packages contain far more polymers, adhesives, advanced dielectrics, thermal materials, and composite laminates than previous generations... » read more

What Is 3D-IC Technology? Fundamentals, Architecture, And Design Concepts


As process nodes continue to advance into the sub-micron era, the limitations of traditional scaling are becoming increasingly evident. Larger monolithic chips are facing challenges such as higher power density, routing congestion, and reduced yield. Three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D-IC) technology represents a breakthrough approach by stacking multiple dies vertically. This design red... » read more

HBM Leads The Way To Defect-Free Bumps


High-bandwidth memory stands at the forefront of multiple technology developments as a critical enabler of AI, but it is one of the most difficult modules to manufacture. Leading HBM device makers and foundries must simultaneously handle multi-layer chip stacking, die warpage, and shorter product lifecycles that are shrinking from two years down to just one. But perhaps the most formidable c... » read more

System-HW Co-Design Approach Combines Mono3D DRAM, NMP, and GPU Acceleration (UCSD, Georgia Tech, UIUC, Illinois Tech)


A new technical paper titled "Stratum: System-Hardware Co-Design with Tiered Monolithic 3D-Stackable DRAM for Efficient MoE Serving" was published by researchers at UC San Diego, Georgia Tech, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Illinois Institute of Technology. Abstract "As Large Language Models (LLMs) continue to evolve, Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture has emerged as a preva... » read more

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