New Interconnect Materials Beyond Copper (Florida State Univ., Cornell)


A new technical paper titled "Shrinking interconnects beyond copper" was published by researchers at Florida State University and Cornell University. Excerpt "The continuous downscaling of transistors in integrated circuits following Moore’s law—doubling the number of transistors on a microchip about every 2 years—has been an extraordinary feat of engineering, pushing the limits of fu... » 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

Developing RISC-V Compute Subsystems


As demand grows for scalable, efficient, and customized compute, more companies are turning to RISC-V as the preferred architecture for high-performance computing. Tenstorrent and Baya Systems have designed a compute subsystem combining IP from both companies designed to enable AI and HPC use cases. The solution leverages Tenstorrent’s Ascalon processor and Baya’s advanced interconnect tech... » read more

Interconnect Innovations In High Bandwidth Memory: Part 2


By Damon Tsai, Woo Young Han, and Tim Kryman Interconnect technology in high bandwidth memory (HBM) is at a fork in the road. One direction leads to tried-and-true microbump technology, and the other leads to a compelling alternative, hybrid bonding. Both technologies are evolving to address the stringent requirements of next generation HBM in pursuit of increased I/O density supporting high... » read more

A Modular System In Package Approach For Automotive Short Range Radar Applications (Ruhr Univ. Bochum, Fraunhofer et al.)


A new technical paper titled “Leveraging Modularity of Chiplets to Form a 4×4 Automotive FMCW-Radar in an eWLB-Package” was published by researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Fraunhofer Institute, University Bremen, Infineon and WavesenseDD GmbH. Abstract “Dividing a System on Chip (SoC) into multiple smaller chiplets and embedding them into a single package has gained significant t... » read more

The Future Of SoC Design Is Data Movement


The semiconductor industry is experiencing rapid advances in chiplet adoption, high-bandwidth memory, Compute Express Link (CXL) fabrics, and automotive zonal architectures. As we move into the second half of 2025, the only sustainable path forward is a layered, physically aware, and automated interconnect methodology that can keep pace with escalating complexity. This article is Part Two of... » read more

Breaking The Copper Bottleneck With Molybdenum Hybrid Metallization


Scaling the back end of line (BEOL) in advanced semiconductor logic devices is a major challenge. Metal lines and via filling in BEOL have historically used copper (Cu) as the electrical conductor. But as device dimensions shrink, Cu use has become problematic. The small critical dimensions (CD) of the Cu metal lines and vias in the latest BEOL structures have created an increase in resistance,... » read more

Precision Under Pressure: Managing Materials Complexity In Advanced Packaging


In the race to extend Moore's Law through advanced packaging, the limits of precision are no longer defined solely by lithography. Increasingly, they are dictated by the unpredictable behavior of materials. Semiconductor packaging today is no longer limited to just silicon and copper. It includes an expanding range of polymers, adhesives, dielectrics, exotic metals, along with substrates suc... » read more

Scaling Memory With Molybdenum


Molybdenum is looking increasingly promising as a replacement for a variety of metals commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing today, especially at leading-edge nodes. One by one, chipmakers are crossing metals off the list at advanced nodes. While ruthenium liners are nearly ready for production, the metal is not ready to replace copper in highly scaled interconnects. Ruthenium is very ... » read more

Interconnect Innovations In High Bandwidth Memory: Part 1


By Damon Tsai, Woo Young Han, and Tim Kryman The demand for high bandwidth memory (HBM) is accelerating across the semiconductor industry, driven by boundary-pushing artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and advanced graphics. These technologies require access to vast datasets, which in turn increases the need for memory solutions that combine speed, density, and power efficie... » read more

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