3D circuits and TSV are technologies used by memory manufacturers to fit more circuits on a smaller surface, which is important to fit more technology onto small spaces. The problem with stacking circuits on top of each other is heat, and IBM has together with 3M found a solution.
Both Elpida and Micron have used TSV (Through Silicon Via) for its memory circuits to reach higher densities on smaller surfaces. IBM have been researching the possibility to do the same with more power demanding circuits like microprocessors, the problem then is that the heat escalates out of proportion.
3M and IBM says it has found a solution to the problem, a new kind of glue. The company says it will make it possible to pack no less than 100 circuits on top of each other, and already claims that the invention will lead to microprocessors 1000 fold faster than current chips.
Layer, after layer, the vision is to put a whole wafer in a single package.
Similar 3D circuits are already in retail products like USB memories and SSDs that use NAND Flash memory, but this solution will enable companies to add multiple power hungry and hot circuits like processors and graphics circuits. Another solution is a true SoC where you can stack all kinds of logic on top of each other. Both AMD and Intel moves towards having CPU, GPU, southbridge and northbridge into a single package, but also adding several GB of RAM or integrating some other type of logic together with the processor.
How the new super glue works was not revealed by the press release, and it is unclear if it is something that will be used in retail products or if it is just something IBM will use with its servers and HPC products.
Source: IBM
