Is it Packaging, or Is it Fab?

There are a couple of interesting meetings coming up in the next several weeks that highlight one of the questions that has been lurking around the 3D movement for as long as I can remember.  One group, that is well represented by the discussion at these meetings, sees 3D as a packaging issue.  Perhaps that's why the IEEE CPMT-SV is such an active sponsor of these discussions:

• 3D IC Development and Supply Chain Collaboration — April 28, 2011,  Santa Clara, CA.  (IEEE CPMT-SV); Technology development, supply chain and platform scalability are all challenges for practical 3D semiconductor production.  This discussion is focused on Xilinx's TSV based Stacked Silicon Interconnect Technology.
  
• Silicon Interposers for 2.5D and 3D Packaging — May 26, 2011,  Santa Clara, CA.  (IEEE CPMT-SV); This talk discusses the hows and whys of what some people call the "2.5D Evolution, but 3D Revolution" by someone who's living in the midst of the turmoil.

The monolithic group, led by our team, recognizes that there are applications for both packaging based solutions and true monolithic integration.  However, we feel that significantly larger cost / performance benefits will come from monolithic solutions built in fabs.  As Zvi says, "The time of monolithic 3D is NOW!"

- Post by Dean Stevens, VP of Marketing