Wednesday 3 August 2016

Big Data to Present Mammoth Opportunity for Growth in 3D IC Technology

The IC market’s quest for 3D ICs has come a long way. 3D ICs that have been successful today include 3D memory cubes, 2.5D interposers, and imagers. These ICs have improved speeds for data transmission and optimized power consumption. The semiconductor industry is shifting its focus to 3D IC technology since its use offers a greater opportunity for the development of broader set of electronic systems. Exceptional speed and reduction in size of chip are some of the factors responsible for the shift of semiconductor industry to the 3D IC technology.

According to a research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the 3D ICs market was valued at nearly US$2.41 bn in 2012 and is expected to expand at an 18.1% CAGR between 2013 and 2019. 

Q. What are the latest developments in the 3D ICs market?

In July 2016, a Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) Institute, Leti, unveiled its second generation 3D network-on-chip technology. Using this technology, the researchers have developed an on-chip communications system, which will boost computing performance. The technology is also expected to reduce energy consumption to a large extent.

TEZZARON Semiconductor has announced the world’s first eight-layer 3D IC wafer stack, containing active logic. As compared to any 2D silicon fabrication, the transistor and interconnect densities per cubic mm of this wafer stack have enhanced performance computing, saving billions of dollars in the industry.

Q. What are the factors enhancing the demand for 3D ICs?

The demand for higher bandwidths, higher density, and form factor motivation is boosting the growth of 3D ICs market. The integration of 3D IC technology with silicon vias (TSVs) have enabled high efficiency and guarantees high return of investment to investors. The rise in the number of portable devices is also behind the growth of the global 3D ICs market.

Q. What are the opportunities for growth in the 3D ICs market?

Big data presents a huge opportunity for semiconductor companies. Be it CPUs, chip-based sensors, GPGPUs, or integrated field nodes, the 3D IC interconnect powers the core of machines and drives productivity. Players in the IC industry will realize the importance of software analytics and make use of Big Data. Semiconductor companies need to adapt to Big Data and the Internet of Things to enable the deployment of sensors for machine health monitoring and smart homes. This will help players to grow in the market. Multi-chip packaging and IntSim are also expected to shape the future of the 3D ICs market. IntSim can help predict 3D chip power, number of metal levels, and die size. It also assists users in studying scaling trends and for optimizing their chip designs.

Thus, the demand for 3D ICs is expected to rise significantly over the years.

No comments:

Post a Comment