We are at an early stage when looking at industrialization level. Many pilot lines at manufacturing sites are getting online. A good change from years ago when 3D-IC was mostly a research topic.
With the exception of early adopters, such as CMOS image sensors, most companies are working on the qualification of specific process integration schemes. All of the new 3D process steps around TSV’s (litho, bonding, thinning, etching, and plating) are well developed and can benefit from continuous improvement programs already.
When it comes to process integration we see a lot of diversity out there and proprietary process flows. We think this is typical for revolutionary technologies and enables initially a competitive benefit to our customers.
In the long run we expect that standardization will become more attractive to the users.
Thank's Paul. That brings up an interesting point - different stages of research. I've noticed that the different research consortiums seem to focus at different levels. For example, IMEC seems to focus on the first phase of technology development, and SEMATECH gets more involved at the industrialization level. Sitaram, would you consider that to ba an accurate assessment?
I would agree with Paul. We are seeing a huge increase in customers trying their first 3D devices. They range from complete test devices which covers a lot previous work in the industry, but allows the customer to get their own data, to very complex 3D logic and memory devices. We expect our customers alone to fabricate more new 3D devices in the next 12 months than all previous work combined. I'm sure that other 3D technology providers are seeing the same industry pull through today.
To answer your specific question, each consortium brings its own style to the R&D world, with some tending more towards research and others more towards development for manufacturing. SEMATECH definitely belongs in the second camp. We recognize that companies, consortia and universities have been demonstrating the feasibility of 3D for several years now. As Paul and Bob have pointed out, the technology is now being considered for high volume manufacturing, and SEMATECH is actively evaluating the manufacturability of specific equipment and unit processes (TSV RIE and metallization, bonding and thinning, as Paul mentioned earlier). Another way of looking at this is in the resourcing of our program, from just one person evaluating 3D technologies in 2005/2006 to a multiple projects on developing equipment, process, metrology and integration today.
On your original question, I agree with Paul and Bob - we're definitely in the early stages of industrialization.
Do you share my feeling that TSV process is only the visible part of the iceberg ? Much more 3D issues are hidden under the water. From my perspective, lot of TSV process improvements have been achieved in the last 2 years but 3D Integration still remain "marginal" vs CMOS traditionnal scaling. Isn't it the mentalities the main barrier that needs to be overcome ?
Yann - I'm going to pass this on to the rest of the panel to address in more detail, but just to comment briefly -- at Tuesday's Packaging Summit at Semi, Bill Bottoms noted how last year's summit was all about TSV, however, this year's summit addresses all the other issues surrounding 3D IC stacking. Additionally, SUSS MicroTec sponsored a thin wafer processing workshop, during which various material and equipment manufacturers shared their solutions for backside processes, thinning, etching, temporary bonding and debonding, etc.
I agree - the conservative mindset seems to hold many things back, as Bob Patti discussed. From talking to many of the research organizations, who are the most enthusiastic due mostly to their innate nature to explore and discover, they have learned to approach the industry by introducing things bit by bit, in order to convince the skeptics that this is the way to go.
3D IC is progressing along the adoption and technology curve. All panelists agreed that it has moved from the first phase of research into the early phases of commercialization, with pilot lines coming online at manufacturing sites, and SEMATECH's 3D interconnect program ramping up to take processes beyond feasibility and qualify them as manufacturing processes. While skeptics remain, early adopters such as Tezzaron Semiconductors will pave the way for volume production.
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