CEA-Leti and Qualcomm to take 3D to the next dimension
A new collaboration will focus on Leti's sequential 3D technology which is aimed at processing all functions in a single semiconductor manufacturing flow
CEA-Leti has signed an agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, to assess the feasibility and the value of Leti's sequential 3D technology.
In recent years, Leti has been working on a new 3D integration technology process called 'sequential 3D integration' that enables the stacking of active layers of transistors in the third dimension.
Compared to conventional 3D-TSV technologies used to stack separate die, sequential 3D technology is anticipated to process all the functions in a single semiconductor manufacturing flow. This technology allows connecting active areas at the transistor level, at a very high density as it uses a standard lithography process to align them.
According to Leti experts, this new technology is expected to allow a 50 percent gain in area and a 30 percent gain in speed compared to the same generation of technology made in classical 2D. These gains are comparable to those expected in next-generation 2D technology, but the sequential 3D technology is expected to be much less complex and expensive to implement, making this technology a potential alternative to conventional planar scaling solutions.
Leti has shown a number of significant technical advances in sequential 3D technology.
The arrangement between Leti and Qualcomm will allow the critical assessment of this technology in the context of practical applications, further evaluating the potential impact of this sequential 3D technology for future industrialization.