MagnaChip and Tezzaron to manufacture worlds first 3D chips

Silicon Strategies reports a partnership between Tezzaron, and MagnaChip the latter once the non-memory division of Hynix Semiconductor. The fruits of partnership will bring to market; ” the worlds first and true three-dimensional chips.” Tezzaron located in Naperville ILL., a “Fabless chip designer,” announced re-programable 3D RAM chips which run above 500MHz, utilizing less then 2-ns latecnies. Tezzaron design’s are based on manufacturing technology know as FaStack, in which 8″ wafers are stacked using copper both as a bonding agent and interconnect. The IC’s perform 3 – 10 times better then existing technologies due to the vertical interconnects just 10 microns in length. Although the 3D RAM is currently manufactured on a somewhat dated .18-micron process, the stacking manufacturing technique should significantly reduce costs. Magnachip will manufacture Tezzaron design’s in their Seoul, South Korea foundry, including “3D IC’s and sensors.”