Trend and Prospect for 3Dimensional Integrated-Circuit Semiconductor Chip

3차원 집적회로 반도체 칩 기술에 대한 경향과 전망

  • Kwon, Yongchai (Department of Chemical and Environmental Technology, Inha Technical College)
  • 권용재 (인하공업전문대학 화공환경과)
  • Received : 2009.01.13
  • Accepted : 2009.02.02
  • Published : 2009.02.28

Abstract

As a demand for the portable device requiring smaller size and better performance is in hike, reducing the size of conventionally used planar 2 dimensional chip cannot be a solution for the enhancement of the semiconductor chip technology due to an increase in RC delay among interconnects. To address this problem, a new technology - "3 dimensional (3D) IC chip stack" - has been emerging. For the integration of the technology, several new key unit processes (e.g., silicon through via, wafer thinning and wafer alignment and bonding) should be developed and much effort is being made to achieve the goal. As a result of such efforts, 4 and 8 chip-stacked DRAM and NAND structures and a system stacking CPU and memory chips vertically were successfully developed. In this article, basic theory, configurations and key unit processes for the 3D IC chip integration, and a current tendency of the technology are explained. Future opportunities and directions are also discussed.

작은 크기의 고기능성 휴대용 전자기기 수요의 급증에 따라 기존에 사용되던 수평구조의 2차원 칩의 크기를 줄이는 것은, 전기 배선의 신호지연 증가로 한계에 도달했다. 이러한 문제를 해결하기 위해 칩들을 수직으로 적층한 뒤, 수평 구조의 긴 신호배선을 짧은 수직 배선으로 만들어 신호지연을 최소화하는 3차원 칩 적층기술이 새롭게 제안되었다. 3차원 칩의 개발을 위해서는 기존에 사용되던 반도체 공정들뿐 아니라 실리콘 관통 전극 기술, 웨이퍼 박화 기술, 웨이퍼 정렬 및 본딩 기술 등의 새로운 공정들이 개발되어야 하며 위 기술들의 표준 공정을 개발하기 위한 노력이 현재 활발히 진행되고 있다. 현재까지 4~8개의 단일칩을 수직으로 적층한 DRAM/NAND 칩, 및 메모리 칩과 CPU 칩을 한꺼번에 적층한 구조의 성공적인 개발 결과가 보고되었다. 본 총설에서는 이러한 3차원 칩 적층의 기본 원리와 구조, 적층에 필요한 중요 기술들에 대한 소개, 개발 현황 및 앞으로 나아갈 방향에 대해 논의하고자 한다.

Keywords

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