Another company joins 3D research

Qualcomm is the first fabless integrated circuit company to take part in IMEC's industrial affiliation program on three-dimensional integration.

IMEC and Qualcomm will collaborate to understand and devleop solutions for using 3D technologies in future wireless products.

"Now that Qualcomm has joined the program, we have all the major supply chain players working together," said Luc Van den Hove, chief operation officer at IMEC.

"We are confident that strong industry collaboration among foundries, IDMs, packaging and assembly companies, and equipment suppliers at IMEC will push the development of 3D products forward."

The program explores three-dimensional technology and design for application in various domains. The technology focuses on 3D wafer-level packaging and 3D stacked-ICs to find solutions for the use of 3D interconnects at different levels of the wiring hierarchy.

The 3D system-on-chip design research program provides insights to its benefits, costs, challenges and solutions.

The program will also include the development and demonstration of the IP and tools necessary for designing in three dimensions.

Other partners in the program are Amkor, Infineon, Intel, Micron, NEC, NXP, Panasonic, Qimonda, Samsung, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments and TSMC.