We are not able to resolve this OAI Identifier to the repository landing page. If you are the repository manager for this record, please head to the Dashboard and adjust the settings.
PhD ThesisThe aggressive scaling of CMOS process technology has been driving
the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry for more than
three decades. In recent years, the performance gains enabled
by CMOS scaling have been increasingly challenged by highlyparasitic
on-chip interconnects as wire parasitics do not scale at
the same pace. Emerging 3D integration technologies based on
vertical through-silicon vias (TSVs) promise a solution to the interconnect
performance bottleneck, along with reduced fabrication
cost and heterogeneous integration.
As TSVs are a relatively recent interconnect technology, innovative
test structures are required to evaluate and optimise the
process, as well as extract parameters for the generation of design
rules and models. From the circuit designer’s perspective, critical
TSV characteristics are its parasitic capacitance, and thermomechanical
stress distribution. This work proposes new test structures
for extracting these characteristics. The structures were fabricated
on a 65nm 3D process and used for the evaluation of that
technology.
Furthermore, as TSVs are implemented in large, densely interconnected
3D-system-on-chips (SoCs), the TSV parasitic capacitance
may become an important source of energy dissipation. Typical
low-power techniques based on voltage scaling can be used,
though this represents a technical challenge in modern technology
nodes. In this work, a novel TSV interconnection scheme is
proposed based on reversible computing, which shows frequencydependent
energy dissipation. The scheme is analysed using theoretical
modelling, while a demonstrator IC was designed based
on the developed theory and fabricated on a 130nm 3D process.Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC
Is data on this page outdated, violates copyrights or anything else? Report the problem now and we will take corresponding actions after reviewing your request.