Three‐dimensional memory LSI with optical interconnections

Abstract

AbstractAs devices are miniaturized and device operation speed increases by the progress of fine fabrication technology, the problems associated with interconnections such as interconnect delay and crosstalk are becoming important. Therefore, an optical connection as a new interconnect technique to solve these interconnection related problems is becoming noticed. On the other hand, three‐dimensional LSIs are again becoming noticed as an LSI to overcome the limitations of high integration and to incorporate new functions such as parallel processing function. Consequently, this paper examines the possibility of LSI with new function surpassing the present LSIs by combining the optical interconnection and three‐dimensional LSIs by combining the optical interconnection and three‐dimensional LSI. As an example of this kind of LSI, a three‐dimensional optically coupled common memory is described and the performance improvements are specifically shown by combining the optical interconnection and three‐dimensional LSI.