IBM said it will make Micron Technology’s Hybrid Memory Cube in a move that will highlight the first commercial 3D chip manufacturing effort.
Micron will begin production for the first chip to use through-silicon vias (TSVs), IBM’s 3D chip making process. The TSV process will be used in Micron’s Hybrid Memory Cube. Parts for the Micron’s chip will be manufactured at IBM’s chip fab in East Fishkill, N.Y.
IBM will detail its TSV manufacturing techniques at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting on Dec. 5 in Washington.
For Micron, the Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) represents a way to break out of the DRAM pack. HMC prototypes can run at a rate of 128 gigabytes per second, compared to current memory chips that have 12.8 GB/s. HMC also uses 70 percent less energy.
HMCs will be used in networking and high performance computing gear, industrial automation and consumer products at some point. For now, HMC will be primarily for high-end uses.
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