Abstract
How can Yole' s "TSV+ Cost Analysis Tool" help you?
Stacking chips in 3D with TSV (Through Silicon Vias) is a new breakthrough packaging technology platform for 3D integration of ICs, logic, RF-SiP, CMOS image sensors and MEMS. However, cost of the technology is still a major hurdle today as TSVs are competing against low cost interconnect technologies such as wire bond interconnects among others. The added dilemma is the wide range of technological TSV scenarios available making the choice of the most cost effective TSV technology quite complex.
Any company choosing to implement a TSV process will face with many decisions such as:
- Vias dimensions (diameter, depth, tapered via or not),
- Vias drilling processes (Wet, DRIE or laser),
- Vias filling (Copper, Tungsten, PolySi, Paste printing …),
- Bonding / stacking process (Metal thermo-compression,direct oxide fusion,hybrid adhesive...),
- Choice for a temporary bonding step or not
Being in strong interactions with 3D IC equipments, materials and chip makers, we have carefully developed among time an intuitive Cost of Ownership (CoO) tool model specifically designed to evaluate the cost of a given TSV process flow. It has been developed using ExcelTM in order to be widely exploitable and upgraded. This Yole' s CoO tool will enable you the possibility to evaluate what is the cost per wafer level for manufacturing your TSVs using your own inputs or using pre-defined parameters.
This tool is ideal for purchasers, strategic marketing executives, process managers and R&D engineers analyzing the economical feasibility of different TSV options.
Yole' s CoO tool can be used two different ways:
If you are not yet familiar with the different TSV option choices available, you will have the possibility to use a beginner mode. Some parameters have been pre-defined but you will still be able to choose the following:
- Vias' characteristics (diameter, depth, angle, density)
- Choice between DRIE or laser
- Different via filling materials (Cu, Tungsten, PolySi, paste...)
- Type of bonding (Cu-Cu, BCB, direct oxide)
- W2W or C2W stacking
If you are already familiar with TSV technology and want to know the cost of ownership for your own process, you will be able to access the expert mode. This will allow you to define your own TSV process scenario with related materials & equipments libraires as well as generic fab parameters. For example, you will be able to define for each equipment its:
- Throughput
- Operator and Engineering time
- Equipment footprint
- Associated consumables (gases, slurries, glass wafer, advanced resists...)
- Tool price and amortization time period
The tool will allow you to define and tune your own fab parameters:
- number of wafers / year processed,
- global process yield,
- # working days / year,
- operator cost / year,
- engineer cost / year,
- clean Room (CR) class,
- CR maintenance cost ($/m²/year),
- CR electricity consumption ($/m²/year),
- CR amortization period (year),
- equipment amortization period (year),
Additionally, you will be able to consider the level of automation of your fab, and its geographical location (will TSV fab located in North America, China, Japan, Europe, Taiwan...).
… and then, access directly to the TSV cost breakdown showing where the cost "pain points" are!
