Design automation and analysis of three-dimensional integrated circuits

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-176).This dissertation concerns the design of circuits and systems for an emerging technology known as three-dimensional integration. By stacking individual components, dice, or whole wafers using a high-density electromechanical interconnect, three-dimensional integration can achieve scalability and performance exceeding that of conventional fabrication technologies. There are two main contributions of this thesis. The first is a computer-aided design flow for the digital components of a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3-D IC). This flow primarily consists of two software tools: PR3D, a placement and routing tool for custom 3-D ICs based on standard cells, and 3-D Magic, a tool for designing, editing, and testing physical layout characteristics of 3-D ICs. The second contribution of this thesis is a performance analysis of the digital components of 3-D ICs. We use the above tools to determine the extent to which 3-D integration can improve timing, energy, and thermal performance. In doing so, we verify the estimates of stochastic computational models for 3-D IC interconnects and find that the models predict the optimal 3-D wire length to within 20% accuracy. We expand upon this analysis by examining how 3-D technology factors affect the optimal wire length that can be obtained. Our ultimate analysis extends this work by directly considering timing and energy in 3-D ICs. In all cases we find that significant performance improvements are possible. In contrast, thermal performance is expected to worsen with the use of 3-D integration. We examine precisely how thermal behavior scales in 3-D integration and determine quantitatively how the temperature may be controlled during the circuit placement process. We also show how advanced packaging(cont.) technologies may be leveraged to maintain acceptable die temperatures in 3-D ICs. Finally, we explore two issues for the future of 3-D integration. We determine how technology scaling impacts the effect of 3-D integration on circuit performance. We also consider how to improve the performance of digital components in a mixed-signal 3-D integrated circuit. We conclude with a look towards future 3-D IC design tools.by Shamik Das.Ph.D

Design and implementation of 3-D logic structures

Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91).In this thesis, a computer-aided-design (CAD) system is developed that assists in the design of novel three-dimensional integrated circuits. The software tools allow for the specification of a multilayer transistor circuit by means that are readily accessible to those familiar with two-dimensional CMOS VLSI design. This software system provides desirable features such as SPICE circuit extraction and the ability to produce the design formats necessary for automated fabrication (e.g. mask specifications for lithography or Gerber data for inkjet printing). Finally, in this thesis, the software tools are used to design a ring oscillator, a 3-D static RAM, and a 3-D cellular automata machine.by Shamik Das.S.B.and M.Eng