If you build it, they will come. That’s the message Ray Kinsella heard in the movie, Field of Dreams. I think of that a lot as 3D InCites grows into the community we first envisioned almost a year and a half ago. It’s been an interesting progression to watch various roadmap predictions unfold, process kinks be ironed out, and then next wave of enthusiasts jump on the 3D soapbox to spread the word “3D will save the semiconductor industry”. It’s so gratifying to see the enthusiasm build across the supply chain, and most recently in the design and test communities.
Just last week, my assistance was sought by two event organizers in these market sectors to help promote their respective 3D focused workshops. One, co-located with DAC 2010 on June 15, is GSA’s EDA Interest Group: 3D “Birds of a Feather” Event, an evening gathering during which representatives of EDA vendors, foundries, and organizations like IMEC, SEMI, Si2 and the GSA will briefly outline current capabilities and plans for enabling 3D design, accelerating market acceptance for this technology. The other, still in preliminary planning stages, is a workshop for testing 3D stacked ICs scheduled for later this autumn. So expect to see a lot of information on these events as they develop.
For an industry not known for moving ahead at warp speed, the progress in 3D seems to be picking up momentum more rapidly than originally expected. Only a year ago, suppliers of design and test solutions still weren’t quite convinced that 3D was a worthy investment. Now, the big design houses are throwing their hats in the ring, and we have the attention of the test suppliers.
Here’s what I’m hearing from the people I talk to: design guys love this technology. So let’s get them the tools they need to do the job right. It’s the analysts who remain skeptical.Unfortunately, those who make the investment decisions are the ones who have to be convinced that the return on investment will be substantial. Maybe it’s time that the CEOs and CFOs pay attention to the engineers designing future technologies.You want the semiconductor industry to thrive? Invest in 3D. If you build it, they will come. — F.v.T.
