Packaging & Other Topics

Instead of fitting all functions onto one large die, multiple dies or wafers are stacked on top of each other and electrically connected using through-silicon vias (TSVs) or hybrid bonding. This drastically shortens signal paths and allows different technologies (logic, memory) to be combined in one package. HBM memory is the best-known example of this technique.

Learn more in the chapter 3D Stacking →

Micro-electromechanical systems combine tiny mechanical structures — membranes, beams, comb electrodes — with electronic readout on a single chip. Physical quantities like acceleration or pressure minutely deform the mechanical structure, which is measured electrically as a change in capacitance or resistance. They're manufactured using adapted semiconductor processes such as surface or bulk micromachining.

Learn more in the chapter Introduction to MEMS →