Physical Design Automation for 3D Chip Stacks: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

The concept of 3D chip stacks has been advocated by both industry and academia for many years, and hailed as one of the most promising approaches to meet ever-increasing demands for performance, functionality and power consumption going forward. However, a multitude of challenges has thus far obstructed large-scale transition from "classical" 2D chips to stacked 3D chips. We survey major design challenges for 3D chip stacks with particular focus on their implications for physical design. We also derive requirements for advances in design automation, such as the need for a unified workflow. Finally, we outline current promising solutions as well as areas needing further research and development.