Thinking about semiconductors as spheres rather than as chips could have a profound effect on the development of the semiconductor industry -- an effect similar to the substitution of transistors for vacuum tubes in the 1950's. The BALL approach to system integration could have an equally revolutionary impact.
The current approach to system integration calls for placing more and more functions on one chip. This approach requires enormous capital infusions every few years for new processes and equipment to accommodate more complex systems-on-chip and larger wafer sizes. The BALL approach is to produce spheres with different functions -- memory, logic, power, etc. -- in a uniform process, and then cluster the spheres needed to build a system. Instead of chips becoming larger, wafers becoming larger, processes becoming more complex, and equipment becoming more expensive, Ball Semiconductor Inc. offer the potential of equipment and process stability across several generations of technology. |
