Harris Corporation and the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR) have signed a letter of intent to participate in a multi-year collaborative program to accelerate commercialization of next generation high performance systems. The focus of the collaboration will be on the fabrication process for 2.5/3D Chip Integration utilizing ultra-high density interposer technologies - a process that stacks multiple semiconductor devices together to provide higher performance and functionality in one small package.
With this collaborative effort, Harris becomes the first industry member of the ICAMR consortium. ICAMR and Harris are actively pursuing other companies to join the collaboration to leverage resources and provide manufacturing solutions for these next generation products and systems.
The development efforts associated with the Harris/ICAMR partnership will help the industry accelerate breakthroughs necessary to achieve the “International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors†(ITRS) targets with 3D over the next four years – targets critical for advanced commercial and defense systems. These include development and fabrication of interconnected devices with more than one million connections, an order of magnitude improvement beyond current state-of-the-art chip integration processes utilized today.
“There are significant technical challenges facing the fabrication of these future aerospace and defense systems, and we look forward to collaborating with our peers on this project,†said Frank Bourne, Director of Research and Development at Harris Space and Intelligence Systems.
With the start of ultra-high density interposer collaboration, ICAMR has also engaged other industry partners across the complete supply chain and formed a working group with Harris to define the project scope of work, deliverables, and internal roadmap. Initial efforts will include the design and fabrication of a unique test vehicle to be used for process and equipment development and reliability validation.
In addition to the newly launched 2.5/3D chip integration program, ICAMR is in the formative stages of defining advanced sensor and photonics programs, focused on the growth and deposition of advanced materials (III-Vs and other novel materials) on silicon substrates. Having recently completed its first workshop on the topic in July at SEMICON West, ICAMR anticipates launching multiple programs associated with these technologies in the coming months. “ICAMR is off to a great startâ€, said Dan Holladay, ICAMR’s Executive Director. “We are pleased to have the support and investment from Harris Corporation to seed this initiative. Their investment further validates ICAMR’s strategic model and has spurred interest with other companies interested in joining our first collaborative initiative."
Currently under construction in Osceola County, Florida, the ICAMR state-of-the-art manufacturing development facility will provide more than 100,000 square feet of fabrication and office space to support advanced manufacturing. By leveraging unique materials, processes, and background intellectual property, ICAMR will pursue universal technology platforms with the economy of scale needed for cost-effective manufacturing.
