IBM Heralds 3-D Chip Breakthrough

David Kesmodel from WSJ writes to let us know about an IBM breakthrough: a practical three-dimensional semiconductor chip that can be stacked on top of another electronic device in a vertical configuration. Chip makers have worked for years to develop ways to connect one type of chip to another vertically to reduce size and power use. The IBM technique of "through-silicon vias" offers a thousand-fold reduction in connector length and a hundred-fold increase in connector density. The new chips may appear in cellphones and other communication devices as soon as next year. PhysOrg has more details.

What??????

[Xinef Jyinaer]

The chips didn't exist as 3-D objects prior to this? Infact, wouldn't a chip that only exists in two dimensions be much more difficult to make?

Re:I wonder how they will cool this?

[UnknowingFool]

Tubes! Everything else seems to run on tubes.

They told us not to ask where they got it.

[illegalcortex]

It was scary stuff, radically advanced. It was shattered... didn't work. But it gave us ideas. It took us in new directions... things we would never have thought of. All this work is based on it.

New Operating System Required For 3d chips

[crea5e]

LEG-OS. 64 block architecture. Also themeable for star wars and lord of the ring fanboys.

Re:What??????

[pintpusher]

And then we could invest that saved space to make more space!!!!@!1!11!1

I've seen this before...

[Yvan256]

To further increase R&D of this new 3D chip technology, IBM will be launching a new company called Cyberdyne Systems Corporation.

Re:I wonder how they will cool this?

[polar red]

In Rod We Trust!

Re:More information

[Anonymous Coward]

This will fail miserably. It will be hell to repair these things when the middle component breaks.

Re:What??????

[Tiles]

Why stick with three dimensions? Let's just skip three, and go straight to five! And add a moisturizing strip!