Comments on: First true 3D microchip created: Cambridge scientists

By: Camaxtli

Camaxtli — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:39:30 +0000

Scott’s right. You only use the adjective of “experimental” if its 1) only used in experiments or 2) is a technique that is in a research phase itself. This satisfies neither of those criteria. They could have just said, technique or ‘fabrication technique’.

By: MoonShyChangeling

MoonShyChangeling — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:34:34 +0000

the article doesn’t seem to say how many layers the chip has.

By: hohums

hohums — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 07:04:34 +0000

They are not 3D in the logical sense. It really is just one 2D layer. When you design a 2D chip it just is a flat surface of and/or/not gates. With a true 3D chip you would be able to do some pretty fantastic chip improvements;

1) The electrons have a smaller distance to travel.
2) Many logic sequences can be made a lot smaller because not only can you put the into another layer but you can also have gates going up/down/diagonally etc…
3) You can more easily have a lot more input and output gates from the chip.

By: Mj

Mj — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:52:42 +0000

So is traditional CPU coolers will be able to cool these things off by a directional surface contact or do we need a cooler that sinks its teeth around the chip, if that makes any sense.

By: Scott Bayes

Scott Bayes — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 18:20:07 +0000

In the same sense that voltmeters are an experimental tool, as are lab desks and mirrors. The writing could use some improvement; the word “experimental” added no meaning to the original sentence, and only created confusiion.

By: NakedApe

NakedApe — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:37:01 +0000

Aaah, now I get it! Thanks editor, that makes it seem so-o-o obvious :)

By: Editor

Editor — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:29:07 +0000

I think they meant “experimental” as a technique used in experiments.

By: A4i

A4i — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:12:37 +0000

To my understanding, nowadays all semiconductor chips are 3D. Information originates in the base layer and then travels through metallic layers above it. Whole structure is fearly complex. There are multiple layers in a simple semiconductor chip. Probably some BS from PR department gets in the way when 3D is involved, like 3D LED TV. Everybody likes 3D. Also everything is better with lasers.

By: Scott Bayes

Scott Bayes — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:35:08 +0000

‘To create the microchip, the researchers used an experimental technique called “sputtering.”’

Sputtering is experimental?!?

from Wikipedia “sputtering”:

it is commonly utilized for thin-film deposition, etching and analytical techniques

Sputtering has been used for years, decades maybe.

And chips commonly route data over several layers in the 3rd dimension, up to 10-11 layers last time I did some patent research on the topic; they need to, with the rich interconnectivity required in complex chips.

STORING or PROCESSING data (e.g. gates on multiple layers of doped semiconductor “substrate”) in 3D, now that would be something.

By: David Luck

David Luck — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:43:38 +0000

Oh right its a 3 dimensional one way vertical shift register. A bit like a 3d version of IBM’s racetrack memory.

By: WLGJR

WLGJR — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:02:53 +0000

When can I buy a computer with this kind of chips?

By: Editor

Editor — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:52:57 +0000

From the abstract:

Here we demonstrate a way of implementing a spintronic unidirectional vertical shift register between perpendicularly magnetized ferromagnets of subnano-metre thickness, similar to the layers used in non-volatile magnetic random access memory. By carefully controlling the thickness of each magnetic layer and the exchange coupling between the layers, we form a ratchet that allows information in the form of a sharp magnetic kink soliton to be unidirectionally pumped (or ‘shifted’) from one magnetic layer to another. This simple and efficient shift-register concept suggests a route to the creation of three-dimensional microchips for memory and logic applications.

By: David Luck

David Luck — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:21:13 +0000

“As they switched a magnetic field on and off they saw the data climbing layer by layer.” Was this an external magnetic field or was it intrinsically generated in the device. To be functional in the way described wouldnt there need to be an addressable way of generating local magnetic fields in 3 dimensions all the way through the material.