Oregon Patent of the Month – August 2024
MonolithIC 3D, Inc. is making semiconductors practical with state-of-the-art technology. Their recently secured patent covers a groundbreaking innovation in the semiconductor industry that addresses a critical need for efficient scaling and integration. Their invention, a 3D integrated circuit (3D IC), leverages multiple layers of silicon transistors stacked vertically to increase performance without expanding the physical footprint of the chip. Traditional chips rely on a two-dimensional plane, which limits how much can be packed into a single device. MonolithIC 3D’s approach revolutionizes this by enabling more transistors in the same area through vertical integration.
The invention comprises multiple metal layers for interconnects and power delivery paths, ensuring smooth operation of each stacked layer. Each silicon level contains an array of transistors and circuits designed for different functions, all interconnected through ultra-fine vias—pathways drilled through the layers. These vias are smaller than 450 nm in diameter, minimizing space while ensuring robust connectivity across levels. Critical to the design, the alignment error between layers is kept below 240 nm, ensuring precision and functionality.
MonolithIC 3D’s solution also integrates various transistor types with metal gates, some made of tungsten, enhancing performance and energy efficiency. This architecture allows significant improvements in data transfer rates, power efficiency, and memory capacity, which are crucial for modern applications like AI, big data, and cloud computing.
By compacting more capabilities into a smaller area, MonolithIC 3D’s 3D IC is paving the way for the future of high-performance, miniaturized electronics, redefining what’s possible in chip design and semiconductor technology.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
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The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit (or R&D Tax Credit), is a general business tax credit under Internal Revenue Code section 41 for companies that incur research and development (R&D) costs in the United States. The credits are a tax incentive for performing qualified research in the United States, resulting in a credit to a tax return. For the first three years of R&D claims, 6% of the total qualified research expenses (QRE) form the gross credit. In the 4th year of claims and beyond, a base amount is calculated, and an adjusted expense line is multiplied times 14%. Click here to learn more.
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