ams dedicates €25m to new 3d ic production line

The company is investing €25million in the new production line, which it says will be fully operational by the end of 2013. "The additional production capacity comes in response to a surge in demand for ics fabricated with 3d ic integration technology developed by ams," said the company in a statement. "The patented technology enables the design and production of radically improved ic packages that are smaller and offer better device performance than existing packages." The company's 3d ic process also enables the production of stacked-die devices. Two die produced in different processes are bonded back to back to produce a monolithic stacked-die device. This can replace two separate packages, has a far smaller footprint, and features much shorter interconnects, resulting in improved performance and reduced electrical noise. ams ceo Kirk Laney, pictured, commented: "The new 3d ic production line is a substantial investment for a company the size of ams, and it demonstrates once again our commitment to the development and deployment of advanced analogue semiconductor fabrication technology."