As the handheld devices are getting slimmer and lighter the chipset inside should be the same. NARL said it has spent NT$500 million (US$16.61 million) in the past 10 years developing the Monolithic 3D-IC technology, which chip makers can use to pile up multiple layers of chips, allowing for more functions like image sensoring, biosensoring, and chemical sensoring.

Xie Jia-min, head of this NARL project said, “this state-of-the-art Monolithic 3D-IC is so much better then the Through-Silicon Via (TSA) 3D-IC regrading to the speedy data transmission that that TSA 3D-IC is somewhat like a top floor and a first floor of Taipei 101, both floor only communicated by one elevator while Monolithic 3D-IC is like a two-stories building that has equipped with mulitiple elevators.”

“In other words, Monolithic 3D-IC is measured 50% lower of electricity demand and a hundred times faster data transmission than that of TSA 3D-IC. Also the new technology can allow 150 layers of chips to fit in space once used to stack a mere two chips using traditional technology,” Xie added.

Monolithic 3D-IC technology can be applied in making memory, monitor, and wafer chips, namely, TSMC, Macronix, or those wafer fabrication-related firms are potential collaborative partners.