Date of Award:

5-2010

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Advisor/Chair:

Todd K. Moon

Abstract

The potential failure in through-silicon vias (TSVs) still poses a challenge in trying to extend the useful life of a 3D integrated circuit (IC). A model is proposed to mitigate the communication problem in 3D integrated circuits caused by the breaks at the TSVs. We provide the details of a low-complexity network that takes advantages of redundant TSVs to make it possible to re-route around breaks and maintain effective communication between layers. Different configurations for the micronetwork are analyzed and discussed. We also present an evaluation of the micronetwork's performance, which turns out to be quite promising, based on several Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we provide some directions for future research on the subject.

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on August 30, 2010.

Copyright for this work is retained by the student.