Frequently asked questions

Q: How does the ThruChip Interconnect (TCI) compare to Thru Silicon Vias (TSV)?

A: We believe that TCI can be significantly lower cost, lower power, and less intrusive to a design than TSV.

While there was a lot of initial interest in TSV, we believe the cost has been prohibitive for many applications, and this will create opportunities for TCI type interconnects.

TCI can be implemented with standard CMOS processes, ie with no additional cost for differnt wafer processing, as is the case with TSV.


Q: What are practical Z-heights for thinned die?

A: That depents a bit on the state of the art, which as of 2014 is around 40-50 microns per die, but we expect that this may decrease by another order of magnitude in a few years.


Q: What are typical coil sizes?

A: Typically the diameter of a TCI coil is about 3x the vertical distance to be communicated. So for a die to die communication crossing 50 microns, a 150 micron coil would be needed.