3D Silicon Chip Stacks Circuits Vertically to Extend Moore’s Law

Added: 2026-06-03

University of Illinois researchers have developed a breakthrough in semiconductor manufacturing by stacking silicon chip circuits vertically in multiple layers with up to 100% yield, using low-temperature processing with ultra-thin silicon sheets made from standard single crystal silicon. This approach allows circuits to be built directly on top of other circuits without damaging the underlying layers, enabling memory cells that normally spread six transistors across one flat layer to be split vertically. This vertical architecture shrinks the chip footprint and shortens interconnect wires, offering a new path to extend Moore's Law beyond the physical and thermal limitations of traditional horizontal miniaturization.