A 0.9 pJ/bit, 12.8 GByte/s WideIO memory interface in a 3D-IC NoC-based MPSoC

3D Integrated Circuit (3D-IC) opens architecture opportunities for improved SoC-to-memory interconnect bandwidth between dies. This paper presents the design of a two-tier 3D-IC composed of one NoC-based MPSoC and one multi-channel WideIO mobile SDRAM stacked in a face-to-back configuration. Measurements of the 3D-IC show that the targeted 12.8 GByte/s bandwidth is achieved in worst case conditions, while offering a 0.9 pJ/bit 3D I/O link power efficiency.