Exploiting capacitance in high-performance computer systems

Abstract

Aggressive scaling of transistor feature sizes has enabled unprecedented levels of integration and corresponding performance improvements in VLSI systems. However, fabrication costs present barriers to continued growth in transistor density. Proximity Communication breaks these barriers by providing high-density, high-bandwidth, low-power, and scalable off-chip I/O, allowing designers to partition their designs into separate chips with significantly reduced performance penalties. This partitioning greatly improves chip and package yield, and enables modular assemblies of heterogeneous systems with customizable mixes of functional units tailored for specific end-user applications.