KALISPELL, MT – Through-silicon vias (TSVs) are pivotal in thermally conscious packaging, and a budding consortium pledges to address the technical and cost issues of creating 3-D interconnects using TSV technology for chip stacking and MEMS/sensors packaging. Semiconductor 3-D Equipment and Materials Consortium, EMC3D, unites equipment and materials companies, researchers, and other interested parties in developing processes for creating micro-vias between 5 and 30 µm on thinned 50-µm, 300-mm wafers using both via-first and via-last techniques. Bioh Kim, based in Montana, serves as program director. For more information on the project, visit their website, www.emc3d.org.