Performance comparison of 2D and 3D FPGAs using true-3D CAD tool

3-dimensional (3D) integration is imperative for the future of semiconductor devices. The 3D field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is one of the killer applications in this field because large-scale FPGA requires numerous wire segments that conventional 2D integration cannot deal with. We have developed a true-3D computer-aided design (CAD) tool for the 3D FPGA and have quantitatively compared its performance against that of a 2D FPGA. Experimental results indicate that the 3D FPGA is superior to 2D FPGA in terms of both smaller critical path delay and smaller area.