3D PLUS: World-Leading Supplier of Advanced 3D Microelectronic Products

3D PLUS is a specialist electronics company, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Buc, France, that has become a world reference in the field of space microelectronic components. The company's core business is the development and manufacture of advanced high-density, highly miniaturized 3D microelectronic modules. This expertise is rooted in its patented 3D stacking technology, which allows for the vertical interconnection of electronic components along the Z-axis, a process that is protected by a large portfolio of patents. This innovative stacking capability enables the integration of heterogeneous devices???including active, passive, and opto-electronic components???in a single, compact System-In-Package (SiP).

The primary value proposition of 3D PLUS's technology is the ability to achieve extreme miniaturization, high performance, and high reliability in its products. Their technology can reduce the size and weight of components by a factor of at least 10 compared to existing solutions. This makes them a critical supplier for high-technology industries where size, weight, power consumption, and reliability (SWaP-R) are paramount design considerations, most notably in the aerospace, defense, security, and avionics sectors. The company is particularly recognized for its role in the space industry, boasting over 220,000 modules in orbit and more than 25 years of failure-free flight heritage, providing components for missions in telecommunications, Earth observation, navigation, launch and manned space vehicles, and science missions. Their commitment to quality is highlighted by their high quality referential and space qualification by both French and European Space agencies (ESA and CNES).

Core Technologies and Capabilities

The company???s offering is fundamentally based on its proprietary 3D stacking technologies, which range from standard package-scale to bare die and wafer-level stacking processes.

• 3D Stacking and Interconnection: The core principle involves taking non-modified standard dies, wafers, packages, and passive components and stacking them n-High (multiple levels). This high stacking capability is coupled with advanced Bus Metal-Edge interconnection techniques???a "cold process"???to ensure high reliability and excellent manufacturing yield through rigorous testing and screening of each layer before the final stack assembly.
• Radiation Tolerance: A significant portion of 3D PLUS's catalog is dedicated to radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened components specifically designed to withstand the extremely harsh environments and radiation effects of space.
• System-In-Package (SiP) Solutions: 3D PLUS specializes in custom SiP solutions, which allow customers to integrate multiple disparate functions (e.g., memory, processor, interface, and power management) into a single, highly miniaturized package.

Products and Services

3D PLUS offers a wide range of catalog products and custom solutions that fall within the Semiconductors and Electrical Components domain, with a heavy emphasis on Space and Defense applications.

A. Space-Grade and Radiation-Tolerant Products

This is the largest and most established part of their portfolio, renowned for performance, miniaturization, and radiation assurance levels (TID, SEL, SEU).

• Memory and IP Cores:
  • Volatile Memory: Radiation-tolerant SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory).
  • Non-Volatile Memory: Radiation-tolerant PROMs (Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM, MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random-Access Memory).
  • Radiation Mitigation Solutions: Intellectual Property (IP) cores, such as Reed-Solomon IP Core, used for error correction.
• Computer and Data Processing Cores:
  • Computer Cores: High-density, miniaturized processing units and computer core chips, such as the Fusio RT.
  • Companion Chips: Highly integrated components like the COMBO chip.
• Interfaces and Peripherals:
  • Interfaces: Products like LVDS (Low-Voltage Differential Signaling) interfaces and other radiation-tolerant interfaces.
  • Solid-State Drives (SSDs): Mass storage solutions for high-reliability data handling in space.
• Power Solutions and Protection:
  • Point-of-Load (POL) Converters: Highly efficient, compact, and reliable DC-DC power converters for low voltage distribution systems, with integrated filters.
  • Protection ICs: Components for radiation protection and circuit safeguarding, such as switches.

B. Camera Systems and Opto-Electronics

• Space Camera Heads: Miniaturized, rugged, and high-performance camera heads for various space applications, including 4 Megapixels models.
• Space Camera Systems: More complex, fully integrated systems like the IRIS camera system. The technology enables stacking of opto-electronic devices within the microelectronic packages.

C. Industrial and High-Reliability Products

While their focus is on space, 3D PLUS also applies its high-reliability technology to other demanding markets.

• Industrial Memory: High-density SDRAM Industrial Grade Memory Stacks for non-space, high-reliability embedded systems and industrial applications.
• Defense & Security: Advanced 3D stacked memory modules and high-density packaging solutions for military aircraft, missiles, and radar systems.

D. Services

• Custom System-In-Package (SiP) Solutions: The company's unique technology is offered as a service for customers who need to shrink their electronic designs into a custom, highly integrated module.
• Technology Licensing: 3D PLUS licenses its stacking technologies to other entities.
• Obsolescence Management and Long-Term Supply: A service commitment to provide long-term supply and manage obsolescence, which is critical for programs with decades-long lifespans, such as space missions.