GSA Emphasizes 3D IC Architecture Evolution With the Release of Report and Tour

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GSA Announces 3D IC Working Group Chair
' y" P- z" D. K+ xCadence Executive Ken Potts to lead GSA 3D IC Working Group

! N& P5 B8 }$ M+ h4 sSAN JOSE, Calif. (June XX21, 2012) – The Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), the voice of the global semiconductor industry, today announced the appointment of Ken Potts, group director of marketing, Strategic Planning, Cadence Design Systems, as the 3D IC Working Group Chairman.  Cadence, a leading global electronic design automation (EDA) company, is a GSA member company.
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( B- Z& |/ }* v. I$ WPotts assumed the role of the 3D IC working group chair after their April 26 meeting where the group planned its strategic directions for 2012 and beyond. More than 50 members attended.  This group, in existence for more than three years, has provided the GSA membership and the semiconductor industry an evangelic approach to increased awareness of 3D IC benefits.  In the days ahead, the working group will focus less on the educational aspects of this technology and more on its implementation.
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The 3D IC Working Group allows companies spanning the 3D IC ecosystem to meet in a non-competitive forum to tackle and resolve issues that hinder the adoption and commercialization of 3D IC technology and products.  The working group will focus on 3D IC business model development, test related activities, and design and manufacturing challenges to full-scale implementation of 3D IC technology. The group will also continue to be an educational facilitator and knowledge repository.

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“I’m honored to lead a group that has been instrumental in educating the industry on this critical technology,” said Potts on taking the reigns of the organization. “I look forward to managing the process of creating a shared member vision that will help enable and drive the next phase of 3D IC adoption.”

* a7 L2 a3 b5 U: OWade Giles, GSA VP of Operations, stated, “After a thorough search, GSA is fortunate to have a volunteer of Mr. Potts’ caliber lead this effort.  GSA has played a leading role in bringing 3D IC to the forefront of industry development.  With Ken’s leadership, GSA will continue to play a critical role in the successful commercialization of this technology.”

Potts’ background is a unique blend of practical electronic and mechanical engineering experience, including marketing, sales, executive management, and entrepreneurship. After receiving a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Montana State University, his engineering career has been spent in advanced development groups for the US Navy as well as two Fortune 500 companies. He has also been a consistent innovation contributor on solid state lasers, neural networks, 3D IC technology, high performance chipsets, and graphics processors and is a co-inventor on five U.S. patents. Since moving into the EDA and IP industry, he has held several Product and Services Marketing as well as Sales executive positions at Cadence and Virage Logic.   

In his current position at Cadence, Potts is responsible for leading the company’s strategic planning process.