Synthesis and interface characterization of CNTs on graphene.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene are potential candidates for future interconnect materials. CNTs are promising on-chip via interconnect materials due to their readily formed vertical structures, their current-carrying capacity, which is much larger than existing on-chip interconnect materials such as copper and tungsten, and their demonstrated ability to grow in patterned vias with sub-50 nm widths; meanwhile, graphene is suitable for horizontal interconnects. However, they both present the challenge of having high-resistance contacts with other conductors. An all-carbon structure is proposed in this paper, which can be formed using the same chemical vapor deposition method for both CNTs and graphene. Vertically aligned CNTs are grown directly on graphene with an Fe or Ni catalyst. The structural characteristics of the graphene and the grown CNTs are analyzed using Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. The CNT-graphene interface is studied in detail using transmission electron microscopic analysis of the CNT-graphene heterostructure, which suggests C-C bonding between the two materials. Electrical measurement results confirm the existence of both a lateral conduction path within graphene and a vertical conduction path in the CNT-graphene heterostructure, giving further support to the C-C bonding at the CNT-graphene interface and resulting in potential applications for all-carbon interconnects.

Effect of improved contact on reliability of sub-60 nm carbon nanotube vias.

Advances in semiconductor technology due to the aggressive downward scaling of on-chip feature sizes have led to rapid rises in the resistivity and current density of interconnect conductors. As a result, current interconnect materials, Cu and W, are subject to performance and reliability constraints approaching or exceeding their physical limits. Therefore, alternative materials are being actively considered as potential replacements to meet such constraints. The carbon nanotube (CNT) is among the leading replacement candidates for on-chip interconnect vias due to its high aspect-ratio nanostructure and superior current-carrying capacity to Cu and W, as well as other potential candidates. Based on the results for 40 nm and 60 nm top-contact metallized CNT vias, we demonstrate that not only are their current-carrying capacities two orders of magnitude higher than their Cu and W counterparts, they are enhanced by reduced via resistance due to contact engineering facilitated by the first reported contact resistance extraction scheme for a 40 nm linewidth.

Carbon nanofiber interconnect RF characteristics improvement with deposited tungsten contacts.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are potential materials for high-performance electronic devices and circuits due to their light weight and excellent electrical properties such as high current capacity and tolerance to electromigration. In addition, at high frequencies, these materials exhibit transport behavior which holds special promise for applications as on-chip interconnects. Contact resistance at CNF-metal interface is a major factor in limiting the electrical performance of CNF interconnects at all frequencies. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the contact resistance can be minimized and the high-frequency characteristics much enhanced by depositing tungsten on CNF-metal electrode contacts.