Carbon-Based Interconnects for Nanoelectronic Systems

Abstract

Interconnects have long been considered a major limitation for integrated circuits because of the delay they add to critical paths, the power they dissipate, the noise and jitter they induce on one another, and their vulnerability to electromigration. These problems are all exacerbated as interconnect dimensions scale to the dimensions comparable or even smaller than the mean free path of electrons in bulk copper. Carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons are being investigated as potential solutions to the challenges facing nanoscale interconnects because of their extremely large capacity for electrical and thermal conduction. Most of the fascinating properties of carbon nanomaterials can be attributed to their one dimensional nature, the exceptionally strong carbon bonds, and the peculiar bandstructure of graphene. In this talk, physical models are presented for carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon interconnects. These models are then used to benchmark them against conventional copper interconnects. The results offer important guidelines for technology development of these novel interconnects.