Carbon Nanotubes in Microelectronic Applications

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential of carbon nanotubes as advanced interconnects and switching devices in microelectronics, highlighting progress in nanotube integration, a novel transistor concept, and superior performance metrics over silicon devices.

Contribution

It introduces a nanotube process integration method compatible with microelectronics, proposes a vertical nanotube transistor design, and demonstrates performance surpassing silicon transistors.

Findings

Successful growth of nanotubes at lithographically defined locations on wafers

Proposed vertical nanotube transistor outperforms 2016 ITRS requirements

Nanotube transistors exceed silicon devices in transconductance, on-resistance, and drive current

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes with their outstanding electrical and mechanical properties are suggested as interconnect material of the future and as switching devices, which could outperform silicon devices. In this paper we will introduce nanotubes, specify the applications, where nanotubes can contribute to the advancement of Moore's law and show our progress of nanotube process integration in a microelectronic compatible way. The growth of single individual nanotubes at lithographically defined locations on whole wafers as a key requirement for the successful implementation of nanotubes is shown. In terms of nanotube transistors we propose a vertical nanotube transistor concept which outperforms the ITRS requirements for the year 2016. The performance is mainly limited by contact resistances, but by comparison with silicon devices we show that fabricated nanotube transistors already today exceed the values for transconductance, on-resistance and drive current of silicon devices.