Electro-Thermal Transport in Metallic Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes for Interconnect Applications

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electro-thermal behavior of metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes for interconnects, highlighting self-heating effects, phonon scattering, and breakdown limits to improve their application in nanoelectronics.

Contribution

It provides the first combined experimental and modeling analysis of electro-thermal effects in SWNTs for interconnect use, including self-heating and phonon scattering mechanisms.

Findings

Self-heating is significant in short SWNTs under high bias.

Optical phonon absorption affects low-bias resistance above 250 K.

Limiting power density to below 5 uW/um prevents breakdown.

Abstract

This work represents the first electro-thermal study of metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for interconnect applications. Experimental data and careful modeling reveal that self-heating is of significance in short (1 < L < 10 um) nanotubes under high-bias. The low-bias resistance of micron scale SWNTs is also found to be affected by optical phonon absorption (a scattering mechanism previously neglected) above 250 K. We also explore length-dependent electrical breakdown of SWNTs in ambient air. Significant self-heating in SWNT interconnects can be avoided if power densities per unit length are limited to less than 5 uW/um.