Electrical Interconnects Made of Carbon Nanotubes

The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them promising candidates for electrical conductors in microelectronic devices. The parallel integration of CNTs into processes that are compatible with the requirements of the microelectronic industry will be important for their future application in chip devices. We present lithography‐based processes to create vertical electrical interconnects made of CNTs. The approach involves catalyst and dielectric (insulator) deposition, lithography, standard etch processes, CVD growth of the CNTs, and the structured deposition of metallic top contacts. This paper will discuss the electrical properties of these CNT vertical interconnects and compare them with the requirements of the ITRS roadmap.