Analysis of carbon-based interconnect breakdown

Current-induced breakdown phenomena of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) for future on-chip interconnect applications are presented. The effect of heat dissipation via the underlying substrate is studied using different experimental configurations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques are utilized to study the structural damage by current stress. While the measured maximum current density in the suspended CNF in air is inversely proportional to nanofiber length and independent of diameter, SiO2-supported CNFs improves their current capacity, which implies effective heat dissipation to the oxide. The correlation between maximum current density and electrical resistivity confirms the importance of local Joule heating, showing strong coupling between electrical and thermal transport in CNFs.