Nanocarbon interconnects: Demonstration of properties better than Cu and remaining issues

Nanocarbon materials including graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising candidates for future LSI interconnects. We recently demonstrated sub-10-nm-wide graphene interconnects whose resistivity is lower than that of Cu with similar dimensions. In this paper, we first describe the fabrication and evaluation of such graphene interconnects. We then explain a newly-developed fabrication process for carbon nanotube (CNT) vias and plugs, which relies on implantation of CNTs into sub-micrometer-sized holes. We then point out further issues to be addressed for realizing nanocarbon interconnects.