Intercalation Doped Multilayer-Graphene-Nanoribbons for Next-Generation Interconnects

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Copper interconnects in integrated circuits face limitations in performance and reliability due to increasing resistivity and decreasing current carrying capacity with scaling.
• These limitations hinder the advancement of modern semiconductor technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the viability of chemical vapor deposition-synthesized and intercalation-doped multilayer-graphene-nanoribbons (ML-GNRs) as a high-performance interconnect material for integrated circuits.
• To compare the performance, energy efficiency, and reliability of ML-GNRs against traditional copper interconnects.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of high-quality ML-GNRs using chemical vapor deposition with controlled layer numbers.
• Intercalation doping of ML-GNRs using FeCl3.
• Optimization of GNR interconnect design.
• Reliability testing under accelerated stress conditions (temperature and current density).

Main Results:

• ML-GNRs demonstrated over 20% improvement in estimated delay per unit length compared to copper.
• Achieved 25% and 72% energy efficiency improvements at local and global levels, respectively.
• Exhibited superior reliability, carrying current densities over 2 × 10^8 A/cm^2, far exceeding copper's breakdown point.
• Demonstrated stable room-temperature doping with a unique width-dependent effect.

Conclusions:

• Intercalation-doped ML-GNRs present a promising alternative to copper interconnects for scaled integrated circuits.
• The developed ML-GNR technology offers significant improvements in performance, energy efficiency, and reliability.
• This research paves the way for graphene-based interconnects in future semiconductor applications.