Modeling, Analysis, and Design of Graphene Nano-Ribbon Interconnects

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices Vol. 56; no. 8; pp. 1567 - 1578
• Main Authors: Chuan Xu, Hong Li, Banerjee, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.08.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Armchair graphene nanoribbon (ac-GNR); carbon nanotube (CNT); Conductance; Copper; Delay; delay modeling; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Doping; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Graphene; graphene nanoribbon (GNR); Integrated circuit interconnections; Integrated circuits; intercalation doping; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Nonhomogeneous media; Scattering; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; specularity; Studies; Substrates; Theoretical study. Circuits analysis and design; very large scale integration (VLSI) interconnects; zigzag GNR (zz-GNR); Performance evaluation; Mean free path; Doping; Carbon nanotubes; Armchair graphene nanoribbon (ac-GNR); specularity; conductance; Modeling; zigzag GNR (zz-GNR); Prospective; very large scale integration (VLSI) interconnects; RLC circuit; Delay time; delay modeling; VLSI circuit; Doped materials; Multiple layer; Nanotape; graphene nanoribbon (GNR); Fermi level; Tight binding approximation; Graphene; Interconnection; intercalation doping; Integrated circuit; Equivalent circuit; carbon nanotube (CNT)
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/TED.2009.2024254

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are considered as a prospective interconnect material. A comprehensive conductance and delay analysis of GNR interconnects is presented in this paper. Using a simple tight-binding model and the linear response Landauer formula, the conductance model of GNR is derived. Several GNR structures are examined, and the conductance among them and other interconnect materials [e.g., copper (Cu), tungsten (W), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)] is compared. The impact of different model parameters (i.e., bandgap, mean free path, Fermi level, and edge specularity) on the conductance is discussed. Both global and local GNR interconnect delays are analyzed using an RLC equivalent circuit model. Intercalation doping for multilayer GNRs is proposed, and it is shown that in order to match (or better) the performance of Cu or CNT bundles at either the global or local level, multiple zigzag-edged GNR layers along with proper intercalation doping must be used and near-specular nanoribbon edge should be achieved. However, intercalation-doped multilayer zigzag GNRs can have better performance than that of W, implying possible application as local interconnects in some cases. Thus, this paper identifies the on-chip interconnect domains where GNRs can be employed and provides valuable insights into the process technology development for GNR interconnects.