Analysis of Crosstalk-Induced Effects in Multilayer Graphene Nanoribbon Interconnects

Abstract

Crosstalk effects in multilayer graphene nanoribbon (GNR) interconnects for the future nanoscale integrated circuits are investigated with the help of ABCD parameter matrix approach for intermediate- and global-level interconnects at 11[Formula: see text]nm and 8[Formula: see text]nm technology nodes. The worst-case crosstalk-induced delay and peak crosstalk noise voltages are derived for both neutral and doped zigzag GNR interconnects and compared to those of conventional copper interconnects. The worst-case crosstalk delays for perfectly specular, doped multilayer GNR interconnects are less than 4% of that of copper interconnects for 1[Formula: see text]mm long intermediate interconnects and less than 7% of that of copper interconnects for 5[Formula: see text]mm long global interconnects at 8[Formula: see text]nm node. As far as the worst-case peak crosstalk noise voltage is concerned, neutral GNR interconnects are slightly better performing than their doped counterparts. But from the perspective of overall noise contribution, doped GNR interconnects outperform neutral ones for all the cases. Finally, our analysis shows that from the signal integrity perspective, perfectly specular, doped multilayer zigzag GNR interconnects are a suitable alternative to copper interconnects for the future-generation integrated circuit technology.

Graphene Nanoribbon as Potential On-Chip Interconnect Material—A Review

“…Crosstalk problem becomes more pronounced in the case of dense wiring. So, the conventional interconnect metal, like Cu, may not be suitable for future-generation on-chip interconnects to overcome the critical challenges of technology scaling [1][2][3][4].…”

“…Because of its two-dimensional (2D) structures, graphene has limited phase space for electron scattering, and so it offers a long mean free path compared to the nano-scale metal interconnects [3,18]. Moreover, the 2D structure of the graphene sheet also offers less parasitic capacitance than the Cu interconnects [4,19]. So, these extraordinary electronic properties of graphene make it suitable for reliable on-chip interconnect material in future, with faster transport in the nanoscale regime [20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…In a 11 nm node, only doped zz-MLGNR shows an improved performance compared with the Cu interconnects for specularity p = 0.8 and 1. A crosstalk delay is calculated in the literature [4] for neutral zz-MLGNR and AsF5 doped zz-MLGNR, considering ITRS technology node 8 nm and 11 nm, respectively. A crosstalk delay of MLGNR is compared with the Cu interconnect delay as a function of the interconnect length (l) for different specularity (p).…”

“…With the introduction of nano-scale technology, the intrinsic gate delay of the transistor has become less significant compared to the interconnects delay [1,2]. So, the chip performance and reliability are better determined by the properties of the interconnects instead of the transistors [3,4]. In a not so small sub-micron range, the interconnects are approximated as a lumped resistive-capacitive (RC) network, whereas in the nano-scale range, a To implement graphene as a practical on-chip interconnect material, it needs to be patterned into narrow ribbon, popularly known as graphene nanoribbon (GNR).…”

ABCD Parameter based Analytical AC Modeling of Novel Cu-Carbon Hybrid Interconnects for Noise Constrained Nanoscale Systems

“…Carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoribbons, have been extensively studied and identified as promising candidates for next-generation interconnect applications 7 . Fundamental research on carbon-based nano interconnects, as reported in [8][9][10][11] , indicates that these materials offer higher ampacity, longer mean free path (MFP), and better thermal conductivity compared to copper interconnects. Copper carbon nanotube (Cu-CNT) composites, composed of CNT bundles and copper, are being considered as potential replacements for conventional interconnects in the near future 12 .…”