Mechanical Polishing Technique for Carbon Nanotube Interconnects in ULSIs

We examined a mechanical polishing technique for multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) vias. This polishing technique involved the use of diamond particles fixing MWNT protrusions of the samples. The 1-µm-high outthrust MWNTs were polished, and then flat sample surfaces were obtained by controlling polishing pressure and polishing time. A cross-sectional image of a cut MWNT was obtained by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Mechanically polished MWNT interconnects with a high current density and a low resistance were developed.