Modeling of Carbon Nanotube-Based Differential Through-Silicon Vias in 3-D ICs

This article proposes a novel differential through-silicon via (D-TSV) structure, which is filled with vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) array. Two metal pads are deposited on the sides of the surface of the proposed D-TSV to form differential signal transmission paths. The equivalent circuit model is established for the proposed D-TSV, with the frequency-dependent impedance extracted using partial-element equivalent-circuit (PEEC) method. By virtue of the equivalent circuit model, the electrical performance of the proposed D-TSV is investigated, with some design guidance presented.