tag: copper interconnects

Impact Of The Film Transfer And Grain Size On The Cu-barrier Properties Of 2D WS2 Films (NUS et al.)
By Technical Paper Link - 29 Jan, 2026 - Comments: 0

A new technical paper titled "Enhancing Cu-barrier properties of 2D-WS2 barriers: The role of grain size and surface passivation" was published by researchers at National University of Singapore, AIXTRON, IMiF and Applied Materials. Abstract "Two-dimensional (2D) films, such as tungsten disulfide (WS2), are being considered by the microelectronics industry as promising barrier and liner s... » read more

New Interconnect Materials Beyond Copper (Florida State Univ., Cornell)
By Technical Paper Link - 14 Nov, 2025 - Comments: 0

A new technical paper titled "Shrinking interconnects beyond copper" was published by researchers at Florida State University and Cornell University. Excerpt "The continuous downscaling of transistors in integrated circuits following Moore’s law—doubling the number of transistors on a microchip about every 2 years—has been an extraordinary feat of engineering, pushing the limits of fu... » read more

The End Of Copper Interconnects?
By Katherine Derbyshire - 21 Aug, 2025 - Comments: 0

After nearly three decades, the era of copper interconnects may be coming to an end. Sort of. At interconnect CDs below 10nm, copper is no longer the best metallization choice. Yet it remains unsurpassed for larger features. The most serious challenge to continued copper scaling is the metal’s dramatic increase in resistivity at dimensions below its relatively large (40nm) mean free path l... » read more

Interconnects: Exploring Semi-Metals (Penn State, IBM, Rice University)
By Technical Paper Link - 26 Mar, 2023 - Comments: 0

A technical paper titled "Exploring Topological Semi-Metals for Interconnects" was published by researchers at Penn State, IBM, and Rice University, with funding by Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). Abstract "The size of transistors has drastically reduced over the years. Interconnects have likewise also been scaled down. Today, conventional copper (Cu)-based interconnects face a ... » read more

How Far Will Copper Interconnects Scale?
By Laura Peters - 15 Dec, 2022 - Comments: 0

As leading chipmakers continue to scale finFETs — and soon nanosheet transistors — to ever-tighter pitches, the smallest metal lines eventually will become untenable using copper with its liner and barrier metals. What comes next, and when, is still to be determined. There are multiple options being explored, each with its own set of tradeoffs. Ever since IBM introduced the industry to c... » read more

Extending Copper Interconnects To 2nm
By Laura Peters - 17 Mar, 2022 - Comments: 0

Transistor scaling is reaching a tipping point at 3nm, where nanosheet FETs will likely replace finFETs to meet performance, power, area, and cost (PPAC) goals. A significant architectural change is similarly being evaluated for copper interconnects at 2nm, a move that would reconfigure the way power is delivered to transistors. This approach relies on so-called buried power rails (BPRs) and... » read more

Co-Packaged Optics And The Evolution Of Switch/Optical Interconnects In Data Centers
By Synopsys - 27 Oct, 2021 - Comments: 0

Driven by a need to reduce power and increase bandwidth density in data center network switches and other devices, the data networking industry is moving toward adoption of co-packaged optics (CPO). This paper provides a brief overview of the history of copper and optical interconnects, the limitations of existing interconnect solutions, and the future of co-packaged optics, including the benef... » read more

Tech Brief: Elements of Electroplating
By Lam Research - 14 Dec, 2018 - Comments: 0

Electroplating is a common manufacturing process that applies a thin layer of one metal onto another. The U.S. penny, for example, has been made of zinc with a thin, electroplated coating of copper since 1982. Jewelry and flatware are also frequently electroplated to improve visual appearance or provide wear and corrosion resistance. Today, electroplating is widely performed in the electronics ... » read more

How To Deal With Electromigration
By Katherine Derbyshire - 02 Mar, 2015 - Comments: 8

The replacement of aluminum with copper interconnect wiring, first demonstrated by IBM in 1997, brought the integrated circuit industry substantial improvements in both resistance to electromigration and line conductivity. Copper is both a better and more stable conductor than aluminum. Difficult though the transition was, it helped extend device scaling for another eighteen years (and counting... » read more

Extending Copper Interconnect Beyond The 14nm Node
By Various Writers - 20 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

Fabricating interconnects is one of the most process-intensive and cost-sensitive parts of manufacturing. To find out more about what's changing in this area and why it's so important, click here. » read more

  • Sponsors

About

Navigation

Connect With Us

Copyright ©2013-2026 SMG   |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy