Modeling, Fabrication, and Characterization of Large Carbon Nanotube Interconnects With Negative Temperature Coefficient of the Resistance

One of the most appealing properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) interconnects is the possibility of exhibiting, under certain circumstances, a negative temperature coefficient of the electrical resistance, i.e., a resistance that decreases as temperature increases. In the past, this behavior has been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed, but only for a certain class of CNTs, with short lengths (up to some micrometers) and in a limited range of temperature. This paper demonstrates the possibility of obtaining such a desirable behavior in a larger scale (up to fractions of millimeters). An accurate electrothermal model is used to define the conditions under which a negative derivative of the resistance may be observed. Then, a novel bottom-up technique is proposed to realize the interconnect, by self-assembly of short CNTs. The experimental results of an electrothermal characterization demonstrate the possibility of obtaining a negative temperature coefficient of the resistance and confirm the validity of the theoretical model.