Carbon Nanotubes in Electronics Interconnect Applications with a Focus on 3D-TSV Technology

High density electronics integration at the system level, supported by advanced packaging solutions, is expected to be the main driving force for the future shrinking of electronics. One recent focus in the field of electronics packaging is the use of through-silicon-via (TSV) to form three-dimensional (3D) integration. A central task in developing 3D-TSV integration is to build reliable and efficient electrical interconnects for signal transfer and power distribution among the stacked layers. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are supposed to be a promising material to build future interconnects due to their many attractive electrical and mechanical properties. This paper reviews the state-of-art in CNT integration technology, with a focus on the 3D-TSV interconnect. The simplicity and manufacturability of fabricating and stacking CNT TSVs presented in this paper indicate a great application potential of CNTs as an interconnection material in future 3D integrated electronics.