Copper nanowire production for interconnect applications

摘要

A method of fabricating metallic Cu nanowires with lengths up to about 25 μm and diameters in a range 20-100 nm, or greater if desired. Vertically oriented or laterally oriented copper oxide structures (CuO and/or Cu2O) are grown on a Cu substrate. The copper oxide structures are reduced with 99+ percent H or H2, and in this reduction process the lengths decrease (to no more than about 25 μm), the density of surviving nanostructures on a substrate decreases, and the diameters of the surviving nanostructures have a range, of about 20-100 nm. The resulting nanowires are substantially pure Cu and can be oriented laterally (for local or global interconnects) or can be oriented vertically (for standard vertical interconnects).

主权项

1. A method for fabricating small diameter nanowires of metallic Cu, the method comprising:
providing an array of Cu-containing structures, having diameters that are no greater than 1 mm and containing at least one oxide of Cu; exposing the array to a gas or vapor containing at least one of H and H2 at a gas temperature of about 400° C. or higher, for a time interval length at least about 30 min.; allowing the array to react with the gas and to become reduced so that at least one of the Cu-containing structures containing at least one oxide of Cu becomes approximately pure Cu with a diameter in a range 20-100 nm; providing a substrate of copper having at least one exposed surface; heating the substrate to a temperature of about 400° C. or higher for a time interval of length about 30 min. or higher, and allowing formation on the substrate of at least one structure, having a diameter in a range of about 20-100 nm and having at least one molecule of Cu2O or CuO, on the substrate; orienting said Cu-containing structures in said array in a vertical direction that is approximately perpendicular to a surface of said substrate; and implementing at least one of said vertically oriented Cu-containing structures as a vertical interconnect in a circuit.