Interface engineering of TiC-functionalized carbon nanotubes for 3D optoelectronics

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as potential vertical interconnect materials due to superior thermal conductivity and current-carrying capacity. However, electrical and thermal losses at electrode/CNT interface remain significant challenges. In this work, we present an interface engineering strategy using TiC-bonded CNTs (TiC-CNTs), which is not limited by the growth temperature and is compatible with semiconductor manufacturing processes. Compared to the CNT field emission prototype, the TiC-CNT prototype reduces the interface barrier by 0.28-fold, thereby enhancing the current-carrying capability by a factor of 10.6. Additionally, the reliability is improved by 79.0 % over a 300-h operation. Furthermore, the three-dimensional (3D) optoelectronic prototype utilizing TiC-CNT interconnects reduces thermal resistance by 49.1 %. Thus, the TiC-functionalized strategy significantly enhances electrical/thermal transport and reliability at the electrode/CNT interface, highlighting the potential of TiC-CNTs for applications in densely packed 3D optoelectronic devices.