Nanocarbon structures for electronic applications — A critical review

Silicon based devices form the foundation of today's integrated circuitry. However, as advancements in information and communication technologies demand ever decreasing device feature sizes, conventional materials are ultimately reaching processing limits. Consequently, extensive research is being carried out on novel materials for future device fabrication. In this paper research on nano-carbon structures for applications beyond CMOS devices is reviewed. Progress in the synthesis, processing and integration of ultra-thin conducting carbon films, graphene and nanotubes for applications such as interconnects, transistors, spintronics and sensing are critically reviewed.