Slimmer nanorods may revolutionise 3-D computer chip technology

Washington, Mar 18 (ANI): Scientists have developed a new technique for growing slimmer copper nanorods, a breakthrough that can pave the way for advanced integrated 3-D chip technology.

The researchers have found a new method to grow slimmer copper nanorods, which can be used as a low-temperature bonding agent for holding together the layers of next-generation 3-D integrated computer chips.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that interrupting the nanorod growth process results in thinner copper rods that fuse together, or anneal, at about 300 degrees Celsius.

The relatively low annealing temperature could make the nanorods ideal for use in heat-sensitive nanoelectronics, particularly for "gluing" together the stacked components of 3-D computer chips.

"When fabricating and assembling 3-D chips, and when bonding the silicon wafers together, you want as low a temperature as possible," said Pei-I Wang, research associate at Rensselaer's Center for Integrated Electronics.

He added: "Slimmer nanorods, by virtue of their smaller diameters, require less heat to anneal. These lower temperatures won't damage or degrade the delicate semiconductors. The end result is a less expensive, more reliable device."

Experimental 3-D computer chips are comprised of several layers of stacked components.

The researchers claimed that such layers can be coated with thin nanorods, and then heated up to 300 degrees Celsius.

Around that temperature, the thin nanorods anneal, turn into a continuous thin film, and fuse the layers together.

According to Wang, the study was the first demonstration of slimmer nanorods enabling wafer bonding.

The study has been reported in the journal Nanotechnology. (ANI)