Carbon nanotube interconnects in porous diamond interlayer dielectrics

A method of forming an microelectronic structure comprising:

• forming a porous diamond interlayer dielectric (ILD) on an underlying layer, the underlying layer comprising a conductor;
• etching a opening in the ILD to expose at least a portion of the conductor;
• depositing an ohmic contact in the opening;
• depositing a nematic liquid crystal host-carbon nanotube solution on the ILD to fill the opening;
• aligning a carbon nanotube in the liquid crystal host-carbon nanotube solution;
• and
• removing substantially all of the liquid crystal host leaving the aligned carbon nanotube.

A method of forming an microelectronic structure comprising:

• forming a porous diamond interlayer dielectric (ILD) on an underlying layer;
• etching an interconnect channel in the ILD;
• depositing a catalyst in the trench;
• depositing a carbon based precursor material in the trench;
• and
• growing the carbon based precursor laterally across the interconnect channel to form a carbon nanotube.

An interconnect structure comprising:

• a trench defined by a porous diamond interlayer dielectric ILD disposed above an underlying layer, the underlying layer having a conductor;
• an ohmic contact disposed on at least a portion of the conductor;
• and
• a carbon nanotube disposed on at least a portion of the ohmic contact to make electrical connection to the conductor through the ohmic contact.