# US 2014/0151847 A1 · Area-efficient capacitor using carbon nanotubes

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- Number: US 2014/0151847 A1
- Document ID: US20140151847A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/690,593
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Damon B. Farmer; Aaron D. Franklin; Shu-Jen Han; George S. Tulevski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151847A1

## CPC

- H10D 1/68: Capacitors having no potential barriers
- H01G 4/008: Selection of materials
- H01G 4/33: Thin- or thick-film capacitors {(thin- or thick-film circuits; capacitors without a potential-jump or surface barrier specially adapted for integrated circuits, details thereof, multistep manufacturing processes therefor)}
- H10D 1/716: {having vertical extensions}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- B82Y 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

An on-chip decoupling capacitor is disclosed. One or more carbon nanotubes are coupled to a first electrode of the capacitor. A dielectric skin is formed on the one or more carbon nanotubes. A metal coating is formed on the dielectric skin. The dielectric skin is configured to electrically isolate the one or more carbon nanotubes from the metal coating.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An on-chip decoupling capacitor, comprising:
one or more carbon nanotubes coupled to a first electrode, wherein the first electrode is configured to include at least on trench;
a dielectric skin formed on the one or more carbon nanotubes;
a metal coating formed on the dielectric skin, wherein the dielectric skin is configured to electrically isolate the one or more carbon nanotubes from the metal coating; and
a second electrode forming at least one prong that is configured to extend into the at least one trench of the first electrode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon nanotubes are electrically coupled to the first electrode of the capacitor and the metal coating is electrically coupled to the second electrode of the capacitor.

### Claim 3

(canceled)

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor is directly proportional to a surface area of the dielectric skin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor is directly proportional to a number of carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1 wherein the carbon nanotube is a metal-rich carbon nanotube.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1, wherein the one or more carbon nanotubes are configured to form a mesh-like structure on the first electrode and the metal coating is configured to fill a gap between the one or more carbon nanotubes in the mesh-like structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the dielectric skin is between about 5 nanometers (nm) and 10 nm.

### Claim 9

An integrated chip, comprising:
a first electrode configured to form at least one trench;
a second electrode configured to form at least one prong that extends into the at least one trench of the first electrode; and
a separation layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the separation layer is configured to include one or more carbon nanotubes having a dielectric skin on their surfaces.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The integrated chip of claim 9 further comprising a metal coating formed on the dielectric skin, wherein the dielectric skin electrically is configured to electrically insulate the one or more carbon nanotube from the metal coating.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The integrated chip of claim 10, wherein the carbon nanotubes are configured to electrically couple to the first electrode and the metal coating is configured to electrically couple to the second electrode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The integrated chip of claim 10, wherein the one or more carbon nanotubes are configured to form a mesh-like structure on the first electrode and the metal coating is configured to fills a gap between the one or more carbon nanotubes in the mesh-like structure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The integrated chip of claim 9, wherein a capacitance between the one or more carbon nanotubes and the metal coating is directly proportional to a surface area of the dielectric skin.

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The integrated chip of claim 9 wherein the carbon nanotube is a metal-rich carbon nanotube.

### Claim 16

An on-chip decoupling capacitor, comprising:
a first electrode configured to form a plurality of trenches;
a second electrode configured to form a plurality of prongs, wherein a selected prong of the second electrode is configured to extend into a selected trench of the first electrode;
a separation layer between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the separating layer comprises:
a mesh of carbon nanotubes electrically coupled to the first electrode;
a dielectric skin formed on the mesh of carbon nanotubes; and
a metal coating formed on the dielectric skin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 16, wherein the mesh of carbon nanotubes is configured to electrically couple to the first electrode and the metal coating is configured to electrically couple to the second electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 16, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor is directly proportional to a surface area of the dielectric skin.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 16 wherein the mesh of carbon nanotubes includes a metal-rich carbon nanotube.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The on-chip decoupling capacitor of claim 16, wherein the bottom electrode is configured to couple to a copper wire at a plurality of locations.