# US 2014/0154858 A1 · Area-efficient capacitor using carbon nanotubes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154858 A1 - Document ID: US20140154858A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/970,081 - Filed: 2013-08-19 - 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/US20140154858A1 ## 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 A method of forming an on-chip decoupling capacitor, comprising: forming at least one trench in a first electrode of the capacitor; disposing one or more carbon nanotubes on the at least one trench of the first electrode of the capacitor; forming a dielectric skin on the one or more carbon nanotubes; and forming a metal coating on the dielectric skin, wherein the dielectric skin electrically isolates the one or more carbon nanotubes from the metal coating; and forming at least one prong on a second electrode that extends into the at least one trench of the first electrode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising electrically coupling the one or more carbon nanotubes to the first electrode of the capacitor and electrically coupling the metal coating to the second electrode of the capacitor. ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method 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 method of claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor is directly proportional to a number of carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more carbon nanotubes further comprise metal-rich carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a mesh-like structure from the one or more carbon nanotubes on the first electrode fills a gap between the one or more carbon nanotubes in the mesh-like structure with the metal coating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the dielectric skin on the one or more carbon nanotubes using atomic layer deposition. ### Claim 9 A method of forming an integrated chip, comprising: forming at least one trench in a first electrode; forming a least one prong on a second electrode that extends into the at least one trench of the first electrode; and forming a separation layer between the at least one trench of the first electrode and the at least one prong of the second electrode, wherein the separation layer includes one or more carbon nanotubes having a dielectric skin on its surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a metal coating on the dielectric skin, wherein the dielectric skin electrically insulates the carbon nanotube from the metal coating. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising forming a mesh-like structure on the first electrode from the one or more carbon nanotubes and filling a gap between the one or more carbon nanotubes in the mesh-like structure using the metal coating. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising electrically coupling the carbon nanotubes to the first electrode and electrically coupling the metal coating to the second electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method 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 method of claim 9 wherein the one or more carbon nanotubes are a metal-rich carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 16 A method of forming an on-chip decoupling capacitor, comprising: forming a first electrode having a plurality of trenches; forming a second electrode having a plurality of prongs, wherein a selected prong of the second electrode extends into a selected trench of the first electrode; forming a separation layer between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein forming the separating layer comprises: forming a mesh of carbon nanotubes on the first electrode; forming a dielectric skin formed on the mesh of carbon nanotubes; and forming a metal coating on the dielectric skin. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically coupling the mesh of carbon nanotubes to the first electrode and electrically coupling the metal coating to the second electrode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor is directly proportional to a surface area of the dielectric skin of the carbon nanotube. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the mesh of carbon nanotubes includes a metal-rich carbon nanotube. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising coupling the bottom electrode to a copper wire at a plurality of locations.