Too thin to fail: an alternative to copper microchip interconnects
Cornell researchers have identified niobium arsenide nanowires as a potential replacement for copper in microchip interconnects. Unlike copper, which becomes more resistive as it shrinks, this topological semimetal improves its conductivity at the nanoscale.
Why it matters
As microchips continue to shrink, current copper-based technology faces physical limitations; this discovery could enable the next generation of high-performance computing.
A scanning electron microscope image shows nanowires of niobium arsenide still attached to a bulk feedstock.
Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips.
These tiny wires – typically made of copper due to its high conductivity – string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers and electronic devices. But as the technology advances and additional transistors are piled on, the components must shrink to the nanoscale. And that’s when copper begins to fail.
Cornell researchers have developed a potential replacement for copper interconnects: single-crystal nanowires of niobium arsenide. This topological semimetal paradoxically becomes a better conductor the thinner it gets, boosting electronic performance.
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