Intercalated Graphene as Next Generation Back-end-of-Line Conductors

Research on adopting graphene nanoribbons for conductor application has been at the forefront for over a decade. However, the exhibited high film and contact resistivities with metals have been prohibiting so far the practical realization of graphene conductors. In this work we propose a symbiotic graphene intercalation and edge-contact architecture to reduce both film and contact resistivities of graphene. Our results show two-fold achievements: 1) a film resistivity lower than Cu below 150 Å thickness, and 2) four orders reduction on specific contact resistivity. Furthermore, a comprehensive simulation workflow is proposed based on density functional theory to screen for novel intercalant materials not yet explored. The model points to the discovery of n-type metals as potentially promising candidates to further improve intercalated graphene’s electrical properties.