Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals
Abstract The scaling of Si transistor technology has resulted in a remarkable improvement in the performance of integrated circuits over the last decades. However, scaled transistors also require reduced electrical interconnect dimensions, which lead to greater losses and power dissipation at circui...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Communications Materials |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00828-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850242860355420160 |
|---|---|
| author | Gianluca Mariani Federico Balduini Nathan Drucker Lorenzo Rocchino Vicky Hasse Claudia Felser Heinz Schmid Cezar Zota Bernd Gotsmann |
| author_facet | Gianluca Mariani Federico Balduini Nathan Drucker Lorenzo Rocchino Vicky Hasse Claudia Felser Heinz Schmid Cezar Zota Bernd Gotsmann |
| author_sort | Gianluca Mariani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The scaling of Si transistor technology has resulted in a remarkable improvement in the performance of integrated circuits over the last decades. However, scaled transistors also require reduced electrical interconnect dimensions, which lead to greater losses and power dissipation at circuit level. This is mainly caused by enhanced surface scattering of charge carriers in copper interconnect wires at dimensions below 30 nm. A promising approach to mitigate this issue is to use directional conductors, i.e. materials with anisotropic Fermi surface, where proper alignment of crystalline orientation and transport direction can minimize surface scattering. In this work, we perform a resistivity scaling study of the anisotropic semimetal NbP as a function of crystalline orientation. We use here focused ion beam to pattern and scale down NbP crystallites to dimensions comparable to the electron scattering length at cryogenic temperatures. The experimental transport properties are correlated with the Fermi surface characteristics through a theoretical model, thus identifying the physical mechanisms that influence the resistivity scaling of anisotropic conductors. Our methodology provides an effective approach for early evaluation of anisotropic materials as future ultra-scalable interconnects, even when they are unavailable as epitaxial films. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fe538f66c6284c129c0eed3d8a103be7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4443 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Materials |
| spelling | doaj-art-fe538f66c6284c129c0eed3d8a103be72025-08-20T02:00:09ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Materials2662-44432025-05-01611710.1038/s43246-025-00828-wOrientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystalsGianluca Mariani0Federico Balduini1Nathan Drucker2Lorenzo Rocchino3Vicky Hasse4Claudia Felser5Heinz Schmid6Cezar Zota7Bernd Gotsmann8IBM Research Europe - ZurichIBM Research Europe - ZurichIBM Research Europe - ZurichIBM Research Europe - ZurichMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsMax Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of SolidsIBM Research Europe - ZurichIBM Research Europe - ZurichIBM Research Europe - ZurichAbstract The scaling of Si transistor technology has resulted in a remarkable improvement in the performance of integrated circuits over the last decades. However, scaled transistors also require reduced electrical interconnect dimensions, which lead to greater losses and power dissipation at circuit level. This is mainly caused by enhanced surface scattering of charge carriers in copper interconnect wires at dimensions below 30 nm. A promising approach to mitigate this issue is to use directional conductors, i.e. materials with anisotropic Fermi surface, where proper alignment of crystalline orientation and transport direction can minimize surface scattering. In this work, we perform a resistivity scaling study of the anisotropic semimetal NbP as a function of crystalline orientation. We use here focused ion beam to pattern and scale down NbP crystallites to dimensions comparable to the electron scattering length at cryogenic temperatures. The experimental transport properties are correlated with the Fermi surface characteristics through a theoretical model, thus identifying the physical mechanisms that influence the resistivity scaling of anisotropic conductors. Our methodology provides an effective approach for early evaluation of anisotropic materials as future ultra-scalable interconnects, even when they are unavailable as epitaxial films.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00828-w |
| spellingShingle | Gianluca Mariani Federico Balduini Nathan Drucker Lorenzo Rocchino Vicky Hasse Claudia Felser Heinz Schmid Cezar Zota Bernd Gotsmann Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals Communications Materials |
| title | Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals |
| title_full | Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals |
| title_fullStr | Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals |
| title_short | Orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic NbP crystals |
| title_sort | orientation dependent resistivity scaling in mesoscopic nbp crystals |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00828-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gianlucamariani orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT federicobalduini orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT nathandrucker orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT lorenzorocchino orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT vickyhasse orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT claudiafelser orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT heinzschmid orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT cezarzota orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals AT berndgotsmann orientationdependentresistivityscalinginmesoscopicnbpcrystals |