About cookies on this site Our websites require some cookies to function properly (required). In addition, other cookies may be used with your consent to analyze site usage, improve the user experience and for advertising. For more information, please review your options. By visiting our website, you agree to our processing of information as described in IBM’sprivacy statement. To provide a smooth navigation, your cookie preferences will be shared across the IBM web domains listed here.
Publication
Journal of Applied Physics
Paper
Ab Initio evaluation of electron transport properties of Pt, Rh, Ir, and Pd nanowires for advanced interconnect applications
Abstract
The electronic and structural properties of nanowires composed of either Pt, Ir, Rh, or Pd are calculated using density functional theory and a non-equilibrium Green's function scattering approach. The results for these nanowires are compared with Cu nanowires of comparable dimensions and evaluated for potential use in interconnect technology applications. The cohesive energies of the Pt, Rh and Ir nanowires are found to be stronger than the corresponding value for bulk Cu, indicating superior structural integrity and resistance to electromigration relative to Cu. Several of the nanowires considered are found to exhibit larger values of ballistic conductance relative to Cu, with maximum conductance occurring along the [110] crystallographic direction. Electron scattering at some representative twin grain boundaries is evaluated and an empirical resistivity model is used to quantitatively estimate the impact of grain size on total resistivity.