Data Transmission Performance of Few Layer Graphene Ribbon Interconnects

We present the digital data transmission performance of few-layer graphene ribbon interconnects grown by chemical vapor deposition which are potential candidates for interconnect applications, and serve as a replacement for problematic metal interconnects at small length scales and overcome their limitations in data transmission performance. Graphene ribbon interconnects having a mobility of 2,180 cm²V^–1s^–1 can sustain data rates up to 90 megabits per second at 100 nm length. These interconnects behave as RLC lines, thus the bandwidth is inversely proportional to resistance caused by defects in the graphene layers and the inductance and capacitance of the interconnect lines. Improving the graphene mobility to highest measured values (∼200,000 cm²V^–1s^–1 and using structures with multiple coplanar transmission lines in parallel could carry the bandwidth beyond the terabits per second level.