Comparative Analysis of Advanced Shielding Techniques for Crosstalk Mitigation in Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube TSVs

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel technique for reducing crossover disturbances, consumption of electricity, Power Delay Product (PDP), and Energy-Delay Product (EDP) in MWCNT-based Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) with polymer dielectric liners. A new TSV structure is introduced, which uses MWCNT bundles as conductive elements and polymer liners such as polyimide, Polypropylene Carbonate (PPC), and Benzo Cyclobutene (BCB) as insulators. An analogous electrical circuit model is developed to assess crosstalk effects in connected TSVs powered by a ternary inverter. Simulations with the HSPICE tool show that BCB-based TSVs significantly improve performance, especially at lower TSV heights, by up to 30.21% over Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) TSVs. Additionally, BCB-lined TSVs exhibit superior crosstalk suppression, especially at larger TSV pitch values, with a 40.03% enhancement at 0.5 to 3 μm pitch compared to SWCNT TSVs. The study further explores the impact of TSV height and dielectric constant variations, revealing that BCB provides a 43.8% reduction in crosstalk delay over conventional SiO₂ liners. These findings highlight the potential of polymer liners, particularly BCB, in improving signal integrity and overall performance in next-generation 3D ICs, making them a promising alternative to traditional materials.