A Modeling Study: Applying Carbon-Based Interconnects to BS-PDN Architecture.

In recent years, BS-PDN (Back-Side power delivery network with Buried-Power-Rails) has been proposed to meet the challenge of continuous scaling of integrated circuits with excellent PPA (power, performance, and area). However, the additional bonding layer and thin substrate introduced by BPR (Buried-Power-Rails) lead to poor heat dissipation, making it difficult to handle situations with severe heat dissipation requirements such as high-performance computing applications. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of applying Carbon-based interconnect to BS-PDN to improve its performance through modeling and simulation. Our results demonstrate that Carbon-based interconnects have comparable electrical characteristics to copper-based interconnects, ~20.4% better thermal performance, and ten times more reliability. However, it is not fully applicable for BS-PDN due to the limitation of the process and the large loss of current density. Furthermore, the interconnect combining Carbon and Cu shows a level of electrical characteristics comparable to the Cu-based interconnect and has better heat dissipation and reliability with little loss in current density, which is a potential solution.