Patent ID: 7598127
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a carbon nanotube fuse, the method comprising the steps of: depositing a carbon nanotube layer, depositing a cap layer directly over the carbon nanotube layer, where the cap layer is formed of a material that has an insufficient amount of oxygen to significantly oxidize the carbon nanotube layer under operating conditions, and is otherwise sufficiently robust to protect the carbon nanotube layer from oxygen and plasmas, forming a photoresist layer over the cap layer, and patterning the photoresist layer to define a desired size of fuse, etching completely both the cap layer and the carbon nanotube layer without removing the photoresist layer, to define the fuse having two ends in the carbon nanotube layer, etching just the cap layer, without removing the photoresist layer, so as to reduce the cap layer by a desired amount at the edges of the cap layer under the photoresist layer, without damaging the carbon nanotube layer, removing the photoresist layer, and forming electrically conductive contacts on each of the two ends of the fuse.