Patent ID: 7129097

Claim:
A method of making an integrated circuit chip, comprising the steps of: providing a chip substrate; forming a plurality of active devices on said substrate; forming at least one dielectric layer over said substrate and said active devices, said dielectric layer containing a plurality of electrically conductive vias for making electrical connections to said active devices; forming a conductive layer over said at least one dielectric layer, said step of forming a conductive layer comprising: (a) forming a first sublayer of carbon nanotubes oriented in a first direction parallel to said conductive layer, wherein said step of forming a first sublayer of carbon nanotubes comprises the steps of: (i) forming a first plurality of elongated parallel catalyst mandrels on a first surface of said chip, (ii) covering a first side and top surface of said first plurality of catalyst mandrels with a catalyst inhibitor, leaving a second side of said first plurality of catalyst mandrels uncovered, and (iii) growing carbon nanotubes substantially parallel to said first surface of said chip from said second side of said first plurality of catalyst mandrels; and (b) forming a second sublayer of carbon nanotubes oriented in a second direction parallel to said first conductive layer, said first direction and said second direction forming a non-zero angle, wherein said step of forming a second sublayer of carbon nanotubes comprises the steps of: (i) forming a second plurality of elongated parallel catalyst mandrels on a second surface of said chip, said second plurality of elongated parallel catalyst mandrels lying at said non-zero angle with respect to said first plurality of elongated parallel catalyst mandrels, (ii) covering a first side and top surface of said second plurality of catalyst mandrels with a catalyst inhibitor, leaving a second side of said second plurality of catalyst mandrels uncovered, and (iii) growing carbon nanotubes substantially parallel to said second surface of said chip from said second side of said second plurality of catalyst mandrels.