Carl V. Thompson

Stavros Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

SB, Materials Science and Engineering, MIT, 1976.
SM, Applied Physics, Harvard University, 1977
PhD, Applied Physics, Harvard University, 1982

Room 13-5069, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA  02139
617-253-7652 (phone) 617-258-6749 (fax)
cthomp@mit.edu
Prof. Thompson's Home Page

Professor Thompson and his students carry out research on thin films and nanostructures for use in micro- and nano-systems, especially electronic and electromechanical systems. One area of special interest is structure evolution during film formation and during post-patterning processing. For these studies, in-situ stress and structure characterization are combined to study kinetic processes that affect the properties of films and surfaces, both during and after deposition. Probe-based and electron microscopy are also used to characterize structure evolution in continuous and patterned films, as a function of thermal, mechanical, and electrical processes. The latter includes in-situ studies of electromigration-induced void dynamics in nano-scale electrical interconnects. Other interconnect-related research includes studies of processing and properties of bonded interconnects in 3-dimensional integrated circuits, and research on growth, integration, and characterization of carbon nanotubes for use in future interconnect systems. Another major theme in Professor Thompson’s research is development of techniques for organizing large systems of nano-scale materials, including carbon nanotubes, semiconductor and metallic nano-wires, and metallic nano-crystals.

Selected Publications

R. Krishnan and C.V. Thompson, "Mono-domain high aspect ratio 2-D and 3-D ordered porous alumina structures with independently controlled pore spacing and diameter," Advanced Materials 19, 988 (2007).

R. Tadepalli and C.V. Thompson, "Formation of Cu–Cu interfaces with ideal adhesive strengths via room temperature pressure bonding in ultrahigh vacuum," Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 151919 (2007).

K.Y. Zang KY, Y.D.Wang YD, L.S. Wang, S. Tripathy, S.J. Chua, and C.V. Thompson, "Nanoheteroepitaxy of GaN on a nanopore array of Si(111) surface," Thin Solid Films 515,  4505 (2007).

S.M. Alam, C.L. Gan, C.V. Thompson, D.E. Troxel, "Reliability computer-aided design tool for full-chip electromigration analysis and comparison with different interconnect  metallizations," Microelectronics Journal 38, 463 (2007).

Z.-S. Choi, R. Moenig, and C. V. Thompson, "Dependence of the electromigration flux on  the crystallographic orientations of different grains in polycrystalline copper interconnects," Appl. Phys. Letts. 90, 241913 (2007).