Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) nanocapacitors and effects of material properties on their operation

Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors play an important part in many integrated electronic circuits in the areas of analog, microwave, and radio frequency systems. However the transverse dimensions of current MIM capacitors are in the micrometer scale. If integrated circuits continue to be miniaturized, the capacitor, alongside other components, must also be miniaturized to realize nanoelectronic circuits and systems. This article presents a novel device, the nanocapacitor, of which the dimensions are constrained to nanoscale in longitudinal and transverse directions, and discusses the effects of material properties on their operation. In particular, this work discusses the effects of dielectric constant, dielectric strength, and quantum electrical phenomena on achieving relatively high capacitances and capacitance densities in nanocapacitors. © Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia Ltd - Materials Forum Volume 27 - Published 2004