Where carbon shows up in a chip
Die Surface Finish
Nanodiamond particles of four to six nanometres in chemical-mechanical planarisation slurries produce the ultra-smooth finish on silicon and metal layers during manufacturing.
Transistor Channel
Aligned single-wall carbon nanotube arrays serve as the transistor channel in carbon-nanotube transistors, targeting performance past the scaling limits of silicon, with a 2024 device reaching a transconductance of 3.7 mS/µm.
Graphite Spreader
Compressed or expanded graphite sheets between the board and the thermal interface spread heat sideways at roughly 500 to 1,500 W/m·K, a standard part in laptops and mobile devices.
Chip Heat Spreader
A graphene or graphene-filled heat spreader on the package moves hotspot heat sideways before it reaches the sink, at roughly 2,000 to 5,000 W/m·K, now standard in premium smartphones.
Thermal Interface
A graphene or nanotube thermal interface material between the die and the lid lowers the thermal resistance between the silicon and the heat sink, with graphene-enhanced versions reaching about 5 to 15 W/m·K.
EMI Shield
Thin titanium-carbide MXene films or coatings on the package surface absorb and reflect electromagnetic interference, reaching 50 to 70 dB of effectiveness at under 50 micrometres thick.
The numbers behind carbon in electronics
These figures are indicative estimates that vary by scope and year.
Why carbon is moving to the centre of the chip
Carbon nanotubes and graphene are the leading advanced carbons in electronics. Aligned single-wall nanotube arrays are being developed as the transistor channel in carbon-nanotube transistors, aiming past the scaling limits of silicon, and the same materials serve as transparent conductors and interconnects. A 2024 single-wall nanotube transistor reached a transconductance of 3.7 mS/µm, approaching leading-edge silicon.
Most of carbon's work in a chip package is managing heat and interference. A graphene heat spreader on the package moves hotspot heat sideways at roughly 2,000 to 5,000 W/m·K, a graphene or nanotube thermal interface lowers the resistance between die and lid, and compressed graphite sheets spread heat across the board at 500 to 1,500 W/m·K. Titanium-carbide MXene films shield the package with 50 to 70 dB of effectiveness under 50 micrometres thick, and nanodiamond slurries with particles of four to six nanometres give each wafer its final polish.
As devices stack more silicon into tighter packages, these thermal and shielding roles only grow. ACC tracks the producers, the science and the market behind electronics-grade carbons so members can see where adoption is established, where it is still emerging, and who is supplying it.
Key carbons used in electronics
Drawn from materials ACC has linked to electronics coverage and producers. Each links to its full material profile.
