High electrical conductivity and breakdown current density of individual monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x MXene flakes

In recent years, the increasing demand for higher performance of integrated circuits has been met by scaling down various device components, including on-chip interconnects. However, as the use of conventional metals, such as copper, in miniaturized interconnects becomes increasingly challenging, there is a growing interest in alternative interconnect materials with high electrical conductivity and breakdown current density. Here, we demonstrate a very high breakdown current density in monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x, a material from the family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides known as MXenes, which exceeds such properties of copper and other conventional metals. The remarkable combination of high electrical conductivity and breakdown current density found in Ti₃C₂T_x extends the already impressive list of potential applications of MXenes to microelectronics and warrants investigation of other materials from the large MXene family, some of which may possess even better characteristics.