Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a large variety of properties that make them attractive for applications in microelectronics. A comparison of carbon nanotube field‐effect transistors with silicon MOSFETs shows that CNT devices outperform state‐of‐the‐art silicon transistors. A silicon technology review gives the benchmark for an assessment of the current CNT technology and identifies the growth and placement procedures that are not yet sufficient for industrial applications. Finally, the vertical CNT transistor concept is introduced which deals with the technological problems and opens a new route for 3D integration.