Abstract
One of the sol-gel synthesized organic-inorganic hybrid materials, silsesquioxanes, with high thermal-mechanical stability and superior electrical property, have stimulated attentive interest in integrated circuit industries. Since organosilsesquioxanes are good matrix polymer, dielectric constants of near 2 can be achieved at moderate porosity levels of only 20-30%, without giving way to the deterioration of mechanical strength too much. The key issue lies on the porosity tuning steps, which simultaneously keep the mechanical and electrical properties above standards. The organosilsesquioxanes-based precursors by sol gel process had been developed by UCL (Union Chemical Laboratories), whose microstructures and porosity were controlled by the acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis-condensation reactions and introduced by decomposing additive without phase separation followed by appropriate thermal process. A porous dielectric film consists of nanopores was obtained, while at the same time the electrical and mechanical properties are retained.
