New approach for the preparation of nanoporous polyorganosilicate low‐k films.

The distribution of pores and the mechanical properties of materials are the key factors in preparing satisfactory low‐k films. In the present study, a kind of silsesquioxane‐polyethylene glycol (SSQ‐PEG) was synthesized and used as a template to make the distribution of pores more even in the low‐k films. The crosslinking density of films could be adjusted by the sol‐gel of tetramethoxysilane/dimethoxydimethylsilane with various proportions. The porosity of films could also be adjusted with different proportions of pendant PEG chains introduced. A dielectric constant as low as 2.1 had been achieved for nanoporous polyorganosilicate films with good tenacity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1238–1243, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]