@phdthesis{3069897,
  abstract     = {In semiconductor manufacturing, a low-k dielectric is a material with a small dielectric constant relative to silicon dioxide. In digital circuits, insulating dielectrics separate the conducting parts from one another. As components have scaled down and transistors have gotten closer and closer together, the insulating dielectrics have thinned to the point where charge builds up and crosstalk adversely affects the performance of the device. Replacing the silicon dioxide with a low-k dielectric of the same thickness reduces parasitic capacitance, enables faster switching speeds and reduces the power consumption. Besides the low-k property, the materials must have a good mechanical strength and they have to be hydrophobic, because adsorbed water increases the dielectric constant of the material. In this contribution, periodic mesoporous organosilicas are synthesized and evaluated for their low-k applicability. Firstly, the best synthesis conditions and stabilities of these PMOs in powder form are investigated. Secondly, the PMOs with the best properties are processed as thin films and the synthesis procedure is further optimized to obtain good quality porous films with ultra low dielectric constants. Finally, because closed pores are required for a good reliability of the low-k material, two pore sealing methods are developed and evaluated for their pore sealing efficiency.},
  author       = {Goethals, Frederik},
  language     = {eng},
  pages        = {XXXII, 175},
  publisher    = {Ghent University. Faculty of Sciences},
  school       = {Ghent University},
  title        = {Periodic mesoporous organosilicas for application as low-k dielectric materials},
  year         = {2012},
}