The preparation and low-k application of Asymmetric Functionalized Cyclodextrin templated nanoporous silsesquioxane films

Several kinds of Asymmetric Functionalized Cyclodextrin (AFCD), as a porogen, have been introduced for the first time to investigate their potential in the field of low-k applications. The novel AFCD templated films were compared in terms of their pore forming efficiency and the pore structure, such as pore size and pore size distribution. Of the AFCDs, btCD and tbsCD showed fairly good pore forming efficiencies. The pore diameter generating form of AFCD was larger than that of conventional CD (tCD) at a high porogen loading (>30 wt%), which might have been due to the micelle-like assembled behavior of the AFCD porogen as a supramolecular surfactant. Ultra low-k films (k < 1.5) can be effectively made using the AFCD porogen. Mechanical properties, such as hardness and elastic modulus, decrease with increasing AFCD porogen loading.