title: Insight into on-wafer crystallization of pure-silica-zeolite films through nutrient replenishment.
abstract: Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) is added to a pure-silica-zeolite MEL nanoparticle suspension and the mixture is subsequently used for preparing spin-on low-dielectric constant (low-k) films. The films are then characterized by ellipsometric porosimetry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoindentation. Investigation into the film microstructure indicates that the addition of TEOS significantly increases the fraction of the crystalline domains, decreases the inter-crystal mesopore size, and narrows the pore size distribution. Films with 12% TEOS loading have a mean pore size distribution centered at 3.5 nm (diameter) with a full width at half maximum (fwhm) of 0.8 nm, while those with no TEOS have a distribution at 11.1 nm and fwhm of 7.9 nm. At 12% TEOS loading, the reduced modulus and hardness are 11.0 and 1.12 GPa, respectively; without TEOS, the values are 6.4 and 0.57 GPa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kisailus
authors.forename: Grant M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Kloster
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Boyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boyanov
authors.forename: Minwei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Junlan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yushan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan