Effect of Bridging and Terminal Alkyl Groups on Structural and Mechanical Properties of Porous Organosilicate Films

Chemical composition, pore structure and mechanical properties of porous organosilicate low-k films with terminal and bridging organic groups are studied. It is shown that BTMSE based low-k films with alkyl bridge between the Si atoms have non-uniform pore structure with internal voids (ink-bottle like pores) while the films with terminal alkyl groups have pores with cylindrical shape. All studied spin-on deposited films have better mechanical properties than PECVD films with similar chemical composition and porosity. The best mechanical properties showed alkyl bridged low-k films. Moreover, the Young's modulus increases with BTMSE content because of higher concentration of bridging bonds.