Low dielectric constant porous materials having improved mechanical strength

The present invention relates to porous materials, typically xerogels or aerogels, having a low dielectric constant but having a disadvantage of relatively poor mechanical strength. The present invention also relates to polymeric coatings, preferably parylene, coated on inorganic xerogels or aerogels so as to increase the mechanical strength while not substantially degrading the dielectric properties of the resulting coated material. Silica xerogel conformally coated with parylene AF-4 is described. An advantage of the present invention is to provide a low dielectric material having increased mechanical strength in comparison with the uncoated porous material, as would be advantageous in the fabrication of semiconductor electronic devices. The present invention relates to porous materials, typically xerogels or aerogels, having a low dielectric constant but relatively poor mechanical strength. The present invention relates to polymeric coatings, preferably parylene, coated on inorganic xerogels or aerogels so as to increase the mechanical strength while not substantially degrading the dielectric properties of the resulting coated material. Silica xerogel conformally coated with parylene AF-4 is described.