Water repellent periodic mesoporous organosilicas.

This paper demonstrates for the first time thermally induced gradual hydrophobization, monitored quantitatively by ellipsometric porosimetry, of four prototypical periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs) that are tailored through materials chemistry for use as low-dielectric-constant (low k) materials in microprocessors. Theoretical aspects of this quantification are briefly discussed. A comparison of structural, mechanical, dielectric, and hydrophobic properties of ethane, methane, ethene, and 3-ring PMOs is made. Particularly, ethane, methane, and 3-ring PMOs show impressive water repellency at post-treatment temperatures as low as 350 °C, with corresponding Young's modulus values greater than 10 GPa and k values smaller than 2, a figure of merit that satisfies the technological requirements of future generation microchips.