On the mechanical and electrical properties of self-assembly-based organosilicate porous films

The effect of the replacement of Si-O-Si by Si-CH2-Si groups on the mechanical and electrical properties of silica-based hybrid sol-gel thin films is reported. For a reliable inference, two sets of organosilica films were synthesized - one consisting of a silica matrix decorated with methyl groups (Si-CH3) while the other further incorporating bridging methylene (Si-CH2-Si) functionalities. As a result, at the film density of 0.87 g cm(-3), a higher Young's modulus of 6.6 GPa was deduced for the film containing Si-CH2-Si groups compared to 5.3 GPa for the one with Si-O-Si functionalities. Concurrently, the introduction of the methylene bridging groups leads to a dielectric constant increase from 2.12 to 2.27. Furthermore, the type of surfactant, ionic or nonionic, employed as a templating agent has a negligible effect on the electrical properties and the reliability performance of the porous organosilica films