Composition and method for forming a dielectric layer

Abstract

A porous layer is described. The porous layer comprises a solidified sol-gel inorganic material having a distribution of nanometric voids, wherein at least some of nanometric voids are at least partially coated internally by carbon or a hydrophobic substance containing carbon.

1 . A porous layer, comprising a solidified sol-gel inorganic material having a distribution of nanometric voids, wherein at least some of nanometric voids are at least partially coated internally by carbon or a hydrophobic substance containing carbon. 
     
     
         2 . An integrated circuit, comprising at least one dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is the porous layer according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 70% of said voids are closed. 
     
     
         4 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 70% of said voids are isolated from other voids. 
     
     
         5 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 80% of said nanometric voids are generally spherical. 
     
     
         6 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein an average size of said nanometric voids, along a largest dimension thereof, is less than 10 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein an average size of said nanometric voids, along a largest dimension thereof, is less than 5 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein an average size of said nanometric voids, along a largest dimension thereof, is from about 2 nm to about 5 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein a variance in a size of said nanometric voids, along a largest dimension thereof, is less than 2 nm 2 . 
     
     
         10 . The porous layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the porous layer characterized by a dielectric constant which is less than 2.5. 
     
     
         11 . A composition, comprising a sol-gel precursor and a mixture of discrete nanoparticles of biological material in a medium that at least partially prevents assembly of said nanoparticles into supramolecular or colloidal structures. 
     
     
         12 . A method of forming a porous layer, comprising:
 coating a substrate with the composition of  claim 11 ;   drying said composition; and   treating said dried composition so as to decompose said nanoparticles, thereby forming voids in said dried composition.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said treating comprises applying a thermal treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said thermal treatment comprises calcination. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said treating comprises applying optical radiation. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said optical radiation is ultraviolet radiation. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising passivating internal walls of said voids such that said walls are hydrophobic. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising preparing said composition. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein said preparing comprises mixing said mixture with a solution containing said sol-gel precursor. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein said solution comprises at least one component selected for at least partially preventing said assembly. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein said at least one component comprises a polar organic solvent. 
     
     
         22 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein at least 70% of said discrete nanoparticles are generally spherical. 
     
     
         23 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein a largest dimension of at least 70% of said discrete nanoparticles is less than 500 nm. 
     
     
         24 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein a largest dimension of at least 70% of said discrete nanoparticles is less than 100 nm. 
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein a largest dimension of at least 70% of said discrete nanoparticles is less than 5 nm. 
     
     
         26 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said discrete nanoparticles comprise peptide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         27 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said discrete nanoparticles comprise protein nanoparticles. 
     
     
         28 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said discrete nanoparticles comprise viruses. 
     
     
         29 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said discrete nanoparticles comprise ferritin. 
     
     
         30 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein a concentration of said discrete nanoparticles in the composition is from about 50% to about 95% by volume. 
     
     
         31 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said sol-gel precursor is an orthosilicate sol-gel precursor. 
     
     
         32 . The composition according to  claim 31 , wherein said silicate sol-gel precursor comprises tetraethylorthosilicate. 
     
     
         33 . The composition according to  claim 11 , wherein said sol-gel precursor comprises a silsesquioxane. 
     
     
         34 . The composition according to  claim 33 , wherein said silsesquioxane is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen silsesquioxane, a methyl silsesquioxane, and a silsesquioxane copolymer.