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Amorphous Sol-Gel Insulating Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2011

C. Jeffrey Brinker
Affiliation:
Division 1846, Sandia National Laboratories, POB 5800, Albuquerque, NM and The Center for Micro-Engineered Ceramics, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
William L. Warren
Affiliation:
Division 1845, Sandia National Laboratories, POB 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185
Monica N. Logan
Affiliation:
Division 1846, Sandia National Laboratories, POB 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185
Carol S. Ashley
Affiliation:
Division 1846, Sandia National Laboratories, POB 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185
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Abstract

The porosity of sol-gel thin films may be tailored for specific applications through control of the size and structure of inorganic polymers within the coating sol, the extent of polymer reaction and interpenetration during film formation, and the magnitude of the capillary pressure exerted during the final stage of drying. By maximizing the capillary pressure and avoiding excessive condensation, dense insulating films may be prepared as passivation layers on silicon substrates. Such films can exhibit excellent dielectric integrity, viz., low interface trap densities and insulating properties approaching those of thermally grown SiO2. Alternatively, through exploitation of the scaling relationship of mass and density of fractal objects, silica films can be prepared that show a variation in porosity (7–29 %) and refractive index (1.42 ndash;1.31) desired for applications in sensors, membranes, and photonics.

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Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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