A detailed ellipsometric porosimetry and positron annihilation spectroscopy study of porous organosilicate-glass films with various ratios of methyl terminal and ethylene bridging groups

Organosilicate-glass films with a varying ratio of terminal methyl and bridging ethylene groups are synthesized using BTMSE/MTMS mixtures and sol-gel technology. The films have been characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Ellipsometric Porosimetry and Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy. The hard bake at 400 ºC generates the final pore structure, which depends on the curing environment. It is shown that ethylene bridge is destructed during the hard bake in air via formation of peroxide radicals that form ΞSiOH during the further transformation. Continuous hard bake leads to condensation of silanol groups and form a structure similar to the ordinary silica.
The pore size of highly porous materials (>30%) is larger in air cured films. Destruction of the ethylene bridge makes the films matrix soft and micropores collapse during the template evaporation due to the capillary forces. It leads to the film shrinkage, increases the size of internal voids. The air cured samples showed better mechanical properties than N 2 cured ones although in the last case ethylene bridging groups were preserved. The reason is that the collapse of micropores increases internal density and creates more favorable condition for condensation of silanol groups.