Materials and methods of forming controlled void

1. A process for forming an air gap, the process comprising:

(a)providing a substrate;

(b)depositing a sacrificial layer comprising silicon;

(c)depositing a composite layer with a porogen and at least one silica-containing precursor or organosilicate glass(OSG) precursor;

(d) applying energy to the substrate having the sacrificial layer and the composite layer to remove the porogen to form a porous layer; and

(e)contacting the substrate having the sacrificial layer and the porous layer with a fluorine containing reagent under reduced pressure capable of diffusing through the porous layer to selectively remove the sacrificial layer to form air gaps;

wherein depositing step (b) is via a process selected from the group consisting of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD); and depositing step (c) is via a process selected from the group consisting of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), spin-on coating, dip coating and mist deposition.

2. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the fluorine containing reagent is XeF 2 or BrF 3 .

3. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the fluorine containing reagent is a gas selected from the group consisting of HF, noble gas halides, inter-halogens, CIF 3 and mixtures thereof.

4. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the energy in the applying step (d) includes at least one selected from the group consisting of α-particles, β-particles, y-rays, x-rays, high energy electron, electron beam, visible light, infrared light, microwave frequency, radio-frequency, plasma, and combinations thereof.

5. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the applying energy step (d) is performed under conditions selected from the group consisting of

(1) an ultraviolet light having a power in the range of 0 to 5000 W;

an atmospheric condition selected from the group consisting of inert, oxidizing and reducing;

a temperature in the range of ambient to 500° C.; and

an exposure time in the range of 0.01 minute to 12 hours; and

(2) a thermal energy;

a pressure in the range of 10 mtorr to the atmospheric pressure;

an atmospheric condition selected from the group consisting of inert, oxidizing and reducing;

a temperature in the range of ambient to 500° C.;

and an exposure time in the range of 0.01minute to 12 hours.

6. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , further comprising of filling pores in the porous layer with a polymizable organic species which can be activated towards polymerization.

7. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the step (e) is performed when temperature is less than 150° C.

8. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 further comprising forming an etch stop layer to protect the base layer of the substrate.

9. The process for forming an air gap in claim 8 , wherein the etch stop layer is a SiO 2 layer formed via thermally oxidizing a silicon substrate.

10. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , further comprising of patterning a layer selected from the group consisting of the sacrificial layer, the composite layer, the porous layer and combinations thereof.

11. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 further comprising repeating steps (a)-(e) at least one time for making multilevel structures.

12. The process for forming an air gap in claim 11 , further comprising of filling pores in the porous layer.

13. The process for forming an air gap in claim 12 , the filling process is performed by filling the pores with a polymizable organic species which can be activated towards polymerization.