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 with at least one organic precursor onto the substrate;

(c) depositing a composite layer with a porogen that is the at least one organic precursor in (b) and at least one silica-containing precursor or organosilicate glass (OSG) precursor onto the substrate;

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

Wherein

the at least one organic precursor is at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

(1) at least one singly or multiply unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon having a cyclic structure and the formula C n H 2n−2x , where x is a number of unsaturated sites, n is 4 to 14, a number of carbons in the cyclic structure is between 4 and 10, and the at least one singly or multiply unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon optionally contains a plurality of simple or branched hydrocarbons substituents substituted onto the cyclic structure, and contains endocyclic unsaturation or unsaturation on one of the hydrocarbon substituents;

(2) at least one bicyclic hydrocarbon having a bicyclic structure and the formula C n H 2n−2 , where n is 4 to 14, a number of carbons in the bicyclic structure is from 4 to 12, and the at least one bicyclic hydrocarbon optionally contains a plurality of simple or branched hydrocarbons substituted onto the bicyclic structure;

(3) at least one multiply unsaturated bicyclic hydrocarbon having a bicyclic structure and the formula C n H 2n−(2+2x) , where x is a number of unsaturated sites, n is 4 to 14, a number of carbons in the bicyclic structure is from 4 to 12, and the at least one multiply unsaturated bicyclic hydrocarbon optionally contains a plurality of simple or branched hydrocarbons substituents substituted onto the bicyclic structure, and contains endocyclic unsaturation or unsaturation on one of the hydrocarbon substituents;

(4) at least one tricyclic hydrocarbon having a tricyclic structure and the formula C n H 2n−4 , where n is 4 to 14, a number of carbons in the tricyclic structure is from 4 to 12, and the at least one tricyclic hydrocarbon optionally contains a plurality of simple or branched hydrocarbons substituted onto the cyclic structure;

alpha-terpinene, limonene, cyclohexane, 1,2,4-trimethylcyclohexane, 1,5-dimethyl-1,5-cyclooctadiene, camphene, adamantane, 1,3-butadiene, substituted dienes, decahydronaphthelene, 1,5-cyclooctadiene, cyclooctane, cyclooctene, norbornadiene, 5-Ethylidene-2-norbornene, cyclopentene oxide and cyclopentanone;

and

depositing steps (b) and (c) are via a process selected from the group consisting of chemical vapor depositions (CVD) and plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositions (PECVD).

2. The process for forming an air gap in claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial layer and the composite layer are deposited together in one chemical vapor deposition (CVD) step, or in one plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) step.

3. 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, γ-rays, x-rays, high energy electron, electron beam, visible light, infrared light, microwave frequency, radio-frequency, plasma, and combinations thereof.

4. 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 energy 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 0.01 minute to 12 hours.

5. The process for forming an air gap in claim 4 , wherein the energy in the applying step (d) is the thermal energy.

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 , further comprising steps of:

(e) patterning a layer selected from the group consisting of the sacrificial layer, the composite layer, the porous layer and combinations thereof; and

(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) at least one time for making multilevel structures.