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Ultralow-dielectric, nanoporous poly(methyl silsesquioxanes) films templated by a self-assembled block copolymer upon solvent annealing

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Abstract

A homogenous, nanoporous poly(methyl silsesquixoxane) (PMSSQ) with a uniform pore size distribution was prepared by templating with a poly(styrene-b-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) block copolymer. The self-assembly of the PS-b-P4VP and PMSSQ precursor (PMSSQ-P) blends thin films was achieved by solvent annealing firstly; then the self-assembled thin films were thermally cured to prepare nanoporous PMSSQ films after removal of the PS-b-P4VP porogen. The influence of annealing solvent and PS-b-P4VP loading on the self-assembly behavior of the PS-b-P4VP/PMSSQ-P blends films were studied. By exposing to CHCl3 vapor, fingerprint-type microphase-separated structures were achieved for the PS-b-P4VP/PMSSQ-P blends films with PS-b-P4VP loading ranging from 30% to 60%. The formation of the microphase-separated structures is attributed to the substantial mobility of the PS blocks and the P4VP/PMSSQ-P complexes, and segregated repulsion between them under the CHCl3 vapor. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results demonstrated the prepared nanoporous PMSSQ films had a homogenous spherical pore morphology, with closed nanopores and a uniform size distribution over large areas. The porosity and dielectric properties of the homogenous, nanoporous PMSSQ could be adjusted by the content of PS-b-P4VP in the PS-b-P4VP/PMSSQ-P blends. As the PS-b-P4VP loading increased to 60 wt%, an ultralow dielectric constant of 1.41 was obtained, making the nanoporous PMSSQ films have potential applications in microelectronic devices.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No. 51403219), National Natural Science Foundation of China-Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation of China Aerospace Advanced Manufacturing Technology Research Joint Fund (U1637205), and Beijing Key Laboratory of Long-life Technology of Precise Rotation and Transmission Mechanisms (BZ0388201701).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    C. Wang, T. M. Wang & Q. H. Wang

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  1. C. Wang
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  2. T. M. Wang
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  3. Q. H. Wang
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Correspondence to C. Wang.

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Wang, C., Wang, T.M. & Wang, Q.H. Ultralow-dielectric, nanoporous poly(methyl silsesquioxanes) films templated by a self-assembled block copolymer upon solvent annealing. J Polym Res 26, 5 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-018-1650-z

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