Effects of templating byproducts on adhesion of nanoporous dielectric films

Dielectric films (methylsilsesquioxane) with induced porosity were prepared and tested for their adhesion to metal and SiO/sub 2/ interfaces. Fracture mechanics techniques were employed to produce quantifiable and reproducible data without the confounding effects of residual stress relaxation. The effect of porosity on adhesion was shown to depend strongly on which interface was being measured. Remarkable increases in adhesion at the SiO/sub 2/ interface have been attributed to molecular bridging mechanisms activated by remnants of the pore-creating molecules.