Diamondoids as low-κ dielectric materials

The dielectric properties of several diamondoids are investigated in theory and experiment. The dielectric constant (kappa) is experimentally evaluated from cavity microwave measurements, while the theoretical value is obtained from first principles calculations based on the density functional theory. The results show that the diamondoids have low dielectric constants in the range of 2.46-2.68, less than half of that of bulk diamond. Due to their high thermal stability and outstanding mechanical and insulating properties, diamondoids are excellent candidates for low-kappa dielectric applications. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3010379]