Dependence of dielectric constant of SiOCH low-k films on porosity and pore size

A simple, clear, and robust numerical approach to calculate dielectric constant of porous organosilicate (SiOCH) based films with arbitrary shaped pores is proposed. The calculations are based on modified Clausius-Mossotti equation and can be applied for the films with wide range of porosity (0.01-0.96) and pore size (0.5-5 nm). The dielectric constants calculated in assumption of preferential localization of CH3 groups on pore wall are in good agreement with the experimentally measured k-values. The advantage of the proposed calculation model is ability to analyze the dependence of dielectric constant on pore size. (C) 2015 American Vacuum Society.