Supramolecular approaches to nanoscale dielectric foams for advanced microelectronic devices

The unique features of dendritic macromolecules are exploited to develop a novel `reactive blending' approach for the fabrication of nanoscopically phase-separated organic-inorganic composites. Ultralow-dielectric-constant materials are then prepared by this technique and are shown to have improved mechanical properties and substantially lower dielectric constants as compared with the parent silsesquioxane. The use of structurally defined dendritic macromolecules to template vitrification and to control phase-separation and molecular interactions on the nanoscopic scale is a general technique applicable to other inorganic, as well as organic, network-forming materials.