Thermal curing of hydrogen silsesquioxane

Thin film characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared sp ectroscopy and ellipsometry and thermal analysis techniques such as differe ntial scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dielectric ther mal analysis were used to monitor the thermal curing of hydrogen silsesquio xane. This study gives evidence which support the notion that the redistrib ution of Si-O and Si-H bonds is the reaction mechanism responsible for the chemical changes induced by hearing. Curing of hydrogen silsesquioxane is f ound to be accompanied by weight loss, dimension change, and change in diel ectric properties. A three-stage curing process has been postulated based o n the data collected. (C) 2000 The Electrochemical Society. S0013-4651(99)0 7-001-9. All rights reserved.