Τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει σημειωθεί έντονο ερευνητικό ενδιαφέρον στο πεδίο της σχεδίασης, κατασκευής και βελτιστοποίησης διατάξεων κατάλληλων για ηλιακό έλεγχο στα κτήρια. Τέτοιες διατάξεις είναι τα ηλεκτροχρωμικά ή «έξυπνα» παράθυρα, τα οποία παρουσιάζουν σημαντικά πλεονεκτήματα έναντι των συμβατικών παραθύρων. Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία γίνεται η ανάπτυξη λογισμικού σχεδίασης συνδυασμένων ηλεκτροχρωμικών και διάφανων αγώγιμων επιστρώσεων, καθώς και η κατασκευή, μελέτη και σύγκριση επιλεγμένων δειγμάτων στο εργαστήριο. Υφιστάμενος υπολογιστικός κώδικας βασισμένος στη θεωρία του χαρακτηριστικού πίνακα συμπληρώθηκε με αλγόριθμους Monte Carlo για την οπτική σχεδίαση των επιστρώσεων της μορφής Διηλεκτρικό/Μέταλλο/WO3 ή Δ/Μ/WO3. Σε αυτές τις επιστρώσεις το ηλεκτροχρωμικό υμένιο του WO3 εξυπηρετεί διπλό σκοπό: Ως διηλεκτρικό, κατάλληλου δείκτη διάθλασης και πάχους, δρα ως αντι-ανακλαστικό του μετάλλου στη διαυγή του κατάσταση, ενώ, στη χρωματισμένη κατάσταση, ως LixWO3, απορροφά την ακτινοβολία στο ορατό μειώνοντας τη διαπερατότητα στα επιθυμητά επίπεδα. Συνολικά, σχεδιάστηκαν 4 είδη επιστρώσεων, συνδυάζοντας διαφορετικά διηλεκτρικά υλικά και τα μέταλλα Ag, Au, ενώ έγιναν προσομοιώσεις των καμπύλων φασματικής διαπερατότητας και ανακλαστικότητας για διαφορετικά πάχη του ηλεκτροχρωμικού υμενίου WO3. Όλες οι επιστρώσεις μελετήθηκαν ως προς την ευαισθησία τους στη διακύμανση του πάχους των υμενίων που τα αποτελούν και υπολογίστηκαν οι χρωματικές τους συντεταγμένες. Προέκυψε ότι, βέλτιστη επίστρωση είναι η Γυαλί/ZnS(34nm)/Ag(15 nm)/WO3 (326 nm) με υψηλή φωτεινή διαπερατότητα και με αρκετά παχύ υμένιο WO3 ώστε να εξασφαλίζεται ικανοποιητικό επίπεδο χρωματισμού. Προομοιώσεις των επιστρώσεων στη χρωματισμένη κατάσταση αποκάλυψαν μία ασυμμετρία σχετικά με τις ιδιότητες της συσκευής ανάλογα με την κατεύθυνση πρόσπτωσης του φωτός, όπου παρατηρείται υψηλή απορρόφηση στο ορατό, από τη μία κατεύθυνση και από την αντίθετη, υψηλή ανάκλαση στο υπέρυθρο. Αυτή η ιδιότητα επιβεβαιώθηκε πειραματικά και δεν έχει παρατηρηθεί σε άλλες τυπικές ηλεκτροχρωμικές συσκευές. Αντικατάσταση του υμενίου ZnS από το WO3, του Αg από Au και η προσθήκη ενός τέταρτου προστατευτικού υμενίου Al2O3 ανάμεσα στα υμένια Ag και WO3 αποτελούν ικανοποιητικές εναλλακτικές λύσεις. Επιστρώσεις της μορφής Γυαλί/WO3/Ag/WO3 παρασκευάστηκαν στο εργαστήριο με εξάχνωση δέσμης ηλεκτρονικού πυροβόλου. Οι επιστρώσεις αυτές ήταν διαφανείς στο ορατό μεφωτεινή διαπερατότητα 0.57, ανακλαστικές στο υπέρυθρο με χαμηλή αφετική ικανότητα ε=0.09 και ηλεκτρικά αγώγιμες με αντίσταση φύλλου Rsheet=9Ω μικρότερη σε σύγκριση με άλλα διαφανή αγώγιμα οξείδια Τα πάχη των επιστρώσεων υπολογίστηκαν με ακρίβεια έως και 98% με χρήση λογισμικού προσαρμογής των πειραματικών καμπύλων διαπερατότητας, το οποίο κατασκευάστηκε για αυτό το σκοπό.Οι παραπάνω επιστρώσεις ενσωματώθηκαν σε ηλεκτροχρωμικές συσκευές της μορφής Γυαλί/WO3/Ag/WO3/1M LiCLO4-PC/SnO2:F/glass και στη συνέχεια εξετάστηκαν ως προς τις οπτικές τους ιδιότητες. Από τα φάσματα διαπερατότητας, ανακλαστικότητας και απορρόφησης των επιστρώσεων προέκυψαν σημαντικές παρατηρήσεις, όπως η διαφορετική συμπεριφορά των επιστρώσεων ανάλογα με την κατεύθυνση πρόσπτωσης του φωτός με μεγάλη απορρόφηση στο ορατό. / In recent years a considerable research effort has been directed towards the design, fabrication and optimization of devices suitable for solar control applications. These devices are also referred as electrochromic or “smart” windows which have several advantages compared to conventional shadings and solar control devices. In the present thesis a computer code has been developed for the design of combined electrochromic-transparent conducting coatings some of which have been also constructed in our laboratory for studying and comparison. A computer code, based on the characteristic matrix formulation, and a Monte Carlo algorithm have been devised for the optical design of coatings of the form dielectric/metal/WO3 or D/M/WO3. In these coatings the electrochromic layer of WO3 serves a dual purpose: As a dielectric of suitable thickness and refractive index it anti-reflects the metal in the bleached state whereas in the colored state, as LixWO3 (tungsten bronze), it becomes absorptive in the visible, reducing transmittance to the desirable level. Four different species of coatings were designed in total, each one consisting of various dielectric materials and the metals, Ag and Au. Simulations of transmittance and reflectance spectra have been made for different values of thickness of the electrochromic layer of WO3. All coatings were tested for their sensitivity upon layer thickness variation as well as their color coordinates. It has been found that the optimum design is glass/ZnS (34nm)/Ag (15 nm)/WO3 (326 nm) with high luminous transmittance and enough thick layer of WO3 to ensure adequate transmittance modulation. Simulation of the coatings in the colored state revealed an asymmetry in its response related to the direction of the incoming radiation, with high absorptance in one direction and high reflectance in the opposite one. This feature was verified experimentally and it has not been observed in typical electrochromic devices. Substitution of the ZnS layer with WO3, of the Ag layer with Au, and addition of a 4th Al2O3 protective layer were found to be feasible alternatives to the optimum design. Various Glass/WO3/Ag/WO3 coatings, with thin and thick electrochromic layer of WO3 have been fabricated by electron beam gun deposition. These coatings were transparent in the visible with a luminous transmittance of 0.57, reflective in the infrared with low emmitance value, ε=0.09 and electrically conducting with a sheet resistance Rsheet=9Ω, which is better than other transparent conducting oxides. Moreover, experimental thickness values of layers were extracted by fitting of the experimental curves of transmittance with the use of another computer code that was made for this reason, with accuracy as high as 98%. The fabricated coatings were incorporated into electrochromic devices of the type glass/WO3/Ag/WO3/1M LiCLO4-PC/SnO2:F/glass and their optical properties were tested. Transmittance, reflectance and absorptance spectra of the devices gave rise to important conclusions such as their behavior with regard to direction of incident light.

Desenvolveu-se um sistema para medir a constante dielétrica complexa de amostras dielétricas, de construção simples, versátil e de baixo custo. A medida é feita aplicando-se uma tensão senoidal e fazendo-se a aquisição do sinal aplicado e do sinal da resposta elétrica (carga elétrica). Emprega-se uma placa A/D para a aquisição de dados com taxa de amostragem de 100 Ksamples/seg e através da transformada de Fourier discreta destes sinais determina-se a impedância complexa da amostra, a partir da qual calcula-se a constante dielétrica complexa. A placa utilizada e o circuito de medida da carga elétrica introduzem defasagens indesejáveis nos sinais, cujas correções são feitas através de programa no computador usado para aquisição dos sinais. O sistema mostra um desempenho similar àqueles dos equipamentos comerciais para freqüências no intervalo de 0,1H.z a 1KHz, sendo testado com componentes resistivos e capacitivos e posteriormente em amostras de Teflon FEP, poli(fluoreto de vinilideno) e seus copolímeros com trifluoretileno. O sistema também foi utilizado para medir o deslocamento elétrico nos polímeros ferroelétricos sob a aplicação de campos elevados. Neste caso determinaram-se as curvas de histerese dielétrica e os deslocamentos de primeira, segunda e terceira ordem. / A low cost and a simple experimental system for measuring the complex dielectric constant of dielectric samples were developed. Measurements were performed measuring the electric charge response resulting from the application of a sinusoidal voltage. The system was based on an A/D acquisition board with sampling rate of 100 Ksamples/sec. The complex impedance was calculated using the discrete Fourier transform from which the complex dielectric constant was found. The phase differences introduced by the A/D board and the amplifiers circuits were connected by software. The setup showed that the results are comparable to that ones obtained with commercial impedance analyzers in the range of frequencies between 0.1 Hz and 1 KHz. Such measurements were obtained using resistors and/or capacitors and also using samples of Teflon FEP, PVDF and its copolymers with trifluorethylene. The setup was also capable to measure the electric displacement in ferroelectric polymers submitted to high fields. Hysteresis loops and the nonlinear electric displacement of first, second and third order were measured.

O Bi5Ti3FeO15 foi sintetizado pelo mÃtodo de ReaÃÃo no Estado SÃlido (RES) e posteriormente adicionado de V2O5 (PentÃxido de VanÃdio) objetivando melhorar suas propriedades dielÃtricas. Para as anÃlises estruturais foram utilizadas as seguintes tÃcnicas: DifraÃÃo de Raios-X (DRX), Microscopia EletrÃnica de Varredura (MEV), Espectroscopia de DispersÃo de Energia de Raios-X (EDS), Espectroscopia Raman e Infravermelho (IV). Para o estudo das propriedades dielÃtricas do material em radiofrequÃncia e em microondas, foram empregadas, respectivamente, a Espectroscopia de ImpedÃncia (EI) e o mÃtodo de Hakki e Coleman. A tÃcnica de DRX foi utilizada para identificar a fase BFT pura, bem como as duas novas fases originadas a partir da adiÃÃo de V2O5: Bi4V1.5Fe0.5O10.5 e Bi2Ti2O7. As alteraÃÃes na morfologia dos grÃos e a resposta dielÃtrica foram atribuÃdas à presenÃa destas fases secundÃrias. Em radiofrequÃncia verificou-se que a adiÃÃo de V2O5 aumentou a permissividade dielÃtrica e reduziu os valores de tangente de perda, resultados semelhantes aos obtidos em microondas. Ressonadores DielÃtricos foram fabricados como um protÃtipo para antena monopolo. Os valores de frequÃncia de funcionamento da antena variaram entre 2,4 GHz e 3,1 GHz. Jà os valores de coeficiente de temperatura da frequÃncia ressonante (f) variaram de -330 a -192 ppm/ÂC. Assim sendo, a cerÃmica BFT adicionada de V2O5, pode ser utilizada em dispositivos de microondas, como telefones mÃveis, por exemplo. / The Bi5Ti3FeO15 (BFT) was synthesized by the solid state reaction method (SLR) and then added by V2O5 (vanadium pentoxide) to improve its dielectric properties. For the structural analyses the following technics were used: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman and infrared spectroscopy. For the dielectric propeties of the material at radiofrequency and microwave ranges, impedance spectroscopy (IS) and the Hakki-Coleman methods were used respectively. The XRD technique was used to identify the BFT phase as well as the two new ones (Bi4V1.5Fe0.5O10.5 and Bi2Ti2O7). Changes in the grain morphology and the dielectric response were assigned due to the presence of these secondary phases. The V2O5 addition increased the dielectric permittivity and reduced the loss tangent values at radiofrequency range; similar results were obtained at microwave. The Dielectric resonators (DR) were fabricated as a prototype for monopole antenna. The antenna operating frequency (2.4 - 3.1 GHz) and temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (τf) (from -330 to -192 ppm/ÂC) changed as a function of V2O5 concentration in the DR. Thus, BFT ceramics added by V2O5 are good candidates to be used for microwave devices as cell mobile phones, for example.

In this thesis a technique that is being used in another area of technology to optimize light reception in a photographic camera was also applied to the dielectric resonator antenna. The technique consisting of the use of thin film to couple the media and camera impedances resulted in a dielectric resonator antenna bandwidth enhancement technique. The bandwidth enhancement technique was found when thin film dielectric layer structure was used to couple the dielectric resonator and its feed mechanism. Remarkable good performance was detected with a coplanar waveguide fed cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna which resulted in an improvement to its fractional bandwidth from 7.41% to 50.85%. Extensive experimental work was undertaken in order to explore the extent offered in bandwidth performance by using thin film dielectric layer structure in the dielectric resonator antenna performance. The experimental tasks were designed in order to investigate the influence of the thin film dielectric layer structure in relation to its size, shape, thickness, position and direction. Experimental results were supported with simulation work with the computer simulation technology microwave studio. The pieces of the material used for undertaking this experimental work were manually handcrafted. Four different dielectric resonator antenna designs were used in order to carry out the experimental work including the coplanar waveguide fed cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna. The other three dielectric resonator antennas were implemented using the same microstrip feed mechanism. Improved performance in bandwidth was achieved for all the designs. Optimization of the incoming signal was observed when a piece of thin film dielectric layer structure was placed in position between the feed mechanism and the dielectric resonator antenna. The optimization was observed as an enhancement in both the return loss level and the bandwidth of work. Different unexpected operational modes from were activated, such modes being called perturbed modes. Two different shapes were used in this project. Cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (ɛr = 37) from a commercial provider and two novel rectangular dielectric resonator antennas. The novel rectangular dielectric resonator antennas were created with the methodology presented in this thesis. The rectangular dielectric resonator antennas were elaborated with transparent ceramic material (ɛr = 7) and TMM10i (ɛr = 9.8) from the Rogers Corporation company. The bandwidth enhancement technique was tested in novel embedded dielectric resonator antennas. A coplanar waveguide fed embedded cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna achieved a maximum bandwidth enhancement of 156.77% around f = 3.79 GHz with a thin film dielectric layer structure modified rectangular piece on one edge. Escalation to dielectric resonator antenna design at millimeter wave frequencies was achieved by using thin film dielectric layer structure bandwidth enhancement technique and a handcrafted printed circuit board millimeter wave feed mechanism. The millimeter wave feed mechanisms were achieved using a low cost alternative technique conceived as part of this project. Millimeter wave dielectric resonator antennas were implemented using thin film dielectric layers structure. The antennas deliver an adequate performance in bandwidth. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates dielectric resonator antenna simpler geometry, simple couple schemes, small size, low profile, light weight, and ease of excitation and orientation. Other parameters have also been investigated covering reduced complexity, high degree of flexibility, ease of fabrication and the use of low cost technology to escalate to millimeter wave frequencies.

No description available.

Low-dielectric (k) films are one of the performance drivers for continued scaling of integrated circuit devices. These films are needed in microelectronic device interconnects to lower power consumption and minimize cross talk between metal lines that "interconnect" transistors. Low-k materials currently in production for the 45 and 65 nm node are most often organosilicate glasses (OSG) with dielectric constants near 2.8 and nominal porosities of 8-10%. The next generation of low-k materials will require k values 2.6 and below for the 45 nm device generation and beyond. The continuous decrease in device dimensions in ultra large scale integrated (ULSI) circuits have brought about the replacement of the silicon dioxide interconnect dielectric (ILD), which has a dielectric constant (k) of approximately 4.1, with low dielectric constant materials. Lowering the dielectric constant reduces the propagation delays, RC constant (R = the resistance of the metal lines; C = the line capacitance), and metal cross-talk between wires. In order to reduce the RC constants, a number of low-k materials have been studied for use as intermetal dielectrics. The k values of these dielectric materials can be lowered by replacing oxide films with carbon-based polymer films, incorporating hydrocarbon functional groups into oxide films (SiOCH films), or introducing porogens in the film during processing to create pores. However, additional integration issues such as damage to these materials caused by plasma etch, plasma ash, and wet etch processes are yet to be overcome. This dissertation reports the effects of plasma, temperature and chemical reactions on low-k SiOCH films. Plasma ash processes have been known to cause hydrophobic films to lose their hydrophobic methyl groups, rendering them to be hydrophilic. This allows the films to readily absorb moisture. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) can be used to transport silylating agents, hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and diethoxy-dimethlysilane (DEDMS), to functionalize the damaged surfaces of the ash-damaged films. The thermal stability of the low-k films after SC-CO2 treatment is also discussed by performing in-situ heat treatments on the films. UV curing has been shown to reduce the amount of pores while showing only a limited change dielectric constant. This work goes on to describe the effect of UV curing on low-k films after exposing the films to supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) in combination with tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS).

A study of procedures and techniques of measuring dielectric constant and dipole moment of liquids.

Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um dispositivo, denominado forno de indução eletromagnética (FIE), que permite trabalhar em altas temperaturas ~ 1900oC e com vácuo dinâmico equivalente a uma pressão parcial de oxigênio PO2 ~ 10-10 atm. Durante os experimentos de calibração do FIE, foram estudadas amostras de um composto binário de Y2O3 com 3% em mol de ZrO2, cujo pó foi obtido por mistura de óxidos. As amostras foram conformadas por prensagem uniaxial de 50 MPa, seguida de prensagem isostática a 350 MPa por 10 minutos e submetidas à sinterização em temperaturas superiores a 1800oC, resultando em transparência superior a 60% para comprimentos de onda em torno de 800 nm. Posteriormente, um composto quaternário de BaTi0.85Zr0.15O3 foi produzido por mistura de óxidos e calcinação a 1200oC. As amostras foram então conformadas seguindo a mesma metodologia da Y2O3, posteriormente sinterizadas entre 1250oC a 1400oC, com patamares de 1 h e 3 h. As amostras preparadas no FIE foram submetidas a uma pressão parcial de oxigênio de ~ 10-7 atm, enquanto outro conjunto de amostras foi sinterizado em um forno elétrico convencional (FEC) com atmosfera aberta para comparação. Foram realizadas caracterizações microestruturais aplicando-se as técnicas de difração de raios X, BET, EDX, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, além de caracterização elétrica por espectroscopia de impedância. Destas caracterizações verificou-se a obtenção de partículas do pó de BaTi0.85Zr0.15O3 com tamanho médio de 110 nm. O tamanho médio dos grãos nas microestruturas variou entre 4 e 30 &microm nas amostras fabricadas em FEC, enquanto nas amostras fabricadas em FIE o tamanho foi em torno de 250 nm. Para as amostras feitas no FEC, a resposta dielétrica dos grãos evidenciou o cumprimento da lei de Curie-Weiss conforme o modelamento bricklayer feito no programa Zview, porém foi observada anomalia dielétrica para medidas de permissividade em temperaturas maiores do que 96oC. O material feito no FIE não apresentou comportamento ferroelétrico no intervalo de temperatura estudado de -243 - 137oC, mas foi evidenciado um comportamento típico de material varistor. Considerando a relação entre as propriedades macro e microscópicas no modelo bricklayer, a ferroeletricidade e a variação da anomalia dielétrica são discutidas em função do tamanho de grãos para as amostras feitas no FEC. Com base no modelo de Pike para varistores, o comportamento varistor do material feito no FIE é discutido em função dos defeitos causados pela baixa pressão parcial de oxigênio ~ 10-7 atm. / In this work it has been developed a device, called electromagnetic induction furnace (EIF), which allow us to work at high temperatures ~ 1900oC and under dynamic vacuum equivalent to partial pressure of oxygen PO2 ~ 10-10 atm. During the calibration experiments of the EIF, it was studied a binary compound of Y2O3 with 3 mol% of ZrO2 which was obtained by mixing oxides. The samples were processed by uniaxial pressing 50 MPa followed by isostatic pressing at 350 MPa for 10 minutes and submitted to sintering at temperatures above 1800 oC, resulting in transparency greater than 60% for wavelengths around 800 nm. After, a quaternary compound of BaTi0.85Zr0.15O was produced by mixing oxides and calcination at 1200 oC. Then the samples were shaped according to the same methodology of the Y2O3 subsequently sintered between 1250oC to 1400 oC, with 1 h and 3 h baseline. The samples prepared in the EIF were submitted to oxygen partial pressure of ~ 10-7 atm, while another samples set was sintered in a conventional electric furnace (CEF) with open atmosphere for comparison. Microstructural characterizations were performed by applying the techniques of X-ray diffraction, BET, EDS, SEM, and electrical characterization by impedance spectroscopy. In these characterizations were obtained powder particles of BaTi0.85Zr0.15O3 with an average size of 110 nm. The average grain size in the microstructures ranged between 4 and 30 &microm in the samples fabricated in CEF, but in the samples manufactured in EIF the size has been around 250 nm. For samples made in the CEF, the dielectric response of the grains showed the fulfillment of the Curie-Weiss law according to the bricklayer model made in the Zview program, but was observed dielectric anomaly on measurements of permittivity at temperatures higher than 96 oC. The material made in EIF does not showed ferroelectric behavior in the studied temperature range -243 - 137 oC, but was shown a typical behavior of varistor material. Considering the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic properties in the bricklayer model, the ferroelectricity and the dielectric anomaly variation are discussed at function of the grain size for samples made in CEF. Based on the model of Pike for varistors, the varistor behavior of the material made in EIF is discussed in terms of defects caused by low oxygen partial pressure ~ 10-7 atm.

An expression for the dielectric susceptibility tensor of a cubic ionic crystal has been derived using the classical Liouville operator. The effect of cubic anharmonic forces is included as a perturbation on the harmonic crystal solution, and a series expansion for the dielectric susceptibility is developed. The most important terms in the series are identified and summed, yielding an expression for the complex susceptibility with an anharmonic contribution which is linearly dependent on temperature. A numerical example shows that both the real and imaginary parts of the susceptibility are continuous, finite functions of frequency.

In-situ x-ray photoemission (XPS) and ex-situ FTIR studies of nanoporous organosilicate glass (OSG) films point to the separate roles of radicals vs. VUV photons in the carbon abstraction. The studies indicate that reaction with O2 in presence of VUV photons (~123 nm) result in significant carbon abstraction within the bulk and that the kinetics of this process is diffusion-limited. In contrast, OSG exposed to atomic O (no VUV) results in Si-C bond scission and Si-O bond formation, but this process is self-limiting after formation of ~1 nm thick SiO2 surface layer that inhibits further diffusion. Therefore, the diffusion-dominated kinetics of carbon abstraction observed for OSG exposed to O2 plasma is definitively attributed to the diffusion of O2 down OSG nanopores, reacting at photo-activated sites, rather than to the diffusion of atomic O. Pretreatment of OSG by 900 eV Ar+ ion bombardment also results in formation of 1 nm thick SiO2-like surface overlayer that inhibits O2 diffusion, inhibiting VUV+O2 and O2 plasma-induced reactions, and that the effectiveness of this treatment increases with ion kinetic energy. On the contrary, organosilicate glass (OSG) films with backbone carbon (-Si-R-Si-) exhibit significantly enhanced resistance to carbon loss upon exposure to O2 plasma, radicals and VUV+O2 compared to films with terminal methyl groups (Si-CH3). Films incorporating backbone carbon chains (-Si-R-Si-) were deposited from 1,2 bis (triethoxysilyl) ethane (BTESE) precursor by ebeam or plasma cross-linking. The radical effects on BTESE film indicates negligible carbon loss or Si oxidation, combined with C-O bond formation, under conditions where OSG films with terminal methyl groups exhibit > 80% carbon loss within the surface region of the film. C-O bond formation is never observed for terminal CH3 groups. Further, backbone carbon (-Si-R-Si-) films exposed to VUV+O2 exhibit self-limiting, minimal net carbon loss. This indicates that plasma-induced Si-C bond rupture still occurs in the linking unit, but with a low probability of simultaneous rupture of both Si-C bonds required for abstraction of an in-line methylene bridging group. The data thus demonstrate that OSG films containing backbone carbon groups exhibit greatly reduced rates of carbon loss in the presence of O2 plasma, radicals or VUV+O2 compared to films with terminal carbon groups due to fundamentally different patterns of Si-C bond scission. The results demonstrate the potential of backbone carbon low-k films to resist plasma induced damage.