Vapor phase synthesis of ultrathin carbon films with a mesoporous monolayer by a soft-templating method.

Ultrathin carbon films with a monolayer of uniform mesopores were synthesized on a silicon substrate by contacting triblock copolymer films with benzyl alcohol vapor followed by carbonization.

Synthesis of 3D pore mesostructured silica films by vapor infiltration of tetraethoxysilane.

Nonionic alkyl poly(oxyethylene) surfactants (Brij 56) films on a silicon substrate were treated with a tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) vapor. Mesostructured silica films were formed through a nano-phase transition under the infiltration of TEOS into the surfactant films. It was found that the calcined film had a 3D pore structure from the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) observations in a different orientation. Grazing angle of incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurement results showed that the symmetry of the film was an Fmmm space group oriented with the (010) plane parallel to the surface. The ordered structure of the films showed higher thermal stability than the films prepared by a conventional solvent-evaporation method.

Vapor-phase synthesis of mesoporous SiO2-P2O5 thin films.

Mesoporous SiO2-P2O5 films were synthesized from the vapor phase onto a silicon substrate. First, a precursor solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TAB), H3PO4, ethanol, and water was deposited on a silicon substrate by a spin-coating method. Then, the C16TAB-H3PO4 composite film was treated with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) vapor at 90-180 degrees C for 2.5 h. The H3PO4-C16TAB composite formed a hexagonal structure on the silicon substrate before vapor treatment. The TEOS molecules penetrated into the film without a phase transition. The periodic mesostructure of the SiO2-P2O5 films was retained after calcination. The calcined films showed a high proton conductivity of about 0.55 S/cm at room temperature. The molar ratio of P/Si in the SiO2-P2O5 film was as high as 0.43, a level that was not attained by a premixing sol-gel method. The high phosphate group content and the ordered periodic mesostructure contributed to the high proton conductivity.

Synthesis of ordered mesoporous zirconium phosphate films by spin coating and vapor treatments.

Ordered mesoporous zirconium phosphate films were prepared on a silicon substrate by spin coating using a mixture of zirconium isopropoxide, triethyl phosphate, Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer, nitric acid, ethanol, and water. The spin-on film was consecutively treated with vapors of phosphoric acid and ammonia. The post-vapor treatments effectively enhanced the thermal stability of an ordered mesostructure when heated to 500 degrees C. XRD and TEM analyses show that the calcined zirconium phosphate film has a hexagonal structure with straight channels parallel to the film surface. The zirconium phosphate film exhibited high proton conductivity of 0.02 S/cm parallel to the film surface at 80% RH and 25 degrees C.

Synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbons with channel structure from an organic-organic nanocomposite.

Mesoporous carbons with ordered channel structure (COU-1) have been successfully fabricated via a direct carbonization of an organic-organic nanocomposite.

Nano-architectural silica thin films with two-dimensionally connected cagelike pores synthesized from vapor phase.

Novel mesostructured silica thin films were prepared on a Si substrate by a vapor-phase synthesis. Vapor of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was infiltrated into a surfactant film consisting of a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer. Nanophase transition from a lamellar structure to a two-dimensional cage structure of a silica-surfactant nanocomposite was found under vapor infiltration. The rearrangement into the cage structure implies high mobility of the silica-surfactant composites in solid phase. The silica thin films have two-dimensionally connected cagelike mesopores and are isotropic parallel to the film surface. The structure of pores of the films is advantageous for next-generation low-k films. The mesoporous structure has a large lattice parameter d of approximately 102 A, silica layer thickness of approximately 58 A, pillar diameter in the middle of approximately 60 A, pore size of approximately 72 A, BET surface area of approximately 729 m(2)/g, and pore volume of approximately 1.19 cm(3)/g. The films synthesized by the vapor infiltration show a lower concentration of residual Si-OH groups compared to the films prepared by a conventional sol-gel method. The films show high thermal stability up to 900 degrees C and high hydrothermal stability. This method is a simpler process than conventional sol-gel techniques and attractive for mass production of a variety of organic-inorganic composite materials and inorganic porous films.