Abstract: Porous ceramic and hybrid ceramic films are useful as low dielectric constant interlayers in semiconductor interconnects. (Hybrid ceramic films are defined as films that contain organic and ceramic molecular components in the structure, as, for example, organosilicates). This invention describes the usefulness of humidity treatments (using specific temperature/humidity treatments as illustrative examples) in increasing mechanical integrity of porous dielectric films with minimal detrimental effect on film porosity or dielectric constant and with no adverse impact on film quality. The efficacy of such treatments is illustrated using surfactant-templated mesoporous silicate films as an example. This invention also describes a specific family of additives to be used with highly pure alkali-metal-free ceramic and hybrid precursors for such dielectric films that will enable better control of the film porosity and quality and lower dielectric constants with the required mechanical integrity.

Abstract: Vacuum/gas phase reactor embodiments used in gas phase dehydroxylation and alkylation reactions are described in which the substrate could be subjected to high vacuum, heated to target temperature, and treated with silane as quickly and efficiently as possible. To better facilitate the silylation and to increase the efficiency of the process, the reactor is designed to contain quasi-catalytic surfaces which can act both as an “activator” to put species in a higher energy state or a highly activated state, and as a “scrubber” to eliminate possible poisons or reactive by-products generated in the silylation reactions. One described embodiment is a hot filament reactor having hot, preferably metallic, solid surfaces within the reactor's chamber in which wafers having mesoporous silicate films are treated. Another is an IR reactor having upper and lower quartz windows sealing the upper and lower periphery of an aluminum annulus to form a heated chamber.

Abstract: Vacuum/gas phase reactor embodiments used in gas phase dehydroxylation and alkylation reactions are described in which the substrate could be subjected to high vacuum, heated to target temperature, and treated with silane as quickly and efficiently as possible. To better facilitate the silylation and to increase the efficiency of the process, the reactor is designed to contain quasi-catalytic surfaces which can act both as an “activator” to put species in a higher energy state or a highly activated state, and as a “scrubber” to eliminate possible poisons or reactive by-products generated in the silylation reactions. One described embodiment is a hot filament reactor having hot, preferably metallic, solid surfaces within the reactor's chamber in which wafers having mesoporous silicate films are treated. Another is an IR reactor having upper and lower quartz windows sealing the upper and lower periphery of an aluminum annulus to form a heated chamber.

Abstract: Increased yields of the known and useful antibiotic cephamycin C [7-(D-5-amino-5-carboxyvaleramido)-3-(carbamoyloxymethyl)-7-methoxy-3-ceph em-4-carboxylic acid] are obtained by the addition of D- or DL-arginine, D- or DL-ornithine and/or one of several polyamines; or D- or DL-lysine in combination with one of several polyamines to fermentation media composed of complex organic nutrients.