Abstract: Waveguides having high stability are disclosed (and other devices and materials including but not limited to coatings, passivation materials, glob top materials, underfill materials, materials for IC and other applications, microlenses and any of a wide variety of optical devices) that benefit by being formed of a novel hybrid organic-inorganic material. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for making a waveguide includes: forming a lower cladding layer on a substrate; forming a core layer after the lower cladding layer; and forming an upper cladding layer after the core layer; wherein the lower cladding layer, core layer and/or upper cladding layer comprises a stable material with a relatively high glass transition temperature. Preferably the material is one that does not degrade or otherwise physically and/or chemically change upon further processing or when in use. Preferably the stable waveguide material of the invention can be heated in supercritical water vapor at 2 atm and at 120 C.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical device is formed on a substrate. The device has sliding, abrading or impacting surfaces. At least one of these surfaces is covered with an anti-stiction material. The anti-stiction material is provided from a slicon compound precursor (e.g. silane, silanol) or multiple silicon compound precursors. Preferably the precursor(s) is fluorinated—more preferably perfluorinated, and is deposited with a solvent as a low molecular weight oligomer or in monomeric form. Examples include silanes (fluorinated or not) with aromatic or polycyclic ring sturctures, and/or silanes (fluorinated or not) having alkenyl, alkynyl, epoxy or acrylate groups. Mixtures either or both of these groups with alkyl chain silanes (preferably fluorinated) are also contemplated.

Abstract: A compound of the general formula R1MR4R5R6 is provided where R1 is a partially or fully fluorinated aryl, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group, wherein M is selected from group 14 of the periodic table, wherein R4, R5 and R6 are independently an alkoxy group OR3 or a halogen group X—except, a) where R4, R5 and R6 are each ethoxy, M is Si and R1 is perfluorinated phenyl or perfluorinated vinyl; b) where R4 is ethoxy, R5 and R6 are chlorine, M is Si, and R1 is perfluorinated phenyl; or c) where R4, R5 and R6 are chlorine, M is Si, and R1 is perfluorinated phenyl, perfluorinated methyl or perfluorinated vinyl. This compound formed can be further reacted to attach an additional organic R group, and/or hydrolyzed, alone or with one or more similar compounds, to form a material having a molecular weight of from 500 to 10,000, which material can be deposited on various substrates as a coating or deposited and patterned for a waveguide or other optical device components.

Abstract: A method for making an integrated circuit is disclosed as comprising depositing alternating regions of electrically conductive and dielectric materials on a substrate, wherein an area of dielectric material is formed by: a silane precursor having a fully or partially fluorinated first organic group comprising an unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond, the fully or partially fluorinated organic group bound to silicon in the silane precursor; forming from the silane precursor a hybrid organic-inorganic material having a molecular weight of at least 500 on a substrate; and increasing the molecular weight of the hybrid material by exposure to heat, electromagnetic radiation or electron beam so as to break the unsaturated carbon-carbon double bond and cross link via the fully or partially fluorinated organic group.

Abstract: A compound of the general formula: R1R2R4MR5, wherein R1, R2 and R4 are independently an aryl, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group, wherein at least one of R1, R2 and R4 is fully or partially fluorinated, wherein M is selected from group 14 of the periodic table, and wherein R5 is either an alkoxy group, OR3, or a halogen group, X. This compound formed can be further reacted to attach an additional organic R group, and/or hydrolyzed with one or more similar compounds (preferably having one or two R groups bound to M), to form a material having a molecular weight of from 500 to 10,000, which material can be deposited on various substrates as a coating or deposited and patterned for a waveguide or other optical device components. Methods for making and using compounds of the general formula R1R2R4MR5 are also disclosed.

Abstract: Waveguides are disclosed (and other devices and materials including but not limited to hydrophobic coatings, passivation materials, glob top materials, underfill materials, dielectric materials for IC and other applications, microlenses and any of a wide variety of optical devices) that benefit by a high hydrophobicity and high stability and, among other things. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for making a waveguide comprises: forming a lower cladding layer on a substrate; forming a core layer after the lower cladding layer; and forming an upper cladding layer after the core layer; wherein the lower cladding layer, core layer and/or upper cladding layer is hydrophobic and results, if exposed to water, in a water contact angle of 90 degrees or more.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided comprising a substrate and discrete areas of electrically insulating and electrically conductive material, wherein the electrically insulating material is a hybrid organic-inorganic material that has a density of 1.45 g/cm3 or more and a dielectric constant of 3.0 or less. The integrated circuit can be made by a method comprising: providing a substrate; forming discrete areas of electrically insulating and electrically conductive material on the substrate; wherein the electrically insulating material is deposited on the substrate followed by heating at a temperature of 350° C. or less; and wherein the electrically insulating material is a hybrid organic-inorganic material that has a density of 1.45 g/cm3 or more after densification. Also disclosed is a method for making an integrated circuit comprising performing a dual damascene method with an electrically conductive material and a dielectric, the dielectric being a directly photopatterned hybrid organic-inorganic material.

Abstract: Thin films are disclosed that are suitable as dielectrics in IC's and for other similar applications. In particular, the invention concerns thin films comprising compositions obtainable by hydrolysis of two or more silicon compounds, which yield an at least partially cross-linked siloxane structure. The invention also concerns a method for producing such films by preparing siloxane compositions by hydrolysis of suitable reactants, by applying the hydrolyzed compositions on a substrate in the form of a thin layer and by curing the layer to form a film. In one example, a thin film comprising a composition is obtained by hydrolyzing a monomeric silicon compound having at least one hydrocarbyl radical, containing an unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bond, and at least one hydrolyzable group attached to the silicon atom of the compound with another monomeric silicon compound having at least one aryl group and at least one hydrolyzable group attached to the silicon atom of the compound to form a siloxane material.

Abstract: A compound of the general formula R1R2MR4R5 is disclosed wherein R1 and R2 are independently an aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, epoxy or alkynyl group, wherein at least one of R1 and R2 is fully or partially fluorinated, wherein M is selected from group 14 of the periodic table, wherein R4 and R5 are independently an alkoxy group, OR3, or a halogen group, X, except where M is Si, R4 and R5 are both ethoxy groups or both chlorine groups, and R1 and R2 are perfluorinated groups. This compound formed can be further reacted to attach an additional organic R group, and/or hydrolyzed, alone or with one or more similar compounds, to form a material having a molecular weight of from 500 to 10,000, which material can be deposited on various substrates as a coating or deposited and patterned for a waveguide or other optical device components. Methods for making compounds of the general formula R1MR4R5R6 are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method comprises reacting a compound of the general formula R14-mMOR3m wherein m is an integer from 2 to 4, R1 is selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkynyl or epoxy, and wherein R1 is nonfluorinated, or fully or partially fluorinated; OR3 is alkoxy; and M is an element selected from group 14 of the periodic table; with a compound of the general formula R2M1 wherein R2 is selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkynyl or epoxy, and wherein R2 is at least partially fluorinated; and M1 is an element from group I of the periodic table; so as to make a compound of the general formula R14-mMOR3m-1R2.

Abstract: A method comprises reacting a compound of the general formula R14−mMOR3m wherein m is an integer from 2 to 4, OR3 is an alkoxy group, and M is an element selected from group 14 of the periodic table; with a compound of the general formula R2X2+Mg, wherein X2 is Br or I; where R1 and R2 are independently selected from alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkynyl, or epoxy, and wherein at least one of R1 and R2 is partially or fully fluorinated; so as to make a compound of the general formula R2R14−mMOR3m−1; followed by reacting R2R14−mMOR3m−1 with a halogen or halogen compound in order to replace one or more OR3 groups with a halogen group so as to form R2R14−mMOR3m−1−nXn, where X is a halogen and n is from 1 to 3 and m<n—except where R1 is fluorinated phenyl, M is Si and OR3 is ethoxy.