Porosity depth profiling of spin-coated silica thin films produced by different precursors sols

The structural evolution of nanoporous silica thin films was studied by Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS), 2-3 gamma ratio of positronium (3γ-PAS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Four series of silica films with thickness in the 300-600 nm range were deposited by spin coating on Si substrate changing the content of sacrificial porogen in the sol precursors. The effect on the porosity of different amount of porogen and of the thermal treatments in the 400-900 °C temperature range have been highlighted. The evolution of the porosity is discussed considering the removal of porogen and of the silanol Si-OH groups by thermal treatments as pointed out by FT-IR. Pores with size from less than 1 nm up to sizes larger than 2.0 nm have been detected. In samples with maximum porogen load oPs escaping was observed indicating onset of connected porosity. At temperatures higher than 700 °C a decrease of the porosity due to a progressive pore collapsing was evidenced. A strong correlation was found between the shift of the Si-O-Si transversal optical (TO3) mode in the FT-IR spectra and the pore size in the porous silica films as revealed by DBS and 3γ-PAS.