Chemical and mechanical properties of silica hybrid films from NaOH catalyzed sols for micromachining with diamond cutting tools

► Thick silica hybrid films were micromachined with diamond cutting tools. ► The nanoindentation hardness increased with the heat treatment temperature. ► The role of sodium hydroxide in base catalyzed silica sols was studied. ► Formation of carbonates, carboxylates and disordered carbon was observed.