Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

John F Kirner

Ronald Pierantozzi

Scott Jeffrey Weigel

Charles G Coe

James Edward MacDougall

Martin Devenney

Brian Keith Peterson

Konstantinos Chondroudis

C Eric Ramberg

Alejandro L Cabrera

Keith Cendak

Thomas R White

Thomas Albert Braymer

Keith Douglas Campbell

Ravi Kumar

John N Armor

Thomas R Gaffney

Robin Joyce Maliszewskyj

Lisa Deis

Thomas Alan Deis

Robert A Miller

William Paul Schmidt

Victoria Eskinazi

Bharat Lajjaram Bhatt

Pradip Rao

William A Schwartz

James W Brockington

Ronald Joseph Kitzhoffer

Michael Francis Kimak

Lisa Deis, Legal Representative

Charles R Wilson

Low dielectric materials and films comprising same have been identified for improved performance when used as performance materials, for example, in interlevel dielectrics integrated circuits as well as methods for making same. In one aspect of the present invention, the performance of the dielectric material may be improved by controlling the weight percentage of ethylene oxide groups in the at least one porogen.

Compositions for preparing low dielectric materials

A method and apparatus for determining pore size distribution and/or the presence of at least one killer pore in at least a portion of a porous film deposited upon a substrate are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a method for determining pore size distribution comprising: providing the substrate having the film deposited thereupon wherein the film comprises pores and wherein the pores have a first volume; exposing the film to an adsorbate at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to provide condensation of the adsorbate in pores and wherein the pores after the exposing step have a second volume; and measuring the difference between the first and the second volume using a volumetric technique; and calculating the pore size and pore volume using the change in the first and the second volume, the pressure, and a model that relates pressure to pore diameter.

Method for characterizing porous low dielectric constant films

Low dielectric materials and films comprising same have been identified for improved performance when used as interlevel dielectrics in integrated circuits as well as methods for making same. These materials are characterized as having a dielectric constant (&#x3ba;) a dielectric constant of about 3.7 or less; a normalized wall elastic modulus (E'), derived in part from the dielectric constant of the material, of about 15 GPa or greater; and a metal impurity level of about 500 ppm or less. Low dielectric materials are also disclosed having a dielectric constant of less than about 1.95 and a normalized wall elastic modulus (E&#x2032;), derived in part from the dielectric constant of the material, of greater than about 26 GPa.

Low dielectric materials and methods for making same

The present invention is directed to an at least binary exchanged X-zeolite having lithium and zinc cations in a ratio of preferably 5% to 40% zinc and 50% to 95% lithium, wherein the sum of the lithium and zinc ion exchange is at least 65% of the exchangeable ion content. Theses adsorbents are useful in a process for separating nitrogen from gas mixtures containing nitrogen and less strongly adsorbed components such as oxygen, hydrogen, argon or helium.

Zinc cation exchanged lithium X-zeolite for nitrogen adsorption

The present invention is directed to an at least binary exchanged X-zeolite having lithium and a divalent cation selected from the group consisting of cobalt, copper, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel and mixtures thereof in a ratio of preferably 5% to 50% of the divalent cation and 50% to 95% lithium. Theses adsorbents are useful in a process for separating nitrogen from gas mixtures containing nitrogen and less strongly adsorbed components such as oxygen, hydrogen, argon or helium.

Divalent cation exchanged lithium X-zeolite for nitrogen adsorption

Low silica X (LSX) zeolites having a framework Si/Al ratio equal to 1.0 with lithium exchange levels greater than a threshold level of 70% exhibit unexpectedly higher capacity for nitrogen adsorption compared to LSX-zeolite with lower lithium exchange levels. These materials provide high performance adsorbents for PSA air separation processes at a lower cost for the adsorbent because of the lower threshold lithium exchange levels compared to highly exchanged lithium X-zeolite known in the prior art.

Nitrogen adsorption with highly Li exchanged X-zeolites with low Si/Al

The invention is a process for selectively adsorbing nitrogen from a gas mixture which comprises contacting the gas mixture with an adsorbent that has a moderate nitrogen capacity and a high selectivity for nitrogen over the other components in the mixture. With respect to air separation, improved adsorbents have low O.sub.2 capacity with N.sub.2 capacity at roughly the same level as current adsorbents such as CaA. O.sub.2 VSA computer process simulations have shown the unexpected result that for materials with the same binary isothermal working selectivity, those with lower isothermal nitrogen working capacity are superior O.sub.2 VSA adsorbents, provided that they have a nitrogen working capacity of at least about 0.3 mmol/g.

O.sub.2 VSA process with low O.sub.2 capacity adsorbents

The present invention is directed to adsorptive separation of nitrogen with active adsorbent phases with high N.sub.2 capacity and high heats of adsorption when diluted with inert material at levels ranging from 5% to 80%. The presence of diluent reduces the temperature swings in the adsorbent bed, which increases the utilizable effective N.sub.2 working capacity and decreases the relative amount of O.sub.2 left unrecovered on the active adsorbent phase. The net result is equal or better process performance allowing utilization of a lower amount of active adsorbent phase. Use of a diluent having a higher heat capacity than that of the active adsorbent phase increases these benefits, but dilution effects are beneficial even for diluents with heat capacities equal to or lower than that of the active adsorbent phase.

Adsorptive separation using diluted adsorptive phase

The present invention is directed to a process for separating nitrogen from gas mixtures containing nitrogen and less strongly adsorbed components such as oxygen, hydrogen, argon or helium by use of an at least binary exchanged X-zeolite having lithium and a divalent cation selected from the group consisting of barium, cobalt, copper, chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, zinc and mixtures thereof in a ratio of preferably 5% to 50% of the divalent cation and 50% to 95% lithium.

Nitrogen adsorption with a divalent cation exchanged lithium X-zeolite

The present invention is directed to a process for separating nitrogen from gas mixtures containing nitrogen and less strongly adsorbed components such as oxygen, hydrogen, argon or helium by use of an at least binary exchanged X-zeolite having lithium and calcium and/or strontium ions in ratio of preferably 5% to 50% calcium and/or strontium and 50% to 95% lithium.

Nitrogen adsorption with a Ca and/or Sr exchanged lithium X-zeolite

The surface properties of iron or ferrous alloy are improved by borosiliconizing the surface by contact with a stream of reducing gas containing hydrogen, optionally with an inert gas, to which a gaseous halide or hydride of boron and silicon have been added, either together or sequentially. The temperature of treatment is elevated, e.g. above 350.degree. C., but below 1200.degree. C. Diffusion coatings of both boron and silicon are formed in the ferrous surface. Typical surces of boron and silicon inlude boron trichloride, diborane and silane.

Gas phase borosiliconization of ferrous surfaces

Silicon carbide protective films are produced on the surface of metallic or metal-impregnated substrates. A silicide or silicon diffusion coating is initially formed on the surface of the substrate, and subsequently said surface is treated with a gas stream which is reducing to the coating and substrate and contains a gaseous carbon source at a temperature greater than 500.degree. C.

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Orefield, PA, United States of America

John F Kirner