Patent ID: 8642252

Claim:
A method of forming an air-gap containing interconnect structure comprising: providing a photo-patternable low k (PPLK) material atop a substrate; forming at least one gap within said PPLK material, wherein said forming the at least one gap comprises directly subjecting at least one predetermined portion of said PPLK material to irradiation to form at least one exposed PPLK region and at least one non-exposed PPLK region in said PPLK material and removing the at least one exposed PPLK region or the at least one non-exposed PPLK region utilizing a developer solution; curing the PPLK material, wherein prior to curing the PPLK material, a plurality of conductive structures are formed into portions of the PPLK material by first providing a plurality of openings in the PPLK material, filling each of the plurality of openings provided in the PPLK material with a conductive material and then performing a planarization process to provide a structure in which the uppermost surface of each conductive structure is coplanar with an uppermost surface of the PPLK material; and forming a dielectric cap atop the cured PPLK material and atop the at least one gap forming at least one air gap within the cured PPLK material.