Abstract: Transparent pure-silica zeolite (PSZ) films were synthesized on silicon wafers through hydrothermal reaction, in which tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was used as silica source, tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) as template and alkaline source. An ultraviolet treatment was subsequently applied to remove the organic templates within the pores/channels of zeolite films. The thin films were characterized by using FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques before and after the ultraviolet treatment. FTIR results showed that the organic templates were effectively removed via ultraviolet treatment, which was the same as the results from the calcinations treatment. In comparison with the calcined films, XRD and SEMresults indicated that the crystallinity and the surface as well as the thickness of the films had no significant changes after ultraviolet treatment. Dielectric constant (ε) values of the thin films were measured by means of impedance analyzer. Elastic modulus and hardness of the thin films were measured by the nano-indentation technique. All results showed that the films after ultraviolet treatment had a lower ε value and higher mechanical strength. Therefore, it could be concluded that ultraviolet treatment was a faster, more energy-conservative method to remove template fromzeolite films, in comparison with conventional calcination.

Key words: Ultraviolet treatment, Calcination, Silica zeolite thin film, Low dielectric constant