Novel uses of diamondoid-containing materials in the field of
microelectronics are disclosed. Embodiments include, but are not limited
to, thermally conductive films in integrated circuit packaging, low-k
dielectric layers in integrated circuit multilevel interconnects,
thermally conductive adhesive films, thermally conductive films in
thermoelectric cooling devices, passivation films for integrated circuit
devices (ICs), and field emission cathodes. The diamondoids employed in
the present invention may be selected from lower diamondoids, as well as
the newly provided higher diamondoids, including substituted and
unsubstituted diamondoids. The higher diamondoids include tetramantane,
pentamantane, hexamantane, heptamantane, octamantane, nonamantane,
decamantane, and undecamantane. The diamondoid-containing material may be
fabricated as a diamondoid-containing polymer, a diamondoid-containing
sintered ceramic, a diamondoid ceramic composite, a CVD diamondoid film,
a self-assembled diamondoid film, and a diamondoid-fullerene composite.