A passivating coupling material for, on the one hand, passivating a
dielectric layer in a semiconductor device, and on the other hand, for
permitting or at least promoting liquid phase metal deposition thereon in
a subsequent process step. In a particular example, the dielectric layer
may be a porous material having a desirably decreased dielectric constant
k, and the passivating coupling material provides steric shielding groups
that substantially block the adsorption and uptake of ambient moisture
into the porous dielectric layer. The passivating coupling materials also
provides metal nucleation sides for promoting the deposition of a metal
thereon in liquid phase, in comparison with metal deposition without the
presence of the passivating coupling material. The use of a liquid phase
metal deposition process facilitates the subsequent manufacture of the
semiconductor device. In one example, the passivating coupling material
has multiple Si atoms in its chemical composition, which desirably
increases the thermal stability of the material.