as used herein , the term “ polymeric structure ” refers to any structure that comprises a polymer . especially contemplated are thin - film type structures , however , other structures including thick - film , or stand - alone structures are also contemplated . as also used herein , the term “ fullerene ” refers to a form of naturally occurring carbon containing from 32 carbon atoms to as many as 960 carbon atoms , which is believed to have the structure of geodesic domes . contemplated fullerenes are described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 744 , 399 to rostoker et al ., which is hereby incorporated by reference . in contrast , linear , branched and / or crosslinked polymers are not considered fullerenes under the scope of this definition , because such molecules are non - spherical molecules . referring now to fig1 method 100 comprises step 110 , step 120 , step 130 , and step 140 . in a preferred embodiment , the first reagent of step 110 is a 10 wt % solution of a poly ( arylene ether ) in cyclohexanone as a solvent , and the second reagent of step 110 is a 10 wt % slurry of a colloidal silica in the same , or compatible solvent . in step 120 , both reagents are mixed in equal proportions , and the mixture is spin coated onto a silicon waver . a polymeric structure is formed in step 130 from the reagent mixture by heating the reagent mixture to 400 ° c . for 60min . at least part of the second reagent is removed in step 140 from the polymeric structure by leaching , preferably by soaking in diluted hydrofluoric acid . in alternative embodiments , however , many polymers other than a poly ( arylene ether ) are contemplated for the first reagent , including organic , organometallic or inorganic polymers . examples of organic polymeric strands are polyimides , polyesters , or polybenzils . examples of organometallic polymeric strands are various substituted polysiloxanes . examples of inorganic polymeric strands include silicate or aluminate . contemplated polymeric strands may further comprise a wide range of functional or structural moieties , including aromatic systems , and halogenated groups . furthermore , appropriate polymers may have many configurations , including a homopolymer , and a heteropolymer . it should also be appreciated that alternative polymers may have various forms , such as linear , branched , super - branched , or three - dimensional . it is further contemplated that the molecular weight of contemplated polymers may span a wide range , typically between 400 dalton and 400000 dalton or more . it is further contemplated that alternative first reagent need not be a polymer , but may also be monomers . as used herein , the term “ monomer ” refers to any chemical compound that is capable of forming a covalent bond with itself or a chemically different compound in a repetitive manner . the repetitive bond formation between monomers may lead to a linear , branched , super - branched or three - dimensional product . furthermore , monomers may themselves comprise repetitive building blocks , and when polymerized the polymers formed from such monomers are then termed “ blockpolymers ”. monomers may belong to various chemical classes of molecules including organic , organometallic or inorganic molecules . examples of organic monomers are acrylamide , vinylchloride , fluorene bisphenol or 3 , 3 ′- dihydroxytolane . examples of organometallic monomers are octamethyl - cyclotetrasiloxane , methylphenylcyclotetrasiloxane , etc . examples of inorganic monomers include tetraethoxysilane or triisopropylaluinate . the molecular weight of monomers may vary greatly between about 40 dalton and 20000 dalton . however , especially when monomers comprise repetitive building blocks , monomers may have even higher molecular weights . contemplated monomers may further include additional groups , such as groups used for crosslinking , solubilization , improvement of dielectric properties , and so on . it should further be appreciated that various concentrations other than 10 wt % are appropriate , including concentrations of about 11 % ( w / v ) to about 75 % ( w / v ) and more , but also concentrations of about 9 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 1 % ( wlv ) and less . with respect to the solvent , the first reagent need not be limited to cyclohexanone . many other solvents are also contemplated , including polar , apolar , protic and non - protic solvents , or any reasonable combination thereof . for example , appropriate solvents are water , hexane , xylene , methanol , acetone , anisole , and ethylacetate . it should also be appreciated that in some cases only minor quantities of solvent may be utilized , and in other cases no solvent may be required at all . in further alternative embodiments , many silicon - containing reagents other than colloidal silica are contemplated as second reagent , including fumed silica , siloxanes , silsequioxanes , and solgel - derived monosize silica . appropriate silicon - containing compounds preferably have a size of below 100 nm , more preferably below 20 nm and most preferably below 5 nm . it is also contemplated that an alternative second reagent may comprise various materials other than silicon - containing reagents , including organic , organometallic , inorganic reagents or any reasonable combination thereof , provided that such reagents can be dissolved at least in part in a dissolving reagent that does not dissolve the polymeric structure formed from the mixture of the reagents . for example , appropriate organic reagents are polyethylene oxide , and polypropylene oxide . organometallic reagents are , for example , metallic octoates and acetates . inorganic reagents are , for example , nacl , kno 3 , iron oxide , and titanium oxide . especially contemplated alternative second reagents comprise nanosize polystyrene , polyethylene oxide , polypropylene oxide , and polyvinyl chloride . with respect to the solvent of the second reagent , the same considerations apply as discussed for the solvent for the first reagent , so long as both solvents are miscible at least in part . in still further alternative embodiments , the step of mixing the first and the second reagent may be performed in many other proportions than equal proportions . for example , appropriate proportions may consist of 0 . 1 %- 99 . 9 % ( vol .) of the first reagent in the total amount of the reagent mixture . it is furthermore contemplated that more than two reagents may be used , for example 3 - 5 reagents , or more . moreover , mixing the reagents need not be performed in a single step , but may also be performed in intervals . for example , in a mixture of equal proportions of both reagents , 10 ml of the first reagent may be combined with 1 ml of the second reagent . after a first predetermined time , another 4 ml of the second reagent may be added , and after second predetermined time , the remaining 5 ml of the second reagent may be added . similarly , it is contemplated that multiple layers of reagent mixtures may be employed to generate a plurality of layers with same or different ratio between the first and the second reagent . although the reagent mixture is preferably spin coated on a silicon waver , various alternative methods of applying the reagent mixture to a substrate are contemplated , including spray coating , dip coating , sputtering , brushing , doctor blading , etc . it is further contemplated that the reagent mixture need not necessarily be applied to a silicon waver as a substrate , but may also be applied to any material so long as such material is not substantially dissolvable in the solvent ( s ) contained in the reagent mixture . with respect to forming a polymeric structure , many methods other than heating the reagent mixture to 400 ° c . for 60min are contemplated . alternative methods include heating the reagent mixture to temperatures higher than 400 ° c ., for example , temperatures in the range of 400 ° c .- 500 ° c ., or higher , but also heating to lower temperatures than 400 ° c ., for example , temperatures in the range of 100 ° c . to 400 ° c . it is further contemplated that many durations other than 60min may be appropriate for forming a polymeric structure , including longer times in the range of 1 to several hours , and longer . similarly , shorter durations than 60 min are also contemplated , ranging from a few seconds to several minutes , and longer . it is further contemplated that by heating remaining volatile solvent in the polymeric structure is at least partially removed . moreover , heating may also advantageously rigidify the polymeric structure . although in preferred embodiment the polymeric structure is formed using heat , various alternative methods of forming the polymeric structure are contemplated , including catalyzed and uncatalyzed methods . catalyzed methods may include general acid - and base catalysis , radical catalysis , cationic - and anionic catalysis , and photocatalysis . for example , the formation of a polymeric structure may be catalyzed by addition of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide , addition of radical starters , such as ammoniumpersulfate , or by irradiation with uv - light . in other examples , the formation of a polymeric structure may be initiated by application of pressure , removal of at least one of the solvents , oxidation . in still other alternative embodiments , various methods other than soaking the polymeric structure in dilute hydrofluoric acid are contemplated to remove at least in part the second reagent . alternative methods may include dry etching , flushing , or rinsing the polymeric structure with dilute hydrofluoric acid . in other alternative methods , the dissolving reagents need not be restricted to hydrofluoric acid , but may comprise any other reagents , so long as it dissolves the second reagent at least in part without substantially dissolving the polymeric structure . contemplated dissolving reagents include hydrofluoric acid , nf 3 , and solvents according to the formula ch z f 4 - z wherein z = 0 − 3 , and the formula c 2 h x f y , wherein x is an integer between 0 and 5 , and x + y is 6 . in this example , the hydrofluoric acid reacts and disintegrates the silica , resulting in dissolving the silica particle form the film and thus forming pores . particularly contemplated dissolving reagents are a 2 % ( w / v ) aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid , nf 3 , and nh 4 f , but also non - fluorinated solvents , including chlorinated hydrocarbons , cyclohexane , toluene , acetone , and ethyl acetate . the second reagent may also be removed by dry etching where the polymeric structure is exposed to etch gases , including h 2 f 2 , nf 3 , ch x f y , and c 2 h x f y , such that the silica is converted into volatile fluorosilicon components . the volatile fluorosilicon components are subsequently removed from the polymeric structure by heating or evacuating , thus forming a porous structure . it should also be appreciated that alternative methods need not be based on dissolving the second reagent , but may include various alternative methods other than thermolysis and other than evaporation . for example , appropriate methods include radiolysis using focused α -, or β -, or γ - rays , electromagnetic waves , chemical transformations of the second reagent , sonication , and cavitation . the following examples are given to illustrate the formation of a nanoporous low dielectric constant material according to the inventive subject matter . preparation of 10 wt % colloidal silica : starting material is mibk - st ( nissan chemical ) 30 wt % colloidal silica in mibk , particle size 12 nm . 80 gm of mibk - st were mixed with 160 gm cyclohexanone in a plastic flask with stirring . the preparation is named cs10 . 1 . 2 gm of neat hexamethyldisilazane ( hmdz ) were added to 240 gm cs10 in a plastic bottle and slowly stirred for one hour at room temperature to allow for reaction . the preparation is named cs10h . the objective is to make a more stable suspension of colloidal silica in organic solvent by modifying the surface of the colloidal silica from hydrophilic to hydrophobic . base matrix material : a solution of 10 wt % poly ( arylene ether ) resin in cyclohexanone is prepared and named x33 . base adhesion promoter : a solution of 25 wt % polycarbosilane polymer in cylcohexanone is prepared and named a3 solution . 50 / 50 poly ( arylene ether )/ silica formulation : 241 . 2 gm of cs10h were mixed with 241 . 2 gm of x33 , and 5 . 78 gm of a3 solution were added and mixed well . the final composition comprising 4 . 94 wt % poly ( arylene ether ), 4 . 92 wt % silica , 0 . 296 wt % polycarbosilane and 0 . 246 wt % hdmz is sonicated for 30 minutes , filtered through a 0 . 1 μm filter , and collected in plastic bottle . the solution prepared from example 1 was spun - coated onto an 8 ″ silicon wafer using a semd coater . spin conditions : the films were coated on a semix tr8002 - c coater with manual dispense , top side rinse ( tsr ) and back side rinse ( bsr ). the volume of dispense was about 5 ml and cyclo - hexanone was utilized as the top and back side rinse solvent . the spin speed was 2000 rmp for 50 seconds . the films were double coated to achieve about 7000 a thickness . bake conditions : all wafers were baked under nitrogen on the semix coater following each spin coating step . the bake conditions are given in the table 1 . cure conditions : wafers were cured in a horizontal furnace protected by a nitrogen flow of 60 liter / min . the oxygen concentration in nitrogen was less than 50 ppm . the curing sequence is listed in table 2 . the temperature quoted is the temperature of the furnace center and was confirmed to be accurate with a thermocouple at the furnace center where the demo wafers were cured . wet etch conditions : cured films were etched with 50 : 1 buffered oxide etcher ( boe ) at room temperature for 3 . 0 minutes to remove the silica , thus forming porous structure . after being etched , the wafers were rinsed with deionized water , isopropyl alcohol and de - ionized water . finally the wafers was dried at 150 ° c . in vacuum . ir spectroscopy : the ir spectra of porous poly ( arylene ether ) films on the wafers were recorded on a nicolet 550 infrared spectrophotometer . the amount of silica in the film was determined from the peak intensity at 1050 - 1150 cm − 1 whereas the concentration of poly ( arylene ether ) was monitored from the peak at 1500 cm − 1 . results for the peak intensity were listed in table 3 . no residual organic solvent , un - crosslinked acetylene group , and oxidation related ir absorption peaks are observed for the film at near 1700 - 1800 cm − 1 ( aliphatic carbonyl group ), 2900 cm − 1 ( aliphatic carbon - hydrogen bond ), 3500 cm − 1 ( o — h bond ), and 2210 cm − 1 ( carbon - carbon triple bond ). ir spectra of the porous flare ™ films also indicate over 97 % of embedded dielectrics has been converted to pore after wet etch . film thickness , thickness uniformity and refractive index : porous poly ( arylene ether ) film thickness , thickness uniformity and refractive index were shown in table 4 . the dielectric constant ( k ) of the film was calculated from the capacitance of the film with thickness ( t ) under aluminum dot , using a hewlett - packard lcr meter model hp4275a . the dielectric constant is obtained according to the following equation : where a is the area of the aluminum dot ( cm 2 ), c is the capacitance ( farad ), t is the film thickness ( cm ), and e o is the permittivity of the free volume ( 8 . 85419 × 10 − 14 f / cm ). the dielectric constant of the low k porous poly ( arylene ether ) and the solid poly ( aryene ether ) control after various treatments were listed in table 5 . a decrease in dielectric constant of about 0 . 73 was achieved after introducing porosity into the solid film . the dielectric constant of the porous film increased slightly by 0 . 13 after soaking in water at room temperature for 48 hours . however , the dielectric constant was the same as the pre - soaked value after drying in a hot plate heating for 2 minutes at 250c . no significant decrease in k was found for the porous film after heated in flowing nitrogen at 400c . for 20 hours , even though the film shrank in thickness of about 8 %. dielectric constant of the porous film was also unchanged after 30 - day storage at ambient conditions . thus , specific embodiments and methods for producing nanoporous material using a dissolvable reagent have been disclosed . it should be apparent , however , to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . moreover , in interpreting both the specification and the claims , all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced .