Microstructural and mechanical properties of organic surfactant templated nanoporous thin silica films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nanoindentation. Compared with many other porous low-k dielectrics, the self-assembled molecularly templated nanoporous silica films demonstrate better mechanical properties. This is ascribed to the presence of a well-ordered pore channel structure in the nanoporous silica thin films. Hardness and elastic modulus are strongly dependent on film preparation and modification methods. Trimethylsilylation by hexamethylsilazane vapor treatment effectively enhances the mechanical strength of the nanoporous silica films. When the sol precursor solution is mixed with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS), the resulting nanoporous films have a weaker mechanical strength. The pore channel structure of the nanoporous silica film becomes less ordered for the TMCS derivatized nanoporous films. In addition, the chemical structure in the silica solid matrix of the TMCS derivatized films is more disordered than those without TMCS modification. The nanoindentation measurement results are discussed in terms of the pore microstructure of the nanoporous silica network and the springback effect due to the presence of trimethylsilyl groups in the nanopores. (C) 2003 The Electrochemical Society.