This invention provides a process for making a semiconductor device with reduced capacitance between adjacent conductors. This process can include applying a solution between conductors 24, and then gelling, surface modifying, and drying the solution to form an extremely porous dielectric layer 28. A non-porous dielectric layer 30 may be formed over porous layer 28, which may complete an interlayer dielectric. A novel process for creating the porous dielectric layer is disclosed, which can be completed at vacuum or ambient pressures, yet results in porosity, pore size, and shrinkage of the dielectric during drying comparable to that previously attainable only by drying gels at supercritical pressure.