Polyimide and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites for low-dielectric applications

A novel polyimide (PI) hybrid nanocomposite containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) with well defined architecture has been prepared by copolymerization of octakis(glycidyldimethylsiloxy)octasilsesquioxane (Epoxy–POSS), 4,4′-oxydianiline diamine (ODA), and 4,4′-carbonyldiphthalic anhydride (BTDA). In these nanocomposite materials, the equivalent ratio of the Epoxy–POSS and ODA are adjustable, and the resultant PI–POSS nanocomposites give variable thermal and mechanical properties. More importantly, we intend to explore the possibility of incorporating POSS moiety through the Epoxy–POSS into the polyimide network to achieve the polyimide hybrid with lower dielectric constant (low-k) and thermal expansion. The lowest dielectric constant achieved of the POSS/PI material (PI-10P) is 2.65 by incorporating 10 wt% Epoxy–POSS (pure PI, k=3.22). In addition, when contents of the POSS in the hybrids are 0, 3, 10 wt% (PI-0P, PI-3P, PI-10P), and the resultant thermal expansion coefficients (TEC) are 66.23, 63.28, and 58.25 ppm/°C, respectively. The reduction in the dielectric constants and the resultant thermal expansion coefficients of the PI–POSS hybrids can be explained in terms of creating silsesquioxane cores of the POSS and the free volume increase by the presence of the POSS–tethers network resulting in a loose PI structure.