Preparation and properties of photosensitive polyimide/titania–silica hybrid materials

A complex inorganic–polymer hybrid material of polyimide/titania–silica with photolithographic property was prepared by sol–gel process. Polyimide (PI) was based on benzophone-3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) and 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-dimethyl-diphenylmethane (MMDA) and is negatively photosensitive. The introduction of titania leads to increased refractive index while the introduction of silica leads to improved thermal stability of the hybrid.