Poly(amide acid) infusion with Copper(II) Chloride to form polyimide microcomposite films

Abstract

Polyimides are well known for their high thermal stability, chemical inertness, and their high electrical resistance. These properties make them ideal for use in the aerospace and electronics industries. Often polyimides are modified by coating or doping the films with metal species to change the surface or bulk properties of the polyimide. Usually this is done to create an electrically conductive surface layer. Previously, surface layers of metal and/or metal oxide on polyimide films have been made by homogeneously doping a poly(amide acid) solution with a metal complex and then thermally curing to 300°C. However, much of the dopant remains in the bulk of the films. Depending on the nature of the metal salt or complex, it has been postulated that lower polymer decomposition temperatures result if residual dopant remains in the bulk of the polymer. Deposition by infusion of the metal salt or complex was proposed as an alternative method for developing surface layers on polyimide films. The infusion processes attempted and the resulting films will be described and discussed.