Mixed Rigid and Flexible Component Design for High-Performance Polyimide Films.

Xiaohui Yu,Jianhua Cao,Weihua Liang,Dayong Wu

doi:10.3390/polym9090451

Abstract

To develop the polyimide (PI) which is closely matched to the coefficient of the thermal expansion (CTE) of copper, a series of PIs are prepared from 5,4′-diamino-2-phenyl benzimidazole (DAPBI), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA), and 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) using a sequential copolymerization, blade coating, and thermal imidization process. The physical properties of the PIs are effectively regulated and optimized by adjusting the ratio of the rigid DAPBI and flexible ODA components. By increasing the DAPBI content, thermal stability, dimensional stability, and mechanical properties, the resultant polymer is enhanced. PI-80 exhibits an excellent comprehensive performance, a glass transition temperature of 370 °C, and a tensile strength of 210 MPa. Furthermore, the CTE as calculated in the range 50–250 °C is ca. 19 ppm/K, which is equal to that of copper. A highly dimensionally stable, curl-free, and high T-style peel strength (6.4 N/cm) of copper/PI laminate was obtained by casting the polyamic acid onto copper foil (13 μm) and thermally curing at 360 °C, which indicates that it has the potential to be applied as an electronic film for flexible displays and flexible printed circuit boards. A structural rationalization for these remarkable properties is also presented.

Highlights

Aromatic polyimides (PIs) exhibit outstanding thermal stability, mechanical properties, solvent resistance, and electric insulation performance [1,2,3,4,5,6]
It is especially important that the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the interlayer should match that of the substrate (e.g., Si wafer, copper foil, aluminium foil) [22]
The synthesis of the PIs, the molecular modeling of a homo-PI dimer simulated by ChemDraw (Cambridge Soft, Waltham, MA, molecular modeling of a homo-PI dimer simulated by ChemDraw (Cambridge Soft, Waltham, MA, USA), and a schematic diagram of the procedure for preparing the PI films and PI/copper laminates

Summary

Introduction

Aromatic polyimides (PIs) exhibit outstanding thermal stability, mechanical properties, solvent resistance, and electric insulation performance [1,2,3,4,5,6]. PI films can be used as high-temperature-resistant insulating materials, flexible printed circuits, stress-relieving buffer layers, particle-blocking layers, dielectric and flexible connecting materials for multichip model systems, substrates for flexible solar cells or flexible displays, and lithium-ion battery separators [17,18,19,20,21]. It is especially important that the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the interlayer should match that of the substrate (e.g., Si wafer, copper foil, aluminium foil) [22]. Typical commercial PI films can’t tolerate the high temperatures associated with welding fabrication.

Methods

Results

Conclusion