Single-stage synthesis and characterization of reflective and conductive silver-polyimide films prepared from silver(I) complexes with ODPA/4,4'-ODA.

Reflective and surface conductive polyimide films were prepared by the incorporation of silver(I) acetate and trifluoroacetylacetone into a dimethylacetamide solution of the poly(amic acid) formed 3,3',4,4'-oxidiphthalic dianhydride (ODPA) and 4,4'-oxidianiline (4,4'-ODA). Thermal curing of (trifluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I)-poly(amic acid) films led to cycloimidization with concomitant silver(I) reduction, which yielded a reflective and conductive silver surface at selected silver concentrations if the film was cured to a final temperature of 300 degrees C for several hours. The metallized ODPA/4,4'-ODA films retain the essential mechanical properties of an undoped film and have good thermal stability, particularly under a nitrogen atmosphere. The bulk of the composite film was not electrically conductive. The use of (hexafluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) and silver(I) tetrafluoroborate as sources of silver(I) with ODPA/4,4'-ODA yielded modestly reflective films that never developed conductivity. The silvered films prepared with (trifluoroacetylacetonato)silver(I) can be patterned using mask-etch techniques. Comparisons are made among four similar silver-polyimide systems, with the polyimides being ODPA/4,4'-ODA, BTDA/4,4'-ODA, BPDA/4,4'-ODA, and 6FDA/4-BDAF.