Synthesis and characterization of novel photosensitive polyimide based on 5-(2,5-dioxotetrahydrofuryl)-3-methyl-3-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylic anhydride

A negative type photosensitive polyimide with alicyclic moiety (NPI) was synthesized from 5‐(2,5‐dioxotetrahydrofuryl)‐3‐methyl‐3‐cyclohexene‐1,2‐dicarboxylic anhydride and 4,4‐diaminobenzophenone by one‐step polymerization in m‐cresol. Properties of the polyimides were characterized and a photo‐crosslinking mechanism was investigated using DEPT 13C‐NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy. The negative polyimide showed good photosensitivity on exposure to UV light from a mercury xenon lamp. The polyimide showed remarkable solubility difference after photo‐ irradiation with an exposure dose of 500 mJ/cm2. The resulting negative pattern of the photo‐cured NPI exhibited 10 μm resolution. Glass transition temperature of the photo‐crosslinked polyimide was about 307°C, which increased by 10°C compared to that of the polyimide before UV exposure. Transmittance of NPI after photo‐irradiation was about 87% at 500 nm. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.