Quartz fiber cloth-reinforced semi-aromatic thermosetting polyimide composite with high-frequency low dielectric constant

We report a series of semi-aromatic thermosetting polyimide (PI) resins that can be used as matrix for copper-clad laminates for high-frequency applications. The poly(amic ester) (PAE) resins derived from the diester of 1,2,4,5-cyclohexanetetracarboxylic dianhydride, aromatic diamines (the mixture of 2,2′-dimethylbenzidine and 2,2′-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl] propane), and the monoester of nadic anhydride were synthesized by Polymerization of Monomer Reactants (PMR) method. The structure conversion of PAE resins at different temperatures was investigated and the B-stage PI powders prepared by thermally baking the PAE resins at 220°C are nearly fully imidized. The viscosities of the B-stage PI powders and the mechanical and thermal properties of the cured PI resins were optimized by varying the molar ratio of the two diamines. The cured PI resins possess low and steady dielectric constants ( D k ) below 3.0 and dielectric dissipation factors ( D f ) of less than 0.01 at high frequency of 1–12 GHz. Furthermore, the quartz fiber cloth-reinforced semi-aromatic thermosetting PI composites (QF/PI) exhibit excellent dielectric performance, good heat resistance, and mechanical properties. At a high frequency of 1–12 GHz, the D k of QF/PI-4 is stable in the range of 3.16–3.2, and the D f is stable in the range of 0.0026–0.0046. These results suggest the potential of the semi-aromatic QF/PI for use in high-frequency IC boards.