Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 February 2011
We describe infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of the interfaces formed when the PMDA/ODA polyamic acid is imidized on gold, chromium, and copper. Polyimide films ranging from 34 ° to 1328 ° are analyzed as part of these studies. The IR and XPS results indicate that the gold interacts very little with the polyimide, while copper produces significant changes in the IR and XPS spectra. At elevated cure temperatures passivated chromium also reacts with the polyimide. In structures with chromium and copper, the thermal stability of the polyimide at the interface is reduced from that of bulk polyimide. The data demonstrate that the metals interact with the polymer structure at the point where ring closure occurs to form the polyimide from polyamic acid.