SIM: new, versatile polymers for electronic industries

SIM, a new class of soluble, fully imidized polyimidesiloxanes, is discussed. The electronic-grade SIM materials feature an advantageous combination of high tensile strength, T/sub g/(>200 degrees C), thermal stability, flame and chemical resistance with low water absorption, dielectric constant <3.0, and modulus. Various SIM materials are tailor-made for applications such as interlayer dielectrics in multilevel interconnections and for passivation of ICs, encapsulant, adhesives for die attachment and polyimides used in flexible circuit board, and halogen-free jackets for wires and cables. Their performance is compared with that of various commercial polyimides, silicone gels, epoxies, and other high-performance engineering plastics.<>