PREFACE
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TTHE S C I E N C E
A N D T E C H N O L O G Y of p o l y m e r s have h a d a p r o f o u n d i n f l u ence o n the q u a l i t y of life i n the 20th c e n t u r y . I n d e e d , the u t i l i t y of p o l y m e r i c materials was w i d e l y appreciated l o n g before scientists u n d e r s t o o d the m o lecular basis of this class of materials. E a r l y telephone handsets, for e x a m p l e , w e r e made from a condensation p o l y m e r of f o r m a l d e h y d e a n d p h e n o l , b u t it was m a n y years later before the m a c r o m o l e c u l a r concept of a p o l y m e r m o l e c u l e was p r o p o s e d , m u c h less accepted.
M a n y of the p o l y m e r s i n use at the b e g i n n i n g of the 1930s, such as r u b b e r , proteins, n u c l e i c acids, a n d polysaccharides (e.g., starch a n d c e l lulose), w e r e of natural o r i g i n . T h e s e materials w e r e u s e d as construction materials, adhesives, a n d m o l d e d products. B u t the p i o n e e r i n g w o r k o f Staudinger, M a r k , C a r r o t h e r s , a n d others i n the 1920s a n d 1930s h a d already l a i d the foundations for the t r e m e n d o u s r e v o l u t i o n that w o u l d l a u n c h the w o r l d into the " p l a s t i c age". B y establishing the m o l e c u l a r p r i n c i p l e s gove r n i n g the formation a n d properties of p o l y m e r s (or macromolecules, as t h e y are often called), these early w o r k e r s p a v e d the way for the innovative onslaught a n d r i c h v a r i e t y of synthetic p o l y m e r s that have characterized the last 50 years. T h e ease o f manufacture a n d fabrication, w i d e range of p h y s i c a l a n d c h e m i c a l p r o p e r t i e s , a n d l o w r a w - m a t e r i a l cost have m a d e p o l y m e r s u b i q uitous i n everyday life, a l l o w i n g us to replace, i n m a n y instances, costly natural materials w i t h cheap, attractive, a n d often vastly s u p e r i o r " p l a s t i c " alternatives w i t h enormous i m p a c t o n the q u a l i t y a n d r e l i a b i l i t y of the p r o d uct i n v o l v e d . A good example is the r e v o l u t i o n i n the t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s i n d u s t r y b r o u g h t about b y the i n t r o d u c t i o n of p o l y m e r i c materials. A p p l i cations have r a n g e d from r e p l a c e m e n t of l e a d as a sheath i n electric cable to m e e t i n g the stringent r e q u i r e m e n t s for dielectrics i n transoceanic c o m m u n i c a t i o n . W h e r e wires w e r e once i n s u l a t e d w i t h paper p u l p a n d cotton s e r v i n g , synthetic p o l y m e r s such as poly(ethylene) and p o l y v i n y l chloride), w h i c h are m a r k e d l y cheaper a n d vastly s u p e r i o r i n performance, are n o w used. T h e major use of p o l y m e r s has b e e n as replacements for naturally occ u r r i n g materials. S y n t h e t i c fibers such as n y l o n a n d polyester have s u b stantially r e p l a c e d natural textiles; synthetic r u b b e r is vastly s u p e r i o r to natural r u b b e r , a n d the w i d e v a r i e t y of e n g i n e e r i n g p o l y m e r s (both t h e r mosets a n d thermoplastics) have r e p l a c e d traditional, naturally o c c u r r i n g materials such as metals a n d cellulosic c o m p o u n d s i n m a n y applications.
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In Electronic and Photonic Applications of Polymers; Bowden, M., et al.; Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1988.
Downloaded by UNIV OF MEMPHIS on May 27, 2014 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: October 1, 1988 | doi: 10.1021/ba-1988-0218.pr001
P o l y m e r s have also f o u n d w i d e s p r e a d use i n the electronics i n d u s t r y , w h e r e they have b e e n t r a d i t i o n a l l y used as insulating materials. I n recent years, h o w e v e r , p o l y m e r s have b e e n u s e d increasingly i n m a n y o t h e r areas of electronics. T h e y have b e e n u s e d as e l e c t r o m e c h a n i c a l transducers, as l i t h o g r a p h i c resists a n d i n t e r m e t a l dielectrics i n the fabrication o f integrated c i r c u i t s , a n d as passivation a n d insulating materials i n electronics packaging. T h e s e examples are representative of w h a t m i g h t b e c a l l e d passive a p p l i cations, i n the sense that the p o l y m e r does not play an active role i n the performance o f the device. B u t active applications, i n w h i c h the d e v i c e performance d e p e n d s o n active p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f the p o l y m e r , are increasing. A c t i v e applications i n c l u d e electrically c o n d u c t i v e a n d p h o t o c o n d u c t i v e p o l y m e r s a n d p o l y m e r s for n o n l i n e a r optics a n d m o l e c u l a r electronics. T h e s e areas constitute the research frontier o f p o l y m e r science. W h i l e it is u n l i k e l y that some n e w p o l y m e r w i l l b e i n t r o d u c e d w i t h the cost advantage a n d i m p a c t o f poly(ethylene) or n y l o n , advances w i l l be m a d e i n specialty a p plications o f p o l y m e r s , w h e r e the u n i q u e properties of p o l y m e r s are c e n t r a l to the o v e r a l l success of the n e w technology. R e c o g n i t i o n of the w o r l d w i d e activity o n the e x c i t i n g research frontier o f p o l y m e r science s p a w n e d the s y m p o s i u m u p o n w h i c h this book is based, and p r o v i d e d the catalyst to p u b l i s h the p l e n a r y lectures from that m e e t i n g . T h e c o n t r i b u t e d papers from the p l e n a r y sessions w e r e p u b l i s h e d as A C S S y m p o s i u m Series N o . 346, Polymers for High Technology: Electronics and Photonics. W e appreciate the m a n y hours e x p e n d e d b y the authors i n w r i t i n g t h e i r respective chapters. T h e i r efforts are reflected i n the h i g h q u a l i t y o f this book, w h i c h represents a u n i q u e c o m p i l a t i o n of the various applications o f p o l y m e r s i n electronics a n d photonics. W e acknowledge the D i v i s i o n o f P o l y m e r i c M a t e r i a l s : Science a n d E n g i n e e r i n g for sponsoring the s y m p o s i u m u p o n w h i c h this book is based. W e thank L o i s D a m i c k of B e l l C o m m u n i cations R e s e a r c h for h a n d l i n g m a n y o f the a d m i n i s t r a t i v e details associated w i t h the book. S p e c i a l thanks are d u e to R o b i n G i r o u x , K e i t h B e l t o n , a n d the staff of the Books D e p a r t m e n t of the A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society for t h e i r patience, effort, a n d e d i t o r i a l assistance i n a s s e m b l i n g the book. MURRAE J. BOWDEN
Bell C o m m u n i c a t i o n s R e s e a r c h C o r p o r a t e R e s e a r c h Laboratories R e d B a n k , NJ 0 7 7 0 1 - 7 0 2 0 S.
RICHARD
TURNER
Navesink Research and E n g i n e e r i n g C e n t e r Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, NY 14650
In Electronic and Photonic Applications of Polymers; Bowden, M., et al.; Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1988.
