Transient currents were measured by the time-of-flight technique in fi
lms of aromatic polyimides based on 9,10-bis(p-aminophenyl)anthracene
and a series of diimide fragments. The electric field and temperature
dependences of the hole and electron drift mobilities were detected. I
n amorphous films of the soluble polyimide with a phthalide group in t
he diimide fragment, the drift mobility was found to reach the value o
f 10(-4) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) at 5.5 x 10(5) V cm(-1) and 291 K. In the ins
oluble polyimide films including the crystalline phase, the mobility w
as lower by one or two orders of magnitude. This is attributed to the
presence of cavities in the films of the insoluble polyimides. The app
licability of known theoretical models describing temperature and elec
tric field dependences of the drift mobility is discussed. (C) 1998 So
ciety of Chemical Industry.