Thermal softening behavior and application to transparent thick films of poly(benzylsilsesquioxane) particles prepared by the sol-gel process

Thick films of poly(benzylsilsesquioxane) (BnSiO3/2) particles, prepared by the sol-gel process, were deposited onto indium-tin-oxide-coated glass sub strates by electrophoresis for the application to the micropatterning of th e films, BnSiO3/2 particles were thermally softened and sintered at similar to 50 degreesC, which was above the glass transition temperature of the pa rticles. The films prepared by the electrophoretic sol-gel deposition consi sted of aggregates of particles with diameters of 0.2-1 mum and were opaque . The film shrank from 2.5 mum to 1.4 mum in thickness and became transpare nt upon sintering of the particles during heat treatment at temperatures >1 00 degreesC.