Optical anisotropy of uniaxially drawn and silver-dispersed polyimide films

Distinct anisotropy in optical transmittance in the visible and near-infrared region for uniaxially drawn and silver-dispersed polyimide films was observed. The films were prepared in a one-step operation that involves thermal curing and simultaneous uniaxial drawing of poly(amic acid) (PAA) films, which were made by dissolving silver nitrate in the PAA solution at a 1:4 mol ratio. The polyimide molecular chains with a rod-like structure were oriented along the drawing direction during curing, and this orientation accompanied the generation of silver nanoparticles with elongated shapes. An anisotropy in the optical transmittance of 5:1 was obtained for a 22-μm-thick film at 850 nm with transmittance of 68% perpendicular to the drawing direction. The optical and mechanical properties of this film were retained after annealing at 300 °C for 1 h.