Abstract
Homogeneously dispersed hybrid silica/syndiotactic polystyrene composites were investigated for low-k dielectric applications. The composites were prepared by a solution blending method, and their microstructures were analyzed by SEM, TEM, and AFM. Crystallization and phase transformation behavior of sPS were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. These composites exhibited improved thermal stability and reduced thermal expansion coefficients. Promising dielectric properties were observed for the composites in the microwave frequency region with a dielectric constant (k = 1.95) and loss (tan delta = 10(-4)) at 5 GHz.