Thermal properties of COMA materials

Glass transition measurements of cycloolefin/maleic anhydride (COMA) resist resins are complicated by the fact that their glass transitions and the thermal decomposition of their imaging groups often occur over the same temperature range. In order to gain insight into the Tg ranges of these materials, a series of model non-imaging COMA polymers was synthesized and evaluated by DSC. Among the materials thus examined were copolymers of substituted norbornenes with maleic anhydride, copolymers of nobornene with maleic anhydride and cyclohexyl acrylate, and copolymers of vinyl ethers with maleic anhydride. The effects of cholate additives on thermal properties of COMA polymers were also examined.