UV Imageable Thermosetting Polymers for Opticla Waveguides

The objective of this effort is to create new, low-cost, UV-imageable/thermosetting polymers for optical waveguides printed circuits that can be fabricated using conventional printed wire board fabrication processes. Benefits of these new polymers are (a) adjustable refractive in-dices. (b) high optical transparency with low optical losses, (c) exceptional thermal and me-chanical properties, (d) high chemical resistance, (e) no gas or water evolution during proc-essing, and (e) low cost. The proposed resin is a novel solventless, UV-imageable resin comprised of epoxy, bismaleimide, and cyanate ester, named CBE (Co-cured Bismaleimide-Epoxy). This new CBE resin forms a hardened, high-density polymer. The superior properties of this resin result from a novel, hybrid cyanate multifunctional curing agent, causing the cured resin to have exceptionally high cross-link density. The resins are also low cost and easily processable using conventional manufacturing equipment.