Thermal Softening Behavior and Application to Transparent Thick Films of Poly(benzylsilsesquioxane) Particles Prepared by the Sol–Gel Process

Thick films of poly(benzylsilsesquioxane) (BnSiO_3/2) particles, prepared by the sol–gel process, were deposited onto indium-tin-oxide-coated glass substrates by electrophoresis for the application to the micropatterning of the films. BnSiO_3/2 particles were thermally softened and sintered at ∼50°C, which was above the glass transition temperature of the particles. The films prepared by the electrophoretic sol–gel deposition consisted of aggregates of particles with diameters of 0.2–1 μm and were opaque. The film shrank from 2.5 μm to 1.4 μm in thickness and became transparent upon sintering of the particles during heat treatment at temperatures >100°C.