Recent progress in thermally stable and photosensitive polymers

Thermally stable and photosensitive polymers (TSPSPs), such as photosensitive polyimides (PSPIs) and polybenzoxazoles (PSPBOs), have been widely developed in recent years for their applications in electronic packaging (for example, buffer coating, passivation layers, and insulation layers) and redistribution in microelectronics due to their excellent thermal and reasonable dielectric properties. This review describes recent advances in TSPSPs during the last decade and focuses on related design concepts. Following a brief introduction of the basic patterning procedure, various chemistries used for the design of TSPSPs are highlighted along with two major patterning methodologies: positive- and negative-working PSPIs/PSPBOs. Furthermore, new applications of TSPSPs (for example, low dielectric materials, high refractive index lenses, resists for indium tin oxide patterning, and π-conjugated polymers for organic-field effect transistors) are introduced.