| Abstract: | Upon ultraviolet irradiation of polygermane copolymers of methylphenylgermylene/phenylgermyne units (PhMeGe)n(PhGe)m in air, the germanium–germanium bond in the copolymer film changed into a digermoxane chain. Laser flash photolysis of the copolymer film showed the intermediacy of polygermyl radicals generated by Ge–Ge bond homolysis. The XPS showed the formation of germanium carbide (GeC) and germanium dioxide (GeO2) upon heating the unirradiated and irradiated copolymer (PhMeGe)n(PhGe)m films, respectively. A relatively high-resolution micro- pattern of GeC/GeO2 was obtained by combining the photochemical and thermal properties of the copolymers of methylphenylgermylene/phenylgermyne units. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
