Early stages of heat deterioration of some siliconcontaining aromatic polyimide thin films with disiloxane groups (I) in their main chains were studied with XPS. It was found that the thermal decomposition of silicon-containing aromatic polyimides takes place at lower temperatures than those not modified with silicon. The low thermal stabilities observed are explained by the easier decomposition of silicon–carbon bonds (e.g. silicon–methylene, silicon–aryl) than other bonds (e.g. carbon–carbon, carbon–oxygen). Particularly, silicon–methylene bonds (II) readily undergo thermal oxidative decomposition and start to decompose at 350°C under aerobic conditions. This starting temperature of thermal decomposition is lower by 100°C than that of the corresponding polyimide not modified with silicon. In the case of polyimide incorporating silicon–aryl bonds (III) instead of silicon–methylene bonds, the decrease in the thermal decomposition temperature is as small as 50°C, and decomposition under aerobic conditions starts at 400°C.
