Polyimide nanofoamed films have been prepared from the polyimide precursors ͑PMDA-ODA͒ and poly͑ethylene oxide͒ ͑PEO͒ in N , N-dimethylacetamide. The dielectric properties of the films were studied over the temperature range of −150-150°C and a frequency range of 1 Hz-10 MHz. The frequency dependence of the dielectric constant for nanofoamed films with different amounts of PEO was studied. An relaxation process at below the glass transition temperature of the polyimide nanofoamed films was found. The peak value of the dielectric loss increased with increasing amount of PEO. © 2008 American Institute of Physics. ͓DOI: 10.1063/1.2840715͔In recent years, great attention has been paid to the lowk polymer and its composites as the next-generation interlayer dielectrics for multilayer interconnection in microelectronics. [1][2][3][4][5][6] In electronic packaging, low-k dielectric materials minimize cross talk and maximize signal propagation speed in devices. Aromatic polyimide ͑PI͒ has been widely used as an interlayer dielectric in microelectronic devices, thanks to its good mechanical properties, excellent chemical and thermal stabilities, high breakdown voltage, and low dielectric constant. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Simpson and St. Clair 3 have summarized the strategies used to lower dielectric constant in polyimides. In particular, fluorine is usually introduced into polyimide in order to further decrease the dielectric constant. 9 Furthermore, a high degree of free volume will offer as a low dielectric constant phase. In our recent study, silica tubes/PI composite films were investigated and the dielectric constant could be reduced to 2.9. 4 Moreover, a series of porous polyimide materials such as polyimide nanofoamed films prepared from PI and poly͑ethylene oxide͒ ͑PEO͒ have been explored. 10 One of the most suitable physical methods for the investigation of molecular mobility in low-k polymer samples under ac electrical field is the dielectric spectroscopy. This method makes it possible to obtain data on the molecular mobility of a macromolecule as a whole and of its mainchain segments, bulky side groups, etc. Dielectric losses in a polymer sample appear during thermal orientation of polar kinetic units. Although it has been reported that most of aromatic polyimide and copolyimide films exhibit relaxational processes ͑␣, , and ␥ relaxation͒ in their dynamic mechanical and dielectric behaviors, 11,12 there is limited relaxation studies on polyimides. In this letter, PI-PEO nanofoamed films were prepared via in situ polymerization and thermal treatment. A low dielectric constant was achieved. The dielectric properties of these nanofoamed films over broad temperature and frequency ranges were studied and the dielectric relaxation was discussed in details.Pyromellitic dianhydride ͑PMDA͒ ͑Hangzhou Taida Ltd.͒ and oxydimethylaniline ͑ODA͒ ͑Beijing Chemical Reagent Ltd. China͒ were dehydrated prior to use. N , NDimethylacetamide ͑Beijing Yili Chemicals Reagent Co.͒ was used as received. PEO ͑Beijing Guoren Yikang Ltd...