A series of azobenzene functionalized poly（aryl ether） copolymers（azo-PAEs） containing azo moieties on pendants was prepared by direct copolymerization. The amount of azobenzene chromophores could be controlled by the feed ratio of azo-monomer. Their chemical structures and properties were characterized by means of infrared（IR） spectrometry, UV-Vis, hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance（Ill NMR）, difference scanning calorimetry（DSC）, and thermogravimetric analysis（TGA）. The results suggest that azo-PAEs had high glass transition temperatures（Tgs） and good thermal stability. By exposing their spin-coated films to an interference pattern laser beam, azo-PAEs could be used for the fabrication of thermal stable surface relief gratings（SRGs）.
