Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass polyamic acid or polyimide polymers containing a reactive maleimide end group as well as photosensitive compositions made therefrom which are useful for forming films that can be patterned to create structures for microelectronic devices, microelectronic packaging, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronic devices and displays. In some embodiments the compositions of this invention are shown to feature excellent hitherto unachievable mechanical properties. The negative images formed therefrom exhibit improved thermo-mechanical properties, among other property enhancements.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention encompass polyamic acid or polyimide polymers containing a reactive unsaturated cyclic anhydride end group as well as photosensitive compositions made therefrom which are useful for forming films that can be patterned to create structures for microelectronic devices, microelectronic packaging, microelectromechanical systems, optoelectronic devices and displays. In some embodiments the compositions of this invention are shown to feature excellent hitherto unachievable mechanical properties. The negative images formed therefrom exhibit improved thermo-mechanical properties, among other property enhancements.

The present invention provides the following: a photo alignment method-use liquid crystal aligning agent used to obtain a photo alignment method-use liquid crystal alignment film that does not cause bright spots even when negative liquid crystals are used, and that is capable of achieving good after-image characteristics; a liquid crystal alignment film obtained from the liquid crystal aligning agent; and a liquid crystal display element provided with the liquid crystal aligning agent. Provided is the liquid crystal aligning agent which contains a polyimide or polyimide precursor obtained from a reaction between: a tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride represented by formula (1) (in the formula, X.sup.1 is as set forth in the present specification) or a derivative thereof; and a diamine component that contains a diamine represented by formula (2) (in the formula, R.sup.1, Z.sup.1 and n are as set forth in the present specification).

A liquid crystal panel included in a scanning antenna includes: a TFT substrate including a first dielectric substrate, a TFT supported by the first dielectric substrate, a gate bus line, a source bus line, a patch electrode, and a first alignment film covering the patch electrode; a slot substrate including a second dielectric substrate, a slot electrode formed on a first main surface of the second dielectric substrate and including a slot disposed corresponding to the patch electrode, and a second alignment film covering the slot electrode; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate and containing a liquid crystal molecule including an isothiocyanate group. The first alignment film and the second alignment film are each independently formed of a polyimide-based alignment film material. In each of the first alignment film and the second alignment film, a density of a carboxyl group on a film surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer is less than a density of a carboxyl group inside a film.

A polyimide resin of the present invention contains at least one kind of an alicyclic acid dianhydride as an acid dianhydride component and contains at least one kind of a sulfonyl group-containing diamine as a diamine component. A film containing the polyimide resin of the present invention preferably has a yellowness of 3.0 or less, a tensile elastic modulus of 3.5 GPa or more, a pencil hardness of 4H or more, and a light transmittance of 60% or more at a wavelength of 400 nm. The polyimide resin of the present invention and the film of the present invention preferably have a glass transition temperature of 300 C. or higher.

A polyimide has structures derived from acid dianhydrides and structures derived from diamines. The polyimide of the present invention contains, at a ratio in a predetermined range, an alicyclic acid dianhydride and a fluorine-containing aromatic acid dianhydride as acid dianhydrides, and contains, at a ratio in a predetermined range, 3,3-diaminodiphenyl sulfone and a fluoroalkyl-substituted benzidine as diamines. The polyimide of the present invention has an excellent solubility in a solvent. Further, the polyimide of the present invention has less coloration, an excellent transparency, and an excellent mechanical strength.

A poly(imide-amide) copolymer or its precursor includes two ends and a main chain located between the two ends, and includes a group represented by Chemical Formula 1 at one end, and a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 7, and at least one of a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 2 or a structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 3 in the main chain:

##STR00001##

wherein, in Chemical Formulae 1, 2, 3, and 7, R.sup.1 and Ar.sup.1 to Ar.sup.4 are the same as defined in the detailed description.

A fast-response thermoplastic shape-memory polyimide and a preparation method thereof, related to a polyimide and a preparation method thereof. The present invention aims to solve the problem in high-temperature conditions of slow shape recovery poor stability, and poor mechanical properties of a shape-memory polymer prepared by utilizing an existing method. The structural formula of the polyamide of the present invention is as represented by formula (I). The preparation method is: 1. preparation of a diamine solution; 2. preparation of an anhydride-terminated high molecular weight polyamic acid; 3. preparation of a viscous sol-gel; and, 4. preparation of the thermoplastic shape-memory polyimide. The thermoplastic shape-memory polyimide prepared per the present invention is provided with a very fast shape recovery rate and improved shape-memory effect. The present invention is applicable in the field of polyimide preparation.

A tetracarboxylic dianhydride represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001##

[in the formula (1), R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom and the like, and n represents an integer of 0 to 12], wherein a ratio of a summed amount of a specific stereoisomer (A) and a specific stereoisomer (B) is 50% by mole or more relative to a total amount of stereoisomers based on three-dimensional configurations of two norbornane rings in the general formula (1), and a content ratio of the stereoisomer (A) is 30% by mole or more relative to the total amount of the stereoisomers.

Disclosed is a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device which is a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal alignment film to which an alignment regulating force is imparted by a photo-alignment treatment, including: a film forming step of forming a film containing a polymer whose main chain is cleaved by irradiation with light; a photo-alignment step of imparting an alignment regulating force to the film formed in the film forming step by irradiation of the film with light in an atmosphere of a temperature lower than 100 C.; and a removing step of removing a low-molecular weight component generated by cleaving the main chain of the polymer through the light irradiation after the light irradiation. Also disclosed is a liquid crystal display device manufactured by the manufacturing method.