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).

Polymer resins for the vat photopolymerization of thermoplastics are provided, in particular for the vat photopolymerization of thermoplastics with exception thermal stability and mechanical properties. In some aspects, the polymer resins are prepared by ring opening of an aromatic dianhydride with an alcohol containing an acrylate or methacrylate to produce a photocrosslinkable diacid monomer; conversion of the photocrosslinkable diacid monomer to a photocrosslinkable diacyl chloride; and polymerization of the photocrosslinkable diacyl chloride with an aromatic diamine to produce a photocrosslinkable precursor polymer. Upon crosslinking and drying, a thermal imidization can yield aromatic polyimide polymers with high yield and with micron-scale structural resolution.

A transparent polyimide film, prepared from a copolymerized polyamide acid according to a chemical cyclization method, is provided. The copolymerized polyamide acid requires at least a semi-aromatic polyamide acid, and the semi-aromatic polyamide acid is formed by reacting cyclobutane-1,2,3,4-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (CBDA) and 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)diaminodiphenyl (TFMB). The molar number of dianhydrides of the semi-aromatic polyamide acid is more than 20% of the total molar number of anhydrides of the copolymerized polyamide acid, so that the transparent polyimide film has a light transmittance greater than 80%, a chroma b* less than 5, and a CTE less than 35 ppm/ C.

Provided are a thermosetting resin composition having especially good compatibility and having dielectric properties (low dielectric constant and low dielectric dissipation factor) in a high frequency range, high adhesion to conductor, excellent heat resistance, high glass transition temperature, low thermal expansion coefficient and high flame retardancy, and a prepreg, a laminate and a multilayer printed wiring board using the resin composition. Specifically, the thermosetting resin composition contains (A) a polyphenylene ether derivative having an N-substituted maleimide structure-containing group and a structural unit represented by the following general formula (I) in one molecule, (B) at least one thermosetting resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, cyanate resins and maleimide compounds, and (C) a phosphorus flame retardant:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 each independently represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom, and x represents an integer of 0 to 4.

A curable resin composition provides a cured resin product having excellent heat resistance and flame retardancy by curing. The curable resin composition includes a polyalkenyl phenol compound (A) and a polymaleimide compound (B), wherein the polyalkenyl phenol compound (A) is a compound containing at least two structural units represented by the following formula (1a):

##STR00001##

where R.sup.1 to R.sup.7 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-10 alkyl group, a C.sub.1-2 alkoxy group, a C.sub.2-6 alkenyl group, or a hydroxy group, Y.sup.1 is an alkenyl group.

Provided are a thermosetting resin composition having especially good compatibility and having dielectric properties (low dielectric constant and low dielectric dissipation factor) in a high frequency range, high adhesion to conductor, excellent heat resistance, high glass transition temperature, low thermal expansion coefficient and high flame retardancy, and a prepreg, a laminate and a multilayer printed wiring board using the resin composition. Specifically, the thermosetting resin composition contains (A) a polyphenylene ether derivative having an N-substituted maleimide structure-containing group and a structural unit represented by the following general formula (I) in one molecule, (B) at least one thermosetting resin selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, cyanate resins and maleimide compounds, and (C) a phosphorus flame retardant: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1 each independently represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, or a halogen atom, and x represents an integer of 0 to 4.

Provided is a resin composition capable of being turned into a cured product having a high glass-transition temperature and excellent dielectric properties as well. The resin composition is a heat-curable bismaleimide resin composition containing:

(A) a bismaleimide compound represented by the following formula (1)

##STR00001##

wherein A independently represents a tetravalent organic group having 4 to 200 carbon atoms, B independently represents a divalent organic group having 2 to 200 carbon atoms, n is 2 to 100, and

wherein A and/or B has therein a fluorene frame represented by the following formula (2)

##STR00002##

wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, a (hetero)aryl group having 4 to 10 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group, a halogeno group, an amino group, or a sulfenyl group; and

(B) a reaction accelerator.

The present invention relates to a resin composition containing a phosphate ester-based flame retardant (A) having an aromatic hydrocarbon group containing two or more aromatic ring structures and a polyphenylene ether derivative (B) having an ethylenically unsaturated bond-containing group at both ends.

The present disclosure relates to a modified bismaleimide prepolymer, a preparation method thereof, and use thereof. The modified bismaleimide prepolymer is prepared from raw materials comprising a bismaleimide resin and a modifier. The modifier is a 4,4-bis(allyl-benzoic acid) biphenyl ester-based allyl compound, or a combination of the 4,4-bis(allyl-benzoic acid) biphenyl ester-based allyl compound and another type of bismaleimide resin modifier.

Provided is a curable composition having excellent workability and being capable of forming a cured product having excellent heat resistance. The curable composition of the present invention includes a compound represented by Formula (1) below and a solvent: In Formula (1) below, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each represent a curable functional group, and D.sup.1 and D.sup.2 each represent a single bond or a linking group. L represents a divalent group having a repeating unit containing a structure represented by Formula (I) below and a structure represented by Formula (II) below. In Formula (I) and Formula (II) below, Ar.sup.1 to Ar.sup.3 each represent a group in which two hydrogen atoms are removed from an aromatic ring structure or a group in which two hydrogen atoms are removed from a structure in which two or more aromatic rings are bonded through a single bond or a linking group. X represents CO, S, or SO.sub.2, and Y represents S, SO.sub.2, O, CO, COO, or CONH. n represents an integer of 0 or greater.