Photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) was synthesized and characterized to replace the conventional polyimide buffer layer because direct patterning with PSPI could reduce the processing procedure to the half. Since PSPI should be dissolved in alkaline aqueous solution and have good mechanical properties after imidization, low molecular weight of PSPI was synthesized with reactive end-capper, which could extend the chain length of PSPI during imidization. Therefore norbornene end-capped PSPI precursor was synthesized with various 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (NDA) content. Although molecular weight of PSPI decrease with increasing NDA content, the elongation at break and the glass transition temperature (T-g) of PSPI films imidized at 300 degreesC increased with increasing NDA content. On the other hand, elongation at break of PSPI films imidized at 350 degreesC decreased but T-g of those increased with increasing NDA content. Above T-g, thermal expansion coefficient decreased dramatically by introducing NDA end-capper. From mechanical and thermal properties of PSPI, it appears that low molecular weight of PSPI can be chain-extended and crosslinked during imidization. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.