The polyamic acid of the invention can be obtained by the reaction of an acid anhydride component comprising pyromellitic anhydride and 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane with 2,2'-di-substituted-4,4'-diaminobiphenyls as a first aromatic diamine and any aromatic diamine component, as a second aromatic diamine, of 2,2-bis(4-aminophenoxyphenyl)propanes, 1,1-bis(4-(4-aminophenoxy)-3-t-butyl-6-methylphenyl)butane, 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-methylphenyl)hexafluoropropane and .alpha.,.alpha.'-bis(4-aminophenyl)diisopropylbenzenes in an organic solvent. The polyimide resin of the invention can be obtained by heating such a polyamic acid solution. In the production of a circuit board, by using a photosensitive polyamic acid having a sensitizer incorporated in such a polyamic acid solution, a patterned polyimide resin layer can be provided as an insulation layer on a metal foil.