A series of six new aromatic polyamides with side oxadiazole rings has been synthesized by polycondensation reaction of aromatic diamines containing pendent substituted oxadiazole groups with a silicon-containing diacid chloride [namely, bis(p-chlorocarbonyl-phenylene)diphenylsilane] or with a fluorine-containing diacid chloride [namely, hexafluoroisopropylidene-bis(p-benzoyl chloride)]. All polymers were easily soluble in amidic solvents, such as N-methylpyrrolidinone and dimethylformamide, and gave thin transparent films by casting such solutions. Very thin coatings were deposited onto silicon wafers and exhibited smooth, pinhole-free surfaces in atomic force microscopy investigations. The polymers showed high thermal stability, with decomposition temperature >400degreesC. Some of them did exhibit a glass transition, in the range 152-276degreesC, with a reasonable interval between glass transition and decomposition. Four of these polymers showed blue photoluminescence, in the range 460-480 nm, which makes them promising candidates for future use as high-performance materials in the construction of light-emitting devices.