Fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfide) (FPAESI) and ethynyl-terminated fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfide) (E-FPAESI) were synthesized via step-growth polymerization from prepared dihydroxy monomer and pentafluorophenylsulfide, then E-FPAESI was followed by a reaction with 3-ethynyl phenol. The number-average molecular weights and polydispersities of FPAESI and E-FPAESI were in the range of 12,000-26,000 and 1.75-3.18, respectively. The glass transition temperatures of the polymers varied from 138 to 178 degrees C depending on the molecular weight of the polymer used and were changed to the range of 191-245 degrees C after curing. The FPAESIs and E-FPAESIs exhibited high thermal stability up to 445-450 degrees C and 457-462 degrees C, respectively. The refractive index and birefringence of spin-coated polymer films were determined by the prism-coupling method. The refractive indices and birefringences of the films were in the range of 1.5849-1.5880 and 0.0014-0.0035 at a 1550 nm wavelength, respectively. The effect of E-FPAESI structure on the birefringence is compared with various reported poly(arylene ether sulfide)s. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.