Polarizer, Method For Producing The Same, And Liquid Crystal Display Device Using The Same

• US 20080129931A1
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Aoyama, Shigeru, Takahashi, Hiromitsu, Takahashi, Kozo
• Application Number:
  US11/792,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/96
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3058 comprising electrically conductive elements, e.g. wire grids, conductive particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133548 Wire-grid polarisers

Abstract

The present invention provides a polarizer which can be obtained by an easy process without going through a complex process, a method for producing the same, and a liquid crystal display device that exhibits high brightness using the same. A polarizer containing, a substrate having a parallel linear pattern provided with convex portions having widths of w=20 to 380 nm with pitches of p=50 to 400 nm, and a metal layer formed on a surface side having the linear pattern of the substrate.

Claims

1. A polarizer comprising a substrate that has a parallel linear pattern composed of concave portions and convex portions and a metal layer formed on a surface side having the linear pattern of the substrate, wherein the convex portions are formed with widths of w=20 to 380 nm and pitches of p=50 to 400 nm.

2. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein a height h of the convex portion is from 10 to 400 nm.

3. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein the ratio (h/w) of the height h to the width w of the convex portion is from 0.5 to 5.

4. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the metal layer is from 10 to 200 nm.

5. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the metal layer formed on the concave portion of the linear pattern does not exceed the height h of the convex portion.

6. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein at least a surface layer of the substrate containing the linear pattern is composed of any of thermoplastic resin, photocurable resin or thermosetting resin or a resin composition containing a mixture thereof.

7. The polarizer according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a multilayer structure which at least comprises a first layer containing the linear pattern and a second layer serving as a supporting material.

8. The polarizer according to claim 7, wherein the second layer is a uniaxially or biaxially stretched polyester polymer sheet.

9. A method for producing polarizer that is a method for producing the polarizer according to claim 1, comprising the following step (i) or (ii):

(i) a step of forming a linear pattern on a substrate surface, and then forming a metal layer on the surface side having the linear pattern of the substrate,

(ii) a step of forming a metal layer on a substrate surface, then forming a linear pattern on the substrate, and thereby providing the metal layer on the linear pattern.

10. The method for producing polarizer according to claim 9, wherein the linear pattern is formed by means of a mold transfer method.

11. A liquid crystal display device, comprising at least a flat light source unit, a polarizer (A) according to claim 1, and a liquid crystal cell that are disposed in this order, wherein the liquid crystal cell has a liquid crystal layer and polarizers (B), (C) disposed so that the polarizers (B), (C) sandwich the liquid crystal layer, and a direction of a polarized axis of a polarized light transmitted through the polarizer (B), constituting the liquid crystal cell and disposed on the flat light source unit side, and a direction of a polarized axis of polarized light transmitted through the polarizer (A) are conformed.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 12, wherein the polarizer (A) is disposed so that the metal layer faces the liquid crystal cell.