JP2010032590A - Method for manufacturing optical element, optical element and liquid crystal display device including the optical element - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing an optical element including a retardation layer wherein surface ruggedness is suppressed. <P>SOLUTION: The optical element 1 includes a base material 2, the retardation layer 3 formed by polymerizing a liquid crystal composition, a transparent conductive film 5 and a columnar body 4. The method for manufacturing the optical element 1 includes a retardation layer forming step of applying a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystalline compound directly or indirectly to the base material 2 to form a liquid crystal application film and polymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystalline compound contained in the liquid crystal application film to form the retardation layer 3 from the liquid crystal application film, a transparent conductive film forming step of forming the transparent conductive film 5 using a conductive film composition containing a conductive material having conductivity directly or indirectly to the base material 2 and a columnar body forming step of applying and polymerizing a resin composition containing a photosetting resin directly or indirectly to the base material 2 to form the columnar body 4. The optical element 1 including the retardation layer wherein surface ruggedness is suppressed can be obtained by performing the transparent conductive film forming step after the retardation layer forming step and the columnar body forming step are performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical element manufacturing method, an optical element, and a liquid crystal display device.

  The liquid crystal display device has a structure in which a polarizing plate is disposed outside a liquid crystal cell including a driving liquid crystal layer in which a driving liquid crystal material is sealed between a pair of substrates. With the progress of precision of each member for constituting the structure of the liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device is miniaturized, and the liquid crystal display device is widely used in devices such as a mobile phone and a PDA. . The liquid crystal display device is required to be usable at various times and places, whether day or night or indoors or outdoors. In order to meet these demands, with respect to liquid crystal display devices, in addition to power saving, improvement of display characteristics such as higher brightness and higher contrast of the liquid crystal screen has become an important issue.

  In a liquid crystal display device, a pixel portion having a large number of pixels is formed in a predetermined arrangement pattern. An image displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the liquid crystal display device is formed by a pattern of light passing through the pixel portion. Various types of liquid crystal display devices have been proposed in accordance with differences in light used for image formation. A liquid crystal display device (reflective liquid crystal display device) having a reflective display function (a function of performing a reflective display) that takes in external light outside the liquid crystal display device and uses reflected light of the external light has been proposed. Yes. In the reflection type liquid crystal display device, a reflection plate is disposed in a liquid crystal cell. The reflecting plate reflects the incident light that has been taken into the liquid crystal cell and passed through the driving liquid crystal layer to form reflected light. This reflected light travels again through the driving liquid crystal layer and is used to construct an image.

  In addition to this, a liquid crystal display device (transmission type liquid crystal display device) having a transmissive display function (function to perform transmissive display) using light with a backlight incorporated in the liquid crystal display device as a light source Has been proposed. In a transmissive liquid crystal display device, light emitted from a backlight is incident on a liquid crystal cell and further passes through a driving liquid crystal layer. The light that has passed through the driving liquid crystal layer is used to construct an image.

  Of the liquid crystal display devices, the reflective liquid crystal display device can save power compared to the transmissive liquid crystal display device. A transmissive liquid crystal display device can easily obtain a liquid crystal screen with high brightness and high contrast in a place with low external light such as indoors, as compared with a reflective liquid crystal display device.

  Therefore, as a liquid crystal display device incorporating the advantages of the reflective liquid crystal display device and the transmissive liquid crystal display device, there is a liquid crystal display device (semi-transmissive semi-reflective liquid crystal display device) having both a reflective display function and a transmissive display function. Proposed. The transflective liquid crystal display device exhibits both functions of a transmissive display function and a reflective display function (to achieve both transmissive and reflective display). For example, a transflective liquid crystal display device displays a liquid crystal screen using only the reflective part or both the transmissive part and the reflective part in places where there is a sufficient amount of external light, such as outdoors in fine weather. At night or in dark places where it is difficult to display the liquid crystal screen on the reflective portion, the liquid crystal screen is displayed mainly using the transmissive portion. The transflective liquid crystal display device has both the power saving effect as an advantage of the reflective liquid crystal display device and the effects of high brightness and high contrast as the advantages of the transmissive liquid crystal display device. It is something that demonstrates.

  In a transflective liquid crystal display device, a pixel portion includes a transmissive portion determined corresponding to a region of a liquid crystal screen displayed with a transmissive display function, and a liquid crystal screen region displayed with a reflective display function. Correspondingly defined reflecting portions are formed. Usually, one set of a combination of a transmission part and a reflection part is formed for each pixel constituting the pixel part. The transmissive portion corresponds to a portion where light using the backlight as a light source travels, and the reflective portion corresponds to a portion where reflected light of external light travels.

  In the transflective liquid crystal display device, there is a difference in the light traveling path and the number of times the driving liquid crystal layer passes between the transmissive portion and the reflective portion formed in one pixel. The difference in the traveling path of the light causes a difference between the phase difference between the ordinary light and the extraordinary light in the light passing through the transmission part and the phase difference between the ordinary light and the extraordinary light in the light passing through the reflection part. Furthermore, the difference in the number of passes through the driving liquid crystal layer causes a difference in optical path length between the light passing through the transmission part and the light passing through the reflection part. The light passing through the reflection part passes through the driving liquid crystal layer twice, and the light passing through the transmission part passes through the driving liquid crystal layer once. That is, in the driving liquid crystal layer, the optical path length of the light passing through the reflecting portion is twice as long as the thickness (cell gap) of the driving liquid crystal layer, and the optical path length of the light passing through the transmitting portion is The length corresponds to the layer thickness (cell gap). The difference in phase difference and the difference in optical path length make it difficult to display both the transmission part and the reflection part.

  Therefore, conventionally, a transflective liquid crystal display device has a configuration in which a retardation film having a function as a quarter-wave plate is attached to the outside of a substrate of a liquid crystal cell. Thus, in the transflective liquid crystal display device, linearly polarized light that has passed through the polarizing plate is converted to circularly polarized light. With this configuration, the transflective liquid crystal display device realizes both display of the transmissive part and the reflective part. However, in such a transflective liquid crystal display device, the light passing through the transmissive portion is not sufficiently effectively utilized. That is, the display characteristics of the transmissive part are impaired.

  On the other hand, as a transflective liquid crystal display device, one having a substrate provided with a retardation layer in a reflecting portion has been proposed. Here, the retardation layer has a layer structure capable of exhibiting the function as the quarter wavelength plate as described above. Such a retardation layer is specifically formed as a layer structure made of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable functional group (polymerizable liquid crystal compound) (Patent Document 1). According to the transflective liquid crystal display device in which the retardation layer is provided in the reflection portion, the retardation layer of the reflection portion exhibits the function of adjusting the cell gap between the reflection portion and the transmission portion and has a quarter wavelength. Demonstrate the function of the board. As a result, the transflective liquid crystal display device in which the retardation layer is provided with the retardation layer can realize the reflective display without impairing the display characteristics of the transmissive portion, and the display of the transflective liquid crystal display device can be realized. The characteristics can be improved (Patent Documents 2 and 3). In addition, as a transflective liquid crystal display device, a device provided with a layer having a function as a half-wave plate has been proposed. According to this liquid crystal display device, the light from the backlight reflected by the reflecting plate can be prevented from being absorbed by the polarizing plate, and the light from the backlight can be recycled (Patent Document 4).

  A transflective liquid crystal display device in which a retardation layer is provided in a reflecting portion is assembled, for example, as follows. First, a substrate (first substrate and second substrate) to be disposed facing each other is manufactured. The first substrate is formed of a retardation layer in a region corresponding to the reflective portion with respect to a light-transmitting base material, and further coated with the retardation layer to form ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), etc. The transparent conductive film is formed, and a columnar body made of a photocurable resin is further formed. The second substrate is configured such that a reflection plate is attached to a portion corresponding to the reflection portion and light can be transmitted through a region corresponding to the transmission portion. In addition, an electrode forming element such as a gate line or TFT (Thin Film Transistor) is attached to the second substrate, and a transparent conductive film is further formed. The transparent conductive film of the second substrate is electrically connected to the electrode forming element.

  Next, the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged to face each other. At this time, the portions corresponding to the reflective portion and the transmissive portion of the first substrate face the portions corresponding to the reflective portion and the transmissive portion of the second substrate, respectively. Further, the tip of the columnar body of the first substrate is brought into contact with the second substrate. At this time, a gap exists between the first substrate excluding the columnar body and the second substrate according to the height of the columnar body.

  Further, a driving liquid crystal material is sealed in a gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. Thereby, a driving liquid crystal layer is formed. Thus, a liquid crystal cell is formed, and a polarizing plate is attached to the outside of the liquid crystal cell, so that a transflective liquid crystal display device is manufactured.

  By the way, in a transflective liquid crystal display device having a substrate provided with a retardation layer in the reflection portion, the retardation layer of the reflection portion functions as a layer for adjusting the cell gap. It is important that the occurrence of unplanned surface irregularities is suppressed on the surface. If there are large surface irregularities in the phase difference layer, surface irregularities will occur at the contact interface between the substrate on which the phase difference layer is formed in the reflective part and the driving liquid crystal layer. Damaged. Further, considering that the retardation layer functions as a quarter-wave plate, it is important to suppress the occurrence of unplanned surface irregularities on the surface of the retardation layer. When large surface irregularities occur in the retardation layer, unevenness occurs in the thickness of the retardation layer formed in the reflecting portion, and the display characteristics of the reflecting portion are impaired.

  In particular, when the driving method of the driving liquid crystal layer of the transflective liquid crystal display device is an MVA (Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment) method or a CPA (Continuous Pinwheel Alignment) method, the surface unevenness of the retardation layer as described above. It is important to suppress this. In an MVA type or CPA type liquid crystal display device, a transparent conductive film formed in a predetermined pattern is provided on a first substrate or a second substrate, and a protrusion having a predetermined shape is provided at a predetermined position. Further, for example, in a VA liquid crystal display device, a protrusion having a semi-elliptical shape formed in a cross section parallel to the thickness direction of the liquid crystal cell may be provided in a predetermined region in the pixel of the first substrate. . Here, the protrusions provided on the first substrate and the second substrate as described above all regulate the alignment of the driving liquid crystal included in the driving liquid crystal layer. That is, the orientation of the driving liquid crystal is regulated by the installation position and shape of the protrusions provided on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate. At this time, the alignment of the driving liquid crystal is effectively regulated, so that a liquid crystal display device having a wider viewing angle than that of the liquid crystal display device without protrusions can be obtained.

JP 2000-221506 A JP-T-2006-527408 JP 2004-004494 A JP 2005-338256 A

  However, in a transflective liquid crystal display device having a substrate provided with a retardation layer in the reflective portion, irregularities (surface irregularities) are present at the contact interface with the driving liquid crystal layer in the substrate in which the retardation layer is formed in the reflective portion. It may occur in a bowl shape, and the size of the bowl-shaped surface irregularity may be so large as to adversely affect the display characteristics of the reflecting portion. This causes a problem that the manufacturing efficiency of the transflective liquid crystal display device is lowered.

  In particular, in a VA mode, MVA mode, or CPA mode transflective liquid crystal display device, a contact surface (contact interface) with respect to a driving liquid crystal layer among the surfaces constituting the first substrate and the second substrate, In addition to the surface irregularities due to the protrusions, unplanned irregularities are greatly formed. The unscheduled irregularities greatly disturb the alignment of the driving liquid crystal regulated by the protrusions. This has led to a result that the display characteristics in the reflection part of the transflective liquid crystal display device are remarkably deteriorated.

  The present inventors have determined that the cause of unevenness on the surface of the retardation layer is the order of the steps of forming the transparent conductive film, the retardation layer, and the columnar body, and have completed the present invention.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a manufacturing method for manufacturing an optical element having a retardation layer with suppressed surface irregularities, and an optical element manufactured by the manufacturing method. For the purpose. Another object of the present invention is to provide a transflective liquid crystal display device that incorporates an optical element having a retardation layer that is patterned while suppressing ridge-like surface irregularities.

The present invention
(1) A resin composition comprising a base material having optical transparency, a retardation layer obtained by polymerizing a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound, a transparent conductive film having conductivity, and a photocurable resin. A method for producing an optical element having a polymerized columnar body,
A liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound is directly or indirectly applied to a substrate to prepare a liquid crystal coating film, and the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is polymerized to form the liquid crystal coating film. A retardation layer forming step for forming a retardation layer;
A transparent conductive film forming step of forming a transparent conductive film with a conductive film composition containing a conductive material directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate; and
A columnar body forming step of forming a columnar body by applying and polymerizing a resin composition containing a photocurable resin directly or indirectly to a base material,
A method for producing an optical element, wherein a transparent conductive film forming step is performed after the retardation layer forming step and the columnar body forming step;
(2) In the transparent conductive film forming step, the transparent conductive film is formed in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate, and the method for producing an optical element according to (1) above,
(3) A protrusion forming step of providing protrusions in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate, directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate,
The protrusion formed in the protrusion forming step is formed such that the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the protrusion is smaller than the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the columnar body,
The method for producing an optical element according to (1) or (2), wherein the protrusion forming step is performed before the transparent conductive film forming step is performed,
(4) In the protrusion forming step, the protrusion is formed by polymerizing a resin composition containing a photocurable resin directly or indirectly with respect to the base material. Method,
(5) In the protrusion forming step, the protrusion is formed by a photolithography method using a positive resist directly or indirectly with respect to the base material. The method for manufacturing an optical element according to (3),
(6) The optical element according to (4), wherein the columnar body forming step and the protrusion forming step are simultaneously performed by simultaneously forming the columnar body and the protrusion with a resin composition containing the same photocurable resin. Device manufacturing method.
(7) In the retardation layer forming step, the retardation layer is formed in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the base material, and the method for manufacturing an optical element according to any one of (1) to (6) above ,
(8) A color filter layer forming step of forming a color filter layer having a colored layer that can be dispersed directly or indirectly with respect to the base material using predetermined visible light as transmitted light among incident light is performed. The method for producing an optical element according to any one of (1) to (7),
(9) In the color filter layer forming step, a plurality of types of colored layers having different transmission spectra of visible light are formed in a pattern defined for each type of colored layer. The method for producing an optical element according to (8), wherein a color filter layer is formed,
(10) An optical element obtained by the production method according to any one of (1) to (9) above,
(11) A summary is a liquid crystal display device comprising the optical element according to (10).

  According to the present invention, the surface irregularity of the retardation layer is formed on the surface of the retardation layer formed in the retardation layer forming step by performing the columnar body forming step before the transparent conductive film forming step. Is effectively suppressed, and surface irregularities of the optical element produced by the present invention are suppressed.

  In the present invention, the columnar body forming step may be performed before the retardation layer forming step. In this case, the reduction in the retardation of the retardation layer can be suppressed by reducing the number of steps after forming the retardation layer.

  In the present invention, in the transparent conductive film forming step, the transparent conductive film may be formed in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate. When an optical element having such a transparent conductive film is incorporated into a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device can generate an electric field in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the driving liquid crystal layer. Become. The liquid crystal display device can be used as a PVA or CPA liquid crystal display device. That is, by incorporating the optical element of the present invention into a substrate of a liquid crystal display device, it becomes easy to configure a VA mode, MVA mode, PVA mode, or CPA mode liquid crystal display device.

  In the present invention, the columnar body forming step is performed prior to the transparent conductive film forming step. At this time, the transparent conductive film is patterned, and the formation pattern of the transparent conductive film is a pattern that does not overlap with the region where the columnar body is installed in plan view. In that case, in a liquid crystal display device incorporating an optical element having a columnar body and a transparent conductive film, the transparent conductive film avoids the possibility of causing unnecessary conduction with a substrate provided with an electrode circuit such as a TFT (TFT substrate). Is possible. In addition, as a method for avoiding unnecessary conduction between the transparent conductive film of the optical element and the TFT substrate, the following method may be mentioned. That is, “when the TFT substrate is viewed in the thickness direction of the pair of substrates constituting the liquid crystal display device, the arrangement pattern of the electrode circuit on the TFT substrate side is set so as not to face the installation area of the columnar body. ”Method or“ the substrate on which the optical element is formed ”in the thickness direction of the pair of substrates constituting the liquid crystal display device, the columnar body formation pattern in the optical element is shown in the arrangement area of the electrode circuit on the TFT substrate. And a pattern that does not face each other. In these methods, the transparent conductive film is not patterned, and unnecessary conduction between the transparent conductive film of the optical element and the TFT substrate can be avoided.

  In the present invention, a protrusion forming step of forming a protrusion made of a photocurable resin or a positive resist at a predetermined position in the in-plane direction of the substrate may be performed. In this case, the manufactured optical element can be easily incorporated into a substrate of a VA type, MVA type, or CPA type liquid crystal display device. In these liquid crystal display devices, the protrusions have a function of regulating the alignment of the driving liquid crystal in the driving liquid crystal layer.

  In the case where the optical element manufactured according to the present invention has protrusions, the columnar body forming step and the protrusion forming step may be performed simultaneously using a halftone mask. In such an optical element, the number of manufacturing steps of the optical element can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced as compared with the optical element in which the columnar body and the protrusion are formed in separate steps.

  In the present invention, protrusions may be formed when the transparent conductive film is formed in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate. By patterning the transparent conductive film, it is possible to generate a portion to which voltage is applied and a portion to which voltage is not applied in the patterned transparent conductive film. Thereby, in the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element obtained by the present invention, it is possible to form a state in which the electric field distribution in the driving liquid crystal layer has a predetermined distribution pattern. Thus, according to the present invention, the voltage distribution of the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element can be made into a predetermined pattern, so that the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules constituting the driving liquid crystal in the driving liquid crystal layer Can be changed locally. Since the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the driving liquid crystal layer can be locally changed in this way, according to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device capable of controlling the width of the viewing angle is obtained. It becomes possible.

  In the present invention, in the retardation layer forming step, the retardation layer may be formed in a predetermined pattern. In that case, the optical element obtained by the present invention can be easily incorporated into a substrate of a transflective liquid crystal display device. In the transflective liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element of the present invention, the pattern of the retardation layer formed on the optical element is a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the reflective portion in the transflective liquid crystal display device. This can be specifically realized.

  The optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of the present invention may be incorporated into one or both of the first substrate and the second substrate of a liquid crystal cell constituting a liquid crystal display device such as a transflective liquid crystal display device. it can.

  The present invention is a method for producing an optical element having a substrate 2, a retardation layer 3, a transparent conductive film 5, and a columnar body 4.

<Method for Manufacturing Optical Element Corresponding to First Embodiment>
First, one form (1st Embodiment) of the Example of the manufacturing method of the optical element 1 of this invention is demonstrated.

  The optical element manufacturing method of the present invention includes a retardation layer forming step in which the retardation layer 3 is formed directly or indirectly on the substrate 2, and a transparent conductive film 5 is formed directly or indirectly on the substrate 2. A transparent conductive film forming step, and a columnar body forming step of forming the columnar body 4 directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate 2. And the manufacturing method of the optical element of this invention performs a transparent conductive film formation process after performing a phase difference layer formation process and a columnar body formation process. In particular, in the first embodiment, the columnar body forming step is performed after the retardation layer forming step, and the transparent conductive film forming step is performed after the columnar body forming step is performed.

  In 1st Embodiment of the manufacturing method of the optical element of this invention, as shown to FIG. 1 (A), as the optical element 1, the base material 2, the phase difference layer 3, the transparent conductive film 5, and the columnar body 4 and the phase difference layer 3 and the columnar body 4 are formed before the transparent conductive film 5 is formed. In this optical element 1, the retardation layer 3 is formed before the columnar body 4 is formed. In the optical element 1, the interface of the retardation layer 3 and the interface of the columnar body 4 are in direct contact, and the transparent conductive film 5 is not interposed between the retardation layer 3 and the columnar body 4.

  In the optical element 1, the retardation layer 3, the transparent conductive film 5, and the columnar body 4 are formed directly or indirectly with respect to the base material 2. In the specific example of the optical element 1 shown in FIG. 1, the optical element 1 forms the retardation layer 3 indirectly on the base material 2 via an alignment film (not shown). The configuration “directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate 2” includes the configuration “directly or indirectly with respect to the entire area of the predetermined surface of the substrate 2” and “the predetermined surface of the substrate 2”. Both configurations of “direct or indirect for some areas” are included.

  In the optical element manufacturing method of the present invention, an optical element having a surface irregularity in a predetermined region (region K) having a value not exceeding the predetermined size can be obtained.

  Here, “predetermined region K” means “a surface formed by laminating a transparent conductive film and a retardation layer on the substrate among the surfaces of the optical element (the outermost surface of the laminated surface) (surface A) And “a region of the surface A that overlaps the region where the retardation layer is formed in plan view of the optical element” (FIG. 7). In FIG. 7, the columnar body 4 is omitted for convenience.

  The “surface unevenness” and the “surface unevenness size” are specified by measuring the profile in the in-plane direction of the surface A of the optical element 1 and the profile of the longitudinal section of the optical element 1. be able to.

  The profile in the in-plane direction of the surface A of the optical element 1 and the profile of the longitudinal section of the optical element 1 are measured as follows using an atomic force electron microscope (AFM).

  The profile in the in-plane direction of the surface A of the optical element 1 is obtained by drawing or imaging the uneven state of the surface A. The profile in the in-plane direction of the surface A of the optical element 1 is measured by scanning a portion of the region K on the surface A by the AFM in the in-plane direction of the optical element 1. Based on the measured profile in the in-plane direction of the surface A, the optical element 1 has a point as to whether or not surface irregularities exist in the region K of the surface A of the optical element 1, and if surface irregularities exist, The surface irregularities are observed in terms of the shape of the optical element in plan view.

  When surface irregularities are observed in the region K of the optical element 1, the profile of the longitudinal section of the optical element 1 is measured by AFM. Here, the longitudinal section of the optical element 1 to be measured for the profile is a section (longitudinal section) parallel to the thickness direction of the optical element 1 in plan view, and passes through the convex and concave portions of the surface irregularities. It is a longitudinal section. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, surface irregularities are formed in a stripe shape in the region K of the optical element 1, and the top of the convex portion 90 and the bottom of the concave portion 91 are both in the surface irregularity. When it is formed in a strip shape (FIG. 7A), the profile of the longitudinal section of the optical element 1 is measured as follows. That is, a cross section (longitudinal cross section) parallel to the thickness direction of the optical element 1 and a direction passing through the top part of the convex part 90 and the bottom part 91 of the concave part (direction in which the broken line F extends) For the vertical cross section, the profile (cross section profile) of the vertical cross section of the optical element 1 is measured.

  Based on the profile measured for the surface unevenness of the region K of the optical element, the positions of the top of the convex portion 90 and the bottom of the concave portion 91 in the surface unevenness are specified. The distance G in the thickness direction of the optical element, which is selected in the vicinity of the surface of the optical element (indicated by reference numeral G in FIG. 7B). The surface position of the transparent conductive film 5 may be selected as the position G. .) To the top of the protrusion 90 is measured (H1). Further, the distance (H2) from the position G to the bottom of the recess is measured in the thickness direction of the optical element. Then, the difference (ΔH = | H1−H2 |) between H1 and H2 is calculated for adjacent convex portions and concave portions. At this time, the measurement points of H1 and H2 are determined as follows. In the cross-sectional profile, a position (center position) corresponding to the center position of the region K is determined. This central position (one place) is a measurement point. And about the one measurement point, the bottom part of the nearest concave part and the top part of a convex part are specified. ΔH is calculated for this measurement point. The calculated ΔH is defined as “the size of the surface unevenness of the region K of the optical element based on one cross-sectional profile” (FIG. 7B).

  In determining the “surface unevenness size” of the region K of the optical element, three vertical cross sections are selected as the vertical cross section selected to obtain a cross-sectional profile, and each cross-sectional profile (three types of cross-sectional profiles) is selected. ) Is calculated. Then, ΔH calculated based on each cross-sectional profile (three types of cross-sectional profiles) is further averaged. The value calculated in this way is defined as the “size of surface irregularities” of the region K of the optical element.

  Note that the three longitudinal cross sections selected to obtain the cross-sectional profile of the region K of the optical element 1 are selected at different positions where surface irregularities exist.

  According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, ΔH is suppressed to 100 nm or less in the region K of the manufactured optical element. When ΔH exceeds 100 nm, the difference in phase difference between the convex portion 90 and the concave portion 91 of the retardation layer of the optical element becomes 10 nm or more, and the error from the phase difference amount of the planned retardation layer becomes excessively large. Further, the alignment of the driving liquid crystal is affected by the unevenness that is not planned. If such an optical element is incorporated in a liquid crystal display device, the contrast of the liquid crystal display device may be reduced.

“Substrate 2”
The material which comprises the base material 2 will not be specifically limited if it has a light transmittance. For example, as the base material 2, a material formed of a transparent material can be appropriately adopted. The light transmittance of the substrate 2 can be appropriately selected. The base material 2 may be composed of a single layer or may be composed of multiple layers of a plurality of types of materials.

  The substrate 2 is preferably configured so as to be optically isotropic. As the base material 2, a plate-like body made of various materials can be selected as appropriate in addition to a glass material such as a glass substrate. Further, the base material 2 may be a plastic substrate made of polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, triacetyl cellulose or the like, and further, polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polyproprene, polyimide, polyamideimide, polyetherketone. A film such as can also be used. Among these, it is preferable that the base material 2 is an alkali free glass. The base material 2 is not particularly limited in its rigidity, and is a transparent rigid member having no flexibility such as quartz glass, Pyrex (registered trademark) glass, synthetic quartz plate, a transparent resin film, or an optical resin plate. A transparent flexible member having flexibility such as the above can be used.

“About the retardation layer 3”
The retardation layer 3 is a layer made of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound, and has a layer structure in which liquid crystal molecules forming the liquid crystal compound are regularly aligned in a predetermined direction. Specifically, the alignment of the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 is, for example, homogeneous alignment (horizontal alignment) according to the optical function of the retardation layer 3 determined according to the configuration of the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element 1. Orientation), homeotropic orientation (vertical orientation), twist orientation, hybrid orientation, bend orientation, and the like. When the retardation layer 3 has a structure in which liquid crystal compounds are homogeneously aligned, the retardation layer 3 is a layer having an optical function as a so-called positive A plate, and the retardation layer When 3 is composed of a liquid crystal compound having homeotropic alignment, it forms a layer having an optical function as a positive C plate.

  Assuming a plane (S) having a normal line (H) in the thickness direction of the retardation layer 3, the z axis is parallel to the normal line H, and the x axis and y are perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the plane S. Assuming an axis and assuming a three-dimensional space stretched by the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, the refractive indexes of the retardation layer 3 in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions are respectively In the case of Nx, Ny, Nz, the case where the retardation layer 3 is a positive A plate indicates a case where Nx> Ny = Nz or Ny> Nx = Nz, and the retardation layer is positive C The case of a plate indicates a case where Nx = Ny <Nz.

  As the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3, a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a polymerizable functional group, a polymer liquid crystal compound, or the like can be appropriately used. Further, the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid crystal compound capable of forming a liquid crystal phase having nematic regularity and smectic regularity, but the liquid crystal compound having nematic regularity. (Nematic liquid crystal compound) can be preferably used. When a liquid crystal compound having nematic regularity is selected as the liquid crystal constituting the retardation layer 3, among the liquid crystal compounds having nematic regularity, two or more polymerizable substances are present in the molecular structure of the liquid crystal molecules constituting the liquid crystal compound. A nematic liquid crystal compound having a group can be preferably used. More specifically, a polymerizable liquid crystal compound as disclosed in JP-A-11-513019 can be used as such a nematic liquid crystal compound.

  The liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 includes “a liquid crystal molecule that forms a liquid crystal compound is a monomer molecule of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound”, and “a liquid crystal molecule that forms a liquid crystal compound is an oligomer molecule of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound. “A certain thing”, “a liquid crystal molecule forming a liquid crystal compound is a polymer molecule of a polymerizable liquid crystal compound”, and the like may be used alone. Moreover, what mixed these 2 or more types may be employ | adopted as a liquid crystal compound which comprises the phase difference layer 3. FIG.

  The polymerizable liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 preferably has an unsaturated double bond as a polymerizable functional group in the molecular structure of the liquid crystal molecule constituting the polymerizable liquid crystal compound, and is not present at both ends of the molecular structure. Those having a saturated double bond (having two or more unsaturated double bonds) are more preferred.

  As the polymerizable liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3, a rod-like polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a rod-like molecular structure, a polymerizable liquid crystal compound having a disc-like molecular structure, a so-called discotic polymerizable liquid crystal compound can be used. . In particular, a rod-like polymerizable liquid crystal compound can be preferably used as the polymerizable liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3.

  Examples of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 include a liquid crystal compound having cross-linkability, and a nematic liquid crystal compound having cross-linkability (cross-linkable nematic liquid crystal compound) and the like can be cited as preferred liquid crystal compounds. it can. Examples of the crosslinkable nematic liquid crystal compound include monomers, oligomers and polymers having at least one polymerizable group such as a (meth) acryloyl group, an epoxy group, an octacene group and an isocyanate group in one molecule. Moreover, as such a crosslinkable liquid crystal compound, more specifically, one or more of the compounds represented by the following chemical formulas 1 to 12 can be mixed and used.

(In formula (1), R ¹ and R ² each represent hydrogen or a methyl group, and X represents hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a methoxy group, a cyano group, or a nitro group. And a and b each independently represent an integer of 2 to 12.)

The phase difference layer 3 causes a phase difference in light incident on the phase difference layer 3. Therefore, when light passes through the retardation layer 3 in a predetermined direction, a predetermined phase difference is generated between ordinary light and abnormal light. Here, the phase difference is determined by the retardation amount. The retardation amount is determined by the product of the birefringence (Δn) and the film thickness (d) of the retardation layer 3. Since the phase difference layer 3 causes a phase difference in light, the phase difference layer 3 is formed so as to have refractive index anisotropy (Δn is not zero). By the way, Δn indicating refractive index anisotropy takes various values depending on the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 and the orientation regulating force of the surface forming the base of the retardation layer 3. The retardation layer 3 is assumed to be a plane parallel to the direction in which the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 is aligned (the direction of the principal axis (slow axis or fast axis)), and the liquid crystal is included in the plane. Assuming an X axis perpendicular to the principal axis direction of the compound and a Y axis parallel to the principal axis direction, the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 12 has a refractive index n in the X axis direction of the liquid crystal compound. The difference (Δn = | n _X −n _Y |) between _X and the refractive index n _{Y in the} Y-axis direction is preferably about 0.03 to 0.20, and about 0.05 to 0.15. Is more preferable.

  When Δn is less than 0.03, the retardation layer 3 causes a desired retardation amount to be generated in the light, so that the thickness of the retardation 3 may be excessively increased. When the thickness of the retardation layer 3 becomes excessively thick, there is a high possibility that the alignment of the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 is disturbed. On the other hand, when Δn exceeds 0.20, the retardation layer 3 causes a desired retardation amount to be generated in the light, so that the thickness of the retardation layer 3 may become excessively thin. When the thickness of the retardation layer 3 is excessively thin, it is difficult to control the thickness of the film forming the retardation layer 3 in order to obtain the retardation layer 3 having a predetermined thickness.

  The birefringence can be measured by measuring the retardation value and film thickness of the retardation layer 3 as follows. First, the retardation value can be measured using a commercially available optical material inspection apparatus such as RETS-1250VA (manufactured by Otsuka Electronics Co., Ltd.) as a measuring apparatus. The wavelength of the light (measurement light) for which the retardation value is measured is preferably in the visible region (380 to 780 nm, depending on the limitations of the measuring device, 400 to 800 nm), and particularly measured at around 550 nm where the relative luminous sensitivity is the highest. More preferably.

  The film thickness of the retardation layer 3 can be measured using a stylus type step meter or the like, and a commercially available measuring instrument such as DEKTAK (manufactured by Sloan) can be suitably used. These measuring instruments can be used not only for measuring the retardation layer 3 but also for measuring the film thickness of each part of each layer constituting the optical element 1.

"Retardation layer formation process"
The step of forming the retardation layer 3 (retardation layer forming step) is performed as follows. First, a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound is prepared. Next, the liquid crystal composition is applied onto a predetermined surface (a predetermined surface in a “member or layer” such as the base material 2 constituting the optical element 1). At this time, a liquid crystal coating film is formed on the predetermined surface. Next, the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is aligned in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, the polymerizable liquid crystal molecules forming the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film are polymerized while maintaining the state in which the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is oriented in a predetermined direction. Thereby, the liquid crystal coating film is cured, and the liquid crystal coating film becomes the retardation layer 3.

<Liquid crystal composition used for forming retardation layer 3>
When the retardation layer 3 is formed, a liquid crystal coating film is prepared from the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition used in the production of the liquid crystal coating film is configured as a composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound. This polymerizable liquid crystal compound is a liquid crystal compound that can be used as the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 as described above.

  In the liquid crystal composition for forming the retardation layer 3, it is preferable that a photopolymerization initiator is included in addition to the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. As the photopolymerization initiator, a radical polymerizable initiator can be preferably used. The radical polymerizable initiator generates free radicals by energy such as ultraviolet rays. For example, benzyl (also called bibenzoyl), benzoin isobutyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, benzophenone, benzoylbenzoic acid, methyl benzoylbenzoate, 4 -Benzoyl-4'-methyldiphenyl sulfide, benzylmethyl ketal, dimethylaminomethylbenzoate, 2-n-butoxyethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate, isoamyl p-dimethylaminobenzoate, 3,3'-dimethyl-4-methoxy Benzophenone, methylobenzoyl formate, 2-methyl-1- (4- (methylthio) phenyl) -2-morpholinopropan-1-one, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-mol Olinophenyl) -butan-1-one, 1- (4-dodecylphenyl) -2hydroxy-2-methylpropan-1-one, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropane-1 -One, 1- (4-isopropylphenyl) -2-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-1-one, 2-chlorothioxanthone, 2,4-diethylthioxanthone, 2,4-diisopropylthioxanthone, 2,4-dimethylthioxanthone , Isopropylthioxanthone, 1-chloro-4-propoxythioxanthone, and the like. In the present invention, commercially available photopolymerization initiators can also be used. For example, Irgacure 184, Irgacure 369, Irgacure 651, Irgacure 907 (all manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals), Darocur (Merck) ), Adeka 1717 (manufactured by Asahi Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) and the like, and 2,2′-bis (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5,4′-tetraphenyl-1,2′biimidazole (black gold) Biimidazole compounds such as those manufactured by Kasei Co., Ltd. can be suitably used.

  The photopolymerization initiator is preferably added within a range that does not significantly impair the orientation of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. The addition amount of the photopolymerization initiator is generally 0.01 to 15% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 12% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass with respect to the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. It can add to a liquid-crystal composition in the range.

  In addition to the photopolymerization initiator, a sensitizer may be added to the liquid crystal composition for forming the retardation layer 3 as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired.

  The liquid crystal composition for forming the retardation layer 3 preferably further contains a thermal polymerization initiator. The polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound is a reaction that can proceed even by heating. However, since the liquid crystal composition contains a thermal polymerization initiator, the polymerizable liquid crystal in the isotropic phase can be efficiently converted. It can be polymerized and cured. At this time, when the liquid crystal coating film is formed in a region (unplanned region) deviated from the region of the base surface on which the retardation layer 3 is planned to be formed, the retardation layer 3 containing a liquid crystal compound in the liquid crystal phase. Can be prevented from forming in the unscheduled region. That is, the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is in an isotropic phase, and the polymerizable liquid crystal compound is polymerized in that state.

  As the thermal polymerization initiator, a radical polymerizable initiator can be preferably used. For example, 2,2′-azobisisobutylnitrile, 2,2′-azobis-2-methylbutyronitrile, 2,2′-azobis (2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), 2,2′-azobis (4 -Methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile), 1,1'-azobis-1-cyclohexylnitrile, dimethyl-2,2'-azobisisobutyrate, 4,4'-azobis-4-cyanovaleric acid, , 1'-azobis (1-acetoxy-1-phenylethane) and other azo compounds, benzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxide, 1,1-bis (tert-butylperoxy) cyclohexane and other organic compounds Mention may be made of peroxides.

  The thermal polymerization initiator is preferably added in a range that does not significantly impair the orientation of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound. The amount of the thermal polymerization initiator added is generally 0.01 to 15% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 12% by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass with respect to the liquid crystal compound. It can be added to the liquid crystal composition.

  The liquid crystal composition for forming the retardation layer 3 preferably contains a surfactant. When the liquid crystal composition contains a surfactant, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the alignment of the liquid crystal compound is disturbed on the surface (gas interface, exposed surface) that contacts the gas in the liquid crystal coating film. Specifically, when the liquid crystal coating film is formed in an air atmosphere, the orientation of the liquid crystal compound at the air interface of the liquid crystal coating film can be controlled.

  What can be used as the surfactant is not particularly limited as long as the polymerizable liquid crystal compound does not impair the formation of a liquid crystal phase. For example, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl allyl ether, polyoxyethylene derivative, polyoxyethylene / polyoxypropylene block polymer, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene fatty acid ester , Nonionic surfactant such as polyoxyethylene alkylamine, fatty acid salt, alkyl sulfate ester salt, alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkyl naphthalene sulfonate, alkyl sulfosuccinate, alkyl diphenyl ether disulfonate, alkyl phosphate, Polyoxyethylene alkyl sulfate ester salt, naphthalenesulfonic acid formalin condensate, special polycarboxylic acid type polymer surfactant, polyoxyethylene Anionic surfactants such as alkyl phosphates.

  The amount of the surfactant added is generally 0.01 to 1% by mass, preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by mass with respect to the liquid crystal compound, and can be added to the liquid crystal composition. .

  The liquid crystal composition for forming the retardation layer 3 includes a non-liquid composition containing a liquid crystal compound, and a liquid or suspension obtained by adding the non-liquid composition to a predetermined solvent and dissolving it. And a liquid composition (liquid crystal composition liquid).

  When the retardation layer 3 is produced through a step of applying the liquid crystal composition to the base surface, a liquid crystal composition liquid is used as the liquid crystal composition.

  The solvent constituting the liquid crystal composition liquid is not particularly limited as long as each component constituting the liquid crystal composition (polymerizable liquid crystal compound and each component other than the polymerizable liquid crystal compound) can be dissolved, An organic solvent can be suitably used. As the organic solvent, those obtained by mixing one or more of 3-methoxybutyl acetate, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, cyclohexanone and the like can be suitably used.

  In addition, when the optical function required for the retardation layer 3 is a function as a so-called negative C plate, and the alignment required for the polymerizable liquid crystal compound is cholesteric alignment accordingly, the liquid crystal composition has a chiral It is preferable that an agent is contained. When the liquid crystal composition contains a chiral agent, the retardation layer formed of the liquid crystal composition is formed as a layer having a cholesteric aligned liquid crystal compound.

  Chiral agents include, for example, compounds having one or more asymmetric carbons, compounds having an asymmetric point on a heteroatom such as chiral amines, chiral sulfoxides, etc., or axial misalignments such as cumulene and binaphthol. Examples include compounds having symmetry. As the chiral agent, it is preferable to select a chiral agent having a large effect of inducing a helical pitch in the alignment of liquid crystal molecules even in a small amount. More specifically, for example, a commercially available product such as S-811 manufactured by Merck is used. Can do.

<Application of liquid crystal composition liquid>
When a liquid crystal composition liquid containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound is prepared, the prepared liquid crystal composition liquid is applied on a predetermined surface (application process).

  In applying the prepared liquid crystal composition liquid on a predetermined surface, a conventionally known application method can be used as a method for applying the liquid crystal composition liquid. Specific examples of the application method include appropriately using various printing methods such as die coating, bar coating, slide coating, roll coating, and the like, a method such as spin coating, and a combination thereof.

<About the surface to which the liquid crystal composition liquid is applied>
The “predetermined surface” to which the liquid crystal composition liquid is applied is a surface that is planned to serve as the ground for the retardation layer 3 among the surfaces of various “members and layers” constituting the optical element 1. By the way, in the optical element 1, a predetermined base material 2 is used, and the retardation layer 3 is formed directly or indirectly on the base material 2. When the retardation layer 3 is formed directly on the base material 2, the ground plane of the retardation layer 3 is the surface of the base material 2. When the retardation layer 3 is indirectly formed with respect to the base material 2, the ground of the retardation layer 3 is a surface of a predetermined layer different from the surface of the base material 2. Moreover, it is preferable that the ground of the retardation layer 3 is a surface having “an ability to orient the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 in a predetermined direction (orientation ability)”. When the lower ground is such a surface, the liquid crystal compound constituting the retardation layer 3 is more easily aligned in a predetermined direction. In the case where the ground plane of the retardation layer 3 has orientation ability, specifically, an orientation film (not shown) that forms a predetermined layer different from the base material 2 at a position between the base material 2 and the retardation layer 3. 2), and the surface of the alignment film serves as the ground for the retardation layer 3. The alignment film is subjected to a treatment for imparting alignment ability to align the liquid crystal compound on the surface thereof. Therefore, the retardation layer 3 in which the liquid crystal compound is aligned in a predetermined direction can be easily formed on the surface of the alignment film. In addition, as a process for imparting an alignment ability to align the liquid crystal compound to the alignment film, a process of rubbing the formed alignment film, a process of irradiating the alignment film with polarized light, or an oblique direction to the alignment film And the process of exposing from.

  As the alignment film, polyimide, polyamide, polyvinyl alcohol or the like is usually used. In addition, a commercially available alignment film may be used. For example, alignment films such as Sun Ever (manufactured by Nissan Chemical Co., Ltd.), QL and LX series (manufactured by Hitachi Chemical DuPont Microsystems Co., Ltd.), AL series (manufactured by JSR Co., Ltd.), Rixon aligner (manufactured by Chisso Corporation) You may use as a layer which forms the ground of phase difference layer 3.

  In addition, the process of rubbing the alignment film is performed by winding a rubbing cloth selected from materials such as rayon, cotton, polyamide, and polymethyl methacrylate around a metal roll and rotating the cloth in contact with the alignment film. A method of rubbing the surface of the alignment film with a rubbing cloth by conveying the substrate 2 while fixing the roll is usually used.

<Alignment treatment of polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in liquid crystal coating film>
By applying the liquid crystal composition liquid, a liquid crystal coating film is formed on a predetermined surface (base surface) such as a substrate surface or an alignment film surface. The liquid crystal coating film is subjected to a treatment for aligning the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film (alignment treatment).

  As the alignment treatment, “the liquid crystal coating film is heated and the temperature of the liquid crystal coating film is equal to or higher than the temperature at which the liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal coating film become a liquid crystal phase (liquid crystal phase temperature). For example, the treatment may be performed at a temperature lower than the temperature at which the liquid crystal molecules become isotropic (liquid phase). At this time, the heating means of the liquid crystal coating film is not particularly limited, and may be a means in a heating atmosphere or a means for heating with infrared rays. When the retardation layer 3 is a layer having the optical function of a positive A plate, the liquid crystal molecules forming the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film are horizontally aligned by such an alignment process. When the retardation layer 3 is a layer having the function of a positive C plate, the liquid crystal molecules forming the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film are vertically aligned by the alignment treatment.

  As a method of aligning liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction such as horizontal alignment and vertical alignment, in addition to the above method, the liquid crystal coating film is dried under reduced pressure according to the type of liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal coating film and the state of the liquid crystal coating film. This method can also be realized by a method of applying an electric field or a magnetic field from a predetermined direction to the liquid crystal coating film.

  In addition, between the said application | coating process and orientation process, the process (evaporation process) which distills the solvent which remain | survives in a liquid-crystal coating film may be implemented suitably. This distillation process can be carried out, for example, by placing the liquid crystal coating film under a low pressure.

<Polymerization treatment of polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in liquid crystal coating film>
After the alignment treatment, the liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is polymerized (polymerization treatment). During the polymerization treatment, the state in which the liquid crystal molecules contained in the liquid crystal coating film are aligned in a predetermined direction is maintained.

  The polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound is carried out by actinic radiation (reactive functional group of the liquid crystal compound or photopolymerization initiator) such as light having a photosensitive wavelength (specifically, for example, ultraviolet light) of the photopolymerization initiator added to the liquid crystal composition. It proceeds by irradiating the entire surface of the liquid crystal coating film with an energy beam that excites the group toward the liquid crystal coating film containing the liquid crystal compound in a liquid crystal phase. At this time, the wavelength of light applied to the liquid crystal coating film is appropriately selected according to the type of photopolymerization initiator contained in the liquid crystal coating film. The light applied to the liquid crystal coating film is not limited to monochromatic light, and may be light having a certain wavelength range including the photosensitive wavelength of the photopolymerization initiator.

  The polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is polymerized, whereby the liquid crystal coating film becomes the retardation layer 3.

“Regarding the retardation layer 3 formed in a predetermined pattern”
In the retardation layer forming step, the retardation layer 3 may be formed (pattern formation) in a predetermined pattern in plan view. At this time, the retardation layer 3 is formed in a region corresponding to the predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate 2.

  The patterned retardation layer 3 can be produced by performing a polymerization treatment on the liquid crystal coating film as follows. In addition, this polymerization process is performed on the liquid crystal coating film after performing the same alignment process as described above, and further performing the same distillation process as described above as necessary. To be implemented.

<Polymerization treatment of polymerizable liquid crystal compound>
The polymerization process for forming the pattern of the retardation layer 3 is performed by irradiating active radiation such as ultraviolet rays toward the liquid crystal coating film. However, in this polymerization treatment, the actinic radiation is applied to the liquid crystal coating film through a photomask patterned in a predetermined pattern corresponding to a portion where the retardation layer 3 is to be formed. Thereby, the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the portion irradiated with the active radiation in the liquid crystal coating film proceeds, and the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound does not proceed in the portion where the active radiation was not irradiated in the liquid crystal coating film ( Partial polymerization process). After the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the irradiated portion of the active radiation is completed by the partial polymerization treatment, the liquid crystal composition liquid in the portion of the liquid crystal coating film that has not been irradiated with the active radiation is removed. This removal can be realized by developing with an organic solvent or the like.

  The development process is performed as follows, for example. After a partial polymerization process using a photomask is performed during the polymerization process of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound, the substrate 2 on which the liquid crystal coating film is formed is immersed in a predetermined solution. Here, the “predetermined solution” in which the substrate 2 is immersed refers to a solution capable of dissolving the liquid crystal composition in an uncured state in which the polymerization reaction of liquid crystal molecules is insufficient. As a result, the portion of the liquid crystal coating film where the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound has not progressed is removed from the substrate 2.

  In this way, a layer formed by forming a polymerized structure of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound in the liquid crystal phase is formed (patterned) on the lower ground such as the surface of the substrate 2 in a predetermined pattern. At this time, the portion irradiated with active radiation in the liquid crystal coating film becomes the retardation layer 3. In this manner, the patterned retardation layer 3 is produced by performing the polymerization treatment by a method (photolithographic method) using irradiation with active radiation through a photomask and development treatment.

  In the case where the optical element 1 includes the patterned retardation layer 3, the optical element 1 that can be incorporated into a transflective liquid crystal display device can be obtained. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the optical element 1, for example, an area (reflecting part area 200) planned to be a position corresponding to the reflecting part of the transflective liquid crystal display device in a plan view. The phase difference layer 3 is provided so as not to cover the region (the transmissive portion region 201) that is supposed to be covered and correspond to the transmissive portion. At this time, the retardation layer 3 is formed so that the thickness of the retardation layer 3 is set to a value corresponding to a predetermined level difference required between the transmission part and the reflection part. By doing so, the optical element 1 can be incorporated into a transflective liquid crystal display device.

  In addition, the polymerization process for pattern-forming the phase difference layer 3 may be implemented as follows. In a state where the liquid crystal coating film exhibits a liquid crystal phase, active radiation such as light having a photosensitive wavelength of the photopolymerization initiator is irradiated (exposed) through the photomask. The photomask forms a region through which light passes in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the pattern of the retardation layer 3. At the time of this exposure, the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound proceeds at a portion irradiated with active radiation in the liquid crystal coating film (partial polymerization treatment). After the polymerization reaction proceeds by the partial polymerization treatment, the liquid crystal coating film is heated to a temperature (Ti) at which the polymerizable liquid crystal compound becomes isotropic. For the subsequent processing, the following first method and second method are performed.

  In the first method, the liquid crystal coating film is further irradiated with actinic radiation such as light having a photosensitive wavelength in this state. Thereby, the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound in an unpolymerized state contained in the liquid crystal coating film proceeds.

  In the second method, after the liquid crystal coating film is heated to a temperature Ti, the temperature of the liquid crystal coating film is further heated to a predetermined temperature equal to or higher than Ti. At this time, thermal polymerization of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound in an unpolymerized state contained in the liquid crystal coating film is performed. In this way, the polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film proceeds until a predetermined degree of polymerization is reached.

  In addition, as a method of patterning the retardation layer 3 in a predetermined portion, “a liquid crystal coating film can be formed by applying a liquid crystal composition to a predetermined portion using a conventionally known printing method”. `` Film process '', `` Alignment process for aligning the polymerizable liquid crystal contained in the liquid crystal coating film in a predetermined direction '', `` The liquid crystal coating film is cured by polymerization reaction of the polymerizable liquid crystal, and the liquid crystal coating film is retardation The method (printing method) which consists of a polymerization process with a layer can be mentioned.

  In the first embodiment, the columnar body forming step is performed after the retardation layer forming step.

"About columnar bodies"
In the columnar body forming step, the columnar body 4 is formed. Although the shape of the columnar body 4 is not particularly limited, the columnar body 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape because it is a shape that can be easily manufactured. A large number of columnar bodies 4 are arranged in a predetermined pattern at predetermined positions in plan view of the optical element 1.

  The columnar body 4 is formed of a resin composition containing a resin material (columnar body-forming resin composition), and preferably formed of a resin composition containing a photocurable resin. The photocurable resin constituting the columnar body 4 is not particularly limited, but a transparent resin material having no refractive index anisotropy is preferably used, and in particular, a resin formed of a transparent organic material. Preferably used. As the organic material constituting the columnar body 4, an ultraviolet curable resin is preferably used in terms of excellent pressure resistance and heat resistance. When an ultraviolet curable resin is used as the resin material constituting the columnar body 4, examples of the ultraviolet curable resin include polyester acrylate, polyester methacrylate, polyether acrylate, polystyryl methacrylate, polyether methacrylate, urethane acrylate, and epoxy. Multifunctional oligomers such as acrylates (especially epoxy acrylates having skeletons of bisphenol A type, bisphenol F type, and bisphenol S type, and phenol novolac type epoxy acrylates), polycarbonates, polybutadiene acrylates, silicone acrylates, melamine acrylates, etc. Specific examples include those having 1 to 10 groups. In addition, as the ultraviolet curable resin, monofunctional monomers and polyfunctional monomers such as 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, cyclohexyl acrylate, phenoxyethyl acrylate, 1,6-hexanediol acrylate, and tetraethylene glycol diacrylate are also preferable.

  In the optical element 1, the columnar body 4 is formed at a position specified as a predetermined area (columnar body installation planned area) where the columnar body 4 is scheduled to be installed in the in-plane direction of the substrate 2 in plan view. . The columnar body installation scheduled region is appropriately set according to the design of the liquid crystal display device in which the optical element 1 is incorporated. The columnar body installation scheduled region is normally set to a predetermined region within “a region corresponding to a gap between adjacent pixels in plan view in the liquid crystal display device”.

"Columnar formation process"
The columnar body 4 can be formed using a photolithography method as follows. First, a columnar body-forming resin composition is prepared. The resin composition for forming a columnar body is applied on a predetermined surface, whereby a coating film (a coating film for forming a columnar body) is formed. For example, the columnar body-forming resin composition is applied onto the externally exposed surface of the retardation layer 3, and a columnar body-forming coating film is formed on the retardation layer 3. Next, a photomask patterned with a pattern corresponding to the columnar body installation scheduled region is prepared. Actinic radiation such as ultraviolet rays is applied to the columnar body forming coating film through the photomask. In the portion irradiated with actinic radiation, the columnar body-forming coating film is cured. In the portion where the actinic radiation has not been irradiated, the columnar body-forming coating film does not cure. The portion of the columnar body-forming coating film that has not been irradiated with actinic radiation is removed by development processing. Thus, a cured product of the columnar body forming coating film is formed in the columnar body installation planned region. This cured product corresponds to a columnar body.

<About the transparent conductive film 5>
The transparent conductive film 5 refers to a transparent film and a conductive film. Here, the “transparent film” is, for example, in the case of a film formed on glass, with respect to the transmittance (R1) of visible light (wavelength 400 to 700 (nm)) measured for the glass. The ratio (R2 / R1) of the transmittance (R2) measured for the laminate including the film and the film is 0.6 or more. The “conductive film” indicates a case where the resistivity of the target film is 10 ⁻³ (Ω · cm) or less.

  Examples of the material (conductive material) constituting the transparent conductive film 5 include ITO, zinc oxide to which aluminum oxide or gallium oxide is added, antimony oxide, and tin oxide doped with fluorine. In that respect, the conductive material constituting the transparent conductive film 5 is preferably ITO. That is, the transparent conductive film 5 is preferably an ITO film made of a conductive film composition using ITO as a conductive material.

"Transparent conductive film formation process"
The step of forming the transparent conductive film 5 (transparent conductive film forming step) can be performed using a conductive film composition containing a conductive material and appropriately using a conventionally known method. Specifically, in the transparent conductive film forming process, sputtering method, vacuum deposition method, CVD method, coating method (dip coating method, spray method, spin coating method, etc.), cluster beam method, PLD method (Pulsed Laser) Deposition method) can be used.

  In the transparent conductive film forming step, the transparent conductive film 5 may be formed in a predetermined pattern in plan view. In this case, the transparent conductive film 5 is formed in a predetermined region in the in-plane direction of the substrate 2 and determined according to a predetermined pattern. In the case where the transparent conductive film 5 is formed in a predetermined pattern, the pattern is formed by arranging a large number of units of the transparent conductive film 5 having a stripe pattern, a lattice pattern, or a polygonal region. Pattern, etc.

  The pattern formation of the transparent conductive film 5 can be realized by a method using a resist or the like. Specifically, the pattern formation of the transparent conductive film 5 can be formed as follows, for example. The conductive film composition is sputtered over a predetermined surface to form a transparent conductive film. At this time, the formation area of the transparent conductive film covers a wider area than the area where the transparent conductive film 5 is to be formed. Next, a resist is applied to cover the transparent conductive film to form a resist film. Apart from this, a mask in which openings are formed in a predetermined pattern is prepared. Then, actinic radiation is irradiated toward the resist film through the mask, and a cured portion and a non-cured portion are formed in the resist film. The uncured portion of the resist film is removed by development processing. As a result, a portion of the transparent conductive film corresponding to a portion where the transparent conductive film 5 is planned to be formed is covered with the resist film. Then, the portion of the transparent conductive film that is not covered with the resist film is etched. After the etching, the resist film formed in the portion corresponding to the portion where the transparent conductive film 5 is to be formed is removed. At this time, a portion of the transparent conductive film corresponding to a portion where the transparent conductive film 5 is planned to be formed is not removed and remains on a predetermined surface. Thus, the transparent conductive film 5 is patterned.

When the optical element 1 obtained by the present invention has a configuration formed by patterning the transparent conductive film 5, the optical element 1 having such a configuration is incorporated in a liquid crystal display device. In the liquid crystal display device, the orientation of the driving liquid crystal included in the driving liquid crystal layer can be appropriately regulated.
Further, when the transparent conductive film 5 is patterned in a region that does not overlap with the formation region of the columnar body 4 in plan view, the substrate on which the optical element 1 is incorporated when the optical element 1 is incorporated into the liquid crystal display device; The TFT substrate that faces the substrate is not contacted. In that case, it is possible to avoid the possibility that unnecessary conduction occurs due to the contact between both substrates.

<About the second embodiment>
The manufacturing method of the present invention may be the following method (second embodiment).

  The second embodiment of the production method of the present invention includes a retardation layer forming step for forming the retardation layer 3 directly or indirectly on the substrate 2, and a transparent conductive film directly or indirectly on the substrate 2. A transparent conductive film forming step for forming 5 and a columnar body forming step for forming the columnar body 4 directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate 2. In this manufacturing method, after the columnar body forming step is performed, the retardation layer forming step is performed, and after the retardation layer forming step is performed, the transparent conductive film forming step is performed. In the second embodiment, the steps of forming the retardation layer 3, the transparent conductive film 5, and the columnar body 4 on the substrate 2 of the optical element 1 (retardation layer forming step, transparent conductive film forming step, columnar body) The forming step) is the same as the retardation layer forming step, the transparent conductive film forming step, and the columnar body forming step in the first embodiment, respectively. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the retardation layer 3 and the transparent conductive film 5 may be patterned. When the retardation layer 3 and the transparent conductive film 5 are patterned in the second embodiment, the pattern formation method for the retardation layer 3 and the transparent conductive film 5 is the retardation layer 3 and the transparent conductive film 5 in the first embodiment, respectively. The same method as the pattern forming method of the transparent conductive film 5 is adopted.

  In addition, each structure and each material of the base material 2, the retardation layer 3, the transparent conductive film 5, and the columnar body 4 constituting the optical element 1 obtained by the implementation of the second embodiment are the same as those in the first implementation. It is the same as each structure of the base material 2, the phase difference layer 3, the transparent conductive film 5, and the columnar body 4 which comprise the optical element 1 obtained by implementation of a form.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the optical element 1 obtained by the second embodiment of the present invention includes a retardation layer 3, a transparent conductive film 5, and a columnar body 4 with respect to the base material 2. The phase difference layer 3 and the columnar body 4 are formed before the transparent conductive film 5 is formed. The optical element 1 has a columnar body 4 formed before the retardation layer 3 is formed (FIG. 1B).

  In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the retardation layer 3 is formed in a predetermined pattern in plan view. As in the optical element 1 shown in FIG. 1B, the formation pattern of the retardation layer 3 is a pattern formed by a region that does not overlap with the region where the columnar body 4 is formed in plan view. preferable.

<About the third embodiment>
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, a protrusion forming step of providing protrusions in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the base material may be performed directly or indirectly on the base material. Embodiment 3).

  The optical element 1 obtained by the third embodiment includes a protrusion 6 (FIG. 1C). The optical element 1 is preferably formed by forming protrusions 6 before forming the transparent conductive film 5. In that case, surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element 1 are more effectively suppressed. FIG. 1C shows one example of the optical element 1 obtained by the third embodiment.

  The protrusion 6 is made of a resin composition (here, a resin composition for forming a protrusion). The protrusion 6 is a structure provided for the purpose of controlling the orientation of the driving liquid crystal included in the driving liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal display device in the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element 1. Therefore, the resin material constituting the protrusions 6 is not particularly limited as long as this object can be achieved as long as it is a resin material having optical transparency without refractive index anisotropy. The resin composition for protrusion formation which comprises the protrusion 6 can mention the resin composition containing photocurable resin. The photocurable resin that can be included in the protrusion-forming resin composition may be appropriately selected from materials that belong to the same range as the range of the photocurable resin constituting the columnar body 4. In addition, the protrusion 6 may be specifically formed of a positive resist.

  When the protrusions 6 are formed of a positive resist, a positive resist having a property of causing decomposition or the like due to energy irradiation and increasing the solubility of the developer is used. Specifically, the positive resist includes quinonediazides such as naphthoquinonediazide and benzoquinonediazide, diazo compounds such as diazomeldrum acid, diazodimedone and 3-diazo-2,4-dione, o-nitrobenzyl ester, onium Salt, onium salt and polyphthalaldehyde, t-butyl choline, OH group-soluble monomers such as hydroquinone, phloroglucin, 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzophenone, phenol novolac resin, cresol Novolak resins such as novolak resins, copolymers or copolymers of styrene and maleic acid, maleimide, phenolic and methacrylic acid, copolymers of styrene and acrylonitrile, polymethyl methacrylate, polymers Methyl crylate, polyhexafluorobutyl methacrylate, polydimethyltetrafluoropropyl methacrylate, polytrichloroethyl methacrylate, methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile copolymer, polymethyl isopropenyl ketone, poly α-cyanoacrylate, polytrifluoro And ethyl-α-chloroacrylate. Among these, from the viewpoint of versatility, the positive resist is preferably a mixed / condensed product containing a novolac resin as a main component.

  The individual shape, size, and formation position of the protrusion 6 are appropriately set according to the use of the optical element 1. Therefore, in the optical element 1, the formation pattern of the protrusions 6 is appropriately set.

  In the optical element 1, the projection 6 is formed in a predetermined region (projection installation scheduled region) where the projection 6 is planned to be installed in the in-plane direction of the base material 2 in plan view. The projection installation scheduled area is determined as an area that does not overlap the columnar body installation scheduled area in plan view. Further, the projected installation area is appropriately set according to the design of the liquid crystal display device in which the optical element 1 is incorporated.

  The shape and size of the protrusion 6 are appropriately set. For example, in the optical element 1 incorporated in a VA liquid crystal display device, the shape of the protrusion 6 is usually formed in a semi-elliptical sphere shape or a cone shape. Further, the size of the projection 6 is formed such that the tip of the projection 6 does not protrude from the tip of the columnar body 4. Therefore, the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the protrusion 6 is smaller than the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the columnar body 4. The protrusion is formed so that its height is about 0.5 to 2.0 μm.

`` Projection formation process ''
When the protrusion 6 is formed of a resin composition containing a photocurable resin, the protrusion 6 is formed using a photolithography method in the protrusion forming step as follows. First, a protrusion-forming resin composition is prepared. The protrusion-forming resin composition is applied onto a predetermined surface, whereby a coating film (protrusion-forming coating film) is formed. For example, the protrusion-forming resin composition is applied onto the externally exposed surface of the retardation layer 3 to form a protrusion-forming coating film on the retardation layer 3. Next, a photomask patterned with a pattern corresponding to the projected installation area is prepared. Actinic radiation such as ultraviolet rays is applied to the projection-forming coating film through the photomask. The projection-forming coating film is cured at the site irradiated with actinic radiation. Curing of the projection-forming coating film does not proceed at the site where actinic radiation has not been irradiated. The portion of the projection forming coating film that has not been irradiated with the active radiation is removed by development processing. Thus, a cured product of the projection forming coating film is formed in the projection installation planned region. This cured product corresponds to the protrusion 6.

  In the third embodiment, the columnar body forming step and the protrusion forming step are not only performed as separate steps, but these two steps may be performed simultaneously. This is specifically realized by “the columnar body 4 and the protrusion 6 are made of the same resin composition, and the columnar body 4 and the protrusion 6 are formed using a photolithography method”. it can. However, in this case, the formation regions of the columnar bodies 4 and the protrusions 6 do not overlap in plan view.

"Simultaneous implementation of columnar body formation process and protrusion formation process"
First, a resin composition (resin composition Q) serving as both a columnar body-forming resin composition and a protrusion-forming resin composition is prepared. The resin composition Q is applied onto a predetermined surface, whereby a coating film (coating film for forming columnar bodies and protrusions) is formed. For example, the resin composition Q is applied on the externally exposed surface of the retardation layer 3, and a coating film for forming the columnar bodies 4 and the protrusions 6 is formed on the retardation layer 3. Next, a photomask patterned with a pattern corresponding to the columnar body formation planned position and the projection installation planned region is prepared. However, the light transmittance of the portion corresponding to the pattern of the columnar body 4 and the portion corresponding to the pattern of the protrusion 6 in the photomask are different. Specifically, a halftone mask is given as the photomask. Then, actinic radiation such as ultraviolet rays is irradiated to the coating film for forming the columnar bodies 4 and the protrusions 6 through such a photomask. The coating film for forming the columnar body 4 and the protrusion 6 is cured at the site irradiated with the active radiation. Curing of the coating film for forming the columnar bodies 4 and the protrusions 6 does not proceed at the site where the actinic radiation is not irradiated. A portion of the coating film for forming the columnar body 4 and the protrusion 6 that has not been irradiated with active radiation is removed by development processing. In this way, cured products of the coating films for forming the columnar bodies 4 and the projections 6 are simultaneously formed in the columnar body formation planned positions and the projection installation planned areas, respectively. Of the cured product, the columnar body formation planned position corresponds to the columnar body 4, and the cured product formed in the projection installation planned area corresponds to the projection 6.

  When the protrusion 6 is formed of a positive resist, the protrusion 6 is formed using a photolithography method in the protrusion forming step as follows. In the protrusion forming step, a positive resist composition constituting the protrusion 6 is prepared. The positive resist composition is applied onto a predetermined surface, thereby forming a resist film. For example, a resist composition is applied on the externally exposed surface of the retardation layer 3, and a resist film is formed on the retardation layer 3. Next, a photomask patterned with a pattern corresponding to a region other than the projection installation planned region is prepared. Actinic radiation is irradiated toward the resist film through the photomask. The projection-forming coating film is solubilized so that it can be developed at the site irradiated with actinic radiation. Then, the solubilized portion of the resist film is removed by the development process. Thus, a cured product of the resist film is formed in a desired pattern. This cured product corresponds to the protrusion 6.

<About the fourth embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment, a color filter layer forming step of forming a color filter layer directly or indirectly on the substrate may be performed (fourth embodiment). Form).

  The optical element 1 obtained by the fourth embodiment includes a color filter layer 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

"Color filter layer"
The color filter layer 13 is formed with a colored layer 27.

  The colored layer 27 is a layer that can split a predetermined visible ray of incident light as transmitted light. Such a colored layer 27 can be formed using a material composition as shown below. Specifically, the material composition (colored layer composition) of the colored layer 27 includes, for example, a resin composition obtained by blending a pigment exhibiting a predetermined color and a resin composition, and is commercially available. Color resists for color filters, for example, IT-GR246, IT-GG445, and IT-GB506 manufactured by The Inktech Co., can be used as appropriate. The hue of the colored layer 27 is appropriately selected from red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and the like.

"Color filter layer formation process"
The color filter layer forming step is performed by forming the colored layer 27 directly or indirectly on the substrate 2. The colored layer 27 can be obtained by applying a colored layer composition on a predetermined surface to obtain a coating film, and curing the coating film. Here, the “predetermined surface” forming the colored layer 27 is the surface of a predetermined “member or layer” constituting the optical element 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the colored layer 27 is directly formed on the substrate 2, the “predetermined surface” is the surface of the substrate 2.

  In the color filter layer forming step, a plurality of types of colored layers 27 may be formed, and the color filter layer 13 having the plurality of colored layers 27 may be formed. In this case, each type of colored layer 27 is a layer having different visible light transmission spectra. At this time, the color filter layer 13 is a layer including the colored layer 27 having a different hue.

  When the color filter layer 13 is formed with a plurality of types of colored layers 27, each type of colored layer 27 is formed in a pattern defined for each colored layer 27.

  In the case where the color filter layer 13 includes a plurality of types of colored layers 27, specific examples of the color filter layer 13 include the examples shown in FIGS.

  The color filter layer 13 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is composed of three types of colored layers 27. The three types of colored layers 27 are three-color (three types) colored layers 27 (27a, 27b, 27c) and have different transmission spectra. The color filter layer 13 is formed by arranging colored layers 27 (27a, 27b, and 27c) in the surface order (FIG. 2). Each of the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c is formed in an intermittent strip pattern (a striped pattern) formed by intermittently arranging rectangular colored layers, and further intermittent strips. Each of the layers constituting the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c forming a pattern is formed in an elongated strip shape.

  The colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c are light transmissive, and in the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, the visible light that is transmitted is dispersed to obtain red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light, respectively. And

  Such colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c are based on a colored layer composition in which a coloring material obtained by blending a pigment and a resin corresponding to each transmission spectrum is dispersed in a solvent according to each transmission spectrum. The coating film formed by applying to 2 can be formed by patterning into a predetermined shape such as a rectangular shape by, for example, photolithography. In addition, the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c can be formed by applying the colored layer composition to the substrate 2 in a predetermined shape.

  When the color filter layer 13 includes a plurality of types of colored layers 27, the combined pattern of the colored layers 27 is not limited to the three colors of the RGB system as shown in FIGS. It is also possible to adopt a method, and it is also possible to adopt a case of two colors or four colors or more. In addition to the case where the pattern of the colored layer 27 is a rectangular pattern, a pattern in which a large number of fine patterns such as a triangle are dispersedly arranged on a predetermined surface such as the substrate 2 is used depending on the purpose. Various patterns can be taken.

  When the color filter layer 13 includes a plurality of types of colored layers 27 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the three colored layers of RGB (red (R) 27a, green (G) 27b, blue (B) 27c) Each of the predetermined areas forms an area (pixel part designating area 22) that defines an intersection range between the pixels of the pixel part and the colored layer 27. In this color filter 10, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, three color layers (red (R) 27a, green (G) 27b, blue (B) 27c) are defined. One pixel 21 is formed by the pixel portion designation area 22 being over.

<About the fifth embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the second embodiment, the third embodiment, and the fourth embodiment, a step of forming the black matrix 15 (BM formation step) may be performed (fifth embodiment). ).

  The black matrix (BM) is often provided in the optical element 1 in order to partition the pixel portion into pixels when the pixel portion is configured by assembling a large number of pixels.

  In the fourth embodiment, a case where the BM formation process is performed will be described as an example. The BM forming step is performed before the color filter layer forming step, the retardation layer forming step, the columnar body forming step, the protrusion forming step, and the transparent conductive film forming step. At this time, the optical element obtained by the fifth embodiment is formed by laminating the black matrix 15 on the substrate 2 before laminating the colored layer 27, the retardation layer 3 and the columnar body 4 on the substrate 2. (FIGS. 4 and 5). 4 and 5 are a schematic plan view and a schematic cross-sectional view, respectively, showing a cross-section for explaining one example of the optical element 1 obtained.

  The BM forming step can be formed by patterning a light-shielding or light-absorbing metal thin film such as a metal chrome thin film or a tungsten thin film that forms the material of the black matrix 15 on the surface of the substrate 2. The black matrix 15 can also be formed by printing an organic material such as a resin containing a black pigment in a predetermined shape or by a photolithography method. In addition, the BM formation process can be realized by applying a material forming a black matrix into a predetermined shape.

"Black Matrix 15"
In the example of the optical element 1 obtained in the fifth embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a light-shielding black matrix 15 is formed vertically and horizontally on one surface of the substrate 2 in a grid pattern (lattice stripe pattern). Thereby, a large number of non-formation regions of the black matrix 15 are formed as lattice points in the form of openings 20. At this time, when each optical element 1 is incorporated in the liquid crystal display device, each of the openings 20 is an area (effective display area (the entire pixel portion) that designates a range of one pixel of the liquid crystal display device in plan view. Among these, a region for one pixel in a region used for image display) corresponds to a region for forming a black matrix 15 and corresponds to a region for designating a light-shielding portion that outlines each pixel. The light shielding portion corresponds to a portion where the black matrix 15 is installed in the optical element 1.

  In the example of the optical element 1 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the three colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c are formed on the base material 2 on which the black matrix 15 is disposed so as to cover a predetermined region of the opening 20. Are arranged in a frame sequence (FIGS. 4 and 5). In this color filter 10, the opening 20 is covered with the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c, the pixel ranges corresponding to the respective hues are designated, and the pixels of different hues of the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c are designated. (In FIG. 4, an area specified by a combination of the three areas of the opening 20), the area for designating one picture element 21 is specified.

  In the fifth embodiment, the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c can be formed appropriately using a method such as a photolithography method for each hue, as in the color filter layer forming step of the fourth embodiment.

  Further, the black matrix 15 has a function as a light-shielding portion such as “a function for preventing color mixture of light transmitted through the colored layers 27a, 27b, and 27c to be applied” and “a substrate when incorporated in a liquid crystal display device”. And a function of concealing a driving circuit such as a TFT used for driving the driving liquid crystal from outside light.

  The arrangement shape of the black matrix 15 is not limited to a rectangular lattice shape, and may be formed in a stripe shape or a triangular lattice shape.

  The optical element 1 obtained by the production method of the present invention can be incorporated in a liquid crystal display device. The configuration of a liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element 1 will be described as follows using one example of a liquid crystal display device as shown in FIGS.

<About the liquid crystal display device 50>
6A and 6B schematically show a liquid crystal display device incorporating an optical element obtained in the fifth embodiment as a liquid crystal display device for explaining a liquid crystal display device incorporating an optical element. Has been. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the optical element 1 obtained in the fifth embodiment is obtained by providing protrusions 6, a colored layer 27, and a black matrix 15 on the optical element obtained in the first embodiment. The optical element 1 shown in FIG. 4 has a structure in which a protrusion 6 is further provided before the transparent conductive film 5 is formed. The liquid crystal display device is a VA-type transflective liquid crystal display device 50. FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display device, which is a cross section such that “when the cross section of the optical element 1 is viewed, the cross section shown in FIG. 5 is obtained”. FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display device, and is a cross-section such as “when the cross-section of the optical element 1 is viewed, the cross-section shown in the cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 4”.

  6A and 6B, a transflective liquid crystal display device 50 includes a liquid crystal (driving liquid crystal; negative liquid crystal) between a pair of substrates 31 (first substrate 32 and second substrate 33) facing each other. And a liquid crystal cell formed by forming a driving liquid crystal layer 35, linear polarizing plates 39 and 40 are disposed outside the liquid crystal cell in the thickness direction, and liquid crystal is further provided. A backlight (not shown) is arranged at a position outside the second substrate 33 in the cell thickness direction outside. The backlight is arranged so that light using this as a light source is directed to the second substrate 33 of the liquid crystal cell.

  The transflective liquid crystal display device 50 includes a transmissive part and a reflective part. In the transflective liquid crystal display device 50, “the light incident on the liquid crystal cell from the backlight passes through the second substrate 33, the driving liquid crystal layer 35, and the first substrate 32 in this order. This is a part used to form an image. In the transflective liquid crystal display device 50, “the external light incident on the liquid crystal cell passes through the first substrate 32 and the driving liquid crystal layer 35, is reflected by the second substrate 33, and is driven again. The liquid crystal layer 35 and the first substrate 32 are used to form an image ”.

  In the first substrate 32, the outer edge of the effective display area is formed on the base material 2 by a light shielding portion made of a light shielding black matrix (BM) 15. The effective display area is an area corresponding to the existence area of the pixel portion constituting the liquid crystal display screen of the liquid crystal display device 50. In addition, by forming the light shielding portion, a region that designates a large number of finely patterned pixels as a region surrounded by the outer edge of the BM in plan view is partitioned in the effective display region. That is, the light shielding portion forms an outer edge of the effective display area and partitions the effective display area into each pixel.

  On the first substrate 32, a light shielding portion is formed so as to surround each pixel in the in-plane direction of the first substrate 32. Each pixel of the first substrate 32 has a region corresponding to the transmissive portion (transmissive portion region 200) and a region corresponding to the reflective portion (reflective portion region 201).

  The BM 15 can be formed in a desired shape by photolithography after coating a light-shielding material on the entire surface of the base 2 on the in-cell side (the side facing the driving liquid crystal layer 35). 6A and 6B, the BM 15 is formed in a vertical and horizontal lattice shape.

  On the first substrate 32, the color filter layer 13 made of the colored layer 27 is laminated so as to cover the transmission part region 200 and the reflection part region 201 of the pixel portion. At this time, when the surface of the base material 2 on which the BM 15 is stacked is the surface M, and the surface of the base material 2 that is the back surface of the base material 2 with respect to the surface M is the surface N, the color filter The layer 13 is formed at a position on the surface M side with respect to the substrate 2.

  The color filter layer 13 is composed of a colored layer 27 of three kinds of hues of RGB. Each type of colored layer 27 is configured using a pigment resist. Each type of colored layer 27 is formed in a strip shape. Further, each type of colored layer 27 is formed so as to cover the pixel portion formed in a lattice shape by the BM 15. In addition, formation of each kind of colored layer 27 is implement | achieved by the photolithographic method. At this time, the colored layer 27 (R) having a hue of R (Red), the colored layer 27 (G) having a hue of G (Green), and the colored layer 27 (B) having a hue of B (Blue) are formed in a surface sequential manner. Is done.

  The retardation layer 3 is formed on the first substrate 32. The retardation layer 3 is formed on the surface M side with respect to the base material 2. The phase difference layer 3 is formed in a pattern in a region overlapping with the reflection region 201 of the pixel portion in plan view. Thereby, in the transflective liquid crystal display device in which the first substrate 32 is incorporated, the thickness of the portion of the first substrate 32 constituting the reflective portion and the portion of the first substrate 32 constituting the transmissive portion. The thickness will be different.

  The retardation layer 3 has a thickness in which the thickness (cell gap) of the driving liquid crystal layer 35 facing the reflection portion region 201 is approximately half of the thickness (cell gap) of the driving liquid crystal layer 35 facing the transmission portion region 200. Designed to be

  Furthermore, the phase difference layer 3 is designed so as to cause a phase shift corresponding to, for example, a quarter wavelength. For example, in the driving liquid crystal layer 35 sealed in the liquid crystal cell, when a voltage is applied to the driving liquid crystal layer 35, the phase difference is ¼ wavelength in the reflection portion and the phase difference is in the transmission portion. Refraction of the liquid crystal molecules constituting the driving liquid crystal 34 constituting the driving liquid crystal layer 35 so that the phase difference is zero at both the reflection part and the transmission part when the voltage is not applied to the driving liquid crystal layer 35 at half wavelength. The rate anisotropy Δn and cell gap (D) and orientation are designed.

  On the first substrate, the columnar body 4 and the protrusions 6 are respectively formed in a columnar body installation planned area and a projection installation planned area with a resin material such as a photo-curable resin material.

  A large number of columnar bodies 4 are formed on the first substrate 32 so as to be interposed between the first substrate 32 and the second substrate 33. The columnar body 4 is formed with such a length that the first substrate 32 has a proximal end and the second substrate 33 can be in contact with the distal end when the liquid crystal cell is formed. As a result, the cell gap D of the driving liquid crystal layer 35 is maintained at a predetermined size.

  In FIG. 6, the protrusion 6 is formed in a shape (semi-elliptical sphere) obtained by dividing an elliptic sphere in half by a plane whose major axis is the normal direction. As for the projected installation area of the projection 6, the projected installation area is designated in a pattern such that one is formed at the center of the reflection area 201 in each pixel.

  A transparent conductive film 5 is formed on the first substrate 32. The transparent conductive film 5 is formed after the formation of the retardation layer 3, the protrusion 6, and the columnar body 4. In the first substrate 32, the transparent conductive film 5 is formed in a rectangular region for each pixel. That is, the transparent conductive film 5 is formed in a predetermined pattern, and the pattern is a pattern formed with a rectangular region as one unit. The pattern is a pattern corresponding to the pixel formation pattern.

  The second substrate 33 is a surface of the second substrate 33 and a region in the plane facing the first substrate, and corresponds to the reflective portion and the transmissive portion in the transflective liquid crystal display device. The areas are respectively a reflection area and a transmission area on the second substrate 33 side.

  The light that travels in the liquid crystal layer 35 in the direction from the first substrate 32 toward the second substrate 33 is reflected on the light-transmitting base material 11 in the reflection part region on the second substrate 33 side. A reflector 38 is provided. The base material 11 of the second substrate 33 is selected from a range that can be used as the base material 2 of the first substrate 32.

  The transmission region on the second substrate 33 side is configured to transmit light using a backlight as a light source and to travel in the driving liquid crystal layer in a direction from the second substrate 33 toward the first substrate 32. .

  On the second substrate 33, on the in-cell side, pixel switching elements such as TFTs, and electric circuit portions (not shown) such as data lines and scanning lines are formed. Further, on the second substrate 33, the transparent conductive film 42 is formed in accordance with the shape of each pixel on the first substrate 32 in plan view. That is, the transparent conductive film 42 is formed on the second substrate 33 in a pattern that matches the segmentation pattern of each pixel. The transparent conductive film 42 on the second substrate 33 can be formed using the same transparent conductive film 5 as that on the first substrate 32. However, in the second substrate 33, the electric circuit portion and the transparent conductive film 42 indicate that “in forming the liquid crystal cell, the columnar shape of the first substrate 32 when the second substrate faces the first substrate. It is formed in a “region that does not contact the body”.

  Linearly polarizing plates 39 and 40 (first linearly polarizing plate 39 and second linearly polarizing plate 40) are provided outside the liquid crystal cell, and the first straight line provided outside the first substrate 32 is provided. The polarizing plate 39 and the second linear polarizing plate 40 provided outside the second substrate are arranged so that their transmission axes are orthogonal to each other, and the two linear polarizing plates 39 and 40 form a crossed Nicols state. is doing.

  In the transflective liquid crystal display device 50, a retardation film 41 may be appropriately disposed between the first substrate 32 and the first polarizing plate 39 as necessary. The retardation film 41 may be a single element such as a retardation film having a function as a positive A plate, a function as a positive C plate, or a negative C plate if used. What combined the film suitably is used.

  The above description of the liquid crystal display device is a case where the liquid crystal display device is a VA-type transflective liquid crystal display device. However, in this description, the liquid crystal display device in which the optical element of the present invention can be incorporated is not limited to the VA type transflective liquid crystal display device.

  The production method of the present invention will be described in more detail using examples as shown below.

  In carrying out the production method of the present invention to produce an optical element, a substrate was prepared.

<Preparation of base material>
As a base material, a low expansion coefficient non-alkali glass plate (Corning 1737 glass 100 mm × 100 mm, thickness 0.7 mm) (glass base material) subjected to a cleaning treatment (glass base material) was prepared.

<Preparation of various compositions>
Next, various compositions such as a liquid crystal composition used for manufacturing an optical element, a resin composition for forming a columnar body, a resin composition for forming a protrusion, and a composition for forming a colored layer are as follows. The composition was prepared.

<Liquid crystal composition>
The following components (polymerizable liquid crystal compound, photopolymerization initiator, polymerization inhibitor, solvent) were mixed and stirred at 70 ° C. for 30 minutes to obtain a mixed solution. And the temperature of the liquid mixture was cooled to room temperature. This mixed liquid brought to room temperature becomes a liquid crystal composition.

(Composition of liquid crystal composition (components and amount of each component))
Polymerizable liquid crystal compound (compound of X = 6 in Chemical formula 12) 28.75 parts by weight Photopolymerization initiator (Irgacure 907) 1.24 parts by weight Polymerization inhibitor (2,6-di-t-butyl-p -Cresol) 0.01 parts by weight / solvent (diethylene glycol dimethyl ether) 70.00 parts by weight

<Resin composition for columnar body formation and resin composition for protrusion formation>
The resin composition (resin composition A) was used for both the resin composition for forming the columnar body and the resin composition for forming the protrusions. The resin composition A is a photoresist composed of the following components and compositions.

(Composition of resin composition A)
・ Monomer: 14.0 parts by weight (Sartomer Co., Ltd., SR399)
-Polymer 1 ... 13.0 parts by weight-Initiator ... 2.0 parts by weight (Ciba Geigy, Irgacure 907)
・ Initiator: 1.0 part by weight (Ciba Geigy, Irgacure 365)
・ Solvent: 70.0 parts by weight (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate)

<Composition for forming a colored layer>
A pigment-dispersed photoresist was used for the composition for forming the colored layer. For the pigment-dispersed photoresist, which is a material constituting the colored layer, a coloring material constituting the red (R) colored pixel (photoresist for red (R) colored pixel) was employed.

  A pigment dispersion type photoresist uses a pigment as a coloring material, adds beads to a dispersion composition (containing a pigment, a dispersant, and a solvent), disperses for 3 hours with a disperser, and then removes the beads. A clear resist composition (containing polymer, monomer, additive, initiator and solvent) is mixed. Its composition is shown below. A paint shaker (manufactured by Asada Tekko Co., Ltd.) was used as the disperser.

  The composition of the red (R) colored pixel photoresist is as follows.

<Composition of Photoresist for Red (R) Colored Pixel>
-Red pigment: 4.8 parts by weight (CIPR254 (Chromophthal DPP Red BP manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals))
・ Yellow pigment: 1.2 parts by weight (CI PY139 (manufactured by BASF, Paliotor Yellow D1819))
・ Dispersant: 3.0 parts by weight (manufactured by Zeneca Corp.
-Monomer: 4.0 parts by weight (SR399, manufactured by Sartomer Co., Ltd.)
-Polymer 1-5.0 parts by weight-Initiator-1.4 parts by weight (Irgacure 907 manufactured by Ciba Geigy)
Initiator: 0.6 parts by weight (2,2′-bis (o-chlorophenyl) -4,5,4 ′, 5′-tetraphenyl-1,2′-biimidazole)
・ Solvent: 80.0 parts by weight (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate)

  The polymer 1 described in this specification is a copolymer of benzyl methacrylate: styrene: acrylic acid: 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate = 15.6: 37.0: 30.5: 16.9 (molar ratio). 16.9 mol% of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate is added to 100 mol%, and the weight average molecular weight is 42500.

Example 1
<Formation of alignment film>
An alignment film forming composition (manufactured by JSR Corporation, AL1254) was applied on a glass substrate with a spin coater. At this time, a member (laminated material A) in which a coating film (coating film for alignment film formation) is formed on the glass substrate surface and a coating film (coating film for alignment film formation) is formed on the glass substrate surface was gotten. The coating conditions were adjusted so that the film thickness of the alignment film was 0.1 μm or less. Laminate A was fired in an oven at 230 ° C. for 30 minutes. Next, an orientation treatment was performed on the surface of the coating film of the laminate A. The alignment treatment was performed by rubbing the surface of the coating film constituting the laminated material A. The rubbing was performed by a rubbing apparatus. By this alignment treatment, the coating film of the laminated material A becomes an alignment film.

<Phase difference layer forming step>
On the alignment film surface of the laminate A, a retardation layer was formed as follows. In the optical element, the retardation layer was formed in a predetermined stripe pattern.

  First, the liquid crystal composition was applied onto the alignment film surface of the laminate A. Thereby, a liquid crystal coating film was formed on the alignment film surface of the laminate A, and a member (laminate B) formed by forming the liquid crystal coating film on the alignment film surface of the laminate A was obtained. The liquid crystal composition was applied by spin coating. After application of the liquid layer composition, the laminate B was pre-baked (prebaked) at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes.

  Next, a photomask on which a stripe pattern was formed was prepared. Here, the striped pattern of the photomask is a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the retardation layer of the optical element.

The prepared photomask was disposed at a position facing the liquid crystal coating film of the pre-baked laminated material B with a gap. At this time, the region where the striped pattern was formed in the photomask faced the region where the retardation layer was to be provided in the optical element. Further, the liquid crystal coating film of the laminate B was subjected to an exposure process. The exposure process was performed by irradiating the liquid crystal coating film of the laminate B with ultraviolet rays (wavelength 365 nm, dose 200 mJ / cm ² ) through a photomask. After the exposure process, the liquid crystal coating film of the laminate B was developed. The development process was performed by butt development with methyl ethyl ketone (development time 5 seconds). At this time, the liquid crystal coating film of the laminated material B was a film formed in a stripe pattern.

  After the development treatment, the laminate B was baked (main baking (post-baking)) at 230 ° C. for 30 minutes. As a result, the liquid crystal coating film of the laminated material B becomes a retardation layer patterned in a stripe pattern. The retardation layer was formed in a stripe pattern having a line width of about 30 μm. The thickness of the retardation layer was 2.0 μm. The thickness of the retardation layer was measured with a stylus type film thickness meter.

  Thus, by performing exposure processing and development processing on the laminate B, a member (laminate C) including a glass substrate, an alignment film, and a patterned retardation layer is obtained. In the retardation layer of the laminate C, the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the retardation layer is homogeneously aligned. That is, this retardation layer is a layer that functions as a so-called positive A plate.

<Columnar body formation process>
A columnar body was formed in a predetermined region on the surface of the laminated material C by the following photolithography method. The “surface of the laminated material C” on which the columnar body is formed is a surface on which the retardation layer is formed in the surface of the laminated material C. Further, the “predetermined region of the laminated material C” where the columnar body is formed is a region corresponding to a predetermined region (a columnar body installation planned region) in the optical element.

<Formation of columnar body by photolithography>
The resin composition A was applied to the entire surface of the laminated material C on the surface where the retardation layer was formed. Application of the resin composition A was performed by a spin coat method. At this time, a coating film was formed on the surface of the layered material C on the phase difference layer forming surface, and a member (laminated material D) formed by forming the coating film on the layered material C was formed. Next, the coating process of the laminated material D was performed. The drying process was performed by allowing the laminated material D to stand under reduced pressure. The solvent contained in the coating film of the laminated material D was distilled off by the drying process. After the drying treatment, the laminated material D was pre-baked (pre-baked) at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes.

  Next, a photomask having a predetermined pattern was prepared. Here, the predetermined pattern of the photomask is a pattern corresponding to the formation pattern of the region corresponding to the columnar body installation planned region of the optical element.

The photomask prepared for forming the columnar body was disposed at a position facing the coating film of the pre-fired laminated material D with a gap. Further, the coating film of the laminated material D was subjected to an exposure process. The exposure process was performed by irradiating the coating film of the laminated material D with ultraviolet rays (wavelength 365 nm, dose 100 mJ / cm ² ) through a photomask. After the exposure process, the coating film of the laminate D was developed. The development processing was performed by spray development using a 0.1% KOH aqueous solution (development time 60 seconds). After the development treatment, the laminate D was baked (post-baked) at 230 ° C. for 30 minutes. At this time, the predetermined part in the coating film of the laminated material D becomes a columnar body. Thereby, the member (laminated material E) which forms a columnar body in the columnar body installation plan area | region on the formation surface of a phase difference layer was obtained.

  In the laminated material E, each columnar body was formed in a columnar shape (diameter: 10 μm, height: about 2 μm).

<Transparent conductive film formation process>
On the surface of the laminated material E, a transparent conductive film was formed as follows. The “surface of the laminated material E” on which the transparent conductive film is formed is a formation surface of the retardation layer or the columnar body in the surface of the laminated material E.

  ITO was selected as a material for forming the transparent conductive film. Then, ITO was sputtered on the surface of the laminated material E. At this time, a transparent conductive film was formed on the surface of the laminated material E so as to cover the phase difference layer and the formation surface in the column state.

  Thus, the optical element was produced by carrying out the production method of the present invention.

  Next, the surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured for the obtained optical element. The surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured by AFM. At this time, on the surface of the optical element, an observation was made as to whether or not large surface irregularities were observed in a region (region K) overlapping the phase difference layer formation region in plan view. In this optical element, it was confirmed that the occurrence of surface irregularities in the region K on the surface of the optical element was very slightly recognized. The surface irregularities were striped.

  The cross-sectional profile of the optical element measured by AFM is as shown in FIG. The surface selected as the cross-sectional profile is a surface that passes through the region K (a surface that passes through the installation region of the retardation layer) in plan view, but is a surface that does not pass through the installation region of the columnar body. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element measured based on the cross-sectional profile was 78 nm.

  In measuring the size of the surface irregularities, ΔH is measured. ΔH was measured based on each cross-sectional profile for three selected longitudinal cross sections. The three longitudinal sections were selected as follows. Three were selected from a large number of stripe-like layer structures constituting the retardation layer, and three longitudinal sections were selected, one at each of the central positions of the surface irregularity formation regions in the three layer structures. . Next, a cross-sectional profile was measured for each vertical cross-section. Then, one central position is defined in the region where the formation of surface irregularities is recognized in the cross-sectional profile, and the top of the convex portion and the bottom of the concave portion recognized at the closest position from the determined position are measured for H1 and H2. Selected as a target. Then, ΔH is specified as three values of the difference between H1 and H2 measured for each of the three cross-sectional profiles. As the average value of ΔH, the size of the surface irregularities was measured.

Comparative Example 1
About the process (formation film formation process and phase difference layer formation process) from the preparation of the glass substrate to the formation of the laminated material C, the same process as Example 1 was implemented. Thereby, the laminated material C was obtained. Next, a transparent conductive film forming step was performed on the surface of the laminated material C. The “surface of the laminated material C” on which the transparent conductive film is formed is a surface on which the retardation layer is formed in the surface of the laminated material C. As in Example 1, ITO and sputtering were used for the material and the forming method of the transparent conductive film, respectively.

  And after forming a transparent conductive film on the surface of the laminated material C, the columnar body formation process was further performed and the columnar body was formed on the transparent conductive film surface. In the columnar body forming step, the same columnar body material and forming method as those in Example 1 were performed, and the resin composition A and the photolithography method were used. In addition, as a region where the columnar body is formed in Comparative Example 1, the same region as the region where the columnar body was formed in Example 1 was selected in plan view. Thus, an optical element comprising a base material and a columnar body after forming a retardation layer and a transparent conductive film was obtained.

  For the obtained optical element, the surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element and the cross-sectional profile of the longitudinal section of the optical element were measured. The surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured by AFM as in Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, the presence of large striped surface irregularities was observed in plan view. Further, as the longitudinal section of the sectional profile of the optical element, the same surface as the longitudinal section selected in Example 1 was selected. The cross-sectional profile of the optical element measured by AFM is as shown in FIG. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element measured based on this profile was 128 nm.

Example 2
After the formation of the laminated material E using the same process as in Example 1, a protrusion having a height of 1 μm was formed on the surface of the laminated material E.

<Protrusion formation process>
Protrusions were formed in a predetermined region on the surface of the laminated material E by a photolithography method. The “surface of the laminated material E” on which the protrusion is formed is a surface on which the retardation layer is formed in the surface of the laminated material E. Further, the “predetermined region of the laminated material E” where the protrusion is formed is a region corresponding to a predetermined region (projection installation planned region) in the optical element to be obtained. As the material constituting the protrusions, the resin composition A was employed as in the material used in forming the columnar body of Example 1. In addition, the same method as the photolithography method employed in forming the columnar body of Example 1 was used as the photolithography method as the method for forming the protrusions. However, in the photolithography method as a method for forming the protrusions, the pattern formed on the photomask is different from the pattern formed on the photomask used in forming the columnar body of Example 1. That is, the predetermined pattern of the photomask used for forming the protrusion is a pattern corresponding to the formation pattern of the region corresponding to the region where the protrusion of the optical element is to be provided.

  After a protrusion is formed on the surface of the laminated material E, a protrusion forming surface of the surface of the laminated material F with respect to a member (laminated material F) formed with the protrusion on the surface of the laminated material E A transparent conductive film was formed thereon. The transparent conductive film was formed by the same material and method as in Example 1. At this time, a transparent conductive film was formed on one side of the laminated material F. In this way, an optical element was obtained which was provided with a base material and formed a transparent conductive film after forming a retardation layer, a columnar body and a protrusion.

  About the obtained optical element, the surface profile of the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured by the same method as Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, the presence of stripe-shaped surface irregularities was only slightly recognized in plan view. In addition, the “longitudinal section of the optical element” that is the target of the sectional profile was selected in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element was 77 nm.

Comparative Example 2
Further, protrusions were formed on the surface of the optical element obtained in Comparative Example 1. The protrusion forming process was performed using the same protrusion forming process as in Example 2. Thus, an optical element comprising a base material and a columnar body and a protrusion formed after forming a retardation layer and a transparent conductive film was obtained.

  About the obtained optical element, the surface profile of the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured by the same method as Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, the presence of large striped surface irregularities was observed in plan view. In addition, the “longitudinal section of the optical element” that is the target of the sectional profile was selected in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element was 209 nm.

Example 3
“The columnar body forming step is performed before forming the alignment film on the substrate” and “After the retardation layer is formed, the transparent conductive film forming step is performed instead of the columnar body forming step” An optical element was obtained using the same method as in Example 1 except that.

  This optical element includes a base material, forms a retardation layer after forming a columnar body, and forms a transparent conductive film after forming the retardation layer.

  With respect to the obtained optical element, the surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, the presence of stripe-shaped surface irregularities was only slightly recognized in plan view. In addition, the “longitudinal section of the optical element” that is the target of the sectional profile was selected in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element was 80 nm.

Example 4
"The color filter layer forming step is performed before forming the alignment film on the substrate", "In the step of forming the alignment film, the alignment film is formed on the surface of the colored layer forming the color filter layer" An optical element was obtained using the same method as in Example 1 except that.

<Color filter layer forming step>
The color filter layer forming step is a step of forming a colored layer. And the process of forming a colored layer was implemented as follows.

A red (R) pigment-dispersed photoresist was applied to the substrate by spin coating, the solvent was reduced by drying under reduced pressure, prebaked at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes, and exposed (100 mJ / cm ² ). . Subsequently, spray development using a 0.1% KOH aqueous solution was performed for 50 seconds, followed by post-baking at 230 ° C. for 30 minutes to form a red (R) colored layer having a thickness of 2.2 μm. Been formed.

  With respect to the obtained optical element, the surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, the presence of stripe-shaped surface irregularities was only slightly recognized in plan view. In addition, the “longitudinal section of the optical element” that is the target of the sectional profile was selected in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element was 81 nm.

Comparative Example 3
"The color filter layer forming step is performed before forming the alignment film on the substrate", "In the step of forming the alignment film, the alignment film is formed on the surface of the colored layer forming the color filter layer" An optical element was obtained using the same method as in Comparative Example 1 except that. The same method as in Example 4 was used for the color filter layer forming step.

  For the optical element obtained in Comparative Example 3, the surface profile in the in-plane direction of the optical element was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. In the region K on the surface of the optical element, large stripe-shaped surface irregularities were observed in plan view. In addition, the “longitudinal section of the optical element” that is the target of the sectional profile was selected in the same manner as in Example 1. The size of the surface irregularities in the region K of the optical element was 134 nm.

(A) It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the example of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (B) It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the example of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (C) It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the example of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows typically an example of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (A) It is a figure which shows typically the II sectional view of FIG. (B) It is a figure which shows typically the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a schematic plan view which shows typically an example of the optical element obtained by 5th Embodiment of the manufacturing method of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the III-III line cross section of FIG. (A) It is a schematic sectional drawing in the example of the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (B) It is a schematic sectional drawing in the example of the liquid crystal display device incorporating the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (A) It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the surface asperity of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. (B) It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the surface asperity of the optical element obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention. It is a figure which shows the measurement result of AFM in Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the measurement result of AFM in the comparative example 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Optical element 2 Base material 3 Phase difference layer 4 Columnar body 5 Transparent electrically conductive film 6 Protrusion 11 Base material 13 Color filter layer 15 Black matrix 27 Colored layer 31 A pair of board | substrate 32 1st board | substrate 33 2nd board | substrate 50 Semi-transmissive semi-transmission Reflective liquid crystal display

Claims (11)

Polymerizing a resin composition containing a light transmissive substrate, a retardation layer obtained by polymerizing a liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound, a conductive transparent conductive film, and a photocurable resin A method of manufacturing an optical element having a columnar body,
A liquid crystal composition containing a polymerizable liquid crystal compound is directly or indirectly applied to a substrate to prepare a liquid crystal coating film, and the polymerizable liquid crystal compound contained in the liquid crystal coating film is polymerized to form the liquid crystal coating film. A retardation layer forming step for forming a retardation layer;
A transparent conductive film forming step of forming a transparent conductive film with a conductive film composition containing a conductive material directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate; and
A columnar body forming step of forming a columnar body by applying and polymerizing a resin composition containing a photocurable resin directly or indirectly to a base material,
A method for producing an optical element, wherein a transparent conductive film forming step is performed after the retardation layer forming step and the columnar body forming step.
The method for producing an optical element according to claim 1, wherein in the transparent conductive film forming step, the transparent conductive film is formed in a predetermined pattern in an in-plane direction of the substrate.
A protrusion forming step is performed in which the protrusions are provided in a predetermined pattern in the in-plane direction of the substrate, directly or indirectly with respect to the substrate.
The protrusion formed in the protrusion forming step is formed such that the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the protrusion is smaller than the height from the base end portion to the tip end portion of the columnar body,
The manufacturing method of the optical element of Claim 1 or 2 with which a protrusion formation process is performed before a transparent conductive film formation process is performed.
The method for producing an optical element according to claim 3, wherein in the protrusion forming step, the protrusion is formed by polymerizing a resin composition containing a photocurable resin directly or indirectly with respect to the base material.
The method for manufacturing an optical element according to claim 3, wherein in the protrusion forming step, the protrusion is formed directly or indirectly on the base material by a photolithography method using a positive resist.
The method of manufacturing an optical element according to claim 4, wherein the columnar body and the protrusion are formed simultaneously with a resin composition containing the same photocurable resin, whereby the columnar body formation step and the protrusion formation step are performed simultaneously. .
The optical element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in the retardation layer forming step, the retardation layer is formed in a predetermined pattern in an in-plane direction of the base material.
2. A color filter layer forming step of forming a color filter layer having a colored layer that can be dispersed directly or indirectly with respect to a substrate by using a predetermined visible ray of transmitted light as transmitted light. 8. A method for producing an optical element according to any one of items 1 to 7.
In the color filter layer forming step, a plurality of types of colored layers having different visible light transmission spectra are formed in a pattern defined for each type of colored layer, thereby having a plurality of types of colored layers. The method for producing an optical element according to claim 8, wherein a color filter layer is formed.
An optical element obtained by the manufacturing method according to claim 1.
  A liquid crystal display device comprising the optical element according to claim 10.

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