JP6409295B2 - Polarizer and optical alignment device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a polarizer having an excellent extinction ratio and high P-wave transmittance for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less, and a photo-alignment apparatus including the polarizer.

A liquid crystal display device generally has a structure in which a counter substrate on which driving elements are formed and a color filter are arranged to face each other and the periphery is sealed, and a gap is filled with a liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal material has refractive index anisotropy, and the pixel is switched on and off from the difference between the state where the liquid crystal material is aligned along the direction of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal material and the state where no voltage is applied. Can be displayed. Here, the substrate sandwiching the liquid crystal material is provided with an alignment film for aligning the liquid crystal material.
As the alignment film, for example, a film using a polymer material typified by polyimide is known, and the alignment film has an alignment regulating force by rubbing the polymer material with a cloth or the like. Become.
However, the alignment film to which the alignment regulating force is applied by such rubbing treatment has a problem that the cloth or the like remains as a foreign substance.

On the other hand, in the alignment film that expresses the alignment regulating force by irradiating linearly polarized light, that is, the photo-alignment film, the alignment regulating force can be applied without performing the rubbing treatment with the cloth as described above. In recent years, it has attracted attention because there is no defect that remains as a foreign object.
As an irradiation method of linearly polarized light for imparting alignment regulating force to such a photo-alignment film, a method of exposing through a polarizer is generally used. As the polarizer, one having a plurality of fine wires arranged in parallel is used, and as a material constituting the fine wires, aluminum or titanium oxide is used (Patent Document 1, etc.).

Japanese Patent No. 4523661

  However, in a polarizer having a thin wire made of the material as described above, the extinction ratio (P-wave transmittance / S-wave transmittance) in the case of light having a short wavelength such as the ultraviolet region, that is, the above-described thin wire. To the transmittance of the polarization component (S wave) parallel to the above (the S wave component in the outgoing light / the S wave component in the incident light, hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as the S wave transmittance). The ratio of the transmittance of the polarized light component (P wave) perpendicular to the light beam (the P wave component in the outgoing light / the P wave component in the incident light, hereinafter simply referred to as P wave transmittance) is a specific wavelength. There was a problem that the belt was low.

  For example, a material using aluminum as a material constituting a thin wire has insufficient polarization characteristics such as an extinction ratio with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 300 nm or less, particularly ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 260 nm. In addition, a material using titanium oxide as a material constituting a thin wire has insufficient polarization characteristics such as an extinction ratio with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 300 nm or more, particularly ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm to 375 nm. It was.

  In addition, since the P-wave transmittance contributes to the productivity when irradiating the photo-alignment film, it is desirable that the deflector has not only a desired extinction ratio but also a high P-wave transmittance. However, when trying to increase the extinction ratio of the polarizer, there is a problem that the P-wave transmittance decreases. For example, the extinction ratio can be increased by increasing the line width of the thin polarizer line while maintaining the pitch, but the P-wave transmittance is greatly reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 400 nm, particularly for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 260 nm, and for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm to 375 nm. However, the main object is to provide a polarizer having an excellent extinction ratio and a high P-wave transmittance.

  As a result of repeated researches to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor made the thin wire of the polarizer from a material containing molybdenum silicide, and made the film thickness, pitch, and line width of the thin wire within a predetermined range. Excellent extinction ratio and high P-wave transmittance for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 400 nm, particularly ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 260 nm, and ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm to 375 nm. The present invention has been completed.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a polarizer in which a plurality of fine wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate that is transparent to ultraviolet light, and the fine wires are molybdenum silicide. a layer that consists of a material containing, on the upper and side surfaces of the layer made of a material containing said molybdenum silicide has a silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide, the wavelength is more than 240 nm 400 nm It is a polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more with respect to the following ultraviolet light.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polarizer in which a plurality of fine wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate having transparency to ultraviolet light, the fine wires being molybdenum silicide. a layer that consists of a material containing, on the upper and side surfaces of the layer made of a material containing said molybdenum silicide has a silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide, the wavelength is more than 240 nm 260 nm It is a polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more with respect to the following ultraviolet light.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polarizer in which a plurality of fine wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate that is transparent to ultraviolet light, the fine wires being molybdenum silicide. a layer that consists of a material containing, on the upper and side surfaces of the layer made of a material containing said molybdenum silicide has a silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide, the wavelength is more than 355 nm 375 nm It is a polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 100 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 60% or more with respect to the following ultraviolet light.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present invention has a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 5 or more for light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less. The polarizer according to item.

  The invention according to claim 5 of the present invention has a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 20 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 220 nm or more and 500 nm or less. The polarizer according to item.

  In the invention according to claim 6 of the present invention, a duty ratio of the thin wire is 0.25 or more and 0.45 or less, according to any one of claims 1 to 5. It is a polarizer.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 7 of the present invention, an aspect ratio of the thin line is 2.22 or more and 4.8 or less, according to any one of claims 1 to 6. It is a polarizer.

  The invention according to claim 8 of the present invention is the polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a width of the thin line is 25 nm or more and 45 nm or less.

  The invention according to claim 9 of the present invention is characterized in that the thin wire has a layer containing chromium on a layer made of the material containing molybdenum silicide. Item 9. The polarizer according to any one of items 8 to 9.

The invention according to claim 10 of the present invention is a photo-alignment device that polarizes ultraviolet light and irradiates the photo-alignment film, wherein the polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is used. The photo-alignment device is characterized in that the photo-alignment film is irradiated with light polarized by the polarizer.

The invention according to claim 11 of the present invention is provided with a mechanism for moving the photo-alignment film, and the polarizer is in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the photo-alignment film and the movement direction of the photo-alignment film. The boundary between the plurality of polarizers adjacent in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film is not continuously connected to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film. The optical alignment device according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of polarizers are arranged.

According to the present invention, an ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 400 nm, particularly an ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 260 nm, and an ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm to 375 nm are excellent in extinction ratio and high. There exists an effect that the polarizer which has P wave transmittance can be provided.
Moreover, in the photo-alignment apparatus provided with the polarizer according to the present invention, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 400 nm, particularly ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 260 nm, and ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm to 375 nm. It is possible to efficiently apply the alignment regulating force to the photo-alignment film having sensitivity, and productivity can be improved.

It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the polarizer which concerns on this invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a schematic process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the polarizer which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the photo-alignment apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the other structural example of the optical orientation apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the arrangement | positioning form of the polarizer in the photo-alignment apparatus which concerns on this invention. 6 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 1. FIG. 6 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 2. 10 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 3. 10 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 4. 10 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 5. 10 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 6. 10 is a graph showing measurement results of polarization characteristics of the polarizer of Example 7. It is a graph which shows the simulation result of the polarization characteristic of the polarizer (model 1) which concerns on this invention. It is a graph which shows the simulation result of the polarization characteristic of the polarizer (model 2) which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, the polarizer and the optical alignment apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

<Polarizer>
First, the polarizer according to the present invention will be described.
The polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer in which a plurality of fine wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate that is transparent to ultraviolet light, and the fine wires are made of a material containing molybdenum silicide. In other words, it has polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a polarizer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the polarizer 10 has a configuration in which a plurality of thin wires 2 are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate 1.

  In this example, the thin wire 2 has an oxide film 4 on the top and side surfaces of a molybdenum silicide-based material layer 3 that is a material containing molybdenum silicide. Since the thin wire 2 has the oxide film 4 on the upper surface and side surfaces thereof, it is possible to obtain a polarizer excellent in durability against long-time ultraviolet irradiation and cleaning resistance against an acidic solution.

Further, in the present invention, the thin wire 2 may be configured to have a layer containing chromium (Cr) (a chromium-based material layer) on a molybdenum silicide-based material layer 3 made of a material containing molybdenum silicide. good. This is because the process of removing the hard mask layer (that is, the chromium-based material layer) formed in the polarizer manufacturing process can be omitted while maintaining the polarization characteristics of the polarizer.
In this case, the configuration of the thin wire 2 is preferably a configuration having the chromium-based material layer above the molybdenum silicide-based material layer 3 shown in FIG. This is because by having the oxide film 4 on the upper surface and side surfaces of the thin wire 2 having the chromium-based material layer, a polarizer having excellent durability and washing resistance can be obtained as described above.

  Hereinafter, each structure of the polarizer of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

1. Thin wire The thin wire in the present invention is formed in a straight line and arranged in parallel, and has a molybdenum silicide material layer.

(1) Molybdenum silicide-based material layer The molybdenum silicide-based material layer is a layer containing a molybdenum silicide-based material.

  The molybdenum silicide-based material is not particularly limited as long as it contains molybdenum (Mo) and silicon (Si) and can obtain a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance. (MoSi), molybdenum silicide oxide (MoSiO), molybdenum silicide nitride (MoSiN), molybdenum silicide oxynitride (MoSiON), and the like, among which molybdenum silicide (MoSi) is preferable. It is because it can be made excellent in the extinction ratio and the P wave transmittance by using the above material.

The molybdenum silicide material layer includes a molybdenum silicide material as a main raw material.
Here, the inclusion as the main raw material specifically means that the content of the molybdenum silicide-based material in the molybdenum silicide-based material layer is 70% by mass or more. Is preferably 90% by mass or more, particularly 100% by mass, that is, it is preferable that the molybdenum silicide-based material layer is made of a molybdenum silicide-based material. It is because it can be made excellent in the extinction ratio and the P wave transmittance by being the above content.
The content measuring method is not particularly limited as long as the content can be measured with high accuracy. For example, a method of performing XPS surface analysis on the cross section of the thin wire can be mentioned. .

  The shape of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in a cross-sectional view is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio can be obtained. For example, the shape can be a square shape such as a square or a rectangle.

(2) Fine wire The thin wire in the present invention has at least the molybdenum silicide-based material layer, and may have only the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It may have a non-molybdenum silicide material layer containing another material as a main raw material.

The content of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in the thin wire in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained.
Specifically, the content of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in the fine wire is preferably 70% by mass or more, more preferably 80% by mass or more, and particularly 90% by mass or more. Is preferred. It is because it can be made excellent in the extinction ratio and the P wave transmittance by being the above content. Further, the upper limit is not particularly limited because it is preferably as the content is large, but it is preferably 95% by mass or less in order to facilitate the formation of the molybdenum silicide material layer.
Further, the content refers to the mass ratio of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in the cross-section in the width direction of the fine wire, and this measurement method is particularly limited as long as the content can be accurately measured. For example, a method similar to the method for measuring the content of the molybdenum silicide material can be used.

  The other material contained in the non-molybdenum silicide-based material layer is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained. Examples thereof include silicon oxide. Among them, it is preferable to include silicon oxide. When a silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide is formed as a non-molybdenum silicide-based material layer on the molybdenum silicide-based material layer, a thin wire having the above structure is obtained by a dry etching method for the molybdenum silicide-based material film. This is because it is easy to form a thin line including the molybdenum silicide-based material layer.

  The silicon oxide layer is not particularly limited as long as it mainly contains silicon oxide, but the content of silicon oxide in the silicon oxide layer is preferably 80% by mass, and in particular, 90%. It is preferable that it is mass%, and it is especially preferable that it is 100 mass%, ie, a silicon oxide layer consists of silicon oxide. This is because the silicon oxide layer can be easily formed.

The film thickness of the silicon oxide layer is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained, but it is preferably as thin as possible, for example, preferably 10 nm or less. In particular, it is preferably 6 nm or less, particularly preferably 4 nm or less. This is because the film thickness can be excellent in the extinction ratio and the P-wave transmittance. Further, the lower limit of the film thickness is not particularly limited because it is preferably as thin as possible, but is preferably 2 nm or more because of easy production.
The film thickness of the silicon oxide layer refers to the maximum thickness from the surface of the molybdenum silicide material layer, and specifically refers to the thickness indicated by d in FIG.

  Moreover, the structure which has the layer (chromium-type material layer) containing chromium (Cr) on the molybdenum silicide-type material layer comprised from the material containing molybdenum silicide may be sufficient as a thin wire | line. This is because the process of removing the hard mask layer (that is, the chromium-based material layer) formed in the polarizer manufacturing process can be omitted while maintaining the polarization characteristics of the polarizer.

  The chromium-based material is not particularly limited as long as it contains chromium (Cr) and can obtain a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance. For example, chromium (Cr), chromium oxide (CrO), chromium nitride (CrN), chromium oxynitride (CrON), and the like.

The chromium-based material layer includes a chromium-based material as a main raw material.
Here, including as the main raw material specifically means that the content of the chromium-based material in the chromium-based material layer is 70% by mass or more, and in the present invention, The content is preferably 90% by mass or more, particularly 100% by mass, that is, the chromium-based material layer is preferably made of a chromium-based material. This is because the chromium-based material layer can be easily formed.
The content measuring method is not particularly limited as long as the content can be measured with high accuracy. For example, a method of performing XPS surface analysis on the cross section of the thin wire can be mentioned. .

  The film thickness of the chromium-based material layer is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained, but it is preferably as thin as possible, for example, 10 nm or less. It is preferable that it is 5 nm or less especially. This is because the film thickness can be excellent in the extinction ratio and the P-wave transmittance. Further, the lower limit of the film thickness is not particularly limited because it is preferably as thin as possible, but is preferably 2 nm or more because of easy production.

  As a method for measuring the film thickness, a general measurement method in the field of polarizers can be used. For example, by measuring the shape of the film surface layer with AFM and measuring the polarization characteristics with a transmission ellipsometer, The composition and the respective film thicknesses can be obtained. In addition, the size such as the film thickness of the thin wire can be obtained by the above measuring method.

  The thickness of the thin wire is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained. For example, the thickness is preferably 60 nm or more, and particularly 60 nm to 160 nm. It is preferably within the range, and particularly preferably within the range of 80 nm to 140 nm. It is because it is excellent in the extinction ratio with having a high P wave transmittance and can be further easily processed by being in the above range.

The thickness of the fine wire is the maximum thickness in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the fine wire. When the fine wire also has a non-molybdenum silicide-based material layer, the non-molybdenum silicide material is used. It means the thickness including the system material layer. Specifically, it refers to the thickness indicated by a in FIG.
The thin wires may have different thicknesses in one polarizer, but are usually formed with the same thickness.

  The number and length of the fine wires are not particularly limited as long as they can have a desired extinction ratio, and are appropriately set according to the use of the polarizer of the present invention. It is.

  The pitch of the thin line is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained, and varies depending on the wavelength of light used for generating linearly polarized light. However, it can be in the range of 60 nm or more and 140 nm or less, for example, preferably in the range of 80 nm or more and 120 nm or less, particularly preferably in the range of 90 nm or more and 110 nm or less. This is because the pitch is excellent in extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less.

Note that the pitch of the fine lines refers to the maximum pitch between the fine lines adjacent in the width direction. When the fine lines include a non-molybdenum silicide-based material layer, the pitch includes a non-molybdenum silicide-based material layer. . Specifically, it means the length indicated by c in FIG.
Moreover, although the pitch of the said thin wire | line may include the thing of a different pitch in one polarizer, it is normally formed with the same pitch.

  The duty ratio of the fine wire, that is, the ratio of the width to the fine wire pitch (width / pitch) is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained. For example, it can be in the range of 0.2 or more and 0.6 or less, and in particular, it is preferably in the range of 0.25 or more and 0.45 or less. Due to the duty ratio, it is possible to obtain a polarizer having an excellent extinction ratio while having a high P-wave transmittance with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less, further facilitating thin wire processing Because it can.

The width of the fine line means a length perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the fine line. When the fine line also includes a non-molybdenum silicide material layer, the width includes the non-molybdenum silicide material layer. That's what it says. Specifically, it refers to the length indicated by b in FIG.
The width of the thin line may include one having different widths in one polarizer, but is usually formed with the same width.

  The aspect ratio of the fine line, that is, the ratio of the thickness to the width of the fine line (thickness / width) is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained. For example, it can be in the range of 1.67 or more and 6 or less, and is preferably in the range of 2.22 or more and 4.8 or less. Due to the above aspect ratio, it is possible to obtain a polarizer having an excellent extinction ratio while having a high P-wave transmittance for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less, further facilitating thin wire processing. Because it can.

  The width of the thin line is not particularly limited as long as a desired extinction ratio and P-wave transmittance can be obtained, but it should satisfy the above-described duty ratio and aspect ratio. preferable. For example, when the thickness of the fine line is 100 nm and the pitch is 100 nm, the width of the fine line is preferably 35 nm or more and 45 nm or less. Moreover, when the thickness of the said thin wire | line is 120 nm and a pitch is 100 nm, it is preferable that the width | variety of a thin wire | line is 25 nm or more and 40 nm or less. This is because a polarizer having an excellent extinction ratio while having a high P-wave transmittance with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less can be obtained, and fine wire processing can be facilitated.

2. Transparent substrate Although the polarizer of this invention has the said thin wire, the said thin wire is arrange | positioned on the transparent substrate which has a transmittance | permeability with respect to an ultraviolet light.

The transparent substrate is not particularly limited as long as it can stably support the fine wires, has excellent ultraviolet light transparency, and can be less deteriorated by exposure light. However, for example, optically polished synthetic quartz glass, fluorite, calcium fluoride, and the like can be used. However, usually, synthetic quartz glass that is frequently used and stable in quality can be used. In the present invention, synthetic quartz glass can be preferably used. This is because the quality is stable and there is little deterioration even when short wavelength light, that is, high energy exposure light is used.
The thickness of the transparent substrate can be appropriately selected according to the use and size of the polarizer of the present invention.

3. Polarizer The polarizer of the present invention has the fine wire.
The polarizer preferably has an extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) of 40 or more with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm to 400 nm, and more preferably 50 or more. It is because the alignment control force to a photo-alignment layer can be stably provided because it is the said range.
Moreover, since it is preferable that the extinction ratio is larger, the upper limit is not particularly limited.
As the method for measuring the extinction ratio, a general measurement method in the field of polarizers can be used. For example, a transmission ellipsometer capable of measuring the polarization characteristics of ultraviolet light, such as VUV- It can be measured by using a transmission ellipsometer such as VASE.

Further, the P wave transmittance (P wave component in the emitted light / P wave component in the incident light) of the polarizer is preferably 40% or more with respect to ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less, Especially, it is preferable that it is 50% or more. It is because the alignment control force to a photo-alignment layer can be efficiently provided by being the said range.
In addition, as a measuring method of P wave transmittance, a general measuring method in the field of a polarizer can be used. For example, a transmission ellipsometer capable of measuring the polarization characteristics of ultraviolet light, for example, manufactured by Woollam Co., Ltd. It can be measured by using a transmission ellipsometer such as VUV-VASE.

  The polarizer of the present invention preferably has an extinction ratio of 5 or more for light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less, and further has an extinction ratio of 20 or more for light having a wavelength of 220 nm or more and 500 nm or less. It is preferable that This is because the light in the wide wavelength range can be efficiently used for imparting the alignment regulating force to the photo-alignment layer.

In general, it is known that the absorption spectrum of the photo-alignment layer has a peak in a specific wavelength range, but absorbs light in a wide wavelength range.
For this reason, in a conventional polarizer, light in a wavelength range in which the extinction ratio is low is cut by a bandpass filter. For example, a polarizer with a thin wire made of aluminum cuts light in a wavelength range of 300 nm or less, and a polarizer with a thin wire made of titanium oxide emits light in a wavelength range of 300 nm or more. It was cut.
However, the above-described method has a disadvantage that the efficiency of applying an alignment regulating force to the photo-alignment layer is also reduced due to the light cut.
On the other hand, the polarizer of the present invention can secure a certain extinction ratio in a wide wavelength range as described above, so there is no need to use a bandpass filter, and light in a wide wavelength range is controlled to be aligned in the photo-alignment layer. It can be used efficiently to apply force.

  As a method for adjusting the extinction ratio of the polarizer, a method of changing the ratio of the P wave transmittance and the S wave transmittance can be used. For example, when the fine wire is covered with a silicon oxide layer, a method for increasing the P-wave transmittance includes a method of reducing the proportion of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in the fine wire. Examples of a method for reducing the S wave transmittance include a method for reducing the pitch of the fine wires and a method for increasing the proportion of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer in the fine wires.

The use of the polarizer is not particularly limited as long as it is used for generating linearly polarized light, but is preferably used for generating linearly polarized light of short wavelength light such as in the ultraviolet region. However, it is preferably used for generating linearly polarized light with a wavelength in the range of 240 nm to 400 nm. This is because the effect of including the molybdenum silicide material layer can be more effectively exhibited.
Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable to use for the orientation control force provision to the optical alignment film for liquid crystal display devices which clamps liquid crystal material in a liquid crystal display device. This is because the alignment regulating force can be effectively applied to the photo-alignment film.

  The method for producing the polarizer is not particularly limited as long as it is a method capable of forming the fine wires with a desired size with high accuracy, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2012-203290 and 2010-191009. Can be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a transparent substrate 1 is prepared (FIG. 3A), and a molybdenum silicide material film 3 ′ is formed on the transparent substrate by sputtering or the like (FIG. 3). (B)), a patterned resist 11 is formed by a photolithographic method, an imprint method, an electron beam drawing method, and the like, and etched using the patterned resist 11 as a mask (FIG. 3C), a molybdenum silicide-based material layer 3 and a method of obtaining a polarizer 10 including a thin wire 2 having an oxide film 4 formed at the time of forming a molybdenum silicide-based material film, etching, or the like can be used (FIG. 3D).

  In the method for manufacturing the polarizer, after the step of forming the molybdenum silicide-based material film 3 ′ shown in FIG. 3B, a hard method is performed on the molybdenum silicide-based material film 3 ′ by sputtering or the like. A mask layer is formed, and then a patterned resist 11 is formed by a photolithography method, an imprint method, an electron beam drawing method, etc., and the hard mask layer is first etched using the patterned resist 11 as a mask, and then the hard mask layer A method of obtaining the polarizer 10 provided with the thin wire 2 by etching the molybdenum silicide material film 3 ′ using the mask layer as a mask may be used.

  Here, the hard mask layer may be removed after the step of etching the molybdenum silicide-based material film 3 ′, but if the desired polarization characteristics required for the polarizer can be maintained, You may leave without removing. For example, when the above-described chromium-based material film is formed as the hard mask layer, it can be left without being removed. In this case, it is possible to omit the hard mask layer removing step from the manufacturing process of the polarizer while maintaining the polarization characteristics of the polarizer, and there are effects such as process shortening and manufacturing cost reduction.

<Optical alignment device>
Next, the photo-alignment apparatus according to the present invention will be described.
The photo-alignment device of the present invention is a photo-alignment device that polarizes ultraviolet light and irradiates the photo-alignment film, and includes the polarizer according to the present invention, and irradiates the photo-alignment film with light polarized by the polarizer. To do.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a photo-alignment apparatus according to the present invention.
A photo-alignment apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 4 includes a polarizer unit 21 in which the polarizer 10 of the present invention is housed and an ultraviolet light lamp 22, and the ultraviolet light irradiated from the ultraviolet light lamp 22 is applied to the polarizer unit 21. Polarization is performed by the accommodated polarizer 10, and this polarized light (polarized light 24) is applied to the photo-alignment film 25 formed on the work 26, thereby imparting alignment regulating force to the photo-alignment film 25. Is.
Further, the photo-alignment apparatus 20 is provided with a mechanism for moving the work 26 on which the photo-alignment film 25 is formed. By moving the work 26, the entire surface of the photo-alignment film 25 is irradiated with the polarized light 24. Can do. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the work 26 moves in the right direction in the figure (the arrow direction in FIG. 4).

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the work 26 is shown as a rectangular flat plate. However, in the present invention, the form of the work 26 is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate the polarized light 24. For example, the work 26 may be in the form of a film, or may be in the form of a strip (web) so that it can be wound.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the ultraviolet lamp 22 is capable of irradiating ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less, and the photo-alignment film 25 applies ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less. It is preferable that it has sensitivity to it.
Since the photo-alignment device 20 includes the polarizer 10 according to the present invention, which has an excellent extinction ratio with respect to ultraviolet light in the above wavelength range and has a high P-wave transmittance, ultraviolet light in the above wavelength range. This is because it is possible to efficiently apply the alignment regulating force to the photo-alignment film having a high sensitivity, and the productivity can be improved.

  Further, in order to efficiently irradiate the polarizer with the light from the ultraviolet light lamp 22, the photo-alignment device 20 applies ultraviolet light to the back side (the side opposite to the polarizer unit 21) or the side surface of the ultraviolet light lamp 22. It is preferable to have a reflecting mirror 23 that reflects.

  Further, in order to efficiently apply an alignment regulating force to the large-area photo-alignment film 25, as shown in FIG. 4, a rod-shaped lamp is used as the ultraviolet lamp 22 to move the work 26 (see FIG. It is preferable to configure the photo-alignment device 20 so that the polarized light 24 that is a long irradiation region is irradiated in a direction orthogonal to the arrow direction in FIG.

  In this case, the polarizer unit 21 is also in a form suitable for irradiating the large-area photo-alignment film 25 with the polarized light 24, but it is difficult to produce a large-area polarizer. It is technically and economically preferable to arrange a plurality of polarizers in the polarizer unit 21.

Moreover, the structure provided with a some ultraviolet light lamp may be sufficient as the photo-alignment apparatus based on this invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the optical alignment apparatus according to the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5, the photo-alignment device 30 includes two ultraviolet light lamps 32, and the polarizer 10 of the present invention is accommodated between each ultraviolet light lamp 32 and the work 36. A polarizer unit 31 is provided. Each ultraviolet lamp 32 is provided with a reflecting mirror 33.

  Thus, by providing a plurality of ultraviolet light lamps 32, the irradiation amount of the polarized light 34 applied to the photo-alignment film 35 formed on the workpiece 36 is increased as compared with the case where one ultraviolet light lamp 32 is provided. Can be made. Therefore, the moving speed of the workpiece 36 can be increased as compared with the case where one ultraviolet light lamp 32 is provided, and as a result, productivity can be improved.

  In the example shown in FIG. 5, a configuration in which two ultraviolet lamps 32 are arranged in parallel in the moving direction of the workpiece 36 (the arrow direction in FIG. 5) is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The plurality of ultraviolet light lamps may be arranged in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the work 36, and a plurality of ultraviolet light lamps may be provided in both the moving direction of the work 36 and the direction orthogonal thereto. It may be a configuration in which is arranged.

  5 shows a configuration in which one polarizer unit 31 is provided for one ultraviolet lamp 32, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of polarizer units 31 may be used. The configuration may be such that one polarizer unit is provided for each ultraviolet lamp. In this case, it is sufficient that one polarizer unit has a size that can include irradiation regions of a plurality of ultraviolet lamps.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of polarizers in the photo-alignment apparatus according to the present invention. 6 (a) to 6 (d) all show a form in which the plate-like polarizers 10 are arranged in a plane facing the film surface of the photo-alignment film. Yes.

  For example, in the optical alignment apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 4, when the band-shaped polarized light 24 is irradiated in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the workpiece 26, the polarizer unit 21 has the configuration shown in FIG. Thus, it is efficient to arrange a plurality of polarizers 10 in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction (arrow direction) of the workpiece 26. This is because the number of polarizers 10 can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when the area of the polarizer 10 is small, or when the photo-alignment apparatus includes a plurality of ultraviolet lamps, as shown in FIG. 6B, it is orthogonal to the moving direction (arrow direction) of the workpiece. In addition to the direction to perform, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of polarizers 10 in the direction along the moving direction (arrow direction). This is because the light from the ultraviolet lamp can be irradiated to the photo-alignment film without waste, and the productivity can be improved.

Here, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d), a plurality of polarizers are arranged so that they are not aligned in a line along the workpiece movement direction (arrow direction). It is preferable that the positions of the adjacent polarizers are shifted and arranged in a direction (vertical direction in the drawing) orthogonal to the moving direction of the workpiece.
In other words, in the present invention, a plurality of boundary portions between a plurality of polarizers adjacent in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film are not continuously connected to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film. It is preferable that a polarizer is disposed.
This is because polarized light usually does not occur at the boundary between the polarizers, and this prevents the boundary from adversely affecting the photo-alignment film.

Here, in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6C, the plurality of arranged polarizers all have the same shape and the same size, and the positions of the polarizers adjacent in the left-right direction are polarized. In this arrangement, the child is shifted in the vertical direction in steps of 1/2 the size of the child in the vertical direction.
Further, in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6D, the plurality of arranged polarizers all have the same shape and the same size, and the positions of the polarizers adjacent in the left-right direction are in the vertical direction. In this arrangement, the vertical shift is performed in steps smaller than ½ of the vertical size.

The above will be described in more detail.
In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6C, the boundary portion 41 between the polarizer 10a and the polarizer 10b adjacently arranged in the vertical direction extends in the horizontal direction by the polarizer 10c and the polarizer 10d arranged in the horizontal direction. It is blocked from going.
That is, in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6C, it is prevented that the boundary portion between the polarizers adjacently arranged in the vertical direction is continuously connected in the horizontal direction.
Therefore, when the arrangement shown in FIG. 6C is adopted and the photo-alignment film is irradiated with polarized light, the adverse effect caused by the boundary between the polarizers continuously affects the photo-alignment film. Can be suppressed.

Similarly, also in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6D, it is prevented that the boundary portion between the polarizers adjacently arranged in the vertical direction is continuously connected in the horizontal direction.
Therefore, when the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 (d) is adopted to irradiate the photo-alignment film with polarized light, the adverse effect caused by the boundary between the polarizers continuously affects the photo-alignment film. Can be suppressed.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 (c), since it is shifted in the vertical direction in steps of 1/2 the size of the polarizer in the vertical direction, it is in the horizontal direction (workpiece movement direction). On the other hand, the vertical position of the boundary portion 41 is aligned for every two polarizers.
On the other hand, in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6D, the vertical position of the boundary portion 42 is shifted in the vertical direction in steps smaller than ½ of the vertical size of the polarizer. It becomes harder to align.
Therefore, in the arrangement form shown in FIG. 6 (d), it is possible to further suppress the adverse effects caused by the boundary portion between the polarizers from being continuously applied to the photo-alignment film.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, the individual polarizers are arranged so that the side surfaces thereof are in contact with each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this form, and is adjacent to each other. A form in which a boundary portion between the matching polarizers has a gap may be employed.

  Moreover, it is good also as a form by which the clearance gap does not arise in the boundary part between polarizers by overlapping the edge part of adjacent polarizers mutually.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment was described about the polarizer and optical orientation device concerning the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and exhibits the same function and effect regardless of the case. Are included in the technical scope.

  The present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the following examples.

[Example 1]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
A synthetic quartz glass with a film thickness of 6.35 mm is prepared as a transparent substrate, and a molybdenum silicide-based material film is formed by reactive sputtering in an argon gas atmosphere using a mixed target of molybdenum and silicon (Mo: Si = 1: 2 mol%). As a result, a molybdenum silicide film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed.
Next, a patterned resist having a line and space pattern with a pitch of 100 nm was formed on the molybdenum silicide material film. Then, the polarizer of Example 1 was obtained by dry-etching the molybdenum silicide-based material film using SF ₆ as an etching gas, and then removing the patterned resist.
The width, thickness, and pitch of the thin wire of the polarizer of Example 1 were measured by STEC measuring device LWM9000 manufactured by Vistec and AFM device DIMENSION-X3D manufactured by VEECO, respectively, and were 36 nm, 100 nm, and 100 nm, respectively.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 1 was evaluated by a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 31.8 nm and 95.8 nm, respectively, and the upper surface thickness and the side surface film thickness of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide having a thickness of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
For the polarizer of Example 1, P-wave transmittance of ultraviolet light within a wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm (P-wave component in outgoing light / P-wave component in incident light) using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) ) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and the extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 1 and FIG.
As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 7, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 1 was 64.3% or more, and the extinction ratio was 55.1 or more.
In the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 1 was 64.3% or more, and the extinction ratio was 55.1 or more. Moreover, in the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 1 was 77.1% or more, and the extinction ratio was 277.9 or more.

[Example 2]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
In the same manner as in Example 1, the polarizer of Example 2 in which the width of the thin line was different from that of Example 1 was obtained.
The width, thickness, and pitch of the thin wire of the polarizer of Example 2 were measured by a VEMTEC SEM measuring device LWM9000 and a VEECO AFM device DIMENSION-X3D, respectively, and were 39 nm, 100 nm, and 100 nm, respectively.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 2 was evaluated by a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 34.8 nm and 95.8 nm, respectively, and the upper surface thickness and the side surface film thickness of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide having a thickness of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
About the polarizer of Example 2, P wave transmittance of ultraviolet light within a wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm (P wave component in outgoing light / P wave component in incident light) using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) ) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and the extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 2 and FIG.
As shown in Table 2 and FIG. 8, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 2 was 60.2% or more, and the extinction ratio was 70.8 or more.
In the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 2 was 60.2% or higher, and the extinction ratio was 70.8 or higher. Moreover, in the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 2 was 72.6% or more, and the extinction ratio was 505.8 or more.

[Example 3]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
In the same manner as in Example 1, a polarizer of Example 3 in which the width of the fine line is different from that of Example 1 and Example 2 was obtained.
The widths, thicknesses, and pitches of the thin wires of the polarizer of Example 3 were 41 nm, 100 nm, and 100 nm, respectively, as measured by Vistec SEM measuring device LWM9000 and VEECO AFM device DIMENSION-X3D.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 3 was evaluated using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 36.8 nm and 95.8 nm, respectively, and the upper surface thickness and the side surface film thickness of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide having a thickness of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
For the polarizer of Example 3, P wave transmittance of light in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 700 nm (P wave component in the emitted light / P wave component in the incident light) using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 3 and FIG.

As shown in Table 3 and FIG. 9, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 3 was 58.4% or more, and the extinction ratio was 80.9 or more.
In the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 3 was 58.4% or higher, and the extinction ratio was 80.9 or higher.
In the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 3 was 70.6% or more, and the extinction ratio was 655.0 or more.

Moreover, in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 600 nm, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 3 was 6.82% or less, and the extinction ratio was 13.1 or more.
In the wavelength range of 220 nm to 500 nm, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 3 was 1.97% or less, and the extinction ratio was 42.7 or more.

[Example 4]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
In the same manner as in Example 1, a polarizer of Example 4 in which the width of the fine line was different from that of Examples 1 to 3 was obtained.
The widths, thicknesses, and pitches of the thin wires of the polarizer of Example 4 were 42 nm, 100 nm, and 100 nm, respectively, as measured by Vistec SEM measuring device LWM9000 and VEECO AFM device DIMENSION-X3D.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 4 was evaluated by a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 37.8 nm and 95.8 nm, respectively, and the upper surface thickness and the side surface film thickness of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
For the polarizer of Example 4, P-wave transmittance of ultraviolet light in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm (P-wave component in outgoing light / P-wave component in incident light) using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) ) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and the extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 4 and FIG.
As shown in Table 4 and FIG. 10, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 4 was 56.0% or more, and the extinction ratio was 90.5 or more.
In the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 4 was 56.0% or more, and the extinction ratio was 90.5 or more. Further, in the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 4 was 68.8% or more, and the extinction ratio was 866.4 or more.

[Example 5]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
A synthetic quartz glass with a film thickness of 6.35 mm is prepared as a transparent substrate, and a molybdenum silicide-based material film is formed by reactive sputtering in an argon gas atmosphere using a mixed target of molybdenum and silicon (Mo: Si = 1: 2 mol%). As a result, a molybdenum silicide film having a thickness of 100 nm was formed.
Next, a chromium film having a thickness of 5 nm was formed as a chromium-based material film by a reactive sputtering method in an argon gas atmosphere using a chromium target.
Next, a patterned resist having a line and space pattern with a pitch of 100 nm was formed on the chromium-based material film. Thereafter, the chromium-based material film is dry-etched using a mixed gas of chlorine and oxygen as an etching gas, and then the molybdenum silicide-based material film is dry-etched using SF ₆ as an etching gas, and then patterned. The polarizer of Example 5 was obtained by removing the resist.
The width, thickness, and pitch of the thin wire of the polarizer of Example 5 were measured by STEC measuring device LWM9000 manufactured by Vistec and AFM device DIMENSION-X3D manufactured by VEECO, which were 41 nm, 103.5 nm, and 100 nm, respectively. It was.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 5 was evaluated by a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire is composed of a molybdenum silicide material layer made of a molybdenum silicide material having a width and thickness of 36.8 nm and 100 nm, respectively, and a chromium material made of a chromium material having a width and thickness of 32.8 nm and 3 nm, respectively. An oxide film made of 0.5 nm chromium oxide on the upper surface of the structure composed of two layers of the molybdenum silicide material layer and the chromium material layer, and an oxide film made of 4.2 nm silicon oxide on the side surface; It has been confirmed that

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
For the polarizer of Example 5, P-wave transmittance of ultraviolet light within a wavelength range of 200 nm to 400 nm (P-wave component in outgoing light / P-wave component in incident light) with a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) ) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and the extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 5 and FIG.
As shown in Table 5 and FIG. 11, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 5 was 55.6% or more, and the extinction ratio was 89.4 or more.
In the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 5 was 55.6% or more, and the extinction ratio was 89.4 or more. In the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 5 was 68.3% or more, and the extinction ratio was 809.2 or more.

[Example 6]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
A synthetic quartz glass with a film thickness of 6.35 mm is prepared as a transparent substrate, and a molybdenum silicide-based material film is formed by reactive sputtering in an argon gas atmosphere using a mixed target of molybdenum and silicon (Mo: Si = 1: 2 mol%). As a result, a molybdenum silicide film having a thickness of 120 nm was formed.
Next, a patterned resist having a line and space pattern with a pitch of 100 nm was formed on the molybdenum silicide material film. Thereafter, the molybdenum silicide material film was dry-etched using SF ₆ as an etching gas, and then the patterned resist was peeled off to obtain the polarizer of Example 6.
The width, thickness, and pitch of the thin line of the polarizer of Example 6 were measured with a STEC measuring device LWM9000 manufactured by Vistec and an AFM device DIMENSION-X3D manufactured by VEECO, respectively. They were 36.5 nm, 120 nm, and 100 nm, respectively. It was.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 6 was evaluated using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 32.3 nm and 115.8 nm, respectively, and an upper surface thickness and a side surface film thickness of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
The P-wave transmittance of light in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 700 nm (P-wave component in the emitted light / P-wave component in the incident light) with a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) for the polarizer of Example 6 And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 6 and FIG.

As shown in Table 6 and FIG. 12, in the wavelength range from 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 6 was 67.0% or more, and the extinction ratio was 114.7 or more.
Note that, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 6 was 67.0% or more, and the extinction ratio was 114.7 or more.
Further, in the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 6 was 76.9% or more, and the extinction ratio was 723.6 or more.

Moreover, in the wavelength range of 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 6 was 6.62% or less, and the extinction ratio was 13.9 or more.
Further, in the wavelength range of 220 nm to 500 nm, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 6 was 1.84% or less, and the extinction ratio was 48.1 or more.

[Example 7]
(Manufacture of polarizers)
In the same manner as in Example 6, the polarizer of Example 7 in which the width of the thin line was different from that of Example 6 was obtained.
The width, thickness, and pitch of the thin wire of the polarizer of this Example 7 were measured by STEC measuring device LWM9000 manufactured by Vistec and AFM device DIMENSION-X3D manufactured by VEECO, respectively, and were 34 nm, 120 nm, and 100 nm, respectively.

(Structural evaluation of thin wires)
The structure of the fine wire of the polarizer of Example 7 was evaluated using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam).
As a result, the thin wire has a molybdenum silicide-based material layer made of a molybdenum silicide-based material having a width and a thickness of 29.8 nm and 115.8 nm, respectively, and a film thickness on the upper surface and side surfaces of the molybdenum silicide-based material layer. It was confirmed to have an oxide film made of silicon oxide of 4.2 nm and 4.2 nm, respectively.

(Measurement of P wave transmittance and S wave transmittance)
For the polarizer of Example 7, P wave transmittance of light in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 700 nm (P wave component in the emitted light / P wave component in the incident light) using a transmission ellipsometer (VUV-VASE manufactured by Woollam) And S wave transmittance (S wave component in outgoing light / S wave component in incident light) were measured, and extinction ratio (P wave transmittance / S wave transmittance) was calculated. The results are shown in Table 7 and FIG.

As shown in Table 7 and FIG. 13, in the wavelength range from 240 nm to 400 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 7 was 70.5% or more, and the extinction ratio was 79.5 or more.
Note that, in the wavelength range of 240 nm to 260 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 7 was 70.5% or more, and the extinction ratio was 79.5 or more.
Further, in the wavelength range of 355 nm to 375 nm, the P-wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 7 was 79.6% or more, and the extinction ratio was 346.5 or more.

In the wavelength range of 200 nm to 600 nm, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 7 was 8.44% or less, and the extinction ratio was 10.9 or more.
Moreover, in the wavelength range of 220 nm to 500 nm, the S wave transmittance of the polarizer of Example 7 was 2.69% or less, and the extinction ratio was 33.5 or more.

[Evaluation of Examples]
From Examples 1 to 4, if the polarizer of the present invention has a thin wire thickness of 100 nm, a pitch of 100 nm, and a thin wire width of 35 nm or more and 45 nm or less, the wavelength of ultraviolet light is 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the extinction ratio was 50 or more and the polarization characteristics with P wave transmittance of 50% or more could be satisfied.
Further, it was confirmed that it was possible to satisfy the polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 260 nm or less.
Further, it was confirmed that it was possible to satisfy the polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 100 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 60% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm or more and 375 nm or less.

Further, from Example 5, even if the thin wire has a layer containing chromium (Cr) on a layer made of a material containing molybdenum silicide, ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less On the other hand, it was confirmed that the extinction ratio was 50 or more and the polarization characteristics with P wave transmittance of 50% or more could be satisfied.
Further, it was confirmed that it was possible to satisfy the polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 260 nm or less.
Further, it was confirmed that it was possible to satisfy the polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 100 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 60% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm or more and 375 nm or less.

Further, from Examples 3, 6, and 7, it was confirmed that the light having a wavelength of 200 nm or more and 600 nm or less has a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 5 or more.
Moreover, it has confirmed that it had the polarization characteristic whose extinction ratio is 20 or more with respect to the light whose wavelength is 220 to 500 nm.

[simulation]
For model 1 below, a simulation model based on RCWA (Regorous Coupled Wave Analysis) described in "Numerical analysis of diffractive optical elements and its application" (Maruzen Publishing, Kashiko Kodate custom) is created, and the width of the thin line is 30 nm ~ P wave transmittance and extinction ratio were simulated for ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 255 nm in the range of 60 nm. The results are shown in FIG.
In FIG. 14, Tp is the P wave transmittance, Sim_Tp is the P wave transmittance obtained by simulation, and Exp_Tp is the P wave transmittance obtained in Examples 1 to 4. That is. Similarly, Sim_extinction ratio is an extinction ratio obtained by simulation, and Exp_Tp is an extinction ratio obtained in Examples 1 to 4.

(Model 1)
A thin wire having an oxide film made of silicon oxide having a film thickness in the upper surface direction and a film thickness in the side surface direction of 4.2 nm on the upper surface and side surfaces of the molybdenum silicide material layer having a film thickness of 95.8 nm and a pitch of 100 nm. model.

(Evaluation of simulation)
As shown in FIG. 14, it was confirmed that the simulation results were substantially the same values as the P wave transmittance and the extinction ratio of Examples 1 to 4.
Further, from FIG. 14, if the width of the thin line is in the range of 35 nm or more and 45 nm or less under the conditions of model 1, the extinction ratio is 50 or more and the P-wave transmittance for ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 255 nm is It was also confirmed that the polarization characteristics of 50% or more were satisfied.

(Model 2)
A thin wire having an oxide film made of silicon oxide having a film thickness in the upper surface direction and a film thickness in the side surface direction of 4.2 nm on the upper surface and side surfaces of the molybdenum silicide material layer having a film thickness of 115.8 nm and a pitch of 100 nm. model.

(Evaluation of simulation)
As shown in FIG. 15, it was confirmed that the simulation results were substantially the same values as the P wave transmittance and the extinction ratio of Examples 6 to 7.
Also, from FIG. 15, if the width of the thin line is in the range of 25 nm to 40 nm under the conditions of model 2, the extinction ratio is 50 or more and the P-wave transmittance for ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 255 nm is It was also confirmed that the polarization characteristics of 50% or more were satisfied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transparent substrate 2 ... Fine wire 3 ... Molybdenum silicide system material layer 3 '... Molybdenum silicide system material film 4 ... Oxide film 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d ... Polarizer DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Pattern resist 20, 30 ... Photo-alignment apparatus 21, 31 ... Polarizer unit 22, 32 ... Ultraviolet lamp 23, 33 ... Reflector 24, 34 ... Polarized light 25, 35 ... photo-alignment film 26, 36 ... work 41, 42 ... boundary

Claims (11)

A polarizer in which a plurality of thin wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate having transparency to ultraviolet light,
The thin line has a layer that consists of a material containing molybdenum silicide,
A silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide is provided on the top and side surfaces of the layer made of the material containing molybdenum silicide ,
A polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 400 nm or less. A polarizer in which a plurality of thin wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate having transparency to ultraviolet light,
The thin line has a layer that consists of a material containing molybdenum silicide,
A silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide is provided on the top and side surfaces of the layer made of the material containing molybdenum silicide ,
A polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 50 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 50% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 240 nm or more and 260 nm or less. A polarizer in which a plurality of thin wires are arranged in parallel on a transparent substrate having transparency to ultraviolet light,
The thin line has a layer that consists of a material containing molybdenum silicide,
A silicon oxide layer containing silicon oxide is provided on the top and side surfaces of the layer made of the material containing molybdenum silicide ,
A polarizer characterized by having a polarization characteristic with an extinction ratio of 100 or more and a P-wave transmittance of 60% or more for ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 355 nm or more and 375 nm or less.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the polarizer has polarization characteristics having an extinction ratio of 5 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 200 nm to 600 nm.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the polarizer has polarization characteristics with an extinction ratio of 20 or more with respect to light having a wavelength of 220 nm or more and 500 nm or less.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a duty ratio of the thin wire is 0.25 or more and 0.45 or less.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an aspect ratio of the thin line is 2.22 or more and 4.8 or less.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a width of the thin line is 25 nm or more and 45 nm or less.   The polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the thin wire has a layer containing chromium on a layer made of a material containing molybdenum silicide. A photo-alignment device that polarizes ultraviolet light and irradiates the photo-alignment film,
A polarizer according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:
A photo-alignment apparatus that irradiates the photo-alignment film with light polarized by the polarizer . A mechanism for moving the photo-alignment film is provided;
A plurality of the polarizers are provided in both the direction of movement of the photo-alignment film and the direction orthogonal to the direction of movement of the photo-alignment film;
The plurality of polarizers are arranged so that boundaries between the plurality of polarizers adjacent in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film are not continuously connected to the moving direction of the photo-alignment film. The photo-alignment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

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