WIRE GRID POLARIZER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

Provided is a wire grid polarizer showing a high degree of polarization, a high p-polarized light transmittance and a high s-polarized light reflectivity for light incident from a front surface and showing a low s-polarized light reflectivity for light incident from its rear surface, in the visible light region, and a process for producing such a polarizer. A wire grid polarizer comprising a light-transmitting substrate having a surface on which a plurality of ridges are formed so as to be parallel with one another at a predetermined pitch (Pp), and fine metallic wires made of a metal or a metal compound, each covering three faces of each ridge of the light-transmitting substrate, that are a top face of the ridge and two side faces that are a first side face and a second side face, extending in the longitudinal direction of the ridge;
wherein the wire grid polarizer satisfies the following conditions (a) to (c):
(a) the thickness Dm1 of each fine metallic wire covering the first side face of each ridge and the thickness Dm2 of the fine metallic wire covering the second side face of the ridge, satisfy the following formula (1-1) and the following formula (1-2), respectively: 0 nm < Dm �¢ 1 ‰¦ 20 nm and 0 nm < Dm �¢ 2 ‰¦ 20 nm
(b) the thickness Hm of the fine metallic wire covering the top face of the ridge and the height Hp of the ridge satisfy the following formula (2): 40 nm ‰¦ Hm ‰¦ 0.5 × Hp and
(c) Dm1, Dm2, Pp and the width Dp of each ridge satisfy the following formula (3): Dm �¢ 1 + Dm �¢ 2 ‰¦ 0.4 × Pp - Dp