Method of patterning cholesteric film and optical element having the cholesteric film patterned by the method

摘要

The present invention provides a method of efficiently and precisely patterning cholesteric films. A cholesteric film 13 is firstly formed on an alignment film 12 provided on a glass substrate 11. The cholesteric film 13 is then patterned by partially volatilizing and removing a part of the cholesteric film 13 by the application of laser light 20 having a wavelength not falling in the selective reflection wave range of the cholesteric film 13. It is preferred that the wavelength of the laser light 20 be shorter than that of visible light. Alternatively, there may be used laser light 20 containing, as its main component, a component circularly polarized in the direction opposite to that of optical rotation of a component selectively reflected by the cholesteric film.