POLARIZING ELEMENT AND SURFACE LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polarizing element having excellent scattering characteristics and polarizing characteristics. SOLUTION: The polarizing element is constructed with an oriented sheet comprising a continuous phase 1 composed of the first transparent resin in which a dispersed phase 2 composed of the second transparent resin is dispersed in particles. The polarizing element is prepared, in which difference in refractive indexes between the continuous phase 1 and the dispersed phase 2 with respect to linearly polarized light in the sheet stretching direction are different from those in the direction vertical thereto, the polarized light in the direction with the smaller difference in the refractive indexes is nearly transmitted and the polarized light in the direction with the larger difference in the refractive indexes is scattered and further in which the continuous phase 1 and the dispersed phase 2 are joined together without practically producing a gap between them. A surface light source device and a transmissive or reflective liquid crystal display device provided with the polarizing element have high luminance.