OPTICAL COMPENSATION SHEET, STN LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ALIGNING DISCOTIC LIQUID CRYSTAL MOLECULE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To avoid coloring of a display image and to obtain a sharp image with high contrast by incorporating a specified polymer into the side chains of an alignment layer and aligning discotic liquid crystal molecules at a specified average tilt angle. SOLUTION: As for a liquid crystal cell, a liquid crystal layer is formed by sealing rodlike liquid crystal molecules 13a to 13e between an alignment layer 12 on the lower side of an upper substrate 11 and an alignment layer 14 on the upper side of a lower substrate 15. An optical compensation sheet is disposed under the liquid crystal cell. The optical compensation sheet has an alignment layer 22 and optical anisotropic layer formed in this order on a transparent supporting body 23. The optical anisotropic layer is produced by aligning discotic liquid crystal molecules 21a to 21e and fixing the molecules in the aligned state. A polymer having 2 to 4 aromatic groups or aromatic heterorings is incorporated into the side chains of the alignment layer so as to align the discotic liquid crystal molecules at 50 deg. to 90 deg. average tilt angle. Thereby, the discotic liquid crystal molecules can be stably aligned.