LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENT, ITS PRODUCTION, POLARIZING ELEMENT, OPTICAL ELEMENT, ILLUMINATION DEVICE AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a liquid crystal display device, etc., having excellent luminance and visibility by developing liquid crystal elements having the excellent alignment characteristic and uniformity of alignment of a liquid crystal polymer. SOLUTION: The liquid crystal element is constituted by providing the surface of an alignment thin film 1 having an average intrasurface refractive index difference of >=0.02 or a liquid crystal polymer layer 2 aligned in the direction along the molecular alignment direction of the alignment layer on the alignment layer consisting of an alignment film base material of >=0.03. The process for producing the same consists in heating the thermotropic liquid crystal polymer layer 2 formed on the alignment layer described above to a temp. at which the polymer layer exhibits a liquid crystal phase to align the liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer layer 2 of the polarizing element is formed as a circular polarized light sepn. layer consisting of cholesteric liquid crystals. The optical element is provided with a quarter-wavelength plate on this circular polarized light sepn. layer and is provided with a polarizing plate at need thereon. The illumination device is provided with the polarizing element or optical element described above on a surface. The liquid crystal display device is provided with the liquid crystal cell via the polarizing plate on its light exit side.