JP2006058517A - Optical compensation polarizing plate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an optical compensation polarizing plate capable of arbitrarily setting an optical axis.
The present invention relates to a base material, a resin layer formed on the base material and having a patterned concave or convex portion, and a polarizing layer formed on the resin layer and containing a dichroic dye. And an optical compensation layer formed on the polarizing layer and having a liquid crystal fixed thereon, wherein the dichroic dye is aligned by a concave portion of the resin layer, and the polarizing layer The above object is achieved by providing an optical compensation polarizing plate characterized by having an alignment ability.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical compensation polarizing plate used for a liquid crystal display element or the like.

  In recent years, liquid crystal display elements have made remarkable progress as display devices for various displays. With the thinning of liquid crystal display elements, the thickness of polarizing plates and optical compensation plates used in liquid crystal display elements has also been reduced. There are various demands such as improving manufacturing efficiency.

  Since the liquid crystal has a refractive anisotropy in which the refractive index varies depending on the direction, the display quality deteriorates when the liquid crystal display element is viewed from an oblique direction. In order to improve such viewing angle dependency, an optical compensator is required. When this optical compensation plate is incorporated into a liquid crystal display element, an optical compensation plate and a polarizing plate are bonded together.

  Generally used polarizing plates include those obtained by uniaxially stretching a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin film and adsorbing and orienting iodine or a dichroic dye on the surface thereof, for the purpose of imparting strength or protecting from moisture. A transparent protective film such as a triacetyl cellulose film is attached to both surfaces of the polarizing plate. In such a polarizing plate, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the thickness because the film after stretching is usually about 30 μm.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes a polarizing plate in which a substrate is rubbed and then subjected to corona treatment, a dichroic dye is applied thereon, and the dichroic dye is oriented in the rubbing direction. . Although this polarizing plate can be thinned, it has not been put into practical use because of insufficient polarization performance. Further, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 propose a polarizing plate obtained by orienting a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystal properties by applying it while applying a shearing force. This polarizing plate is advantageous in that it can be thinned and has good production efficiency.

  On the other hand, generally used optical compensators include those using stretched films and liquid crystals, and transparent protective films on both sides of the optical compensator for the purpose of imparting strength and protecting from moisture as described above. Is affixed. An optical compensator using liquid crystal has an advantage that the same function can be obtained with a thinness of 1/10 because it has a larger anisotropy than a stretched film, but an alignment film for aligning the liquid crystal is required. .

  Thus, although it is possible to reduce the thickness of the polarizing plate and the optical compensator, respectively, since the polarizing plate and the optical compensator are used together when they are incorporated into a liquid crystal display element, for example, a transparent protective film / Many layers of protective films such as polarizing plate / transparent protective film / transparent protective film / optical compensator / transparent protective film are laminated, and the liquid crystal display element becomes thick. Furthermore, there is a problem that as the number of layers increases, scattering occurs at the interface of the layers, and the transmittance decreases.

  In order to solve such problems, Patent Document 4 proposes an optical compensation polarizing plate in which a polarizing layer using a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystal properties and an optical compensation layer using liquid crystals are directly laminated. Yes. In this method, a polarizing layer is formed by applying and aligning a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystal properties while applying a shearing force, and aligning the liquid crystal on the polarizing layer by utilizing the alignment ability of the polarizing layer. Thus, an optical compensation layer is formed. This optical compensation polarizing plate does not require an alignment film for aligning the liquid crystal, and since the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are directly laminated, there are no layers of transparent protective films. The polarizing plate can be reduced in thickness and weight, and a decrease in transmittance can be suppressed.

  Here, since the optical compensation polarizing plate is used to improve the viewing angle dependency, when the optical compensation polarizing plate is incorporated into the liquid crystal display element, the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal cell and the optical compensation polarizing plate It arrange | positions so that an axis | shaft may make a specific angle. In order to achieve such an arrangement, it is necessary to cut the optical compensation polarizing plate to a predetermined size, place the optical axis thereof in a predetermined direction, and affix it to the liquid crystal cell. Further, when the optical compensation polarizing plate is attached to the liquid crystal cell at an angle of 45 °, for example, a wasteful portion is generated, and this wasteful portion increases as the liquid crystal display element becomes larger, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. There was a problem of being. From such a problem, for example, an optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical axis that forms a specific angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the long film or an optical axis that is oblique to the glass substrate is required.

  In Patent Document 4, as described above, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be thinned, but the direction of the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate is not described. In addition, such an optical compensation polarizing plate can be arbitrarily set by controlling the application direction of the dichroic dye, but it is continuously applied at an angle to the substrate. There is a problem that it is difficult to do.

JP-A-3-54506 JP 2002-180052 A JP 2002-277636 A JP 2002-148441 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object of the present invention is to provide an optical compensation polarizing plate in which an optical axis can be arbitrarily set.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a base material, a resin layer formed on the base material and having a pattern-like concave portion or convex portion, formed on the resin layer, and a dichroic dye. An optical compensation polarizing plate comprising: a polarizing layer containing; and an optical compensation layer formed on the polarizing layer and having liquid crystals fixed thereon,
The dichroic dye is aligned by the concave portions of the resin layer, and the polarizing layer has an alignment ability, and provides an optical compensation polarizing plate.

  According to the present invention, the dichroic dye is oriented using the concave portion of the resin layer, whereby a polarizing layer having polarization and orientation ability can be obtained, and by utilizing the orientation ability of this polarization layer. Since the liquid crystal is aligned, an optical compensation layer can be obtained. As described above, in the present invention, the orientation direction of the dichroic dye and the orientation direction of the liquid crystal can be controlled by appropriately selecting the concave or convex pattern of the resin layer. The optical axis can be arbitrarily set. Further, when a liquid crystal display element is manufactured using the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention, the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be set in a desired direction as described above. It is possible to avoid the generation of useless parts due to alignment. Furthermore, since the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are integrally formed, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be reduced in thickness and weight. In addition, in the present invention, since a protective film is not interposed between the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer as compared with the polarizing plate and the optical compensation plate that are separately formed and bonded, the refractive index change due to the protective film is changed. There is no need to consider it, and a decrease in transmittance due to the large number of layers can be suppressed.

  In the said invention, the said base material is a elongate base material, It is preferable that the absorption axis of the said polarizing layer makes an arbitrary angle with respect to the elongate direction of the said elongate base material. Even when a long substrate is used, the absorption axis of the polarizing layer can be arbitrarily set by appropriately selecting the concave or convex pattern of the resin layer. This is because when the liquid crystal display element is produced using a plate, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be continuously attached to the liquid crystal cell, and the production efficiency is improved.

  Further, in the present invention, the dichroic dye forms a column structure in which the normal direction of the dichroic dye is arranged in a certain direction of the substrate, and the column structure is formed of the resin The orientation is preferably along the recesses of the layer. This is because the column structure made of the dichroic dye is oriented along the concave portion of the resin layer, so that the column structure can be easily aligned in a certain direction.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the dichroic dye is preferably one that exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity in a solution. Since such a dichroic dye forms a column structure in the solution and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystal properties, the dichroic dye is formed by applying a polarizing layer forming coating solution containing the dichroic dye. This is because the column structure made of is easily oriented.

  The present invention also provides a substrate for a liquid crystal display element comprising the above-mentioned optical compensation polarizing plate, an electrode layer, and an alignment film.

  In the present invention, since the optical compensation polarizing plate described above is used, the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be set to an arbitrary angle, so that a liquid crystal display element substrate having desired optical characteristics can be easily obtained. be able to. In addition, since an optical compensation polarizing plate in which a polarizing layer and an optical compensation layer are integrally formed is used, it is possible to reduce the thickness and weight of the substrate for a liquid crystal display element, and to reduce the transmittance due to the large number of stacked layers. Can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a liquid crystal display element using the above-described optical compensation polarizing plate.

  In the present invention, since the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be arbitrarily set as described above, the optical compensation polarizing plate is arranged so that the optical axis forms a predetermined angle with respect to the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal cell. When disposing, it is possible to eliminate the waste of the optical compensation polarizing plate due to the alignment, and it is possible to obtain a liquid crystal display element that is inexpensive and has high manufacturing efficiency. Further, since the above-mentioned optical compensation polarizing plate is formed by integrally forming a polarizing layer and an optical compensation layer, the liquid crystal display element can be reduced in thickness and weight, and the transmittance due to the large number of stacked layers. Can be suppressed.

In addition, the present invention provides a coating step of applying a curable resin composition on a base material or a recess-forming substrate having a pattern-like convex portion, the base material and the recess-forming substrate, the curable resin composition An arrangement step of stacking objects, a curing step of curing the curable resin composition to form a curable resin, and peeling the substrate for forming recesses from the curable resin composition or the curable resin. A resin layer forming step of forming a resin layer by performing a recess forming step of forming a patterned recess,
A coating film forming step of coating a polarizing layer-forming coating solution containing a dichroic dye on the resin layer, and orienting the dichroic dye through a concave portion of the resin layer to form a coating film, the coating A polarizing layer forming step of forming a polarizing layer by performing a drying step of drying the film, and an immobilization step of immobilizing the orientation state of the dichroic dye,
An optical compensation layer forming step of forming an optical compensation layer by applying a liquid crystal composition on the polarizing layer, aligning the liquid crystal with the polarizing layer, and fixing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. A method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate is provided.

  In the present invention, a polarizing layer having polarizing properties and orientation ability is formed by orienting the dichroic dye through the concave portion of the resin layer, and the liquid crystal can be obtained by utilizing the orientation ability of the polarizing layer. By aligning, an optical compensation layer is formed. Furthermore, since the resin layer is formed by duplicating the convex portion of the concave portion forming substrate, in the present invention, by appropriately selecting the pattern of the convex portion of the concave portion forming substrate, The orientation direction of the dichroic dye constituting the polarizing layer and the orientation direction of the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer can be controlled, and an optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical axis in an arbitrary direction can be easily produced. It is. In addition, since a large number of optical compensation polarizing plates having an optical axis in an arbitrary direction can be produced only by once producing the original plate of the recess forming substrate, there is an advantage that the production efficiency is improved. Furthermore, since it is possible to set the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate in a desired direction as described above, when the optical compensation polarizing plate manufactured according to the present invention is incorporated in a liquid crystal display element, optical compensation by alignment is performed. Waste of the polarizing plate can be eliminated, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  In the above invention, the base material is a long base material, and the recess forming substrate is oriented with the dichroic dye at an arbitrary angle with respect to the long direction of the long base material. It is preferable to have a convex portion for forming the concave portion of the resin layer. This is because an optical compensation polarizing plate having desired optical characteristics can be easily manufactured at low cost by making the convex portions of the concave portion forming substrate as described above. In addition, by using a long base material, when producing a liquid crystal display element using the optical compensation polarizing plate produced according to the present invention, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be continuously attached to the liquid crystal cell, This is because manufacturing efficiency is improved.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to use a method of crosslinking the dichroic dye in the fixing step of the polarizing layer forming step. This is because a polarizing layer having excellent heat resistance can be formed.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that spray coating, dip coating, an ink jet method, or a flexographic printing method is used in the coating film forming step of the polarizing layer forming step. This is because by using such a method, the dichroic dye can be easily oriented in the concave portion of the resin layer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to arbitrarily set the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate by appropriately selecting the concave or convex pattern of the resin layer, and the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention is used. When manufacturing a liquid crystal display element, there is an effect that generation of useless portions due to alignment can be avoided. In addition, since the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are integrally formed, it is possible to reduce the thickness and weight of the optical compensation polarizing plate, and to suppress the decrease in transmittance due to the large number of stacked layers. There is an effect.

  Hereinafter, an optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention, a substrate for a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display device using the same, and a method for producing the optical compensation polarizing plate will be described in detail.

A. Optical Compensation Polarizing Plate First, the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention will be described.
The optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention comprises a base material, a resin layer formed on the base material and having a pattern-like concave portion or convex portion, and a polarized light formed on the resin layer and containing a dichroic dye. And an optical compensation layer formed on the polarizing layer and immobilizing liquid crystal, wherein the dichroic dye is aligned by the concave portions of the resin layer, and the polarizing layer is aligned. It has the function.

  The optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, an optical compensation polarizing plate 11 of the present invention is formed on a base material 1, a resin layer 2 formed on the base material 1 and having a pattern-like concave portion, and the resin layer 2. And a polarizing layer 3 containing a dichroic dye, and an optical compensation layer 4 formed on the polarizing layer 3 and having a liquid crystal fixed thereon.

  In the present invention, when the polarizing layer is formed, by applying a polarizing layer forming coating solution containing, for example, a dichroic dye on the resin layer having a patterned concave or convex portion, Since the dichroic dye can be oriented by the concave portion, the orientation direction of the dichroic dye can be controlled by appropriately selecting the concave or convex pattern of the resin layer. In addition, since the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer formed on the polarizing layer is aligned according to the alignment direction of the dichroic dye, by appropriately selecting the pattern of the concave or convex portions of the resin layer, It is possible to control the alignment direction of the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer. That is, the absorption axis of the polarizing layer and the optical axis of the optical compensation layer can be arbitrarily set.

  In addition, the resin layer having the pattern-like recesses, for example, sandwiches the resin composition between the base material and the substrate for forming recesses having the protrusions on the surface to cure the resin composition, and peels the substrate for forming recesses. Therefore, a desired concave pattern can be easily formed by selecting the convex pattern of the concave portion forming substrate. In the present invention, by having such a resin layer, the alignment direction of the dichroic dye and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal can be controlled by a simple method. The board can be easily obtained.

  In the present invention, the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate indicates the absorption axis of the polarizing layer or the optical axis of the optical compensation layer.

  In general, when an optical compensation polarizing plate is incorporated into a liquid crystal display element, the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate is arranged so as to form a specific angle with the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal cell. Since the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be set in a desired direction, it can be applied to the liquid crystal cell as it is, and there is an advantage that generation of useless portions due to alignment can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in the present invention, since the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are integrally formed, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be reduced in thickness and weight. In addition, in the present invention, since a protective film is not interposed between the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer as compared with the conventional polarizing plate and the optical compensation plate separately formed and bonded, the refractive index by the protective film It has the advantage that no change needs to be taken into account. In addition, in the present invention, the protective film is not laminated in many layers, and the polarizing layer functions as an alignment film for the optical compensation layer, as compared with a conventional polarizing plate and an optical compensation plate bonded together. As a result, the number of stacked layers can be reduced, and a decrease in transmittance can be suppressed.
Hereinafter, each component of such an optical compensation polarizing plate will be described.

1. Resin Layer First, the resin layer used in the present invention will be described. The resin layer used for this invention is formed on the base material mentioned later, and has a pattern-shaped recessed part or convex part on the surface. The shape of the pattern of such a concave portion or convex portion is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape that allows the dichroic dye to be oriented by this concave portion to form a layer having polarization and orientation ability. Although it is not, it is preferable to have a stripe shape. This is because the dichroic dye can be easily oriented by the stripe-shaped recess.

  The width of the concave portion varies depending on the type of dichroic dye to be used, but is usually within a range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, preferably within a range of 0.2 μm to 1 μm, particularly 0.2 μm to 0.00. It is preferable to be within the range of 4 μm. Forming the width of the concave portion narrower than the above range is difficult in terms of manufacturing method. Conversely, if the width of the concave portion is too wide, the dichroic dye forms a column structure as described later. This is because it may be difficult to arrange this column structure. Here, the width of the concave portion is, for example, the width indicated by a in FIG. 2 and refers to the width of the portion formed in a concave shape.

  Further, the depth of the concave portion varies depending on the type of dichroic dye and the like, but is preferably in the range of 0.05 μm to 1 μm, and more preferably in the range of 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm. If the depth of the recess is too shallow, the function of orienting the dichroic dye is lowered. Conversely, if the recess is too deep, the orientation of the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer described later may be adversely affected. Here, the depth of the recess is, for example, the depth indicated by b in FIG. 2 and refers to the height from the deepest portion in the recess to the end of the recess.

  Furthermore, although the interval when the pattern of the recesses is formed in a stripe shape varies depending on the type of the dichroic dye, etc., the interval between the ends of the adjacent recesses and the ends of the recesses, that is, The width is not more than half of the wavelength of visible light, preferably in the range of 0.05 μm to 2 μm, more preferably in the range of 0.1 μm to 1 μm, particularly in the range of 0.1 μm to 0.2 μm. preferable. It is difficult to make the interval between adjacent recesses narrow in terms of the manufacturing method. On the other hand, if it is too wide, it is difficult to arrange the column structure when the dichroic dye forms a column structure. is there. Further, if the interval between adjacent concave portions is a value close to the wavelength of light, there is a problem of optical coloring due to light diffraction. Here, the interval between the ends of the adjacent recesses and the ends of the recesses refers to, for example, the interval indicated by c in FIG.

  The pitch of the recesses is appropriately selected depending on the type of dichroic dye and the like, but is usually in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm, preferably in the range of 0.2 μm to 1 μm, particularly 0.2 μm. It is preferable to be in the range of ~ 0.4 μm. It is difficult for the manufacturing method to form the pitch of the recesses narrower than the above range. On the contrary, if the pitch of the recesses is too wide, this column structure is formed when the dichroic dye forms a column structure. This is because it may be difficult to arrange them. Here, the pitch of the recesses is, for example, the distance indicated by d in FIG. 2 and refers to the distance from the center of the adjacent recesses to the center of the recesses.

  Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the recess is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape capable of orienting the dichroic dye. For example, it may be rectangular as shown in FIG. A cross-sectional shape may be used, but a rectangular shape is particularly preferable. This is because the dichroic dye can be easily oriented.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the resin layer used for this invention consists of curable resin. The resin layer made of a curable resin is prepared by preparing a concave portion forming substrate having a convex portion corresponding to a target concave portion on the surface, and a curable resin composition is interposed between the concave portion forming substrate and a base material described later. It is because a recessed part can be easily formed by pinching and hardening. Moreover, it is because the shape of a recessed part can be stabilized by consisting of curable resin which hardened the curable resin composition.

  Examples of the curable resin composition used in the present invention include an energy ray curable resin composition that is cured by irradiation with energy rays, and a thermosetting resin composition that is cured by heat. In the present invention, an energy beam curable resin composition is particularly preferable. Examples of the energy beam curable resin composition include a UV curable resin composition that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and an electron beam curable resin composition that is cured by irradiation with electron beams. A resin composition is preferred. This is because the method of using ultraviolet rays as energy rays is an already established technique and can be easily applied to the present invention.

  The UV curable resin composition is not particularly limited as long as it is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, but the polyfunctional monomer component and / or oligomer component and / or polymer component is cured by photopolymerization. It is preferable.

  Although it does not specifically limit as said polyfunctional monomer component, A polyfunctional acrylate monomer is used suitably. Specifically, ethylene glycol (meth) acrylate, diethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, propylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, dipropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polypropylene glycol di (meth) Acrylate, hexane di (meth) acrylate, neopentyl glycol di (meth) acrylate, glycerin di (meth) acrylate, glycerin tri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, penta Erythritol (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tri (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol Ruhekisa (meth) acrylate can be exemplified dipentaerythritol penta (meth) acrylate.

  The oligomer component is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, polyester acrylate, epoxy, vinyl ether, and polyene / thiol.

  The polymer component is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a photocrosslinking polymer. Specifically, a polyvinyl cinnamate-based resin that causes a photodimerization reaction can be used.

  Further, as the photopolymerization initiator added to the UV curable resin composition, a photo radical polymerization initiator that can be activated by ultraviolet light, for example, ultraviolet light of 365 nm or less is used. Specifically, benzophenone, methyl o-benzoylbenzoate, 4,4-bis (dimethylamine) benzophenone, 4,4-bis (diethylamine) benzophenone, α-amino-acetophenone, 4,4-dichlorobenzophenone, 4- Benzoyl-4-methyldiphenyl ketone, dibenzyl ketone, fluorenone, 2,2-diethoxyacetophenone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone, p-tert-butyldichloro Acetophenone, thioxanthone, 2-methylthioxanthone, 2-chlorothioxanthone, 2-isopropylthioxanthone, diethylthioxanthone, benzyldimethyl ketal, benzylmethoxyethyl acetal, benzoin methyl ether, Nzoin butyl ether, anthraquinone, 2-tert-butylanthraquinone, 2-amylanthraquinone, β-chloroanthraquinone, anthrone, benzanthrone, dibenzsuberon, methyleneanthrone, 4-azidobenzylacetophenone, 2,6-bis (p-azidobenzylidene ) Cyclohexane, 2,6-bis (p-azidobenzylidene) -4-methylcyclohexanone, 2-phenyl-1,2-butadion-2- (o-methoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-propanedione-2- ( o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1,3-diphenyl-propanetrione-2- (o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-3-ethoxy-propanetrione-2- (o-benzoyl) oxime, Michler's ketone 2-methyl-1 [4- (methylthio) phenyl] -2-morpholinopropan-1-one, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-morpholinophenyl) -butanone, naphthalenesulfonyl chloride, quinoline Sulfonyl chloride, n-phenylthioacridone, 4,4-azobisisobutyronitrile, diphenyl disulfide, benzthiazole disulfide, triphenylphosphine, camphorquinone, Adeka N1717, carbon tetrabromide, tribromophenyl sulfone, Examples thereof include a combination of a photoreductive dye such as benzoin peroxide, eosin and methylene blue with a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid or triethanolamine. In this invention, these photoinitiators can be used 1 type or in combination of 2 or more types.

  The content of such a photopolymerization initiator is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 30% by weight, particularly in the range of 1 to 10% by weight in the UV curable resin composition.

  Examples of the solvent that can be used for the UV curable resin composition include alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, and propylene glycol; terpenes such as α- or β-terpineol; acetone , Ketones such as methyl ethyl ketone, cyclohexanone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, xylene, tetramethylbenzene; cellosolve, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, carbitol, methyl carbitol, ethyl carbitol , Butyl carbitol, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethyl Glycol ethers such as lenglycol monomethyl ether and triethylene glycol monoethyl ether; ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, cellosolve acetate, ethyl cellosolve acetate, butyl cellosolve acetate, carbitol acetate, ethyl carbitol acetate, butyl carbitol acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl Acetic acid esters such as ether acetate and propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate can be exemplified. Moreover, 1 type (s) or 2 or more types can be mixed and used from these solvents.

  In the present invention, the UV curable resin composition may be applied without adding a solvent. Therefore, the content of such a solvent is preferably in the range of 0 to 99.9% by weight, particularly in the range of 0 to 80% by weight in the UV curable resin composition.

  The reason why the photopolymerization initiator and the solvent are set within the above-described ranges is as follows. In this invention, the resin layer which has a recessed part can be formed by pinching and hardening the said curable resin composition between the base material and the board | substrate for recessed part formation which has a convex part. Therefore, it is preferable that the curable resin composition has a predetermined viscosity so as to enter the gaps between the concaves and convexes of the substrate for forming recesses, and the desired amount of the photopolymerization initiator and the solvent is within the above-described range. It can be set as the curable resin composition which has a viscosity.

  Moreover, as a film thickness of the said resin layer, the thickness of the part in which the recessed part is formed normally shall be 1 micrometer or less, Preferably it shall be 0.2 micrometer or less. This is because if the thickness of the portion where the concave portion is formed is too thick, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention. Further, considering the thinning of the optical compensation polarizing plate, it is preferable that the thickness of the portion where the concave portion is formed is thin, but since it is difficult to form an excessively thin portion, the portion where the concave portion is formed is difficult. The thickness is usually 0.1 μm or more. Here, the thickness of the recess is, for example, the thickness indicated by e in FIG.

  Moreover, since the resin layer used for this invention has the recessed part or the convex part in the surface, the resin layer surface becomes high in water repellency, and a dichroic dye may not fully orientate. Since the polarizing layer described later is formed by applying a polarizing layer forming coating solution on the resin layer, the surface of the resin layer is preferably hydrophilic. In this case, a hydrophilic layer may be provided on the resin layer, or the surface of the resin layer may be subjected to a hydrophilic treatment. Examples of the hydrophilic layer include a silica film formed by a sol-gel method of tetraethoxysilane. Moreover, as a method of surface-treating the surface of the resin layer so as to be hydrophilic, a hydrophilic surface treatment by plasma treatment using argon, water, or the like can be given.

2. Next, the polarizing layer used in the present invention will be described. The polarizing layer used in the present invention is a layer formed on the resin layer and containing a dichroic dye. In addition, the dichroic dye contained in the polarizing layer is oriented by the concave portions of the resin layer, whereby the polarizing layer is a layer having polarizing properties and orientation ability.

  The dichroic dye used in the present invention is particularly limited as long as it is oriented by the concave portion of the resin layer and can form a layer having polarization and orientation ability by orientation. It is not a thing. Examples of such dichroic dyes include anthraquinone dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, porphyrin dyes, naphthalocyanine dyes, quinacridone dyes, dioxazine dyes, indanthrene dyes, acridine dyes, perylene dyes, And dyes selected from the group consisting of pyrazolone dyes, acridone dyes, pyranthrone dyes, and isoviolanthrone dyes.

  In addition, the dichroic dye in the present invention preferably forms a column structure in which the normal direction of the dichroic dye is arranged in a certain direction of the substrate. This is because the column structure made of the dichroic dye is easily oriented along the concave portion of the resin layer, so that a polarizing layer having good polarization characteristics can be obtained. In addition, the alignment force for controlling the liquid crystal alignment is increased by the interaction between the column structure made of the dichroic dye and the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer described later.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a model structure and normal direction of a dichroic dye used in the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view of a polarizing layer used in the present invention. . As shown in FIG. 3 (b), in this polarizing layer, the dichroic dye 13 has a normal direction n of the dichroic dye 13 along a concave portion of the resin layer 2 and a fixed direction of the substrate 1. A column structure 13 ′ is formed by being arranged to face, and a plurality of such column structures 13 ′ are arranged to constitute a polarizing layer. In the polarizing layer configured by arranging the dichroic dyes 13 in this way, since the axial direction of the columns of the plurality of column structures 13 ′ is directed to a certain direction of the substrate 1, the polarizing property and the orientation ability are improved. It can be set as the polarizing layer which has.

  In addition, the resin layer 2 in FIG. 3B has a stripe-shaped recess pattern, and the column structure 13 ′ made of the dichroic dye 13 is oriented along the recess as described above. The orientation direction of 13 'is substantially parallel to the groove direction (transverse direction of the paper surface) of the stripe-shaped concave pattern. Therefore, the direction of the absorption axis of the polarizing layer is substantially parallel to the groove direction of the stripe-shaped concave pattern.

  Thus, when the resin layer has a stripe-shaped recess pattern, the groove direction of the stripe-shaped recess pattern, the orientation direction of the column structure made of a dichroic dye, and the absorption axis of the polarizing layer are: It becomes a substantially parallel relationship.

  In the present invention, as described above, the column structure composed of the dichroic dye is arranged along the concave portion, so that the orientation direction of the dichroic dye can be changed by appropriately selecting the concave or convex pattern of the resin layer. It can be set arbitrarily. Thereby, it is possible to obtain a polarizing layer having an absorption axis in a desired direction. For example, when a long base material is used, the direction is 45 ° or 90 ° with respect to the long direction of the base material. The absorption axis can be set to

  In general, when an optical compensation polarizing plate is attached to a liquid crystal display element, it is arranged so that the absorption axis of the polarizing layer of the optical compensation polarizing plate is at a predetermined angle, for example 45 °, with respect to the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal display element. Therefore, if the absorption axis of the polarizing layer is set to be 45 °, for example, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the base material, it is possible to avoid the generation of unnecessary portions when affixing.

  For example, when the absorption axis of the polarizing layer is set to a 45 ° direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the angle formed by the absorption axis of the polarizing layer and the longitudinal direction of the substrate is in the range of 45 ° ± 2 °. In particular, the range of 45 ° ± 0.5 ° is preferable. For example, when the absorption axis of the polarizing layer is set to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the angle formed by the absorption axis of the polarizing layer and the longitudinal direction of the substrate is 90 ° ± 2 °. A range is preferable, and a range of 90 ° ± 0.5 ° is more preferable.

  The dichroic dye used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can form a column structure by arranging in a columnar shape. Examples of the dichroic dye forming the column structure include a dichroic dye having a hydrophilic group such as a sulfonic acid group or a dichroic dye having a hydrophobic group such as a long-chain alkyl group. Among them, it is preferable to use a dichroic dye having a hydrophilic group. This is because the dichroic dye having a hydrophilic group has a small hydrophilic group and the distance between adjacent column structures is short, so that the column structures can be easily arranged. Moreover, it is because an immobilization process becomes easy by neutralizing hydrophilic parts, such as a sulfonic acid group, and making it hardly soluble or insoluble in water. Examples of the hydrophilic group include a sulfonic acid group such as a sulfonic acid group, a sodium sulfonate group, an ammonium sulfonate group, a lithium sulfonate group, and a potassium sulfonate group, a carboxyl group, a sodium carboxylate group, and a carboxylic acid. Examples thereof include carboxylic acid-based hydrophilic groups such as ammonium group, lithium carboxylate group, and potassium carboxylate group, hydroxyl groups, and amino groups. Among these, a sulfonic acid-based hydrophilic group is preferable.

  In addition, it can be confirmed that the dichroic dye forms a column structure by measurement using an X-ray diffractometer.

  Among the above, the dichroic dye used in the present invention is preferably one that forms a column structure in a solution and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity. This is because such a dichroic dye has a high self-organizing ability. For example, by applying a polarizing layer forming coating solution containing a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystallinity in a solution, the column structure can be easily oriented by utilizing the self-assembly of the dichroic dye. it can.

  Examples of the dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystallinity in such a solution include a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystallinity in an aqueous solution, or a dichroic dye exhibiting lyotropic liquid crystallinity in an organic solvent. The kind of the solution is different depending on the substituent of the dichroic dye. When the dichroic dye has a hydrophilic group such as a sulfonic acid group, an aqueous solution is used, and a long-chain alkyl group or the like is used. When it has a hydrophobic group, an organic solvent is used. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use a dichroic dye that forms a column structure in an aqueous solution and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity. Such a dichroic dye forms a column structure by self-assembly in an aqueous solution and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity, so by applying a polarizing layer forming coating solution containing this dichroic dye, This is because the column structure can be easily oriented. Furthermore, the dichroic dye is water-soluble, so that an immobilization process for immobilizing the column structure is facilitated.

  Specific examples of the dichroic dye that forms the column structure described above and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity in an aqueous solution include substances represented by the following chemical formula.

The alkyl group in each chemical formula is preferably one having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The halogen in each chemical formula is preferably Cl or Br. Further, as the cation in the above ^{formula, H +, Li +, Na} +, K +, Cs + or _NH ^{4 +} and the like. These substances can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  As the dichroic dye in the present invention, among the above substances, substances represented by the above chemical formulas I to V are preferably used.

  The dichroic dye is not limited to those having the lyotropic liquid crystal properties as described above, and may be those having thermotropic liquid crystal properties.

  Furthermore, the polarizing layer used in the present invention may contain a liquid crystal material in addition to the dichroic dye. For example, even when the dichroic dye is difficult to align due to the concave portion of the resin layer, the dichroic dye can be aligned along the alignment direction of the liquid crystal material by aligning the liquid crystal material along the concave portion. It is. As the liquid crystal material, a liquid crystal material that can be generally used for a polarizing layer can be used. In addition, the liquid crystal composition of the liquid crystal material and the dichroic dye may exhibit lyotropic liquid crystallinity or thermotropic liquid crystallinity, but usually exhibits thermotropic liquidity. Is used.

  The thickness of the polarizing layer varies depending on the required properties of the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention, but is usually preferably in the range of 10 nm to 1000 nm, more preferably in the range of 20 nm to 500 nm, and 50 nm to 300 nm. Within the range is more preferable. If the thickness of the polarizing layer is too thin, the alignment of the liquid crystal may not be sufficiently controlled. On the other hand, if the thickness is too thick, the alignment may be disturbed near the surface, which is not preferable in terms of cost.

  Such a polarizing layer can be formed by applying the polarizing layer forming coating solution containing the dichroic dye on the resin layer having the pattern-like concave or convex portions described above. The method for forming the polarizing layer will be described in detail in the section “D. Method for Producing Optical Compensation Polarizing Plate”, which will be described later.

3. Optical Compensation Layer Next, the optical compensation layer used in the present invention will be described. The optical compensation layer used in the present invention is formed by fixing liquid crystal.

  The liquid crystal used for the optical compensation layer in the present invention is aligned according to the alignment direction of the dichroic dye of the polarizing layer described above. For example, in FIG. Alignment is performed along the alignment direction 13 ', that is, alignment is performed along the normal direction n of the dichroic dye 13. The direction of the optical axis of the optical compensation layer varies depending on the refractive index anisotropy of the liquid crystal used, but since the liquid crystal is aligned along the normal direction of the dichroic dye, the optical axis of the optical compensation layer is For example, it is considered to be substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to the normal direction of the dichroic dye.

  In FIG. 3B, as described above, the alignment direction of the column structure 13 ′ composed of the dichroic dye 13 is substantially parallel to the groove direction of the stripe-shaped recess pattern of the resin layer 2. The direction of the absorption axis of the layer is substantially parallel to the groove direction of the stripe-shaped concave pattern. Therefore, when the resin layer has a stripe-shaped concave pattern, the groove direction of the stripe-shaped concave pattern, the absorption axis of the polarizing layer, and the optical axis of the optical compensation layer are in a substantially parallel relationship, Alternatively, when the groove direction of the stripe-shaped concave pattern and the absorption axis of the polarizing layer are substantially parallel, and the groove direction of the stripe-shaped concave pattern and the optical axis of the optical compensation layer are substantially perpendicular to each other. Conceivable.

  As described above, in the present invention, the orientation direction of the column structure composed of the dichroic dye and the orientation direction of the liquid crystal can be arbitrarily set by appropriately selecting the pattern of the concave portion or convex portion of the resin layer. An optical compensation layer having desired optical characteristics can be easily obtained. For example, when a long base material is used, it is possible to set the optical axis in the direction of 45 ° or 90 ° with respect to the long direction of the base material. Therefore, when the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention is attached to the liquid crystal display element, the absorption axis of the polarizing layer of the optical compensation polarizing plate and the optical axis of the optical compensation layer are predetermined with respect to the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal display element. Since it can arrange | position so that it may become an angle, for example, 45 degrees, generation | occurrence | production of the unnecessary part at the time of sticking can be avoided.

  In the above example, the optical axis of the optical compensation layer is oriented in a direction horizontal to the plane of the optical compensation layer. In the present invention, the optical axis of the optical compensation layer is the thickness of the optical compensation layer. It is also possible to face in the direction.

  The optical compensation layer used in the present invention is formed by fixing a liquid crystal, and is formed by fixing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. The liquid crystal used for the optical compensation layer is not particularly limited as long as it is a material exhibiting liquid crystallinity at a predetermined temperature. Further, it may be a polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability, or may be a polymerizable liquid crystal material.

  As the polymerizable liquid crystal material, any of a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer, a polymerizable liquid crystal oligomer, and a polymerizable liquid crystal polymer can be used. On the other hand, as a polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability, since the alignment state of the liquid crystal needs to be constant at the storage or use temperature of the optical compensation polarizing plate, the liquid crystal having a relatively high temperature that becomes an isotropic phase. Materials are preferably used.

  In the present invention, it is particularly preferable to use a polymerizable liquid crystal material. As described later, the polymerizable liquid crystal material can be polymerized by irradiation with an active irradiation ray or the like to fix the alignment state, so that the liquid crystal can be easily aligned at a low temperature, and This is because the orientation state is fixed during use, so that it can be used regardless of the use conditions such as temperature.

  Among the polymerizable liquid crystal materials, a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer is preferably used. This is because the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer can be easily aligned because it can be aligned at a lower temperature than the polymerizable liquid crystal oligomer and the polymerizable liquid crystal polymer and has high sensitivity at the time of alignment. . As such a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer, those generally used for an optical compensation layer can be used.

  Furthermore, the liquid crystal property of the liquid crystal used in the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include nematic liquid crystal, smectic liquid crystal, cholesteric liquid crystal, and discotic liquid crystal.

  Examples of the polymerizable liquid crystal monomer exhibiting nematic liquid crystallinity include compounds represented by the following chemical formula.

  In the above chemical formula (1), X is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 20 carbons, alkenyl having 1 to 20 carbons, alkyloxy having 1 to 20 carbons, alkyloxycarbonyl having 1 to 20 carbons, formyl, carbon It represents an alkylcarbonyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkylcarbonyloxy having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, halogen, cyano or nitro. M represents an integer in the range of 2-20.

  Moreover, as a polymerizable liquid crystal monomer which shows cholesteric liquid crystallinity, the compound shown by the above-mentioned chemical formula (1) or the compound shown by the following chemical formula is mentioned, for example.

  Furthermore, as a polymerizable liquid crystal material exhibiting discotic liquid crystallinity, for example, a triphenylene-based discotic liquid crystal that can be polymerized as used for forming a WV film (trade name, manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.), or Examples thereof include compounds represented by the following chemical formula.

  Among the above, the polymerizable liquid crystal material used in the present invention is preferably a compound represented by the above chemical formula (1). The compound represented by the chemical formula (1) exhibits nematic liquid crystallinity as described above, and also exhibits cholesteric liquid crystallinity. In the chemical formula (1), X is preferably an alkyloxycarbonyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, methyl or chlorine, and particularly preferably methyl.

  The optical compensation layer in the present invention may contain a photopolymerization initiator as necessary. This is because, for example, when a polymerizable liquid crystal material is polymerized by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, a photopolymerization initiator is usually used to accelerate the polymerization. As the photopolymerization initiator, those generally used for polymerizing a polymerizable liquid crystal material are used. Moreover, it is also possible to add a sensitizer other than a photoinitiator in the range which does not impair the objective of this invention.

  The thickness of the optical compensation layer used in the present invention may be determined according to the required optical anisotropy, but is usually in the range of 0.1 μm to 10 μm and in the range of 0.3 μm to 6 μm. It is preferable. This is because if the thickness of the optical compensation layer is too thick, more than necessary optical anisotropy occurs, and if it is too thin, the predetermined optical anisotropy may not be obtained.

4). Next, the substrate used in the present invention will be described. The base material used for this invention may be comprised only from the board | substrate, and may be comprised from the board | substrate and the functional layer. Hereinafter, each structure of such a base material is demonstrated.

(1) Substrate The substrate used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used for an optical compensation polarizing plate. For example, quartz glass, Pyrex (registered trademark) glass, synthetic quartz plate and the like are acceptable. A transparent rigid material having no flexibility, or a transparent flexible material having flexibility such as a transparent resin film and an optical resin plate can be used.

  Moreover, as a board | substrate used for this invention, a elongate board | substrate may be sufficient and a web-like board | substrate may be sufficient, but it is preferable that it is a elongate board | substrate. In the present invention, since it is possible to provide an optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical axis that forms a specific angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the substrate, a liquid crystal display element is formed using the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention. This is because when it is produced, it can be applied to the liquid crystal cell as it is, so that it can be applied continuously and the production efficiency is improved.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to use a long transparent flexible material among the long substrates. This is because an optical compensation polarizing plate can be continuously produced through a roll-to-roll process, and a retardation plate with high production efficiency can be obtained. Examples of such a long transparent flexible material include transparent resin films such as polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, diacetyl cellulose, triacetyl cellulose, and polypropylene.

  In the present invention, a TAC (triacetyl cellulose) film is particularly preferable. This is because the TAC film is excellent in optical properties such as high transparency and less retardation, and versatility.

(2) Functional layer In the present invention, a functional layer may be formed on the substrate. The functional layer used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used for a liquid crystal display element, and examples thereof include a color filter layer.

  The color filter layer is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used as a color filter layer of a liquid crystal display element, and a layer using a pigment or a resin can be used. A black matrix may be formed between the colors.

(3) Others In the present invention, the base material may be subjected to a surface treatment in order to improve the adhesion between the base material and the resin layer. Specifically, glow discharge treatment, corona discharge treatment, UV treatment, saponification treatment, or the like can be used. Moreover, you may form a primer layer on a base material. Further, a primer layer (barrier layer) may be provided for the purpose of protecting the substrate from the curable resin. Examples of such a primer layer include silane-based and titanium-based coupling agents.

5. Optical Compensation Polarizing Plate The film thickness of the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention is appropriately selected depending on the use and type of the optical compensation polarizing plate, but can usually be in the range of 50 μm to 500 μm.

B. Next, the substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention will be described.
The substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention is characterized by having the above-described optical compensation polarizing plate, an electrode layer, and an alignment film.

  The substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention includes a base material 1, a resin layer 2 formed on the base material 1, a polarizing layer 3 formed on the resin layer 2, and the polarizing material. An optical compensation polarizing plate 11 having an optical compensation layer 4 formed on the layer 3; an electrode layer 5 formed on the optical compensation layer 4 of the optical compensation polarizing plate 11; and an electrode layer 5 formed on the electrode layer 5. And an alignment film 6.

  Since the alignment film is an alignment film for aligning the liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal layer when the liquid crystal display element is produced using the liquid crystal display element substrate of the present invention, the alignment direction of the alignment film and the optical direction Optical compensation is possible by setting the optical axis of the compensation polarizing plate to a predetermined angle. In addition, as described above, in the present invention, the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be set to an arbitrary angle, so that the optical compensation polarizing plate and the alignment film can be easily arranged as described above. Thus, a liquid crystal display element substrate having desired optical characteristics can be easily obtained.

  In addition, since the substrate for a liquid crystal display element of the present invention uses an optical compensation polarizing plate in which a polarizing layer and an optical compensation layer are integrally formed, the liquid crystal display element substrate can be made thinner and lighter, A decrease in transmittance due to the large number of stacked layers can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in the present invention, when the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer of the optical compensation polarizing plate are formed closer to the alignment film than the base material of the optical compensation polarizing plate, the liquid crystal display element substrate of the present invention is used. When a liquid crystal display device is used, the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are formed inside the base material, so that there is no influence from the birefringence of the base material, and the choice of materials used for the base material is expanded. Therefore, the liquid crystal display element can be reduced in thickness and weight, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Hereinafter, each configuration of the liquid crystal display element substrate will be described. The substrate, the resin layer, the polarizing layer, the optical compensation layer, and the optical compensation polarizing plate are the same as those described in the above-mentioned section “A. Optical compensation polarizing plate”, and thus the description thereof is omitted here. To do.

1. Alignment film The alignment film used in the present invention is for aligning liquid crystals when the liquid crystal display element substrate of the present invention is used, and is formed on the outermost surface of the liquid crystal display element substrate. Is.

  The alignment film used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the liquid crystal can be aligned. For example, a rubbing film, a photo alignment film, or the like can be used. The formation position of the alignment film is not particularly limited as long as it is the outermost surface of the substrate for a liquid crystal display element. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical compensation layer 4 of the optical compensation polarizing plate 11 is provided. Although it may be the outermost surface on the side, it may be the outermost surface on the side where the base material of the optical compensation polarizing plate is provided, but considering the influence of the birefringence of the base material, the alignment film is It is preferably formed on the outermost surface of the optical compensation polarizing plate on the side where the optical compensation layer is provided.

2. Electrode layer The electrode layer used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is generally used as an electrode layer of a liquid crystal display element. For example, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), etc. Transparent electrodes, and metal electrodes such as chromium and aluminum.

  The electrode layer may be formed between the alignment film and the optical compensation polarizing plate, and between the resin layer and the polarizing layer or between the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer. There is no particular limitation. For example, when the alignment film is formed on the optical compensation layer side of the optical compensation polarizing plate, the electrode layer is formed at a position between the optical compensation layer 4 and the alignment film 6 of the optical compensation plate 11 as shown in FIG. Although not shown, it may be between the base material of the optical compensation polarizing plate and the resin layer. Moreover, when a base material has a board | substrate and a functional layer, the electrode layer may be formed between the board | substrate and the functional layer. On the other hand, when the alignment film is formed on the substrate side of the optical compensation polarizing plate, the electrode layer may be formed between the substrate of the optical compensation polarizing plate and the alignment film. When has a substrate and a functional layer, it may be between the substrate and the functional layer.

C. Next, the liquid crystal display element of the present invention will be described.
The liquid crystal display element of the present invention is characterized by using the above-mentioned optical compensation polarizing plate.

  In the present invention, since the optical axis of the optical compensation polarizing plate can be arbitrarily set as described above, the optical compensation polarizing plate is arranged so that the optical axis forms a predetermined angle with respect to the scanning line direction of the liquid crystal cell. When disposing, it is possible to eliminate the waste of the optical compensation polarizing plate due to the alignment, and it is possible to obtain a liquid crystal display element that is inexpensive and has high manufacturing efficiency. Further, since the above-mentioned optical compensation polarizing plate is formed by integrally forming a polarizing layer and an optical compensation layer, the liquid crystal display element can be reduced in thickness and weight, and the transmittance due to the large number of stacked layers. Can be suppressed.

  The liquid crystal display element of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the liquid crystal cell and the optical compensation polarizing plate are laminated. Moreover, as a liquid crystal cell, what is generally used for a liquid crystal display element can be used.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that a liquid crystal display element uses the liquid crystal display element substrate mentioned above. In the liquid crystal display element substrate, when the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer of the optical compensation polarizing plate are formed closer to the alignment film than the base material of the optical compensation polarizing plate, that is, in the liquid crystal display element of the present invention, When the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are formed inside the base material, it is not affected by the birefringence of the base material. This is because it can be realized. This also leads to a reduction in manufacturing costs.

D. Next, a method for producing the optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention will be described.
The method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention comprises a coating step of applying a curable resin composition on a substrate or a substrate for forming a recess having a pattern-shaped projection, the substrate and the substrate for forming a recess. , An arrangement step of overlapping the curable resin composition, a curing step of curing the curable resin composition to obtain a curable resin, and forming the recess from the curable resin composition or the curable resin. A resin layer forming step of forming a resin layer by performing a recess forming step of peeling a substrate for forming a patterned recess,
A coating film forming step of coating a polarizing layer-forming coating solution containing a dichroic dye on the resin layer, and orienting the dichroic dye through a concave portion of the resin layer to form a coating film, the coating A polarizing layer forming step of forming a polarizing layer by performing a drying step of drying the film, and an immobilization step of immobilizing the orientation state of the dichroic dye,
An optical compensation layer forming step of forming an optical compensation layer by applying a liquid crystal composition on the polarizing layer, aligning the liquid crystal with the polarizing layer, and fixing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. To do.

  The manufacturing method of the optical compensation polarizing plate of this invention is demonstrated referring drawings. FIG. 5 is a process diagram showing an example of a method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, in the method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention, first, a curable resin composition 22 is applied onto a base material 1 (FIG. 5A, a coating process), and the base material 1. Further, the substrate 25 for forming recesses having pattern-like protrusions is overlapped with the curable resin composition 22 interposed therebetween, and the curable resin composition 22 is cured by irradiating energy 26 (FIG. 5B, arrangement). Process and curing process). Furthermore, the resin layer 2 having a patterned recess is formed by peeling the recess forming substrate 25 (FIG. 5C, recess forming step). In this way, the resin layer forming step is performed.

  Next, a polarizing layer-forming coating solution 23 containing a dichroic dye is applied on the resin layer 2, and the dichroic dye is oriented by the recesses of the resin layer 2 to form a coating film (FIG. 5). (D), coating film forming step). Further, a drying process for drying the coating film is performed, and a hydrophobic treatment liquid 27 is applied on the dried coating film 23 'to perform a hydrophobic treatment, thereby fixing the orientation state of the dichroic dye (see FIG. 5 (e), immobilization step). Next, the hydrophobic treatment solution is washed and dried to form the polarizing layer 3 (FIG. 5 (f)). In this way, the polarizing layer forming step is performed.

  Finally, the liquid crystal composition 24 is applied on the polarizing layer 3, and the liquid crystal is aligned using the alignment ability of the polarizing layer 3 by performing an alignment treatment so that the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal composition 24 becomes a liquid crystal phase. (FIG. 5 (g)). Further, the optical compensation layer 4 is formed by irradiating ultraviolet rays 28 to polymerize the liquid crystal and fix the alignment state (FIG. 5 (h)). In this way, the optical compensation layer forming step is performed.

  In the present invention, by aligning the dichroic dye by the concave portion of the resin layer, a polarizing layer having polarization and alignment ability is formed, and by aligning the liquid crystal using the alignment ability of the polarization layer. An optical compensation layer is formed. Furthermore, since the resin layer is formed by duplicating the convex portion of the concave portion forming substrate, in the present invention, the polarizing layer is selected by appropriately selecting the convex pattern of the concave portion forming substrate. It becomes possible to control the alignment direction of the dichroic dye constituting and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal constituting the optical compensation layer. That is, the absorption axis of the polarizing layer and the optical axis of the optical compensation layer can be arbitrarily set. Thereby, for example, an optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical axis that forms a specific angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of a long transparent resin film, or an optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical axis in an oblique direction of a web-like glass substrate. It can be manufactured easily. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a large number of optical compensation polarizing plates having an optical axis in an arbitrary direction only by once producing an original plate of such a recess forming substrate, which has an advantage of improving manufacturing efficiency.

  In addition, since the optical compensation polarizing plate manufactured according to the present invention can set the optical axis in a desired direction as described above, the optical compensation polarizing plate by alignment is required when incorporated in a liquid crystal display element. It is possible to eliminate the waste of the chip, and to reduce the manufacturing cost and simplify the manufacturing process.

Furthermore, in the present invention, since the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer are integrally formed, the optical compensation polarizing plate can be reduced in thickness and weight. In addition, in the present invention, since a protective film is not interposed between the polarizing layer and the optical compensation layer as compared with the case where the conventional polarizing plate and the optical compensation plate are separately formed and bonded, the refractive index by the protective film It has the advantage that no change needs to be taken into account. Furthermore, as compared with the case where a conventional polarizing plate and an optical compensation plate are bonded together, in the present invention, a number of protective films are not laminated, and the polarizing layer functions as an alignment film for the optical compensation layer. As a result, the number of stacked layers can be reduced, and a decrease in transmittance can be suppressed.
Hereafter, each process of the manufacturing method of such an optical compensation polarizing plate is demonstrated.

1. Resin Layer Forming Step The resin layer forming step in the present invention comprises a coating step of applying a curable resin composition on a substrate or a substrate for forming a recess having a pattern-like projection, and the substrate and the recess forming step. An arrangement step of stacking the substrates with the curable resin composition interposed therebetween, a curing step of curing the curable resin composition to obtain a curable resin, and the curable resin composition or the curable resin from the above A recess forming step of peeling the recess forming substrate to form a patterned recess.
Hereinafter, each process of such a resin layer formation process is demonstrated.

(1) Application | coating process In the resin layer formation process in this invention, the application | coating process which apply | coats curable resin composition on the base material or the board | substrate for recessed formation which has a pattern-shaped convex part first is performed.
Hereinafter, the method for applying the recess forming substrate and the curable resin composition used in this step will be described.

(Substrate forming substrate)
First, the recess forming substrate used in this step will be described. The substrate for forming recesses used in this step has a pattern-like protrusion on the surface. Moreover, this convex part is formed so that it may become symmetrical with respect to the concave part of the target resin layer.

  The shape of the convex portion of the concave portion forming substrate used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the concave portion of the target resin layer can be formed.

  Further, the substrate for forming recesses used in the present invention is a convex for forming recesses in the resin layer such that the dichroic dye is oriented at an arbitrary angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the long base material. It is preferable to have a part. This is because an optical compensation polarizing plate having desired optical characteristics can be easily manufactured at low cost by making the convex portions of the concave portion forming substrate as described above.

  In addition, since the width | variety, height, shape, pattern, etc. of a convex part respond | correspond to the recessed part of the resin layer mentioned above, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

  Further, the concave portion forming substrate may be a flexible substrate such as a resin film, or may be a non-flexible substrate such as glass. In the present invention, since the recess forming substrate is used repeatedly, a material having a predetermined strength is preferably used. Specific examples include glass, ceramic, metal, and plastic. Such a material is appropriately selected depending on a method for forming a convex portion described later. Furthermore, the said recessed part formation board | substrate is suitably selected with the irradiation method of the energy at the time of hardening the curable resin composition in the hardening process mentioned later. That is, when irradiating energy rays from the concave portion forming substrate side, it is necessary to be a transparent material, but when irradiating energy rays from the base material side, it is not particularly limited to transparent materials. Absent.

  The concave portion forming substrate may be moved by the concave / convex cylindrical drum, and the concave portion forming substrate itself constitutes the concave / convex cylindrical drum, that is, a convex portion is formed on the surface of the concave / convex cylindrical drum. It may be. It is because a recessed part can be continuously replicated on a base material and a manufacturing efficiency improves by passing through a roll to roll process. In addition, since it is possible to manufacture a large number of optical compensation polarizing plates having an optical axis in an arbitrary direction only by once producing an original plate of such a recess forming substrate, the manufacturing efficiency can be further improved.

  As a method for forming such a convex portion, for example, a method of patterning glass or a resin film, a method of applying a photosensitive resin layer or the like on the surface of glass or the like, and a method of patterning the photosensitive resin layer, or the like is used. Can do. As the patterning method, a general method can be used, and examples thereof include a photolithography method, a sputtering method, and a mechanical cutting method. Furthermore, an oblique vapor deposition method, a rubbing method, etc. can also be used.

(Coating method of curable resin composition)
In this step, the curable resin composition may be applied on a base material or may be applied on a recess forming substrate. Further, the base material and the recess forming substrate may be fixed with a predetermined gap, and the curable resin composition may be poured and applied between them.

  Examples of the method for applying the curable resin composition include spin coating, roll coating, printing, dip coating, curtain coating (die coating), and the like.

  The film thickness of the applied curable resin composition is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 30 μm, and more preferably in the range of 0.2 to 10 μm. This is because if the film thickness is too thinner than the above range, the recesses may not be sufficiently replicated in the curable resin composition. Moreover, it is because it will become difficult to make the optical compensation polarizing plate manufactured by this invention thin when a film thickness is too thick. Further, when the substrate is a film, there is a possibility that a problem that the coated surface is easily curled may occur.

  Moreover, it may apply | coat by the method mentioned above, controlling application quantity so that the said curable resin composition may become a desired film thickness, and after apply | coating, you may remove an excess curable resin composition. Examples of a method for removing excess curable resin composition include a method for removing using a roller, a method for scraping using a doctor, and the like. Moreover, the process of removing such an excessive curable resin composition may be performed after an application | coating process, and may be performed after the arrangement | positioning process mentioned later.

  In addition, since it is the same as that of what was described in the term of the above-mentioned "A. optical compensation polarizing plate" about a base material and curable resin composition, description here is abbreviate | omitted.

(2) Arrangement Step Next, the arrangement step of the resin layer forming step in the present invention will be described. The disposing step in the present invention is a step of overlapping the base material and the concave portion forming substrate with the curable resin composition interposed therebetween.

  The method for arranging the substrate and the recess forming substrate is not particularly limited as long as the applied curable resin composition is arranged so as to be in contact with the substrate and the recess forming substrate. It is preferable to arrange so as to be in close contact with the substrate. This is because the resin layer made of the curable resin obtained by curing the curable resin composition is formed on the substrate, and therefore, the curable resin composition is preferably in close contact with the substrate. Moreover, it is preferable that the said base material and the said board | substrate for recessed part formation are arrange | positioned with a gap | interval so that a curable resin composition may become the target film thickness.

  Moreover, in order to improve the adhesiveness of the said base material and the said curable resin composition, it is preferable to surface-treat to a base material. Specifically, glow discharge treatment, corona discharge treatment, UV treatment, saponification treatment, or the like can be used. Moreover, you may form a primer layer on a base material. Further, a primer layer (barrier layer) may be provided for the purpose of protecting the substrate from the curable resin. Examples of such a primer layer include silane-based and titanium-based coupling agents.

(3) Curing step In the resin layer forming step in the present invention, a curing step is performed in which the curable resin composition is cured to obtain a curable resin.

  Examples of the curing method of the curable resin composition include a method of irradiating energy rays, a method of heating, and the like. In the present invention, it is preferable to use a method of irradiating energy rays. The energy rays referred to in the present invention indicate energy rays capable of causing polymerization with respect to monomers and polymers contained in the curable resin composition.

  The energy ray is not particularly limited as long as it is an energy ray capable of polymerizing the curable resin composition, but usually ultraviolet light or visible light is used from the viewpoint of the ease of equipment and the like. Irradiation light having a wavelength of 150 to 500 nm, preferably 250 to 450 nm, and more preferably 300 to 400 nm is used.

  In the present invention, a method of irradiating ultraviolet rays (UV) as energy rays is a preferable method. This is because the method using UV as the actinic radiation is an already established technique, and therefore it is easy to apply to the present invention including the photopolymerization initiator to be used.

  As the light source of this irradiation light, low pressure mercury lamp (sterilization lamp, fluorescent chemical lamp, black light), high pressure discharge lamp (high pressure mercury lamp, metal halide lamp), short arc discharge lamp (super high pressure mercury lamp, xenon lamp, mercury xenon) Lamp). In particular, the use of metal halide lamps, xenon lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, etc. is recommended. The irradiation intensity is appropriately adjusted according to the composition of the curable resin composition and the amount of photopolymerization initiator.

  Moreover, as a film thickness of curable resin obtained by hardening | curing curable resin composition, it is preferable to exist in the range of 0.1-30 micrometers, especially in the range of 0.2-10 micrometers. This is because if the film thickness is too thick, the optical compensation polarizing plate produced according to the present invention may become heavy. Moreover, it is because toughness is inferior when a film thickness is too thin.

  In the present invention, the curing step may be performed after the coating step, after the placement step, or during the recess formation step. That is, the curable resin composition is applied on a substrate or a substrate for forming recesses and then cured (after the application step, the first aspect), and the substrate and the substrate for forming recesses are stacked with the curable resin composition interposed therebetween. In either case of curing after placing together (second mode after placement step) or curing after peeling the substrate for forming recesses from the curable resin composition (third mode during the recess forming step) It may be done at. Hereinafter, each aspect will be described.

(First aspect)
In this invention, the 1st aspect of a hardening process apply | coats a curable resin composition on the base material or the board | substrate for recessed formation, irradiates energy, hardens the said curable resin composition, and is obtained by hardening. The base material and the concave portion forming substrate are arranged so as to overlap each other with the curable resin sandwiched therebetween, and the concave portion forming substrate is peeled from the curable resin to form the concave portion.

  At this time, the irradiation direction of the energy rays for curing the curable resin composition may be from the substrate or the concave portion forming substrate side or from the curable resin composition side. However, when a curable resin composition is applied onto a substrate or a substrate for forming recesses and irradiated from the substrate or substrate for forming recesses, the substrate or substrate for forming recesses needs to be a transparent material.

  In addition, when the curable resin composition is applied and cured on the base material, the concave portion forming substrate is placed on the surface of the curable resin obtained by curing, and the concave portion is duplicated. The curable resin needs to have a predetermined viscosity. Therefore, it is preferable not to completely cure the curable resin composition, and after the recess forming substrate is disposed on the surface of the curable resin, or after the recess forming substrate is peeled from the curable resin, it may be cured again. Good.

(Second aspect)
In the present invention, in the second aspect of the curing step, the curable resin composition is applied onto a substrate or a recess forming substrate, and the substrate and the recess forming substrate are overlapped with the curable resin composition interposed therebetween. The curable resin composition is cured by irradiating with energy, and the substrate for forming recesses is peeled from the curable resin obtained by curing to form the recesses.

  At this time, the irradiation direction of the energy rays for curing the curable resin composition may be from the recess forming substrate side or from the base material side. However, when irradiating from the base material side, the base material needs to be a transparent material, and when irradiating from the concave portion forming substrate side, the concave portion forming substrate needs to be a transparent material.

(Third aspect)
In this invention, the 3rd aspect of a hardening process apply | coats curable resin composition on the base material or the board | substrate for recessed part formation, and laminate | stacks the base material and the board | substrate for recessed part formation on both sides of the said curable resin composition. And disposing the substrate for forming recesses from the curable resin composition, irradiating energy to cure the curable resin composition, and forming recesses.

  At this time, the irradiation direction of the energy ray for curing the curable resin composition may be from the curable resin composition side or from the substrate side. However, when irradiating from the base material side, the base material needs to be a transparent material.

  In addition, since the curable resin composition is cured after peeling the recess forming substrate from the curable resin composition, the curable resin composition needs to maintain the recess even after peeling the recess forming substrate. There is. Therefore, the curable resin composition may have a semi-cured state in advance before peeling the recess forming substrate from the curable resin composition so that the curable resin composition has a predetermined viscosity.

(4) Concave formation process In the resin layer formation process in this invention, the concavity formation process which peels the said board | substrate for recessed part formation from the said curable resin composition or the said curable resin, and forms a pattern-shaped recessed part is performed. .

  As a method of peeling the concave portion forming substrate from the curable resin composition or the curable resin, the curable resin composition or the curable resin is peeled off from the concave portion forming substrate and is in close contact with the base material, and the concave portion is formed. If it is formed, it will not specifically limit.

  Further, in the present invention, the recess forming substrate is moved by the concave and convex cylindrical drum, and the base material is moved by the base cylindrical drum, and the curable resin composition or the curable resin is moved on the two cylindrical drums. By overlapping the base material and the concave portion forming substrate across the substrate, peeling the concave portion forming substrate from the curable resin composition or the curable resin, and continuously replicating the concave portion on the base material, A resin layer having a recess may be formed. Furthermore, the concave-convex forming substrate may be a concave-convex cylindrical drum. This is because by passing through the roll-to-roll process, the concave portions can be continuously replicated on the base material, and the production efficiency is improved. In addition, it is because a large number of optical compensation polarizing plates having an optical axis in an arbitrary direction can be produced only by once producing an original plate of such a recess forming substrate.

(5) Others In the present invention, it is preferable that after the resin layer forming step, a hydrophilic treatment step for hydrophilizing the resin layer surface having the recesses is performed. Usually, when the above-described resin layer forming step is performed, the formed resin layer surface has high water repellency, and the dichroic dye may not be sufficiently oriented. The hydrophilization treatment method is the same as that described in the section of the resin layer of “A. Optical compensation polarizing plate” described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

2. Next, the polarizing layer forming step in the present invention will be described. In the polarizing layer forming step in the present invention, a coating liquid for forming a polarizing layer containing a dichroic dye is applied onto the resin layer, and the coating film is formed by orienting the dichroic dye through the concave portion of the resin layer. It has a coating film forming process to form, a drying process to dry the coating film, and an immobilization process to fix the orientation of the dichroic dye. Will be described.

(1) Coating Film Forming Step In the polarizing layer forming step in the present invention, first, a polarizing layer forming coating solution containing a dichroic dye is applied on the resin layer, and the above two layers are formed by the concave portions of the resin layer. A coating film forming step is performed in which a chromatic dye is oriented to form a coating film.

  The polarizing layer forming coating solution used in the present invention contains a dichroic dye, and the dichroic dye is dispersed or dissolved in a solvent. The dichroic dye is the same as that described in the section of the polarizing layer of “A. Optical compensation polarizing plate” described above, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

  The solvent used in the polarizing layer forming coating solution is appropriately selected depending on the substituent introduced into the dichroic dye described above. For example, when a hydrophilic group such as a sulfonic acid group is introduced, water is used as the solvent. On the other hand, when a hydrophobic group such as a long-chain alkyl group is introduced, an organic solvent is used. A common thing can be used as such an organic solvent. Moreover, the said polarizing layer forming coating liquid may contain various additives, such as surfactant, such as polyethyleneglycol, as needed.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the coating liquid for polarizing layer formation used for this invention is an aqueous system among the above. This is because, as the dichroic dye used in the present invention, a dichroic dye that forms a column structure, has a hydrophilic group, and exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity in an aqueous solution is preferably used.

  The method for applying such a polarizing layer-forming coating solution is not particularly limited as long as it can be arranged so that the normal direction of the dichroic dye is aligned in a certain direction, Among them, a method in which shear stress is not applied is preferable. When using a method that requires shearing stress, it is difficult to arrange the dichroic dye so that the normal direction of the dichroic dye is aligned in the coating direction and so that the normal direction of the dichroic dye is aligned along the concave portion of the resin layer. Because there are cases. Examples of the application method in which shear stress is not applied include spray coating, dip coating, an ink jet method, a flexographic printing method, and the like. Among these, an ink jet method is preferably used.

(2) Drying step Next, in the polarizing layer forming step in the present invention, a drying step of drying the coating film formed in the coating film forming step is performed. The drying step in the present invention is a step of drying the solvent contained in the polarizing layer forming coating solution. In the present invention, by providing this drying step, an immobilization step described later is smoothly performed.

  The drying method used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it does not destroy the column structure made of the dichroic dye or change the pattern of the recesses of the resin layer. A method used for drying the solvent, for example, heat drying, room temperature drying, freeze drying, far infrared drying, or the like can be used.

(3) Immobilization process In the polarizing layer formation process in this invention, the immobilization process which fixes the orientation state of the said dichroic dye is performed. In the present invention, by performing such an immobilization step, water resistance can be imparted to the polarizing layer, and the column structure composed of the dichroic dye is not disturbed due to moisture in the air and the like, which will be described later. In the compensation layer forming step, the liquid crystal can have excellent alignment stability.

  As a method for fixing the orientation state of the dichroic dye used in the present invention, a method of crosslinking the dichroic dye can be used. The crosslinking method of the dichroic dye differs depending on the substituent introduced into the dichroic dye.

  When the dichroic dye has a hydrophilic group such as a sulfonic acid group, a crosslinking method for hydrophobizing the hydrophilic group is used. When the hydrophilic group of the dichroic dye is hydrophobized, a cross-link is formed between adjacent dichroic dyes, and the orientation state of the dichroic dye is fixed. When the dichroic dye exhibits lyotropic liquid crystal properties in an aqueous solution, the water resistance is poor and the alignment state tends to be disturbed due to moisture in the air unless the hydrophobic treatment is performed. It may become.

  The hydrophobizing solution used for the hydrophobizing treatment is not particularly limited as long as the hydrophilic group can be hydrophobized, and varies depending on the hydrophilic group of the dichroic dye used. Although it is a thing, it is preferable that a bridge | crosslinking can be formed between adjacent dichroic dyes. As such a hydrophobizing treatment liquid, for example, an aqueous solution of a salt of a divalent metal such as magnesium, calcium, barium or the like can be used. Specific examples include an aqueous barium chloride solution, an aqueous magnesium chloride solution, and an aqueous calcium chloride solution.

The mechanism by which adjacent dichroic dyes are crosslinked is as follows. For example, when the dichroic dye has an SO ₃ Na group and is hydrophobized using an aqueous barium chloride solution, the SO ₃ ion of the SO ₃ Na group of the dichroic dye and Ba in the aqueous barium chloride solution By bonding with ions, adjacent dichroic dyes are cross-linked and the alignment state is fixed. That is, in a state where the normal direction of the dichroic dye is arranged in a certain direction, the adjacent dichroic dye is cross-linked, so that the column structure is fixed.

  Further, the hydrophobizing treatment method is not particularly limited as long as it is a method capable of hydrophobizing the hydrophilic substituent. After the polarizing layer forming coating liquid is dried, the hydrophobizing treatment is performed. Examples thereof include a method of applying a liquid and a method of immersing in the hydrophobizing treatment liquid. After application or immersion of this hydrophobizing treatment liquid, a polarizing layer can be obtained by washing and drying.

  On the other hand, when the dichroic dye has a hydrophobic group such as a long-chain alkyl group, for example, a polymerizable group is introduced into the core part of the dichroic dye or a part of the alkyl side chain. A crosslinking method is used in which the dichroic dye is crosslinked in a linear or network form by polymerizing the polymer to fix the alignment state.

  Further, when the polarizing layer forming coating liquid contains the liquid crystal material described above, the alignment state of the dichroic dye can be fixed by polymerizing the liquid crystal material. In this case, the liquid crystal material needs to have a polymerizable group.

3. Optical Compensation Layer Formation Step Next, the optical compensation layer formation step in the present invention will be described. The optical compensation layer forming step in the present invention is a step of forming an optical compensation layer by applying a liquid crystal composition on the polarizing layer, aligning the liquid crystal with the polarizing layer, and fixing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. is there.

  The liquid crystal composition used in the present invention contains the liquid crystal described in the section of the optical compensation layer of the above-mentioned “A. Optical compensation polarizing plate”. Moreover, when apply | coating the said liquid-crystal composition on a polarizing layer, you may melt | dissolve and use a liquid-crystal composition, and you may melt | dissolve and use a liquid-crystal composition in a solvent.

  The solvent used for dissolving the liquid crystal composition is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve the liquid crystal described above and does not inhibit the alignment ability of the polarizing layer. For example, hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, n-butylbenzene, diethylbenzene and tetralin; ethers such as methoxybenzene, 1,2-dimethoxybenzene and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether; acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, cyclohexanone, 2 Ketones such as 1,4-pentanedione; esters such as ethyl acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, γ-butyrolactone; 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, dimethyl Amide solvents such as acetamide; t-butyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, glycerin, monoacetin, ethylene glycol, triethyleneglycol Alcohols such as hexylene glycol, phenols, phenols such as phenol and parachlorophenol, and one or more cellosolves such as methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, butyl cellosolve, and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate can be used. .

  In addition, the use of a single type of solvent may result in insufficient solubility of the liquid crystal or the like, or the polarizing layer may be eroded as described above. Therefore, this inconvenience can be avoided. Of these solvents, hydrocarbons and glycol monoether acetate solvents are preferred as the sole solvent, and mixed solvents of ethers or ketones and glycol solvents are preferred as the mixed solvent. It is. The concentration of the solution in which the liquid crystal composition is dissolved in a solvent depends on the solubility of the liquid crystal and the thickness of the target optical compensation layer, but cannot be defined unconditionally, but is usually 0.1 to 40% by weight, preferably Is prepared in the range of 1 to 20% by weight. If the concentration of the solution is too low, it may be difficult to align the liquid crystal. Conversely, if the concentration of the solution is too high, the viscosity of the solution will increase and it may be difficult to form a uniform coating film. is there.

  Furthermore, the following compounds can be added to the liquid crystal composition as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. Examples of compounds that can be added include polyester (meth) acrylate obtained by reacting (meth) acrylic acid with a polyester prepolymer obtained by condensing polyhydric alcohol and monobasic acid or polybasic acid; A polyurethane (meth) acrylate obtained by reacting a compound having two isocyanate groups with each other and then reacting the reaction product with (meth) acrylic acid; bisphenol A type epoxy resin, bisphenol F type epoxy resin, novolak Type epoxy resins, polycarboxylic acid polyglycidyl esters, polyol polyglycidyl ethers, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic epoxy resins, amine epoxy resins, triphenolmethane type epoxy resins, dihydroxybenzene type epoxy resins and the like (meth) Acry Photopolymerizable compound in epoxy (meth) acrylate obtained by reacting an acid; photopolymerizable liquid crystal compound having an acryl group or methacryl group and the like. The amount of these compounds added to the liquid crystal composition is selected in such a range that the object of the present invention is not impaired. By adding these compounds, the curability of the liquid crystal is improved, the mechanical strength of the obtained optical compensation layer is increased, and the stability is improved.

  Examples of the method for applying such a liquid crystal composition include spin coating, roll coating, printing, dipping and lifting, curtain coating (die coating), casting, bar coating, blade coating, and spray coating. , Gravure coating method, reverse coating method, extrusion coating method and the like.

  In the present invention, in addition to the method of forming a coating film by applying the liquid crystal composition on the polarizing layer as described above, for example, a method of previously forming a dry film or the like and laminating the film on the polarizing layer. It is also possible to take In the present invention, among them, a method in which the liquid crystal composition is dissolved in a solvent, applied onto the polarizing layer, and the solvent is dried is preferably used. This is because such a method is simpler in process than other methods.

  Examples of the solvent drying method include methods generally used for solvent drying, such as vacuum drying or heat drying, and a combination of these.

  In the present invention, as described above, the liquid crystal composition is applied on the polarizing layer and dried, and then the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal composition is aligned by the polarizing layer. The alignment treatment of the liquid crystal is usually performed by a method of performing a heat treatment below the NI transition point or the like. Here, the NI transition point indicates the temperature at which the liquid crystal phase transitions to the isotropic phase.

  Moreover, in this invention, after aligning a liquid crystal, the orientation state of a liquid crystal is fixed. The fixing process of the alignment state of the liquid crystal is performed by a different method depending on the liquid crystal used. Specifically, the liquid crystal is divided into a polymerizable liquid crystal material and a polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability. Hereinafter, the case of a polymerizable liquid crystal material and the case of a polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability will be described separately.

(1) Polymerizable liquid crystal material In the present invention, the alignment treatment of the polymerizable liquid crystal material is performed by a method of irradiating the coating film made of the polymerizable liquid crystal material with actinic radiation that activates the polymerization. .

  The active radiation as used in the field of this invention means the radiation which has the capability to cause superposition | polymerization with respect to polymeric material, If necessary, the photoinitiator may be contained in polymeric material. The photopolymerization initiator is the same as that described in the section of the optical compensation layer of “A. Optical compensation polarizing plate” described above, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

  The actinic radiation is not particularly limited as long as it is a radiation capable of polymerizing the polymerizable liquid crystal material, but usually ultraviolet light or visible light is used from the viewpoint of the ease of the apparatus, and the wavelength. Irradiating light of 150 to 500 nm, preferably 250 to 450 nm, more preferably 300 to 400 nm is used.

  In the present invention, there is a method in which ultraviolet rays (UV) are irradiated as active radiation to a polymerizable liquid crystal material in which a photopolymerization initiator generates radicals by ultraviolet rays (UV) and the polymerizable liquid crystal material undergoes radical polymerization. It can be said that this is a preferred method. This is because the method using UV as the actinic radiation is an already established technique, and therefore it is easy to apply to the present invention including the photopolymerization initiator to be used.

  As the light source of this irradiation light, low pressure mercury lamp (sterilization lamp, fluorescent chemical lamp, black light), high pressure discharge lamp (high pressure mercury lamp, metal halide lamp), short arc discharge lamp (super high pressure mercury lamp, xenon lamp, mercury xenon) Lamp). Among these, use of a metal halide lamp, a xenon lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, etc. is recommended. The irradiation intensity is appropriately adjusted according to the composition of the polymerizable liquid crystal material and the amount of photopolymerization initiator.

  Such immobilization treatment by irradiation with actinic radiation may be performed under a temperature condition in which the polymerizable liquid crystal material becomes a liquid crystal phase, or may be performed at a temperature lower than the temperature at which the liquid crystal phase becomes. This is because the alignment state of the polymerizable liquid crystal material once in the liquid crystal phase is not disturbed suddenly even if the temperature is lowered thereafter.

(2) Polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability In the present invention, in the case of using a polymer liquid crystal material having no polymerizability, the alignment state is fixed from the temperature at which the liquid crystal phase is treated, It is carried out by a method of reducing the temperature to a solid phase. By aligning the polymer liquid crystal material with the polarizing layer and lowering the processing temperature to a glass temperature in this state, an optical compensation layer can be obtained.

4). Others A substrate for a liquid crystal display element can be produced using the method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate of the present invention. For example, an optical compensation polarizing plate forming step of forming an optical compensation polarizing plate by the above-described method of manufacturing an optical compensation polarizing plate, an electrode layer forming step of forming an electrode layer on the optical compensation polarizing plate, and an electrode layer By performing the alignment film forming step of forming the alignment film, a liquid crystal display element substrate can be manufactured.

  The electrode layer can be formed by a vapor deposition method such as a CVD method, a sputtering method, or an ion plating method. In addition, as a method for forming the alignment film, a general method for forming an alignment film can be used.

  The other points of the liquid crystal display element substrate are the same as those described in the above-mentioned “B. Liquid crystal display element substrate”, and thus the description thereof is omitted here.

  Moreover, a liquid crystal display element can also be manufactured using the manufacturing method of the optical compensation polarizing plate of this invention. In this case, it is preferable to use the above-described method for manufacturing a substrate for a liquid crystal display element. A liquid crystal display element is manufactured by arranging the liquid crystal display element substrate and a counter substrate having an electrode layer and an alignment film on a base material so that the alignment films face each other and forming a liquid crystal layer therebetween. can do.

  For example, beads are dispersed as spacers on the alignment film of the liquid crystal display element substrate, a sealing agent is applied to the periphery, and the liquid crystal display element substrate and the counter substrate are bonded so that the alignment films face each other. Crimp. Then, the liquid crystal is heated from the injection port using the capillary effect and injected in an isotropic or nematic phase, and the injection port is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin or the like. Thereafter, the liquid crystal is gradually cooled to be aligned. Furthermore, a liquid crystal display element can be obtained by attaching a polarizing plate to the outside of the counter substrate.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention, and any device that exhibits the same function and effect is the present invention. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to examples.
[Example]
(Formation of resin layer)
On the cleaned glass substrate with an ITO electrode, a 0.1 wt% silane coupling agent dissolved in ethanol was applied using a spinner and dried to form a 10 nm anchor layer. On this anchor layer, a UV-curable acrylate resin composition having the following composition was applied, and a polycarbonate recess-forming substrate on which a desired pattern-shaped projection was formed was pressed, and a pressure of 100 kg / cm ² was applied for 1 minute. While pressing, the UV curable acrylate resin composition was cured by irradiating with about 100 mJ / cm ² of ultraviolet rays. Further, the recess-forming substrate was peeled off, and 3000 mJ / cm ² of ultraviolet rays were irradiated to completely cure the UV curable acrylate resin composition, thereby forming a patterned recess. The pattern-like recesses had a recess width: 0.2 μm, a protrusion width: 0.2 μm, a pitch: 0.4 μm, and a depth: 0.2 μm, and had a stripe pattern. Thereby, a resin layer was formed.

<UV curable acrylate resin composition>
-40 parts by weight of GOSELAC UV-7500B (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)-35 parts by weight of 1,6-hexanediol acrylate (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.)-21 parts by weight of pentaerythritol acrylate (manufactured by Toagosei Co., Ltd.) 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (Ciba Specialty Chemicals) 2 parts by weight • Benzophenone (Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.) 2 parts by weight

(Formation of polarizing layer)
An ink containing a dichroic dye (manufactured by Optiva, product name: N015) was applied onto the well-washed resin layer using an inkjet, dried, and then applied to a 15% barium chloride aqueous solution for about 1 second. Soaked. Further, this was washed and dried again to form a polarizing layer having a thickness of 0.3 μm. When the absorption axis of this polarizing layer was measured, it was a parallel direction along the stripe-shaped recess.

(Formation of optical compensation layer)
A powder prepared by mixing a polymerizable liquid crystal material having the following nematic liquid crystal properties and a photopolymerization initiator (manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals, trade name: IRG907) at a ratio of 100: 5 (weight ratio), A liquid crystal composition was prepared by dissolving in toluene at 30% by weight. This liquid crystal composition was applied onto the polarizing layer using a bar coat. Furthermore, after evaporating the solvent, the liquid crystal was aligned by performing an alignment treatment at 80 ° C. for 3 minutes, and the liquid crystal was polymerized by irradiating with ultraviolet rays to form an optical compensation layer. When the optical axis of this optical compensation layer was measured, it was parallel along the stripe-shaped recess.

<Polymerizable liquid crystal material exhibiting nematic liquid crystal properties>
A polymerizable liquid crystal monomer represented by the following chemical formula, having a polymerizable functional group at the terminal, and exhibiting nematic liquid crystallinity within a range of 50 ° C. to 100 ° C. was used.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the optical compensation polarizing plate of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the recessed part of the resin layer used for this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the dichroic dye used for this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the board | substrate for liquid crystal display elements of this invention. It is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the optical compensation polarizing plate of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Base material 2 ... Resin layer 3 ... Polarizing layer 4 ... Optical compensation layer 5 ... Electrode layer 6 ... Orientation film 11 ... Optical compensation polarizing plate 13 ... Dichroic dye 13 '... Column structure n ... Normal direction

Claims (10)

A base material, a resin layer formed on the base material and having a patterned concave or convex portion, a polarizing layer formed on the resin layer and containing a dichroic dye, and formed on the polarizing layer An optical compensation polarizing plate having an optical compensation layer formed by fixing liquid crystal,
The dichroic dye is oriented by a recess of the resin layer, and the polarizing layer has orientation ability.   2. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the base material is a long base material, and an absorption axis of the polarizing layer forms an arbitrary angle with respect to a long direction of the long base material. Compensation polarizing plate.   The dichroic dye forms a column structure in which the normal direction of the dichroic dye is arranged in a certain direction of the base material, and the column structure is oriented along the recess of the resin layer. The optical compensation polarizing plate according to claim 1, wherein the optical compensation polarizing plate is provided.   4. The optical compensation polarizing plate according to claim 1, wherein the dichroic dye exhibits lyotropic liquid crystallinity in a solution. 5.   A liquid crystal display element substrate comprising the optical compensation polarizing plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, an electrode layer, and an alignment film.   A liquid crystal display element using the optical compensation polarizing plate according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A coating step of applying a curable resin composition on a substrate or a recess forming substrate having a pattern-like convex portion, and the substrate and the recess forming substrate are overlapped with the curable resin composition interposed therebetween. A placement step, a curing step for curing the curable resin composition to form a curable resin, and a pattern-shaped recess formed by peeling the recess-forming substrate from the curable resin composition or the curable resin. A resin layer forming step of forming a resin layer by performing a concave portion forming step;
A coating film forming step of applying a coating solution for forming a polarizing layer containing a dichroic dye on the resin layer, and orienting the dichroic dye by a concave portion of the resin layer to form a coating film; A polarizing layer forming step of forming a polarizing layer by performing a drying step of drying the film, and an immobilization step of immobilizing the orientation state of the dichroic dye;
An optical compensation layer forming step of forming an optical compensation layer by applying a liquid crystal composition on the polarizing layer, aligning the liquid crystal with the polarizing layer, and fixing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. A method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate.   The base material is a long base material, and the substrate for forming the recesses is such that the dichroic dye is oriented at an arbitrary angle with respect to the long direction of the long base material. The method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate according to claim 7, further comprising a convex portion for forming a concave portion of the layer.   The method for producing an optical compensation polarizing plate according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a method of crosslinking the dichroic dye is used in the fixing step of the polarizing layer forming step.   The spray coating, dip coating, ink jet method, or flexographic printing method is used in the coating film forming step of the polarizing layer forming step, according to any one of claims 7 to 9. Manufacturing method of optical compensation polarizing plate.

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