Abstract A birefringent film in which molecules oriented in a direction parallel to the film plane and molecules oriented in the direction of the thickness of the film are present in a mixed state; a process for producing the birefringent film, which comprises laminating a resin film on one or both sides thereof with a shrinkable film, thereby preparing a laminate, and then heat stretching the laminate, thereby performing stretching treatment of the resin film while imparting to the resin film the ability to shrink in the direction crossing the stretching direction; a retardation film which uses at least one birefringent film and has refractive indexes, n x and n y , in two directions parallel to the plate plane and crossing each other at right angles and a refractive index, n z , in the direction of the thickness of the plate, said refractive indexes n x , n y , and n z satisfying the following equation: 0 < (n x -n z )/(n x -n y ) < 1 provided that n x >n y ; an elliptically polarizing plate comprising a laminate of the retardation film with a polarizing plate; and a liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal cell and a polarizing plate disposed at least on one side of said liquid crystal cell through the retardation film.
A birefringent film in which molecules oriented in a direction parallel to the film plane and molecules oriented in the direction of the thickness of the film are present in a mixed state.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
A process for producing the birefringent film as claimed in claim 1, which comprises laminating a resin film on one or both sides thereof with a shrinkable film, thereby preparing a laminate, and then heat stretching the laminate, thereby performing stretching treatment of the resin film while imparting to the resin film the ability to shrink in the direction crossing the stretching direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the degree of width-direction or lengthwise direction shrinkage of the shrinkable film is higher by at least 5% than that of the resin film.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
92 words
A retardation film which uses at least one birefringent film as claimed in claim 1 and has refractive indexes, n x and n y , in two directions parallel to the plate plane and crossing each other at right angles and a refractive index, n z , in the direction of the thickness of the plate, said refractive indexes n x , n y , and n z satisfying the following equation: 0 < (n x -n z )/(n x -n y ) < 1 provided that n x >n y .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A retardation film as claimed in claim 4, wherein said refractive indexes n x and n y satisfy the following equation: 100 nm < (n x -n y )d < 1,000 nm wherein d is the thickness of the plate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An elliptically polarizing plate comprising a laminate of the retardation film as claimed in claim 4 with a polarizing plate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal cell and a polarizing plate disposed at least on one side of said liquid crystal cell through the retardation film as claimed in claim 4.
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