Liquid crystal display device having liquid crystal layer in which liquid crystal molecules are homogeneously oriented

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate having at least one first electrode formed thereon;
• a second substrate which is arranged to face an inner surface of the first substrate on which the first electrode is formed, and has at least one second electrode facing the first electrode formed on an inner surface facing the first substrate;
• a first aligning film which is subjected to aligning treatment in a predetermined first direction on the inner surface of the first substrate where the first electrode is formed;
• a second aligning film which is subjected to aligning treatment in a second direction which is substantially parallel to and opposite to the first direction on the inner surface of the second substrate where the second electrode is formed;
• a liquid crystal layer which is held between the first aligning film and the second aligning film, in which liquid crystal molecules are arranged in homogeneous alignment substantially without twist in accordance with the aligning treatment of the first and second aligning films when an electric field is not applied between the first and second electrodes, and which generates retardation which is substantially λ/2 with respect to transmitted light having a wavelength of λ;
• a first polarizing plate which is arranged on an outer side of the first substrate, and arranged in such a manner that its transmission axis is substantially matched with a direction crossing the first direction of the aligning treatment applied to the first aligning film of the first substrate at substantially 45°;
• a second polarizing plate which is arranged on an outer side of the second substrate, and arranged in such a manner that its transmission axis becomes substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the first polarizing plate;
• a first viewing angle compensating film formed of a discotic liquid crystal which is arranged between the first polarizing plate and the first substrate in such a manner that its optical axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes minimum in a plane parallel to its film surface is set parallel to and aligned with the first direction;
• a second viewing angle compensating film formed of a discotic liquid crystal which is arranged between the second polarizing plate and the second substrate in such a manner that its optical axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes minimum in a plane parallel to its film surface is set parallel to and aligned with the second direction;
• a first retardation plate which is arranged between the first polarizing plate and the first viewing angle compensating film in such a manner that its phase delaying axis along which a refractive index becomes maximum in a plane parallel to its plate surface is set substantially parallel to the first direction of the aligning treatment applied to the first aligning film;
• and
• a second retardation plate which is arranged between the second polarizing plate and the second viewing angle compensating film in such a manner that its phase delaying axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes maximum in a plane parallel to its plate surface becomes substantially perpendicular to the second direction of the aligning treatment applied to the second aligning film.

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate having at least one first electrode formed thereon;
• a second substrate which is arranged to face an inner side of the first substrate where the first electrode is formed, and has at least one second electrode facing the first electrode on an inner side facing the first substrate;
• a first aligning film which is subjected to aligning treatment in a predetermined first direction on the inner side of the first substrate where the first electrode is formed;
• a second aligning film which is subjected to aligning treatment in a second direction which is substantially parallel to and opposite to the first direction on the inner side of the second substrate where the second electrode is formed;
• a liquid crystal layer which is held between the first aligning film and the second aligning film, in which liquid crystal molecules are arranged in homogeneous alignment substantially without twist in accordance with the aligning treatment of the first and second aligning films when an electric field is not applied between the first and second electrodes, and which generates retardation which is substantially λ/2 with respect to transmitted light having a wavelength of λ;
• a first polarizing plate which is arranged on an outer side of the first substrate, and arranged in such a manner that its transmission axis is substantially matched with a direction crossing the first direction of the aligning treatment applied to the first aligning film of the first substrate at substantially 45°;
• a second polarizing plate which is arranged on an outer side of the second substrate, and is arranged in such a manner that its transmission axis becomes substantially perpendicular to the transmission axis of the first polarizing plate;
• a first viewing angle compensating film formed of a discotic liquid crystal which is arranged between the first polarizing plate and the first substrate in such a manner that its optical axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes minimum in a plane parallel to its film surface is set parallel to and aligned with the first direction;
• a first retardation plate which is arranged between the first polarizing plate and the first viewing angle compensating film in such a manner that its phase delaying axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes maximum in a plane parallel to its plate surface is set substantially parallel to the first direction of the aligning treatment applied to the first aligning film;
• a second retardation plate which is arranged between the second polarizing plate and the second substrate in such a manner that its phase delaying axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes maximum in a plane parallel to its plate surface becomes substantially perpendicular to the second direction of the aligning treatment applied to the second aligning film;
• and
• a third retardation plate arranged between the first polarizing plate and the first retardation plate in such a manner that its phase delaying axis which is a direction along which a refractive index becomes maximum in a plane parallel to its plate surface becomes perpendicular to the transmission axis of the first polarizing plate.