Long phase difference film, long optical film, long polarizing film, manufacturing method for long phase difference film, and manufacturing method for long optical film

A long phase difference film having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, the long phase difference film comprising:

• a substrate;
• and
• an alignment layer and a phase difference layer superimposed to the substrate,
• wherein
• the phase difference layer includes a first region, a pair of second regions, and a pair of third regions,
• the first region is located between the pair of second regions in the transverse direction,
• the pair of second regions is located between the pair of third regions in the transverse direction,
• the phase difference layer contains cured material of a liquid crystal composition,
• the alignment layer is located between the substrate and the first and second regions,
• the second region has a second slow axis,
• a second orientation angle between the second slow axis and the longitudinal direction is larger than or equal to 0° and smaller than 10° or larger than 170° and smaller than 180°,
• the third region has a third slow axis, and
• an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from a third orientation angle between the third slow axis and the longitudinal direction is smaller than an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from the second orientation angle,
• the third region is in contact with the substrate,
• the substrate includes a polyethylene terephthalate film having a slow axis,
• an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from an angle between the slow axis of the polyethylene terephthalate film and the longitudinal direction is smaller than an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from the second orientation angle.

A manufacturing method for a long phase difference film, the manufacturing method comprising:

• forming a first coating layer by applying an alignment layer formation composition onto a long substrate having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction;
• applying rays of polarized light, different in polarized state from each other, to end regions and a central region other than the end regions of the first coating layer in the transverse direction to form an alignment layer in which the end regions and the central region respectively have alignment control forces in orientation directions different from each other, from the first coating layer;
• forming a second coating layer by applying a liquid crystal composition to an intermediate including the substrate and the alignment layer;
• and
• forming a phase difference layer containing cured material of the liquid crystal composition by curing the second coating layer,
• wherein
• the phase difference layer includes a first region facing the central region, a pair of second regions facing the end regions, and a pair of third regions facing the substrate,
• the pair of second regions is located between the pair of third regions in the transverse direction,
• the second region has a second slow axis, and
• a second orientation angle between the second slow axis and the longitudinal direction is larger than or equal to 0° and smaller than 10° or larger than 170° and smaller than 180°
• the third region has a third slow axis, and
• an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from a third orientation angle between the third slow axis and the longitudinal direction is smaller than an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from the second orientation angle,
• the substrate includes a polyethylene terephthalate film having a slow axis,
• an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from an angle between the slow axis of the polyethylene terephthalate film and the longitudinal direction is smaller than an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting 90° from the second orientation angle.