Semitransparent reflective liquid crystal display device having decreased number of phase difference and polarizing plates and having reflector with concave portions on outer surface of transparent substrate

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a liquid crystal cell that includes first and second transparent substrates having inner surface sides that face each other with a liquid crystal layer therebetween, a first transparent electrode and a first orientation film disposed in that order on the inner surface side of the first transparent substrate, and a second transparent electrode and a second orientation film disposed in that order on the inner surface side of the second transparent substrate;
• first and second phase difference plates and a first polarizing plate formed sequentially on an outer surface side of the second transparent substrate;
• and
• a reflector attached to an outer surface side of the first transparent substrate with an adhesive layer therebetween, the first and second phase difference plates and first polarizing plate being the only phase difference and polarizing plates disposed between the reflector and a surface of the liquid crystal display device most proximate to an observer, the reflector including a metal reflection film formed on a base material, the base material having a plurality of concave portions formed on a surface thereof and the metal reflection film having a plurality of concave surfaces corresponding to the concave portions, the metal reflection film having a thickness of about 5 to 50 nm and attached to the liquid crystal cell such that the metal reflection film is more proximate to the first transparent substrate than the base material,
• wherein the plurality of concave surfaces of the metal reflection film are formed continuously, each concave surface is a part of a sphere, depths of the plurality of concave portions are about 0.1 μm to 3 μm, angles of inclination of the concave portion inner surfaces are about −30 decrees to +30 degrees, and pitches between adjacent concave portions are about 5 μm to 50 μm.

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a liquid crystal cell that includes first and second transparent substrates having inner surface sides that face each other with a liquid crystal layer therebetween, a first transparent electrode and a first orientation film disposed in that order on the inner surface side of the first transparent substrate, and a second transparent electrode and a second orientation film disposed in that order on the inner surface side of the second transparent substrate;
• first and second phase difference plates and a first polarizing plate formed sequentially on an outer surface side of the second transparent substrate;
• and
• a reflector attached to an outer surface side of the first transparent substrate with an adhesive layer therebetween, the first and second phase difference plates and first polarizing plate being the only phase difference and polarizing plates disposed between the reflector and a surface of the liquid crystal display device most proximate to an observer, the reflector including a metal reflection film formed on a base material, the base material having a plurality of concave portions formed on a surface thereof and the metal reflection film having a plurality of concave surfaces corresponding to the concave portions, the metal reflection film having a thickness of about 5 to 50 nm and attached to the liquid crystal cell such that the metal reflection film is more proximate to the first transparent substrate than the base material,
• wherein:
• the plurality of concave portions include a first longitudinal section and a second longitudinal section, each of the first and second longitudinal sections intersecting a deepest point of the concave portion;
• an inner surface of the first longitudinal section comprises a first curve from a first peripheral portion of the concave portion to the deepest point and a second curve from the deepest point to a second peripheral portion of the concave portion, and an average value of absolute values of angles of inclination of the first curve with respect to the base material surface is larger than an average value of absolute values of angles of inclination of the second curve with respect to the base material surface;
• the second longitudinal section is orthogonal to the first longitudinal section, and an inner surface of the second longitudinal section comprises a shallow curve and deep curves on both sides of the shallow curve and having radii of curvature smaller than a radius of curvature of the shallow curve.