Transverse electric field active matrix liquid crystal display panel having particular optical compensation layer

An active matrix liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

• a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of signal lines disposed in an intersecting relationship with each other like gratings on one of a pair of transparent insulating substrates, a plurality of active elements individually provided in the proximity of intersecting points of said scanning lines and said signal lines, a plurality of pixel electrodes connected to said active elements, a plurality of opposing electrodes disposed corresponding to said pixel electrodes, a voltage being applied between said pixel electrodes and said opposing electrodes, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the one transparent insulating substrate and the other transparent insulating substrate, a pair of polarizing plates disposed on the outer sides of said transparent insulating substrates, and a mechanism for controlling a display with an electric field substantially parallel to said liquid crystal layer;
• and
• an optical compensation layer having a negative refractive index anisotropy in a one axis direction, a projection of the anisotropic axis of said optical compensation layer on a plane of one of said substrates being parallel to at least one of polarization axes of said two polarizing plates, said optical compensation layer being disposed at least between the one transparent insulating substrate and a corresponding one of said polarizing plates;
• wherein, a polarization plate is arranged at Cross-Nicol, and
• the liquid crystal layer is homogeneously oriented in a direction which is parallel to one side of polarization axis, and
• the optical compensation layer is arranged so that retardation of a liquid crystal layer, homogeneously oriented in the direction of the OFF state when voltage is not applied, is compensated.