Laminated retardation optical element, process of producing the same, and liquid crystal display

A liquid crystal display comprising:

• a liquid crystal cell of VA mode;
• a pair of polarizers between which the liquid crystal cell is sandwiched;
• a laminated retardation optical element placed between the liquid crystal cell and at least one of the polarizers, the laminated retardation optical element comprising:
• an A plate-type retardation layer that acts as an A plate;
• and
• a C plate-type retardation layer that is optically bonded to a surface of the A plate-type retardation layer and acts as a negative C plate, wherein the C plate-type retardation layer has a thickness of 5 μm or less;
• wherein:
• the C plate-type retardation layer comprises a cross-linked chiral nematic liquid crystal;
• and
• the A plate-type retardation layer is a λ/4 retardation layer having a function of bringing, to light that passes through this retardation layer, a phase difference corresponding to a quarter of a wavelength of the light;
• wherein the laminated retardation optical element is arranged so that the C plate-type retardation layer is situated on a side close to the liquid crystal cell;
• an additional λ/4 retardation layer having a function of bringing, to light that passes through this retardation layer, a phase difference corresponding to a quarter of a wavelength of the light, placed on the liquid crystal cell on a side opposite to the laminated retardation optical element;
• and
• an additional polarization layer having a function of controlling a state of polarization of light that passes through the additional λ/4 retardation layer, placed on the additional λ/4 retardation layer on a side opposite to the liquid crystal cell;
• wherein an angle between an axis of phase advance of the additional λ/4 retardation layer and an axis of transmission of the additional polarization layer is 45±2 degrees.