Optical compensation element, liquid crystal light valve assembly, and liquid crystal projector apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10928679-B2
Application number	US-201716326855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An optical compensation element includes a first member that includes a first transparent substrate, a first alignment film, and a first phase difference layer and a second member that includes a second transparent substrate, a second alignment film, and a second phase difference layer. In the optical compensation element, a first inorganic barrier layer is formed on a surface of the first phase difference layer, where the surface faces the second member a second inorganic barrier layer is formed on a surface of the second phase difference layer, where the surface faces the second member and the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer are bonded by an adhesive layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical compensation element, comprising:
a first member that includes a first transparent substrate, a first alignment film that is on the first transparent substrate, and a first phase difference layer that is on the first alignment film;
a second member that includes a second transparent substrate, a second alignment film that is on the second transparent substrate, and a second phase difference layer that is on the second alignment film;
a first inorganic barrier layer on a surface of the first phase difference layer, wherein
the surface of the first phase difference layer faces the second member,
the first inorganic barrier layer is on an entirety of the surface of the first phase difference layer,
the first inorganic barrier layer is also on a side surface of the first phase difference layer, and
the first inorganic barrier layer has a structure in which a plurality of SiO 2 layers with a first thickness value and a plurality of Nb 2 O 5 layers with the first thickness value are laminated;

a second inorganic barrier layer on a surface of the second phase difference layer, wherein
the surface of the second phase difference layer faces the first member, and
the second inorganic barrier layer has a structure in which a plurality of SiO 2 layers with a second thickness value and a plurality of Nb 2 O 5 layers with the second thickness value are laminated; and

an adhesive layer that bonds with the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer.

2. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein the first phase difference layer and the second phase difference layer include a polymerizable liquid crystal composition.

3. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein the first inorganic barrier layer is on a part of the surface of the first phase difference layer.

4. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein the second inorganic barrier layer is on a part of the surface of the second phase difference layer.

5. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein
a thickness direction of the first inorganic barrier layer is a Z1-axis,
two axes orthogonal to the Z1-axis are an X1-axis and a Y1-axis,
the X1-axis and the Y1-axis are orthogonal to each other, and
n1X=n1Y>n1−Z is satisfied, when a refractive index of the first inorganic barrier layer along the Z1-axis is n1−Z, a refractive index of the first inorganic barrier layer along the X1-axis is n1−X, and a refractive index of the first inorganic barrier layer along the Y1-axis is n1−Y.

6. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein
a thickness direction of the second inorganic barrier layer is a Z2-axis,
two axes orthogonal to the Z2-axis are an X2-axis and a Y2-axis,
the X2-axis and the Y2-axis are orthogonal to each other, and
n2−X=n2−Y>n2−Z is satisfied, when a refractive index of the second inorganic barrier layer along the Z2-axis is n2−Z, a refractive index of the second inorganic barrier layer along the X2-axis is n2−X, and a refractive index of the second inorganic barrier layer along the Y2-axis is n2−Y.

7. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between an optical axis of the first alignment film and an optical axis of the second alignment film is approximately 90 degrees.

8. The optical compensation element according to claim 1 , wherein the second inorganic barrier layer is on an entirety of the surface of the second phase difference layer.

9. The optical compensation element according to claim 8 , wherein the second inorganic barrier layer is also on a side surface of the second phase difference layer.

10. A liquid crystal light valve assembly, comprising:
a liquid crystal light valve; and
an optical compensation element on at least one side of the liquid crystal light valve, wherein the optical compensation element comprises:
a first member that includes a first transparent substrate, a first alignment film that is on the first transparent substrate, and a first phase difference layer that is on the first alignment film;
a second member that includes a second transparent substrate, a second alignment film that is on the second transparent substrate, and a second phase difference layer that is on the second alignment film;
a first inorganic barrier layer on a surface of the first phase difference layer, wherein
the surface of the first phase difference layer faces the second member,
the first inorganic barrier layer is on an entirety of the surface of the first phase difference layer,
the first inorganic barrier layer is also on a side surface of the first phase difference layer, and
the first inorganic barrier layer has a structure in which a plurality of SiO 2 layers with a first thickness value and a plurality of Nb 2 O 5 layers with the first thickness value are laminated;

a second inorganic barrier layer on a surface of the second phase difference layer, wherein
the surface of the second phase difference layer faces the first member, and
the second inorganic barrier layer has a structure in which a plurality of SiO 2 layers with a second thickness value and a plurality of Nb 2 O 5 layers with the second thickness value are laminated; and
an adhesive layer that bonds with the first inorganic barrier layer and the second inorganic barrier layer.

11. The liquid crystal light valve assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the liquid crystal light valve includes a first polarizing plate, a first substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a second substrate, and a second polarizing plate, and
the optical compensation element is between
one of the first polarizing plate and the first substrate, the second substrate and the second polarizing plate, or the first polarizing plate and the first substrate, and
the second substrate and the second polarizing plate.

12. The liquid crystal light valve assembly according to claim 11 , wherein liquid crystal molecules that configure the liquid crystal layer have a pretilt state.

13. The liquid crystal light valve assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the liquid crystal light valve includes a dust-proof glass plate, and
the dust-proof glass plate is the optical compensation element.

14. A liquid crystal projector apparatus, comprising:
a light source;
a liquid crystal light valve assembly configured to receive light from the light source; and
a projection lens system configured to project light emitted from the liquid crystal light valve assembly onto a projection surface,
wherein
the liquid crystal light valve assembly includes a liquid crystal light valve and an optical compensation element on at least one side of the liquid crystal light valve,
the optical compensation element comprises:
a first member that includes a first transparent substrate, a first alignment film that is on the first transparent substrate, and a first phase difference layer that is on the first alignment film;
a second member that includes a second transparent substrate, a second alignment film that is on the second transparent substrate, and a second phase difference layer that is on the second alignment film;
a first inorganic barrier layer on a surface of the first phase difference layer, wherein
the surface of the first phase difference layer faces the second member,
the first inorganic barrier layer is on an entirety of the surface of the first phase difference layer,
the first inorganic barrier layer is also on a side surface of the first phase difference layer, and
the first inorganic barrier layer has a st

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Toriyama Akiko
• Nagasawa Koichi
• Okazaki Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• G02B5/3083

  Birefringent or phase retarding elements (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001) · CPC title

• G02F1/13363 Primary

  Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation · CPC title

• G02F2413/05

  Single plate on one side of the LC cell · CPC title

• H04N9/3167

  for polarizing the light beam (polarizing optical systems per se G02B27/28) · CPC title

• H04N9/315

  Modulator illumination systems (general applications of lighting devices F21V; general optical systems G02B; lamp houses for projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/20) · CPC title