Optically anisotropic layer, method of manufacturing the same, laminate, method of manufacturing the same, polarizing plate, liquid crystal display device, and organic EL display device

1. A laminate comprising an optically anisotropic layer and a uniaxial birefringence layer,

wherein

a polymerizable composition, containing one or more polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound showing a smectic phase, is fixed in a state of smectic phase in the optically anisotropic layer;

a direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 10° or smaller to the surface of said optically anisotropic layer;

the retardation values Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) measured at 450 nm, 550 nm and 650 nm respectively of the optically anisotropic layer satisfy the formulae (2) and (3):

0.70≤Re(450)/Re(550)≤1.00, and  Formula (2)

0.99≤Re(650)/Re(550)≤1.30;  Formula (3)

the uniaxial birefringence layer has a refractive index in the thickness direction larger than the refractive index in the in-plane direction; and

a thickness retardation value Rth(550) measured at 550 nm of the uniaxial birefringence layer satisfies the formula (4):

Formula (4)−180≤Rth(550)≤−10.

2. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the uniaxial birefringence layer is a positive C-plate.

3. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the retardation value Re(550) measured at 550 nm of the uniaxial birefringence layer satisfies −5≤Re(550)≤5.

4. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the optically anisotropic layer has a thickness d of 1000 to 5000 nm, Re(550) of 10 to 400 nm, Re(550)/d of 0.01 to 0.1 where both of d and Re(550) are given in nm, and a contrast of 100,000 or larger and 200,000 or smaller.

5. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound which remains unpolymerized in the optically anisotropic layer is 5% by mass or less.

6. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound has a molecular weight of 1300 or smaller.

7. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable rod-like liquid crystal compound is a compound represented by the formula (II);

L 1 -G 1 -D 1 -Ar-D 2 -G 2 -L 2   Formula (II):

where,

Ar represents a divalent aromatic ring group represented by the formulae (II-1), (II-2), (II-3) or (II-4) below;

each of D 1 and D 2 independently represents —CO—O—, —O—CO—, —C(═S)O—, —O—C(═S)—, —CR 1 R 2 —, —CR 1 R 2 —CR 3 R 4 —, —O—CR 1 R 2 —, —CR 1 R 2 —O—, —CR 1 R 2 —O—CR 3 R 4 —, —CR 1 R 2 —O—CO—, —O—CO—CR 1 R 2 —, —CR 1 R 2 —O—CO—CR 3 R 4 —, —CR 1 R 2 —CO—O—CR 3 R 4 —, —NR 1 —CR 2 R 3 —, —CR 1 R 2 —NR 3 —, —CO—NR 1 —, or —NR 1 —CO—; each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 independently represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or C 1-4 alkyl group;

each of G 1 and G 2 independently represents a C 5-8 divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group, a methylene group contained in the alicyclic hydrocarbon group may be substituted by —O—, —S—, —NH— or —N(R)—;

each of L 1 and L 2 independently represents a monovalent organic group, and at least one selected from the group consisting of L 1 and L 2 represents a monovalent group having a polymerizable group,

in the formula (II-1), Q 1 represents —S—, —O— or —NR 11 —, where R 11 represents a hydrogen atom or C 1-6 alkyl group;

Y represents a C 6-12 aromatic hydrocarbon group, or, C 3-12 aromatic heterocyclic group; each of Z 1 and Z 2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or C 1-20 aliphatic hydrocarbon group, C 3-20 alicyclic hydrocarbon group, monovalent C 6-20 aromatic hydrocarbon group, halogen atom, cyano group, nitro group, —NR 12 R 13 or —SR 12 , Z 1 and Z 2 may combine with each other to form an aromatic ring or aromatic heterocycle, each of R 12 and R 13 independently represents a hydrogen atom or C 1-6 alkyl group;

in the formula (II-2), each of A 1 and A 2 independently represents a group selected from the group consisting of —O—, —NR—, —S— and —CO—, where R represents a hydrogen atom or substituent;

X represents a Group-XIV to XVI nonmetal atom, where, X may have a hydrogen atom or substituent bound thereto, and each of Z 1 and Z 2 independently represents a substituent;

in the formula (II-3) and the formula (II-4), Ax represents an C 2-30 organic group having at least one aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon ring and aromatic heterocycle, Ay represents a hydrogen atom, a C 1-6 alkyl group which may have a substituent, or, a C 2-30 organic group having at least one aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbon ring and aromatic heterocycle; the aromatic ring contained in Ax and Ay may have a substituent; Ax and Ay may combine together to form a ring;

each of Z 1 , Z 2 and Z 3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or substituent; and

Q 2 represents a hydrogen atom, or, C 1-6 alkyl group which may have a substituent.

8. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable composition of the optically anisotropic layer comprises a monofunctional polymerizable compound.

9. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable composition of the optically anisotropic layer comprises a non-liquid crystalline multifunctional polymerizable compound.

10. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the direction of maximum refractive index of the optically anisotropic layer is inclined at 0° or larger and 3° or smaller to the surface of the optically anisotropic layer.

11. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the optically anisotropic layer is a uniaxial birefringence layer having the slow axis in the in-plane direction.

12. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the optically anisotropic layer is a positive A-plate.

13. The laminate according to claim 11 , wherein the retardation value Re(550) measured at 550 nm of the optically anisotropic layer satisfies the formula (1):

100≤Re(550)≤180 nm.  Formula (1)

14. The laminate according to claim 1 , wherein the optically anisotropic layer is formed on the surface of a photo-aligned film.

15. The laminate according to claim 13 which further comprises:

a linear polarizer,

wherein the photo-aligned film is provided over the surface of the linear polarizer.

16. The laminate according to claim 14 , wherein a photo-alignable material used for the photo-aligned film is azo compound or cinnamate compound.

17. A polarizing plate comprising the laminate of claim 1 .

18. A liquid crystal display device comprising the laminate of claim 1 .

19. The liquid crystal display device of claim 18 , which is an IPS-mode device.

20. An organic EL display device comprising the laminate of claim 1 .