Patent ID: 8027002

Claim:
A liquid crystal display, comprising: a vertical alignment type liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules, a retardation of the liquid crystal layer being configured to be about 600 nm or more; a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate provided to respective sides of the liquid crystal cell, the first and second polarizing plates each having an absorption axis and being cross-Nicol disposed, the first and second polarizing plates being disposed such that the respective absorption axes form an angle of 45 degrees ±several degrees with respect to a direction in which the liquid crystal molecules are slanted by application of a voltage greater than a threshold voltage; a biaxial plate provided between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate, the biaxial plate being directly optically coupled to the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizing plate, respectively, the biaxial plate having refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in in-plane directions and in a thickness direction, respectively, in which a relationship of nx>ny>nz is satisfied, the biaxial plate being disposed such that its delay phase axis in the in-plane direction is substantially perpendicular to the absorption axis of the first polarizing plate; and a C-plate provided between the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate, the C-plate being directly optically coupled to the liquid crystal cell and the second polarizing plate, respectively, the C-plate having refractive indices nx, ny, and nz in in-plane directions and in a thickness direction, respectively, in which a relationship of nx=ny>nz is satisfied.