Patent ID: 7435458

Claim:
An optically anisotropic film comprising (a) fatty acid cellulose ester film support having an acetyl group and a propionyl group, and one or both of the following layers, (b1) a liquid crystal layer containing a liquid crystal compound, or (b2) a resin layer containing polyimide, polyamidoimide, polyamide, polyether imide, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone, polyketone sulfide, polyether sulfone, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyallylate, acrylic resin, polyvinyl alcohol, polypropylene, cellulose based plastics, epoxy resin, or phenol resin, wherein the optically anisotropic film comprises foreign matter particles having a size of 5 to 50 μm in an amount of not more than 200 mm 2 and substantially no foreign matter particle having a size of at least 50 μm observed in cross Nicol state.