Patent ID: 8120730

Claim:
A display device, comprising: a display panel and a hybrid polarizer, the hybrid polarizer comprising: an absorbing element having a first major surface and a second major surface; a first birefringent reflective polarizer disposed on the first major surface of the absorbing element, the first birefringent reflective polarizer having a first pass axis and a first block axis; and a second birefringent reflective polarizer disposed on the second major surface of the absorbing element, the second reflective polarizer having a second pass axis and a second block axis; wherein the first and second pass axes of the first and second reflective polarizers are substantially aligned; and wherein the second reflective polarizer is disposed closer to the display panel than the first reflective polarizer, and the second reflective polarizer comprises a plurality of layers characterized by a varying optical thickness, and a majority of the layers having a smaller optical thickness are disposed closer to the display panel than the layers having a larger optical thickness.