Patent ID: 8049824

Claim:
An optical retarder comprising: a single-layer zero-order retarder including a uniaxial birefringent crystal layer having its optic axis at an oblique angle to a surface of the uniaxial birefringent crystal layer, the oblique angle selected such that the uniaxial birefringent crystal layer has an in-plane retardance in a predetermined wavelength range suitable for compensating for residual in-plane retardance of a liquid crystal display panel used in the predetermined wavelength range, a thickness of the uniaxial birefringent crystal layer greater than 10 μm; and at least one multi-layer stack including at least one periodic stack of alternating layers of contrasting refractive index materials, a thickness and refractive index of each of the alternating layers selected such that the at least one multi-layer stack has a negative out-of-plane retardance in the predetermined wavelength range that is suitable for compensating for positive out-of-plane retardance of the uniaxial birefringent crystal layer and positive out-of-plane retardance of the liquid crystal display panel, in the predetermined wavelength range.