Patent ID: 8634046

Claim:
An optical element, comprising a single layer which has both of a function of a stress releasing layer and a function of a substrate, and an alignment layer over the single layer which has both of a function of a stress releasing layer and a function of a substrate, wherein the single layer which has both of a function of a stress releasing layer and a function of a substrate is not formed on a support substrate, but supports the alignment layer, wherein the single layer which has both of a function of a stress releasing layer and a function of a substrate comes into direct contact with the alignment layer as an underlying layer for the alignment layer, and wherein the single layer which has both of a function of a stress releasing layer and a function of a substrate has a hardness in the range of universal hardnesses from 200 N/mm 2 to 800 N/mm 2 when the layer has a thickness of 4 μm.