Patent ID: 7764343

Claim:
A retardation compensation element for compensating retardation of light occurred in a VA mode liquid crystal cell in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned substantially vertical between a pair of transparent substrates, said retardation compensation element comprising: a first optical anisotropic layer having an optical axis perpendicular to said transparent substrates, said first optical anisotropic layer functioning as a C-plate and compensating retardation of said light which enters said VA mode liquid crystal cell at an oblique angle; a second optical anisotropic layer having an optical axis oblique to said transparent substrates, said second optical anisotropic layer functioning as a uniaxial birefringent O-plate and compensating retardation of said light which enters said VA mode liquid crystal cell at a right angle; and further comprising: a third optical anisotropic layer having an optical axis oblique to said transparent substrates, said third optical anisotropic layer functioning as a uniaxial birefringent O-plate and compensating retardation of said light which enters said VA mode liquid crystal cell at a right angle, wherein said optical axes of said second and third optical anisotropic layers are substantially symmetric about a direction of said alignment of said liquid crystal molecule.