Patent ID: 7319500

Claim:
A liquid crystal display comprising: a liquid crystal panel having a pair of substrates and liquid crystals which are sealed between the pair of substrates and whose molecules are aligned substantially perpendicularly to the surfaces of the substrates when no voltage is applied; first and second polarizing elements provided on both sides of the liquid crystal panel such that their absorption axes are orthogonal to each other; a first optical retardation film which is provided between the liquid crystal panel and the first polarizing element, which satisfies n x >n y ≅n z and which is provided such that its phase-delay axis (the direction of n x ) is orthogonal to the absorption axis of the first polarizing element, n z and n y representing refractive indices in directions in the plane of the film among principal refractive indices n x , n y and n z , n z representing a refractive index in the normal direction of the film; a second optical retardation film which is provided between the liquid crystal panel and the second polarizing element, which satisfies n x >n y ≅n z and which is provided such that its phase-delay axis (the direction of n x ) is orthogonal to the absorption axis of the second polarizing element, n x and n y representing refractive indices in directions in the plane of the film among principal refractive indices n x , n y and n z , n z representing a refractive index in the normal direction of the film; and at least one additional optical retardation film which is provided in a location at least between the first polarizing element and the first optical retardation film, between the first optical retardation film and the liquid crystal panel, between the second polarizing element and the second optical retardation film or between the second optical retardation film and the liquid crystal panel and which satisfies n x ≅n y >n z , n x and n y representing refractive indices in directions in the plane of the film among principal refractive indices n x , n y and n z , n z representing a refractive index in the normal direction of the film.