Liquid crystal device and projection display device

Abstract

A liquid crystal device includes a pair of substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal layer being composed of liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy in which an initial alignment state thereof is vertical; and an optical compensating plate which is provided outside at least one substrate of the pair of substrates and has negative refractive index anisotropy. The liquid crystal is pretilted in a predetermined direction, and an optical axis direction of the optical compensating plate is substantially parallel to the pretilt direction of the liquid crystal.

1 . A liquid crystal device comprising:
 a pair of substrates;   a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy and a predetermined pretilt direction; and   an optical compensating plate provided outside at least one of the pair of substrates, the optical compensating plate having negative refractive index anisotropy and an optical axis direction, the optical axis direction of the optical compensating plate being substantially parallel to the pretilt direction of the liquid crystal,   wherein the optical axis direction of the optical compensating plate is substantially parallel to the normal line direction of the optical compensating plate, and   the optical compensating plate is inclined with respect to parallel with the substrates, so that the optical axis direction of the optical compensating plate is substantially parallel to the pretilt direction of the liquid crystal.   
   
   
       2 . A projection display device comprising the liquid crystal device according to  claim 1  as an optical modulating unit.