Sony Corporation

Dexerials Corporation

Junichi Sugawara

Eiji Nakashio

Seiji Onoe

Toru Katakura

Toshiaki Sugawara

Yuichi Kamori

Yoshi Kanega

Yoshito Ikeda

Seiji Kumagai

Hitoshi Kubota

Takuji Matsuo

Fusashige Tokutake

An optical element and a projection image display apparatus capable of obtaining excellent tolerance to light of high luminance and high output. The optical element includes a substrate transparent to light in a used wavelength band, and a birefringent layer including an obliquely deposited film containing hafnium oxide as a main component. The projection image display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display device having the optical element, a light source for emitting light, and a projection optical system for projecting modulated light, and the liquid crystal display device is disposed in an optical path between the light source and the projection optical system.

Optical element and projection image display apparatus

A phase difference compensation element, including: a transparent substrate; a first optical anisotropic layer that includes an inorganic material, and has a C-plate retardance; and a second optical anisotropic layer that includes an inorganic material, and includes an oblique angle vapor deposition film that does not have an O-plate retardance, wherein the phase difference compensation element including the first optical anisotropic layer and the second optical anisotropic layer in combination has a quasi-O-plate retardance.

Phase difference compensation element, liquid crystal display device, and projection image display device

Provided is an optical element which significantly reduces arrangement space, has superior durability, and also enables increased costs to be curbed. Functions of a polarizer and a phase difference compensation element are integrated. Specifically, the optical element has a transparent substrate, and a polarizer on one side of the transparent substrate, and has a phase difference compensation element on a side of the transparent substrate opposite from the polarizer.

Optical element, liquid crystal display device, and projection-type image display device

In order to provide a phase difference compensating element that has durability and that can improve contrast in a liquid crystal display with high precision while suppressing high costs and long lead times, the present invention is provided with, on a substrate, a first optical anisotropic layer that acts as a C-plate and a second optical anisotropic layer that includes a birefringent film formed by depositing an inorganic material, wherein the birefringent film included in the second optical anisotropic layer is fabricated using specific processes.

Phase difference compensating element, liquid crystal display device, and projection-type image display device

Provided is a phase difference compensation element that can improve a contrast of a liquid crystal display device and has durability while suppressing an increase in cost and prolongation of lead time. The phase difference compensation element is formed so that, when an optical anisotropic layer is formed on a substrate, the optical anisotropic layer includes a plurality of birefringent films, and a direction of a combined vector obtained by combining respective vectors of the birefringent films when determining a vector with a direction of a line segment obtained by projecting a film formation direction of each birefringent film on a surface of a transparent substrate and a thickness, is substantially the same as a direction of a line segment obtained by projecting a liquid crystal molecule constituting a liquid crystal cell on the surface of the transparent substrate.

Phase difference compensation element, liquid crystal display device and projection type image display device

Provided are a Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;O sputtering target that can be used for DC sputtering and a production method therefor. The Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;O sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, O, and an element X (X is one or two elements selected from the group consisting of W and Mo). A surface to be sputtered of the target has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of 1.5 &#x3bc;m or less or a maximum height Ry of 10 &#x3bc;m or less.

Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;O sputtering target and production method therefor

To provide a manufacturing method of a phase difference element which is superior in moisture resistance. After forming an optically anisotropic layer by way of oblique vapor deposition on a substrate, the optically anisotropic layer is covered by a protective layer made by depositing an inorganic compound by way of an atomic layer deposition method. More specifically, established is a manufacturing method of a phase difference element containing a transparent substrate, optically anisotropic layer containing a birefringent film and a protective layer, the method including: an optically anisotropic layer formation step of forming an optically anisotropic layer by forming a birefringent film by way of oblique vapor deposition; and a protective layer formation step of forming a protective layer by depositing an inorganic compound by way of an atomic layer deposition method.

Manufacturing method of phase difference element, phase difference element, and projection image display device

Provided are a Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;W&#x2014;O sputtering target having excellent crack resistance and a production method therefor. The Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;W&#x2014;O sputtering target has a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, W, and O. From an X-ray diffraction pattern of the Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;W&#x2014;O sputtering target, a ratio P/Pof a maximum peak intensity Pof a peak due to a manganese oxide composed only of Mn and O to a maximum peak intensity Pof a peak due to W is 0.027 or less.

Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;W&#x2014;O sputtering target and production method therefor

Provided is a Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;O sputtering target which can be used in DC sputtering, and a production method for the target. The Mn&#x2014;Zn&#x2014;O sputtering target comprises a chemical composition containing Mn, Zn, O, and at least one element X, the element X being a single one or two elements selected from the group consisting of W and Mo. The target has a relative density of 90% or more and a specific resistance of 1&#xd7;10&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm or less.

In a magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic headhaving a magnetic tunnel junction elementsandwiched with conductive gap layersandbetween a pair of magnetic shielding layersand, the conductive gap layersandare formed from at least one nonmagnetic metal layer containing a metal element selected from Ta, Ti, Cr, W, Mo, V, Nb and Zr. Therefore, the magnetic headcan have an improved face opposite to a magnetic recording medium.

Magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head, and recorder/player

A magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head comprising a first soft magnetic conductive layer which is to provide a lower shielding layer, a metal oxide layerand a first nonmagnetic conductive layer, formed on the first soft magnetic conductive layer, to provide a lower gap layer, a magnetic tunnel junction layerformed on the first nonmagnetic conductive layer to provide a magnetic tunnel junction element, a second nonmagnetic conductive layer formed on the magnetic tunnel junction layerto provide an upper gap layer; and a second soft magnetic conductive layer formed on the second nonmagnetic conductive layer to provide an upper shielding layer, the metal oxide layerin the lower gap layerbeing formed beneath at least the magnetic tunnel junction layer

Magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head, and method of producing same

Magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head having a magnetic tunnel junction element, and recorder/player

In a magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head () having a magnetic tunnel junction element () sandwiched with conductive gap layers () and () between a pair of magnetic shielding layers () and (), the conductive gap layers () and () are formed from at least one nonmagnetic metal layer containing a metal element selected from Ta, Ti, Cr, W, Mo, V, Nb and Zr. Therefore, the magnetic head () can have an improved face opposite to a magnetic recording medium.

Magnetic tunnel effect type magnetic head having a magnetic tunnel junction element sandwiched with conductive gap layers between a pair of magnetic shielding layers

Growing community of inventors

Miyagi, Japan

Junichi Sugawara