Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal composition with which a light absorption anisotropic film excellent in plane shape uniformity with a high alignment degree can be formed, a method of producing same, a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition contains a high-molecular weight liquid crystal compound, and a dichroic substance, where the composition is a copolymer containing 90% by mass or more of a repeating unit (1) of Formula (1) and 10% by mass or less of a repeating unit (2) of Formula (2). In Formulae (1) and (2), P1 to P3 represent main chains, L1 to L3 represent a single bond or divalent linking group, P2 to SP3 represent a single bond or spacer group (SP1), M1 to M3 represent mesogenic groups, T1 represents a terminal group, and n and m are integers of 0 or 1.

Abstract: Provided is a composition for forming a photo-alignment film that improves a surface state of a liquid crystal layer having excellent liquid crystal alignment properties of the liquid crystal layer provided on a photo-alignment film, and an optical laminate formed of the composition. The composition includes a polymer A which has a repeating unit A1 containing a photo-aligned group and a repeating unit A2 containing a cationically polymerizable group, a polymer B which has a repeating unit B1 containing a cationically polymerizable group and does not contain a photo-aligned group, and at least one acid generator selected from the group consisting of a photoacid generator and a thermal acid generator, in which the polymer B has 90% by mass or greater of a repeating unit, in which a hydrogen bond element of a Hansen solubility parameter is less than 10.0, with respect to all repeating units of the polymer B.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition capable of forming an optically anisotropic layer with suppressed cissing during formation of an optically anisotropic layer and an excellent alignment degree, a fluorine-containing polymer, an optically anisotropic layer, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystal composition of the present invention is a liquid crystal composition including a liquid crystal compound and an interface improver, in which the interface improver is a fluorine-containing polymer having a repeating unit B1 represented by Formula (B-1) and a repeating unit B2 having a fluorine atom.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polarizer, a method of producing a polarizer, a laminate, and an image display device which enable achievement of both the degree of alignment and heat resistance. The polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer formed of a polarizer-forming composition which contains a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the liquid crystal compound has a smectic liquid crystallinity, and a phase transition temperature of the polarizer-forming composition from a smectic phase to an isotropic phase or a nematic phase is 120° C. or higher.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for manufacturing chips are described. An example method includes: removing a first portion of a cover layer and at least one dielectric layer under the first portion of the cover layer in a cut region between chips to form a groove, and forming a support structure including a second portion of the cover layer and the at least one dielectric layer under the second portion of the cover layer in the cut region; removing a third portion of the cover layer in one of the chips and a portion of the at least one dielectric layer under the third portion of the cover layer to form an hole on the first chip; depositing a conductive layer to cover the cover layer and the hole; forming a conductive pillar on the conductive layer in the hole; and removing the conductive layer on the cover layer and an edge surface of the hole.

Abstract: Provided is a composition that is capable of forming a polarizer layer having an excellent degree of alignment and excellent adhesiveness to another layer in a case of being applied to a laminate, a polarizer layer, a laminate, and an image display device. The composition of the present invention is a composition including at least a polymer liquid crystal compound, a dichroic material, and a low-molecular-weight liquid crystal compound, in which the polymer liquid crystal compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit (1) represented by Formula (1), the low-molecular-weight liquid crystal compound is a compound represented by Formula (LC), and relationships represented by Expressions |log P(SP1)?log P(SPL1)|?2.0 (11), |log P(MG1)?log P(SP1)|?4.5 (12), and |log P(ML)?log P(SPL1)|?4.0 (13) are satisfied.

Abstract: A side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, which includes a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. A liquid crystalline composition contains a side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, the side chain type polymer liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having repeating units 1 and 2, the repeating unit 1 has a mesogenic group and an electron-withdrawing group having a Hammett's substituent constant ?p of greater than 0 at a terminal of the mesogenic group, and the repeating unit 2 has a mesogenic group and a group having a Hammett's substituent constant ?p of 0 or less at a terminal of the mesogenic group.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a first polarizer, a liquid crystal cell, and a second polarizer in this order from a viewing side, in which a first light absorption anisotropic layer is disposed on the viewing side of the liquid crystal cell, a second light absorption anisotropic layer is disposed on a non-viewing side of the liquid crystal cell, the first and second polarizers each have an absorption axis in a film surface, the absorption axis of the first polarizer is orthogonal to the absorption axis of the second polarizer, an angle ?1 between a transmittance central axis of the first anisotropic layer and a normal line of the film is in a range of 0° to 45°, and an angle ?2 between a transmittance central axis of the second anisotropic layer and a normal line of the film is in a range of 0° to 45°.

Abstract: Provided is an optical laminate used for a viewing angle control system, and an image display device, including a light absorption anisotropic layer formed of a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic substance, a first adjacent layer in contact with one surface of the light absorption anisotropic layer, and a second adjacent layer in contact with a surface of the light absorption anisotropic layer opposite to the one surface, in which a content of the dichroic substance is 7.0% by mass or greater, an angle ?s between a transmittance central axis of the light absorption anisotropic layer and a surface of the light absorption anisotropic layer in a normal direction is in a range of 5° to 60°, and both refractive indices n1 and n2 of the first and second adjacent layers, respectively, are in a range of 1.46 to 1.72.

Abstract: A method including forming an insulating film over first, second, third and fourth regions of a semiconductor substrate; forming a polyimide film on the insulating film; and patterning the polyimide film with a lithography method using a photomask including at least a first region of a first transmittance rate, a second region of a second transmittance rate, a third region having a shading material, and a fourth region, wherein the first, second, third and fourth regions of the photomask correspond to the first, second, third and fourth regions of the semiconductor substrate, respectively.

Abstract: Provided is a polarizer having a high degree of alignment and an image display device including the polarizer. The polarizer is formed of a polarizer-forming composition containing a polymer liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the polymer liquid crystal compound is a thermotropic liquid crystal and a crystalline polymer, and the polymer liquid crystal compound and the dichroic material are horizontally aligned.

Abstract: Provided are a polarizer having a high degree of alignment and an image display device including the polarizer. The polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer which is formed of a polarizer-forming composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the liquid crystal compound and the dichroic material are horizontally aligned, and in an X-ray diffraction spectrum of the polarizer, at least one of a plurality of peaks observed in a diffraction angle range of 17° or less is a peak A in which an interval of a periodic structure corresponding to the at least one peak does not have an integer multiple relationship with an interval of a periodic structure corresponding to at least one of other peaks.

Abstract: Provided are a liquid crystal composition that is capable of forming a light absorption anisotropic film having a low reflectance, and a light absorption anisotropic film, a laminate, and an image display device, each of which is obtained using the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound and a dichroic substance, in which the side-chain type high-molecular-weight liquid crystalline compound is a copolymer having a repeating unit M including a mesogenic group and a repeating unit F including a fluorine atom.

Abstract: A polymer liquid crystal compound with which a light absorption anisotropic film having a high alignment degree can be formed, a liquid crystalline composition, a light absorption anisotropic film which is formed of the liquid crystalline composition, a laminate, and an image display device. The liquid crystalline composition includes a polymer liquid crystal compound which contains a repeating unit represented by Formula (1) and a dichroic substance. In Formula (1), a difference between a log P value of P1, L1, and SP1 and a log P value of M1 is 4 or greater. In Formula (1), P1 represents a main chain of the repeating unit, L1 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group, SP1 represents a spacer group, M1 represents a mesogenic group, and T1 represents a terminal group.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laminate and an image display device, in which alignment defects of a liquid crystal layer provided on an optical alignment layer are suppressed. The laminate includes an optical alignment layer and a liquid crystal layer provided on the optical alignment layer. In the laminate, the liquid crystal layer is formed from a liquid crystal composition containing a liquid crystal compound and a surfactant, and the liquid crystal compound is immobilized in a horizontal alignment state, and the surfactant is a copolymer having a repeating unit containing a fluorinated alkyl group and having a repeating unit containing a mesogenic group.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for manufacturing chips are described. An example method includes: removing a first portion of a cover layer and at least one dielectric layer under the first portion of the cover layer in a cut region between chips to form a groove, and forming a support structure including a second portion of the cover layer and the at least one dielectric layer under the second portion of the cover layer in the cut region; removing a third portion of the cover layer in one of the chips and a portion of the at least one dielectric layer under the third portion of the cover layer to form an hole on the first chip; depositing a conductive layer to cover the cover layer and the hole; forming a conductive pillar on the conductive layer in the hole; and removing the conductive layer on the cover layer and an edge surface of the hole.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for manufacturing chips are described. An example method includes: forming at least one first dielectric layer above a substrate; forming at least one second dielectric layer above the first dielectric layer; forming a cover layer above the at least one second dielectric layer; forming a groove above the substrate by etching; covering at least an edge surface of the at least one first dielectric layer in the groove with a liner including polymer; forming a hole through the cover layer and a portion of the at least one second dielectric layer; depositing a conductive layer in the hole, on the cover layer and the liner; and forming a conductive pillar on the conductive layer in the hole by electroplating.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polarizer having a high degree of alignment and an image display device including the polarizer. The polarizer according to the embodiment of the present invention is a polarizer which is formed of a polarizer-forming composition containing a polymer liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the polymer liquid crystal compound is a thermotropic liquid crystal and a crystalline polymer, and the polymer liquid crystal compound and the dichroic material are horizontally aligned.

Abstract: Provided is a composition for forming a polarizer from which a polarizer with an excellent surface state can be formed, a polarizer, a laminate, and an image display device. The composition for forming a polarizer includes a polymerizable liquid crystal compound which has two or more rings selected from the group consisting of an aromatic ring and an alicyclic ring and two polymerizable groups and exhibits a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, a monofunctional polymerizable compound which has two or more rings selected from the group consisting of an aromatic ring and an alicyclic ring and one polymerizable group, and a dichroic material, in which the number of atoms NA of the polymerizable liquid crystal compound and the number of atoms NB of the monofunctional polymerizable compound satisfy Expression (1), 0.35?NB/NA?0.65 (1).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an optical laminate in which an alignment defect is less likely to occur in a light-absorbing anisotropic layer even in a case where a surface of a photo-alignment layer is rubbed; an optical laminate; and an image display device. The method for manufacturing an optical laminate according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an optical laminate in which an optical laminate including a photo-alignment layer and a light-absorbing anisotropic layer and having a front transmittance of 60% or less is produced and which includes a photo-alignment layer formation step of forming a photo-alignment layer on a polymer film, and a light-absorbing anisotropic layer formation step of applying a liquid crystal composition containing a dichroic substance and a high-molecular liquid crystalline compound onto the photo-alignment layer to form a light-absorbing anisotropic layer.