While carbon fiber, aluminum and Kevlar find limited use in portable technology, the protective coating for a display is a little different. Among screens with increased resistance to abrasion, scratches and other mechanical damage, an effective leader has long been outlined. He is known to all. We are talking about Gorilla Glass, the features of which we will talk today.
History tour
Although in the modern world this material has only been known for five years, an innovative technical solution has a little-known predecessor, which was invented back in the 60s of the XX century. According to Corning experts, even 50 years ago one of the very first experiments was launched, aimed at improving the strength parameters of glass.
The result of this research was the material, which acquired the name Chemcor. Unfortunately, the product was ahead of its time and did not find any practical application in that era. It remained unappreciated, therefore, to date, practically no concrete examples of its use in widespread use have been preserved. Only a few racing cars in the United States received some glazing due to the lower weight of the Chemcor than traditional products.
However, Corning engineers have repeatedly stressed that Gorilla Glass is fundamentally different from its predecessor. Do not assume that the modern coating for the displays of smartphones and tablets was invented more than half a century ago. Now Chemcor could be used as a protective screen for mobile phones and other compact gadgets, but its cost is much higher due to various production methods and technologies.
Demand
Only in 2006, when work began on the first-generation iPhone, Apple was faced with the need to increase the mechanical resistance of polymer screens, which were then used everywhere.
There is a legend that they became interested in this issue only after a prototype smartphone was in a pocket with keys from one of the top managers during a morning run. Steel left a few noticeable scratches that overshadowed Apple's triumph. As a result, the challenge was accepted, and Steve Jobs agreed with Corning, which had experience in developing a suitable polymer coating.
Despite the fact that the presentation of the smartphone from Apple was planned for early 2007 (its release was to take place only a little later), the task was completed in full. Corning was able to improve its product and supply the required number of Gorilla Glass polymer films for Steve Jobs Corporation.
It is worth noting that although metal objects are not able to leave marks on the protective coating, it is still powerless in front of individual particles of sand. Penetrating into users' pockets and causing various defects on the ideal surface of phone screens, these silicate particles are still a problem for many high-tech devices.
Confession
In the first few years after the advent of Gorilla
Glass, glass with such outstanding features filled a very popular niche. But technological research on the further development of the material did not stand still. The next five years were spent on a comprehensive improvement, the purpose of which was to obtain products with a minimum thickness, but at least with the same strength.
The results were not long in coming, and at the beginning of 2012 a worthy alternative appeared - Gorilla Glass 2, the linear dimensions of which decreased by 20%. Although the other characteristics of the protective coating have not undergone significant changes, this material has allowed manufacturers to launch production of more compact and productive gadgets. There was a choice: to leave the weight and thickness of technical equipment at the same level or to make their protective shields stronger, and the dimensions smaller.
Second Gorilla
Due to the introduction of the second generation Corning Gorilla Glass, the optical properties of displays and their functionality have improved. Reducing the thickness of the material led to increased viewing angles and brightness, sensor matrices became much more sensitive to touches, and the significant difficulties of the "winter control" could be forgotten. This to some extent ensured the popularity of touchscreen gadgets and brought their sales volumes to an unattainable level.
Collaboration with giants
During the same 2012, Corning noted in cooperation with Samsung, which was interested in the further development of polymer coatings with improved properties. According to the terms of reference, it was necessary to create an alternative that could simultaneously replace existing solutions and complement them. It's not just about the variety of smartphones with Gorilla Glass.
Samsung was interested in improving resistance to thermal stress, which increased the response of touch displays and led to a reduction in deformation during mechanical impacts by pressing. This increased the life of the touchscreen and improved usability.
The result of the interaction between the two companies was the emergence of Lotus Glass. This material in full met all the required parameters. However, there was also a certain functional distribution: the Gorilla Glass screen is just a coating, while Lotus is a substrate for displays, which does not provide scratch protection. Thus, these materials began to be used only together, which greatly increases the strength of the screen, its resistance to shock, cracking and other mechanical stresses.
The next round of evolution for Corning products took place at CES-2013. Then the Gorilla Glass 3 coating was introduced, which became 50% stronger when impacted and not less than 40% scratch resistant. In the framework of the exhibition in Las Vegas, these figures were confirmed before the public. Outstanding results, which can be called almost perfect, led to the use of a new protective coating on the iPhone5S and Samsung's flagships.
Spread
As a bottom line, Gorilla Glass has found application in the products of more than thirty major electronics manufacturers, and the protective coating itself has been installed on at least 300 million devices in all parts of the world.
That’s the whole brief history of the triumph of this protective material, but its features should not be missed.
Destination
The main goal of this coverage is to minimize the consequences that can develop with significant dynamic or static effects. At the same time, this protective screen is required to maintain the compact size, thickness and low weight of the devices at a low cost, image quality distortions and touchscreen sensitivity.
Production
The secret of the strength of Gorilla Glass 3 lies in the high-tech chemical processing of glass, during which the exchange of ions occurs. To do this, the material is placed in a solution of potassium salts, which is heated to a temperature of at least 400 degrees Celsius. This is followed by the process of replacing the sodium ions present in the glass with charged potassium particles — they are large in size.
According to the results of cooling and extraction of the feedstock from the solution, the linear dimensions of the glass are reduced, substituted potassium compacts the surface of the material, which allows a more durable and uniform layer of material.
The manufacturing process of Gorilla Glass 3 is optimized so that many particles penetrate through its thickness and evenly strengthens the protective coating.
Geography
To date, the territorial distribution of Corning manufacturers has not undergone any particular changes. Production has only expanded, and in addition to the United States of America, protective coating is produced in Taiwan and Japan.
Thickness
If we talk about changes in the linear dimensions of the material, then it is worth mentioning the widespread distribution of Gorilla Glass. It is already impossible to imagine a smartphone without this tempered glass, although the permissible coating thickness is only from 0.5 to 2 millimeters (this is 10-50 times larger than the diameter of a person’s hair).
To use a material of 2 mm for mobile phones is unnecessary, since the total thickness of modern gadgets rarely exceeds 1 cm, and such an increase in size can lead to a decrease in performance characteristics and performance. Therefore, for smartphones and other ultra-compact electronics, a protective coating of up to 0.8 mm is used, which does not lead to deterioration in performance or durability. If tempered glass is intended for TVs or laptops, then 2 mm thick material is used. It provides the optimum combination of reliability and wear resistance.
Strength
The measurement of this parameter for Corning Gorilla Glass 3 was carried out by the Vickers method, which is a process of indenting a prism with diamond spraying and an angle of 136 degrees, the counting of which begins from the opposite sides of the figure.
In this case, standard physical pressure values adopted in the international SI system are used to determine hardness. In this case, the usual measure is Pascals (Pa), the meaning of which is in relation to the applied load to the area of interaction. According to Vickers, a simplified method of recording hardness is adopted; it is displayed in HV symbols. This method is most often used for thin sheet materials, which include protective coatings. For example: 120HV50 means that under the influence of a force of fifty kilograms, the hardness was 120 units. In conventional cases, the duration of the applied exposure is about ten to fifteen seconds. However, if necessary, at the end of the recording, the duration of the load test through slash 30 is added. The full display will look like this: 120HV50 / 30.
Dry facts
According to the test results, the hardness of Gorilla Glass (the first generation phones were equipped with it) amounted to about 700 units under the action of a force of two hundred grams. For example: iron is characterized by an indicator of only 30 units. - 80HV5. As can be seen by the example of these values, the hardness of the studied protective layer exceeds this indicator for ordinary soda (lime-sodium) glass by at least three times. If explained in more detail, the most common form of this material is found in external glazing or bottles.
Public trials
Corning has conducted many demonstrations that have proven this figure in practice. At exhibitions, anyone could see the reliability of the declared values, when using a miniature press, ordinary glass 1 mm thick and Gorilla Glasss was broken. In the first case, destruction occurred at a load of twenty-three kilograms, while in the second case, at least fifty-five kg. This gives a strength factor of 2.4. However, for the third Gorilla, these values are 50% higher, and the compared margin for reliability will exceed 3.6 times.
This explains why the entire constellation of leading electronics manufacturers follows the development of this material with aspiration and does everything possible to quickly update the glossy faces of their smartphones and other gadgets. Since the end of 2013, almost all the flagships of the electronics industry have acquired a heavy-duty new product from Corning.
This event did not pass by the eyes of ordinary users, who, as always, pay attention to the practical side of the issue. They immediately began to monitor where they apply innovative development, because numerous studies and surveys made it possible to foresee all the nuances of operation.
This tempered glass has been tested not only for resistance to mechanical stress, but also for the influence of many chemical and biological substances, as well as food and cosmetics. Now perfumes, lipsticks, shaving products, water or alcohol will not be able to damage its structure. In addition, Gorilla Glass is easy to clean - just wipe it with a dry cloth and fingerprints are gone. There is no need to spend money on special detergents. This advantage will be fully appreciated by the owners of smartphones or tablets with other types of protective coating, they are more than anyone aware of the difficulties encountered during cleaning.
As a result, the most vulnerable part of the phone - the display - has become its advantage. Thanks to its many strengths, Gorilla surpasses its competitors in all respects and leaves them no chance.