Touchscreens: Thin is In

There hasn't been much good news from Japan lately. Between the epic earthquake and fears of a nuclear meltdown, most of the news seems thick and dark. Then there's word from companies like Toyota that production is stalled and the supply chain is kinked. Fortunately, Tokyo's Ashai Glass Company (AGC) provided observers with a sliver of hope last week. ACG has developed what it claims is the world's thinnest glass for touchscreen panels.

At just 0.28-mm thick, the company's new soda-lime glass substrate is 15% thinner than the world's skinniest substrate. Soda-lime, AGC explains, is perfect for touch screens "because it maintains form when subjected to heat, resists discoloring due to ultraviolet radiation, accepts chemical strengthening, and is easily processed." Electrode-embedded glass is profitable, too. AGC projects sales of more than $1.2 billion.

Earlier this year, Ashai unveiled a super-durable glass called Dragon Tail that will go head-to-head with Corning's Gorilla Glass, which is used in Apple's popular iPhone. Dragon Tail is some six times stronger than soda-lime, but absent arsenic and lead. It's also scratch-resistant and features what AGC calls "a beautiful, pristine finish".

Can Ashai cash-in on Apple's 60% share of the world's touchscreen supply? Will the world's thinnest touchscreen glass lose it crown to an even-thinner competitor in the near future? The answers are unclear, but at least the news from Japan is a bit brighter, thinner, and stronger these days.

Source: PCMag.com