Diamonds could be key to indestructible smartphone displays

[Shawn Knight]

The promise of a virtually indestructible smartphone display came and went without much fanfare. Apple’s struggle to build sapphire glass at scale is well documented and although Motorola more or less delivered on handsets like the flagship Moto Z2 Force, its plastic-like ShatterShield technology never really took off.

The industry eventually shifted its attention to the next big thing although one company isn’t yet ready to give up the fight.

Akhan Semiconductor has been working on a solution for several years now. Its flagship product, called Mirage Diamond Glass, is made from lab-grown diamonds and can even be applied over existing strengthened glass, like Gorilla Glass. Akham said a year ago that its diamond coating could make material like Gorilla Glass or regular glass six times stronger and 10 times harder than they would be otherwise.

The company’s CEO, Adam Khan, tells CNET its cover glass is being actively tested with device makers to iron out any kinks and develop the best application methods. Assuming there aren’t any major hiccups, we can expect Mirage Diamond Glass to debut on a mobile device sometime in 2019.

For now, they’re taking things slow but if momentum picks up, the company could expand its reach into fitness bands and other wearables.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/73115-diamonds-could-key-indestructible-smartphone-displays.html

 

[p51d007]

Still amazes me that a lump of hardened pressurized heated carbon, is worth so much money because
De Beers has a monopoly on the market and only allows so many on the market at one time.
Gee, you think these displays will give the manufacturers a reason to push the prices even higher?
I've had 5 smartphones in 8 years. Not one has had any screen protection. Not one of them have a scratch. Take care of your expensive electronics, and maybe you won't need some of this stuff.

 

[Evernessince]

Diamonds are able to resist scratching but they cannot resist shattering very well

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_properties_of_diamond

It would be fine to use a diamond coating on a phone screen but you want something that isn't as rigid for the screen.

 

[Kashim]

Diamonds are able to resist scratching but they cannot resist shattering very well

This is probably why it's not being used as the screen, but rather as a layer to reinforce another material that's being used (such as Gorilla grass).

 

[amghwk]

I can foresee Apple soon employing this on the iPhones' screens, and continue it's routine "premium" pricing.

 

[stewi0001]

Still amazes me that a lump of hardened pressurized heated carbon, is worth so much money because
De Beers has a monopoly on the market and only allows so many on the market at one time.
Gee, you think these displays will give the manufacturers a reason to push the prices even higher?

You are right that diamonds are actually not really worth anything. However, since the diamond screen would be made artificially, it would not hold the same value as the natural made ones.

 

[p51d007]

Still amazes me that a lump of hardened pressurized heated carbon, is worth so much money because
De Beers has a monopoly on the market and only allows so many on the market at one time.
Gee, you think these displays will give the manufacturers a reason to push the prices even higher?

You are right that diamonds are actually not really worth anything. However, since the diamond screen would be made artificially, it would not hold the same value as the natural made ones.

Yeah, but the word "diamond" will be all over the advertising. Considering how inept a lot of consumers are, they will simply say "oh, well, that's why it is more expensive"

 

[stewi0001]

Yeah, but the word "diamond" will be all over the advertising. Considering how inept a lot of consumers are, they will simply say "oh, well, that's why it is more expensive"

Except for video games. IE Pokemon Diamond, (any game) diamond edition XD

 

[mbrowne5061]

Diamonds are able to resist scratching but they cannot resist shattering very well

This is probably why it's not being used as the screen, but rather as a layer to reinforce another material that's being used (such as Gorilla grass).

Maybe as an outer anti-scratch layer, but it just can't stand up to impacts.

 

[wiyosaya]

Diamonds are able to resist scratching but they cannot resist shattering very well

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_properties_of_diamond

It would be fine to use a diamond coating on a phone screen but you want something that isn't as rigid for the screen.

It sounds like what they are trying to do is to make the coating "glassine" in which case it will be less apt to cleave. Cleaving requires a crystalline structure that glass like materials do not have. They have gone this way with laser materials such as YAG which used to be available only in its crystalline form, however, there are companies that make a ceramic version of it - which is more glass like. That form is much tougher than the equivalent crystalline form.

 

[PurpleYoda]

What we need is a self healing layer so gorilla can take the beating and scratches are all gone thx to this extra layer.. Am I the only one soooo cleaver to think of that??? 8-/