AGC, supplier of automotive, display and flat glass, chemicals and other materials, have developed a new 0.28 mm soda-lime glass substrate for use in touchscreens.
This is the world's thinnest substrate with 15% less thickness than the current 0.33 mm thin commercial substrate. The substrate material is also 15% lighter in weight and this will make tablets and smartphones to shrink further in the future.
Top image shows substrate in projected-capacitance touchscreen; bottom image showcases AGC's new 0.28mm glass substrate for touchscreens.
Volume production of the new glass substrate using float process will begin on April 2011 end. The float process is a manufacturing technique in which the glass is drifted over molten metal to produce uniform glass efficiently. Annual sales of the glass substrate are expected to surpass 10 billion yen in 2013.
The substrate can be processed easily. It resists heat, UV ray discoloration, and accepts chemical strengthening process. Hence, it acts as a suitable substrate material for touchscreens in tablets and smartphones.
AGC will exhibit the soda-lime glass substrate at Society for Information Display’s (SID) Display Week 2011 that is scheduled to take place from May 15 2011 in Los Angeles, California.