A new touch screen has been developed which is claimed to be thinner but offers the same amount of strength as the touch screens used today. Touch screens are made up of a cover material and an underlying layer of glass embedded with electrodes.
The new touch screen will use soda-lime glass which is just 0.28 mm in thickness, 15% thinner than the thinnest glass currently available which is 0.33 mm thick. The new glass is planned to enter mass production later this month. Soda-lime glass is composed of mainly sodium oxide and silicon dioxide. The material is used in construction, automobiles, and electronic devices. It is strengthened by submerging the raw glass in chemicals. It is ideal for electronics, since it is heat resistant, does not discolour when exposed to UV radiation, can be chemically strengthened, and is easy to process.
It has been designed by the AGC Group, with Tokyo-based Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. AGC has been a world-leading supplier of flat, automotive and display glass, chemicals and other high-tech materials and components. With this technology, touch screens are surely going to be revolutionised.