The first phone with a diamond screen will be launched in 2019. This will help address the concern that most smartphone owners face: dropping your phone and cracking the screen. The solution comes from Akhan Semiconductor and it uses laboratory grown diamonds to create a product called Miraj Diamond Glass.
These new, strong screen is intended to be able to cover and protect a smartphone’s fragile electronic display. Current smartphone screens are created from toughened glass, which are specially developed shatterproof coatings sometimes supported by sapphire crystal toppers. However, all current screens are prone to damage depending on the force or point of impact.
Interviewed by CNET, Adam Khan, who is the CEO of Akhan Semiconductor states that his new generation of screens, formed of the diamond glass, will be stronger, harder, and cleaner than anything seen previously. Khan’s company specialized in growing diamonds for use in electronics.
In terms of what the additional strength means in practice, this is likely to be screens that are between six and ten times tougher than even the most robust ‘Gorillas Glass’ smartphone screens in current use. The use of diamonds will also prevent damage of the materials underneath the screen, such as any LED panels or sensors.
The toughness not only comes from the naturally hard properties of diamonds, strength also relates to the arrangement. Akhan Semiconductor researchers have developed a nanocrystal pattern that arranges the crystals in a way that avoids alignment along crystal planes. The alternate arrangement guards against the formation of cracks, offering enhanced protection from an impact event.
For 2018 a process of fine tuning is taking place, leading up to the first commercial runs production. The final round of tests are designed to assess the durability of the glass and ways to minimize the light reflection rate.
The first production runs in 2019 are expected produce 10 and 30 million screens. While this sounds a lot, Apple alone sells between 70 and 80 million iPhone devices per quarter. This means the screens will remain a premium product for several years.
