Bendable Glass Articles with Ion Exchange Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bendable displays made of transparent and brittle materials, such as glass, face limitations in load properties due to material parameters like elastic modulus, fracture toughness, and thickness, leading to reduced durability under bending, impact, and scratching loads.
Innovation Solution
The development of articles with a structure comprising an exchange layer and a bulk layer, where the exchange layer has a higher proportion of certain cation ions and a lower proportion of others compared to the bulk layer, optimized through chemical tempering and etching to enhance bending and impact strength, allowing for lower bending radii without fracture and improved scratch resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the glass thickness is reduced to enable bending, then the bendability is improved, but the strength and durability under impact and scratching loads deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies chemical tempering to change the physical-chemical parameters of the glass surface by ion exchange, creating a compression stress layer that significantly improves impact strength and scratch resistance while maintaining the reduced thickness needed for bendability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure with an exchange layer (modified glass surface with different ion composition) and a bulk layer (original glass composition), where the exchange layer provides enhanced mechanical properties while the bulk layer maintains transparency and flexibility
2Strength
If chemical tempering is applied to improve strength parameters, then the load properties are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies chemical tempering as a preliminary treatment before final assembly, creating the compression stress layer in advance to ensure the glass can withstand subsequent handling and installation processes without additional complexity during final assembly
3Strength
If the exchange layer depth is increased to improve bending strength, then the load-bearing capacity is improved, but the probability of failure under impact loads increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the exchange layer depth parameter to a specific range (5-20 μm) that balances bending strength improvement with impact resistance, preventing excessive stress concentration that would increase failure probability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly increases the service life expectancy of bendable displays by enhancing their ability to withstand bending, impact, and scratching loads, achieving higher bending strengths and reduced probability of failure, while maintaining transparency and brittleness within specified ranges.
Implementation Method 1
the exchange layer comprises at least one, preferably exactly one kind of cation ion I with an increased proportion in comparison to the bulk layer and at least one, preferably exactly one kind of cation ion R with a reduced proportion in comparison to the bulk layer
Implementation Method 2
It is known that the load properties can be improved by chemical tempering
Implementation Method 3
a further improvement can be achieved by a material removal from the glass surface obtained by etching after the step of chemical tempering
Data Source
AI summary
An article of transparent and brittle material, such as glass, glass ceramic, ceramic or crystals. The article includes at least one exchange layer and at least one bulk layer. The at least one exchange layer includes at least one kind of cation ionI with an increased proportion compared to the at least one bulk layer and at least one kind of cation ionR with a reduced proportion compared to the at least one bulk layer. The article is in particularly used as a display cover for flexible displays or flexible protective foils, for example in smartphones or tablets or TV sets. The article can also be used as a substrate for an electronic component such as an OLED or LED.