Foldable Glass With Hard-Coat Resolving Flexibility-Scratch Tradeoff

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cover substrates for flexible and foldable display screens face challenges with low moisture and oxidation resistibility, surface hardness, weight, optical transparency, scratch resistance, puncture resistance, and thermal durability, which can lead to device failure.

Innovation Solution

A flexible cover substrate comprising an ultra-thin glass layer with an optically transparent polymeric hard-coat layer that provides enhanced scratch resistance, impact resistance, and puncture resistance without compromising flexibility or curvature, using a combination of an ultra-thin glass layer, an optically transparent adhesive layer, and an optically transparent polymeric hard-coat layer with a pencil hardness of 8H or more.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a plastic substrate is used for flexibility, then flexibility is improved, but scratch resistance, puncture resistance, and surface hardness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidscratch resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a flexible plastic substrate with a hard coating layer having a pencil hardness of 8H or more. This multi-layer structure integrates the flexibility of the plastic substrate with the scratch and puncture resistance of the hard coating, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If a plastic substrate is used for flexibility, then flexibility is improved, but puncture resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidpuncture resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If glass is used for scratch resistance, then surface hardness is improved, but flexibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface hardnessVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using a plastic substrate instead of traditional rigid glass, enabling the cover substrate to be flexible while meeting foldable and wearable device requirements. The subsequent hard coating layer provides the necessary surface hardness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Weight of moving object

If the glass layer is made thinner to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but impact resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveweightVSAvoidimpact resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a thin flexible plastic substrate with a hard coating layer having a pencil hardness of 8H or more. This multi-layer structure provides enhanced impact resistance compared to thin glass alone, while maintaining the weight reduction benefits of using a thin substrate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS12030276B2Foldable glass article including an optically transparent polymeric hard-coat and methods of making the same

Publication Date: 2024.07.09 CORNING INC

AI summary

A glass article including an ultra-thin glass layer and an optically transparent polymeric hard-coat layer having a pencil hardness of 8H or more bonded to the ultra-thin glass layer. The optically transparent polymer hard-coat layer may include an organic polymer material or an aliphatic or aromatic hexafunctional urethane acrylate. In some embodiments, the glass article may have an impact resistance defined by the capability of the glass article to avoid failure at a pen drop height that is 2 times or more than that of a control pen drop height of the ultra-thin glass layer without the optically transparent polymeric hard-coat layer, where the pen drop height and the control pen drop height are measured according to the Pen Drop Test. In some embodiments, the glass article may survive a bend radius of 5 mm or less.