Ultra-thin Tempered Glass Sensor Cover with Lamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sensor covers made of thick polymer materials or expensive materials like sapphire are prone to damage, leading to signal degradation and increased costs, while existing solutions fail to provide a balance between thickness, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer structure comprising an ultra-thin glass sheet with tempered surfaces and a lamination layer, where the glass sheet is less than 250 micrometers thick and has a surface compressive stress of at least 200 MPa, combined with a low-modulus underlay to enhance puncture resistance and prevent excessive deflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thick polymer material is used for sensor cover, then durability is improved, but signal-to-noise ratio deteriorates and thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining ultra-thin glass (less than 250 micrometers) with a lamination layer to create a multi-layer cover that provides both durability and signal transmission. The glass material offers superior strength and puncture resistance while maintaining thinness, and the lamination layer enhances adhesion and structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between durability and signal-to-noise ratio.
2Reliability
If sapphire material is used for sensor cover, then durability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive sapphire with ultra-thin glass that is more cost-effective while maintaining durability through the glass composition and tempering process. The glass cover provides sufficient hardness and scratch resistance at a lower cost, making it an economically viable alternative to sapphire without sacrificing protective performance.
3Loss of information
If glass sheet thickness is reduced, then signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but puncture resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the glass by implementing a surface compression layer through chemical or thermal tempering. This creates a compressive stress field in the glass surface that significantly enhances puncture resistance despite the reduced thickness. The compression layer depth and stress magnitude are optimized to provide maximum strength while maintaining ultra-thin dimensions for improved signal transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer structure combining ultra-thin glass with a lamination layer creates a composite system where the glass provides hardness and the lamination layer provides toughness and puncture resistance. This composite approach allows the glass to be ultra-thin for signal transmission while the combined structure maintains high puncture resistance.
4Strength
If surface compression layer depth is increased, then puncture resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the surface compression layer parameters (depth and stress magnitude) to achieve the required puncture resistance with a practical tempering process. By carefully selecting the compression layer depth and stress levels, the patent achieves high strength without requiring excessively complex or lengthy manufacturing processes, balancing performance with manufacturability.
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 provides a high puncture-resistant, ultra-thin glass cover that improves signal-to-noise ratio, reduces power consumption, and offers superior durability and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional materials, while maintaining mechanical integrity and reducing thickness.
Implementation Method 1
the glass sheet comprises first and second tempered surfaces, wherein at least the first tempered surface incorporates a surface compression layer having a depth of at least 5 micrometers and a surface compressive stress of at least 200 MPa
Implementation Method 2
a multi-layer structure, comprising a glass sheet, a lamination layer, and a substrate layer, where the glass sheet and the substrate layer are laminated together via the lamination layer
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-layer and method of making the same are provided. The multi-layer, such as a sensor, can include a high strength glass overlay and a lamination layer on a substrate layer. The overlay can be less than 250 micrometers thick and have at least one tempered surface incorporating a surface compression layer of at least 5 micrometers deep and a surface compressive stress of at least 200 MPa. The overlay can exhibit a puncture factor of at least 3000 N/μm2 at B10 (10th percentile of the probability distribution of failure) in a multi-layer structure, an apparent thickness of less than 0.014 mm, and a pencil hardness greater than 6H. The method can include ion-exchange tempering at least one major surface of a glass sheet, light etching the major surface to remove flaws and laminating the glass sheet on the tempered and lightly etched major surface to a substrate layer.