Strengthened Glass

Strengthened Glass - Beneq ALD for better glass crack resistance

Beneq has developed an invisible coating on glass that increases the damage resistance, literally making it stronger and less prone to breakage upon surface depression. This technology is now available for the glass and display industry.
 

Higher crack resistance with ALD

An ALD coating has many properties that makes it suitable for glass crack resistance improvement. It is completely conformal, accurate down to the nanometer scale and free from pinholes. When coating glass with ALD, the resulting thin film covers the top surface, but also the walls of the intrinsic nano-scale cracks. By coating the crack walls, the coating partially or completely fills the original flaws, but also smoothens the crack tip, increasing the tip radius. Basic fracture mechanics proves that an increase in crack tip radius leads to decreased local stress at the tip and this causes an increase in the material’s ability to resist cracking.

Over 80% improvement in strength

To prove the effect of ALD coating on the crack resistance of glass, Beneq measured the flexural strength of different glasses and glass assemblies. The flexural strength (bending strength) represents the highest stress experienced within the material at its moment of rupture. According to the results, ALD coating has a profound effect on the flexural strength of the tested glasses, at best increasing it by 89%. Preliminary tests carried out on ready-made TFT LCD panels show an increase in flexural strength of up to 40%.

Equipment suited for industrial production

Beneq is a leader in ALD coating equipment for industry and demanding applications. We can offer suitable units for research, corporate R&D and full-scale industrial production, depending on the specific needs of our customers. We also provide full coating service possibilities, for development and concept confirmation, as well as small-scale pilot production. Beneq is now offering ALD-based Strengthened Glass technology as a competitive application for glass and display manufacturers.

More information

Download Strengthened Glass brochure (pdf).