The circular panel on the right is the Akhan Miraj NCD that the company claims may one day be used as the next-generation smartphone glass panel. Image Akhan Semiconductor
Hardened glass panels is a staple when it comes to modern smartphones. While the market for it is currently led by Corning’s Gorilla Glass, Diamond Glass from another company might make it a thing of the past.
Extreme Tech reports that the Akhan Miraj NCD diamond material, which is manufactured by Akhan Semiconductor, is four times more crack-resistant and seven times more scratch-proof than Gorilla Glass. One thing’s for sure is that its name is a lot harder to recall.
However, while the diamond material is highly scratch-resistant, it can shatter, especially given how thin the layer is—800 times thinner than a Gorilla Glass 5 panel. Akhan Semiconductor says this thinness is actually what prevents shattering as it gives the panel a level of flexibility.
The company also claims that producing the NCD is actually cheap and easy. The diamond layer is essentially grown on top of a regular UV glass panel using a process called chemical vapor deposition.
It may be a while before smartphones with ‘bling’ hit the market. While Akhan Semiconductor believes it can produce the glass at scale within the year, it is still looking for licensing partners to handle production. Corning might even be willing to augment Gorilla Glass with this new technology to make it even sturdier. Alfred Bayle