South Korea has developed ultra-thin glass (UTG) that can be rolled like a reel. Following the AMOLED folding mobile phone, the topic of whether the rollable mobile phone will arrive early has been a topic of concern in the industry. South Korean company ITI (CEO Seok-Jun Lee) announced on May 12 that it has developed a rollable glass with a width of 380 mm and a length of 280 mm. The glass has a diagonal length of about 20 inches and is bent enough to wrap around a circle with a radius of 5 mm (radius of curvature 5R). Generally, glass breaks when bent or folded.
When the glass becomes thin, it becomes flexible and can be folded or rolled up like paper. However, all glass after thinning is not soft, it needs a technology that can be reliably folded or bent without being damaged. Seok-Jun Lee, CEO of ITI, explained: Processing glass without cracking or cracking is the core of curlable glass.
The impact of glass during cutting or processing is prone to produce fine cracks. Even small invisible cracks can shatter the entire glass if it receives an external impact. ITI said that they have realized UTG, which can be wound like a reel, because they can cut glass without damage but also increase flexibility.
Their CEO Lee said: This is a unique technology that can cut large glass that can be crimped below 100um without cracks on the entire area. He said, “This is not only limited to cutting, but also includes the entire process required for cutting. It includes the manufacture of rollable glass such as reinforced coating. We are developing and optimizing it. However, due to trade secrets, such as reinforcement, coating, etc. are not disclosed. The specific process of covering and cutting.
According to people in the display industry, thanks to the development of technology, foldable and rollable panels have become possible. However, there are still some problems with the cover plate, which is one of the key elements required for the final display. It is worth noting that the development of rollable UTG will establish an ecosystem for rollable display and device industries. Lee said: In the second half of this year, the company plans to thin the existing tempered glass to achieve the curling performance of 70-inch glass used in displays.