Using high-hardness glass as the material for touchscreens (such as the well-known Corning Gorilla Glass) offers significant benefits in multiple areas. This is not merely about making the screen surface scratch-resistant; it represents a substantial improvement in overall performance.
Here are the main benefits, from the most direct to the more profound:
1. Exceptional scratch resistance (scratch-proof)
This is one of the most obvious and important benefits.
Principle: High hardness means it can resist scratches from objects softer than itself. Most objects that may come into contact with the screen in daily life (such as keys, coins, sand, small knives, etc.) have a Mohs hardness far below that of specialty glass.
Benefits: The screen is less prone to scratches during daily use, maintaining its clarity and smooth tactile feel over time. Scratches not only affect visual appeal but can also interfere with visibility under certain lighting conditions and impact the smoothness of touchscreen operations.
2. Enhanced impact resistance and shatter resistance (drop-proof)
Although “hardness” and “toughness” are two distinct concepts, modern high-hardness glass significantly improves toughness through chemical strengthening processes.
Principle: This type of glass is typically treated with an ion exchange process. The glass is immersed in molten salt, where smaller sodium ions on the glass surface are replaced by larger potassium ions. This creates a high-stress layer on the glass surface.
Benefits: When the screen is subjected to impact or dropped, this compressive stress layer effectively suppresses the formation and propagation of cracks. Even if the glass breaks due to sufficient impact, it tends to shatter into smaller, less sharp pieces rather than forming long, sharp cracks, resulting in higher safety.
3. Protective Layer
The display structure of modern touchscreen devices (such as smartphones) is highly complex, typically consisting of multiple layers: the outer protective glass layer, touch sensor layer, display panel (LCD/OLED), etc.
Principle: High-hardness glass serves as the outer “shield,” absorbing all physical impacts and scratches.
Benefits: Effectively protects the delicate and expensive touch sensor and display panel below from damage. Replacing the outer glass panel is far less costly than replacing the entire screen assembly.