The carrier glass technology developed by AGC now enables ultra-thin glass to be handled and transported without altering its existing production facilities. The carrier glass also prevents the ultra-thin glass from coming into direct contact with processing equipment to prevent defects such as scratches, and can be easily delaminated after processing.
AGC, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials, has developed carrier glass on which to laminate its 0.1 mm-thick ultra-thin glass for easy handling and transportation during product manufacturing processes. Ultra-thin glass can now be used without altering its existing production facilities, an important move toward the commercialization of ultra-thin glass for next-generation displays and other applications.
Ultra-thin glass, which AGC developed in 2011, offers excellent transparency, heat resistance and electrical insulation, as well as extra thinness and flexibility, making it ideal for next-generation displays, touchscreens and lighting equipment.
A sample of carrier glass technology will be exhibited at AGC’s booth at the Society for Information Display (SID) exhibition in Boston, US, from 4 June.
The roll-to-roll production method, which is currently under development, enables rolls of ultra-thin glass to be used conveniently in continuous strips during production. However, the method has required substantial alterations in production facilities to ensure proper handling of the ultra-thin glass. AGC has now developed the technology to laminate ultra-thin glass onto 0.5mm carrier glass, thus overcoming this need and accelerating commercialization. The laminated glass substrate can be handled the same way as ordinary glass sheet (sheet-to-sheet method), enabling circuit formation and other processing of ultra-thin glass without having to alter existing production facilities.
Carrier glass and ultra-thin glass are laminated via a special bonding layer that makes the laminated substrate high resistant to heating and chemical processing during production. The carrier glass also prevents the ultra-thin glass from coming into direct contact with processing equipment to prevent defects such as scratches, and can be easily delaminated after processing.