Proposed compound would also self-clean fingerprints
According to patent documents published by the World Intellectual property Organization, Samsung is working to develop a new variety of glass laminate for smartphones that would self-repair scratches as well self-clean fingerprints. This oleophobic coating would be composed of polyrotaxane, polyhedral silsesquioxane and fluorinated (meth) acryl, and could be applied to Corning’s Gorilla Glass. The result would be a smartphone screen capable or regenerating itself.
The details of the patent are broad in spectrum, suggesting that practical applications could still be years away, and the laminate probably won’t be able to heal cracks in the glass layer due to impacts. But the technology could reduce surface damage caused by contact with other objects in a user’s pockets, such as keys or coins.
When used in tandem with the current and future iterations of Gorilla Glass, the laminate layer could result in smartphones that maintain a crystal-clear screen for the full life of the phone, and Coning’s durable glass products can withstand all but the most violent of drop and impacts. Within the next few years, Samsung could possibly create a near perfect phone screen; self-cleaning, scratch resistant and water-proof.
To view the details of the patent visit https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=US224376770