Large-sized, chemically-strengthened DragontrailTM enables efficient production of thinner touchscreens (AGC to set up a new chemical strengthening facility in Japan)

This new chemical strengthening facility can handle up to sixth-generation (1850mm x 1500mm) glass, enabling the efficient production of thinner next-generation touchscreens.Operation is scheduled to begin in March 2013.   

Conventionally, touchscreens of smart phones and tablet PCs have been triple-layered, consisting of a cover glass, a touch sensor and a display. Recently, however, demand for double-layered touchscreens, which can make the touchscreen even thinner, is expected to grow, and a technology(*1) to attach the touch sensor into the cover glass is drawing attention as a means to manufacture double-layered touchscreens.

A key to efficient production of double-layered touchscreens is large-size chemically strengthened glass. A large number of cover glass with built-in touch sensor can be manufactured at a time by neatly arranging touch sensors on a large sheet of chemically strengthened glass and cutting the glass into pieces of the intended size. As the touchscreens manufactured based on this method are increasingly adopted for use in smart phones and tablet PCs in 2013 onward, AGC’s high-quality G6-size chemically strengthened Dragontrail manufactured at the new facility will contribute to the creation of even thinner smart phones, tablet PCs, Ultrabook(*2) and other touchscreen devices.

Six-generation chemically-strengthened DragontrailTM

Dragontrail, a damage and scratch-resistant specialty glass, has been adopted by over 20 companies for use as cover glass and used in some 60 smart phones and tablet PC models. AGC will continue to create new value for its customers by making effective use of the outstanding performance of Dragontrail.

*1 The cover glass integration technology is referred to as One Glass Solution (OGS).

*2 Ultrabook is a trademark or registered trademark of Inter Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Media Contact

Toshihiro Ueda, General Manager, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

AGC Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

(Contact: Michiyo Tomiya; Tel: +81-3-3218-5603; E-mail: info-pr@agc.com)

1. Structure of touchscreens

Click to enlarge. 

2. Efficient production of cover glass with built-in touch sensor

Click to enlarge.