According to Adam Khan, the chief executive officer of Akhan Semiconductor, display screens made of diamond glass will prove to much durable and clearer than any display screen ever produced before. And it is quite possible that before this year is over, there might be a smartphone out in the market with a diamond display screen.
For those not familiar with Akhan Semiconductor, it is a firm that specializes in growing diamonds in order to be used in components for various electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets. However, Khan is quick to note that despite the fact that his company has had discussions with some of the world’s biggest phone makers, it is only selecting a single manufacturer for smartphones, one for wearable devices, and so on. This arrangement is partly because of limited supply (diamonds do not grow on trees, you know), and there is also some fun in giving the chosen manufacturer the exclusive bragging right.
For now, Akhan Semiconductor is looking to produce enough diamond glass for between 10 million to 30 million units of smartphone devices. For wearable devices, especially for smartwatches and fitness trackers, it is planning to supply diamonds for less than a million screens. For some context, Apple sold more than 78 million units of iPhones during the last three quarters of 2016.
But wait -- how exactly is diamond glass tougher and clearer than most display screens being used today? While it is true that we have accomplished much in terms of advancing display screen technology, the fact of the matter is we still shriek in agony whenever we see a handset heading for the floor because we just know it is going to get a crack somewhere. And yup, those scratches too -- no matter how careful you are, your smartphone still gets them.
Now it is known by many that diamond is just about the hardest substance there is (because adamantium and vibranium do not count), and basically what happens is that diamond is deposited unto glass toppers (like those already tough ones made by Gorilla). The result is that the display screen is made more durable -- about 6 times stronger and 10 times harder, as claimed by Khan. Also, diamonds can deal better with water and grime.
Apart from toughness, diamond actually can help in managing temperature in electronics. And not only will the mobile users benefit from these, the device itself is made safer and more power efficient, because its processor is less likely to overheat. It is said that diamond can allow for more than 800 times cooling compared to other materials, which should really be cool, especially when the device is doing some high power stuff like virtual reality or augmented reality.
But don’t diamonds cost much? That is almost a given, and simply put, introducing a new tech that is pricey could prove to be challenging. But Khan remains positive that people will appreciate the difference -- after all, why pay a hundred bucks to get your cracked display replaced when you can just invest in screen material that can take the worse?
