Science of Glass: How It Works

How It Works: Anti-Reflective

Making devices easier to read in bright sun

You’re enjoying a sunshiny day when your smartphone rings. However, the bright light makes your screen nearly invisible, forcing you to squint and strain your eyes to figure out who is calling.

It is an all-too-common and annoying problem, but one that Corning scientists are tackling head-on with an anti-reflective solution.

“The problem starts with the cover glass on your device,” said Corning’s Dr. Odessa Petzold, who has researched light management surface engineering innovations for more than five years. “Light reflects off of the glass which then makes the display appear dark or dull.”

“By adding a special anti-reflective coating to the cover glass, the light reflection is reduced by more than 75 percent, resulting in a device that’s easier to read in the sun.”

“The problem starts with the cover glass on your device. Light reflects off of the glass which then makes the display appear dark or dull.”

How does it work?

Essentially, Corning’s anti-reflective solution greatly reduces the intensity and magnitude of light reflecting off a device.

This process begins with a thin, inorganic film applied to the device’s cover glass. Once in the sun or bright light, the proprietary coating material manipulates incoming light, causing light waves to interfere and cancel each other out.

Also, rather than dulling colors like some other commercial anti-reflective coatings, Corning's solution enhances color fidelity. This means that your phone’s imagery and text would be sharp and legible even in sunlight.

“This true-color rendering is an excellent benefit for high-resolution displays and devices,” said Petzold.

“Corning continues to push the boundary on how glass, along with other companion coatings or technologies, can help solve tough problems for consumers and their devices.”

What’s next?

Customers are beginning to test-drive this thin-film application for their next-generation devices. In the meantime, Corning scientists are developing a version of the anti-reflective, thin-film coating that is tough enough to withstand the harsh handling of mobile devices.

“Corning continues to push the boundary on how glass, along with other companion coatings or technologies, can help solve tough problems for consumers and their devices,” said Petzold.

So, stay tuned. Corning’s pursuit of anti-reflective coatings could soon put an end to the blinding light bouncing off your smartphone.

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How It Works: Anti-Reflective

You’re enjoying a sunshiny day when your smartphone rings. The bright light makes your screen nearly invisible, forcing you to squint and strainto figure out who is calling. It is an all-too-common problem, but Corning scientists have come up with an anti-reflective solution.