Flexible Glass Substrates

Since the development of display technology, glass has played an important role. From the early days of cathode-ray tube bulbs to today's special thin-film transistor liquid crystal display and plasma display panel glass types, glass development has gone hand in hand with display technology advances. Despite the fact that flexibility is not defined, four different grades can be distinguished according to application: ultra-thin and flat displays, ultra-thin and curved displays, ultra-thin and bendable displays, and last but not least ultra-thin and highly flexible displays. This chapter discusses in detail the pros and cons of the next generation of glass substrates in the thickness range of 0.2 mm–30 μm. With the multitude of material and product properties required by the different display technologies there exists not one but several display glass types. Glass has many advantages over plastic: optical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties.