New material may be answer to crack-proof phone display screens

Assistant Professor Benjamin Tee (centre), who leads the NUS research team that is behind the supermaterial, with two team members - doctoral student Wang Guanxiang, who is holding up a sample of the new material, and research fellow Tan Yu Jun.
Assistant Professor Benjamin Tee (centre), who leads the NUS research team that is behind the supermaterial, with two team members - doctoral student Wang Guanxiang (left) and research fellow Tan Yu Jun. PHOTO: NUS
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Dropped your smartphone lately? Impact such as this often results in cracks and scratches to the display screen, sometimes even making it unusable.

But a new material created by scientists here might see future phone screens escaping such impact unscathed.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 30, 2020, with the headline New material may be answer to crack-proof phone display screens. Subscribe