Sapphire cover glass era will officially open

In addition to the inherent physical sapphire high hardness, can withstand everyday dust, gravel outside wear, often considered by consumers is a rare, precious minerals, and natural product manufacturers are willing to cater to both the consumer psychology to achieve product marketing purposes. But in fact, the vast majority of sapphire material used in consumer products, like the so-called "Crystal" in general, in fact, are artificially manufactured. Sapphire is expensive, not because of the rare, but because of the manufacturing process (crystal growth) need to spend a lot of energy and time.

Currently doubt and commercial operations

Sapphire cover supply chain mainly material (sapphire ingot and substrate) and processing (shaping and coating). Although common in many fine watches sapphire, but it really is the main LED application client sapphire material vendors. The main sapphire material manufacturers from around the world, such as Monocrystal, Rubicon, STC, OCI, Kyocera and USIO. These companies have a huge number of Sapphire Dan Changjing stove, long after the ingot, using diamond wire saw cutting through grinding, polishing and other processes to form a substrate (substrate) is sold to downstream customers, including 2-inch, 4 inch and 8-inch form.

Unlike the Rubicon and Monocrystal is well known sapphire material manufacturers, very special advanced crystal growth furnace equipment is known, rather than the production of sapphire material. Over the past six months, about GT Advanced in Arizona (Mesa) crystal growth furnace installation message has never stopped. The media has to be estimated number of 500 units of production capacity, and calculate the supply of these products can only iPhone within a year about one-third of the demand, the conclusion that Apple will have more natural crystal growth furnace needs.

Camera, fingerprint protective cover (less than 0.5 inches) or smart watches (approximately 1.5/1.7 inches) on sapphire consumption is not large, but as a cover glass using (at least 4.7 inches), the substrate size, prices, economic cut, shape and processing yield loss and supply chain capacity will definitely be another level of consideration. Furthermore, if Apple really want to replace the entire piece of sapphire material supplied by Corning and other manufacturers of aluminum silicate glass, then to do as a bargaining chip iPhone sales, Apple can actually negotiate directly with global manufacturers sapphire material , now you can get a favorable price and production capacity, does not seem very special needs through advanced, create your own from scratch sapphire material supply chain.

From Apple and GT Advanced observed in commercial operations within the past three years, Apple may be able to outline the underlying intentions and strategies. September 12, 2013 and January 23, 2014, Apple obtained from the United States Patent Office (USPTO) on sapphire patent approved two: one on the sapphire substrate of a multilayer sandwich patent (sapphire laminate), and the other is related to the multi-fixation technology patents (attachment techniques).

November 4, 2013, announced that it has signed a multi-year on sapphire material supply agreement with Apple. According to the agreement, GT will purchase and operate advanced sapphire material production equipment, and the equipment will be installed in Apple's new plant (America Arizona Mesa). Apple will be a very special advanced approximately $ 578 million pre-paid amount, the latter since 2015, with at least five years, in succession to Apple's reimbursement related costs. In addition, in November 2012, GT Advanced Hyperion acquired from Twin Creeks thin slicing technique can be used to cut thin thickness of about 20 microns. April 30, 2014, GT Advanced with EV Group also announced that it will jointly develop relevant professional laminating process and equipment, so that by the Hyperion technology cut out thin (sapphire, silicon carbide) can be treated and the particular substrate (glass, silicon, plastic) two-phase fit.

From the above point of view of business practices, we can deduce that two patents of Apple's content with a very special advanced process technology should be relevant. In other words, the former use of the patent and to establish its own supply chain to build brand competition threshold, while the latter is to be patented ideas to achieve mass production.


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