Gorilla Glass-maker Corning is aiming to bring its expanse of knowledge to bear on the problem of foldable smartphone panels with a new type of flexible glass, according to a recent CNET report taking an inside look at the new material. Corning general manager John Bayne said that the challenge was creating a glass that’s thin enough to bend without sacrificing the resilience needed to protect a display. 

Bayne notes that the company is targeting a “3- to 5-millimeter bend radii” for its 0.1mm thick glass, which could allow a foldable phone to be as thin as 6mm to 10mm with the folding screen wrapped around the outside. ”

In a glass solution, you’re really challenging the laws of physics, in that to get a very tight bend radius you want to go thinner and thinner, but you also have to be able to survive a drop event and resist damage.” said Bayne. “The technical challenge is, can you keep those tight 3- to 5-millimeter bend radii and also increase the damage resistance of the glass. That’s the trajectory we’re on.”