Though glass is a remarkably stable material,its surface is relatively easy to damage through mechanical contact with hard materials or through chemical exposure to corrosives. In as much as the ability to see through glass is one of its selling points, its resistance to marring, scratching or corrosion directly influence its value. Historically, efforts to protect glass have relied on organic surface treatments or films which lower coefficient of friction or yield under impact, or on the use of inorganic oxide or nitride coatings to produce a hard surface layer. The drawback of these is that they wear off. Diamond-Like Carbon is a unique material that combines the benefits of both organic & inorganic materials, providing superior glass protection without wearing away. This paper focuses on the development & commercialisation of DLC for large area glass applications.
