• Question: Phons shod have much better skreens thay smash esley

    Asked by Minecraft creeper to Kerry on 10 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Kerry O'Shea

      Kerry O'Shea answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      It’s actually a very difficult thing to get right. If you think about it, your phone screen needs to be transparent (you have to be able to see through it), but it also has to be electrically conducting (if it has a touchscreen) so it can transfer the electrical signal from you finger to do the right job.

      There aren’t a huge number of materials that can be used for this. Although glass is see-through, it isn’t conductive. Metals that are conductive, such as copper, aren’t see-through. Currently indium tin oxide (ITO) is used in your phone, but it can’t be too thick as it won’t be see-through.

      It’s not an easy problem to solve!

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