If you’d like to save your phone screen, put some bling on it.

More than a decade ago, scientists figured out how to grow synthetic diamond as a potential replacement for the silicon MEMs or microelectromechanical systems. Now AKHAN Semiconductor says it’s figured out how to build on that original breakthrough, further refining the production process to create what may be the first-ever diamond-reinforced glass.

Diamond is attractive as a potential smartphone display cover not only because it’s the hardest material known to mankind, but also because of its chemical inertness, thermal capabilities and high resistance to contaminants. Lab-grown diamond is even more attractive as a potential consumer electronic component because you can use it without having to dig up the rare and expensive material.

It’s also “chemically more perfect than natural diamond,” said Adam Khan, CEO and founder of AKHAN Semiconductor. Now Khan’s company has figured out how to apply a nanometers-thin film of synthetic diamond, known as AKHAN Miraj NCD diamond, onto a standard UV glass to produce a material that, the company claims, is considerably stronger than Corning’s recently announced Gorilla Glass 5.

AKHAN CMOS n-type diamond on quartz plate & glass (100 mm wafer). Image: AKHAN

Corning’s ultra-thin, yet flexible, scratch-resistant and impressively strong glass has made its way onto most of the leading smartphones currently on the market, including the Samsung Galaxy S7, Google’s Nexus devices and, though Apple won’t confirm, probably some of the latest iPhones. Gorilla Glass can hold up to a lot of abuse, but as many can attest, it’s not break-proof.

A stronger display material, sapphire (it rates a 9 on the Mohs scale for mineral hardness, while diamond rates a 10), is slowly making its way onto consumer devices like the Apple watch, but it still can’t be reliably produced in large-enough volumes to work for phone and tablet display manufacturers. Corning is currently working on a Gorilla Glass-sapphire composite.

Thin, but strong

Diamond is actually cheaper than sapphire, and because it’s a thin layer on a cheap substrate; it’s actually faster to manufacturer.

AKHAN Miraj NCD diamond-covered glass is 800-times thinner than Gorilla Glass 5 and may be stronger than sapphire. According to an independent study sponsored by AKHAN, the Miraj NCD Diamond covered glass is 3.5-times more crack resistant and 7-times more scratch resistant than Gorilla Glass.

This is a fairly remarkable claim considering the kind of glass AKHAN uses to back the synthetic diamond film. “We’re using regular UV grade Corning glass substrate,” said Kahn, who added that the use of this Miraj NCD Diamond on Glass could end up saving manufacturers money. “Diamond is actually cheaper than sapphire, and because it’s a thin layer on a cheap substrate; it’s actually faster to manufacturer.”

AKHAN, which perfected the manufacturing method along with Argonne National Laboratories, actually grows the 500 nanometer diamond layer on top of the glass inside a microwave reactor using a method known as chemical vapor deposition. Currently, AKHAN can produce 8-inch diamond glass wafers.

The company acknowledges that diamond can have a higher index of refraction than glass, but it explained that it tunes the material to reduce reflectivity.

Even though diamond is incredibly hard, this material can be, according to AKHAN, flexed up to 45-degrees. They’ve even used it to build a 10-atom-thick, completely flexible transistor. AKHAN also claims that the diamond glass’ unique attributes will allow them to add a full-transparent semiconductor layer. In addition, the diamond’s low thermal conductivity will actually wick heat away from the display, potentially resulting in cooler-running displays.

Side view of the Miraj NCD Diamond on Glass Image: AKHAN

Is AKHAN Miraj NCD Diamond on glass stronger than Gorilla Glass in the real world? AKHAN COO Carl Shurboff, who spent 25 years at Motorola, said, “At Motorola we used to do a lot of accelerated life testing, including drop tests. … To get an equivalent drop-test performance you need to have it implemented in a device.” In other words, until AKHAN gets its diamond glass into some test smartphones, it can’t know for certain how the material holds up to everyday life.

Shurboff said AKHAN should be able to produce the diamond glass “at scale” within a year. However, it’s not planning on building out multi-million-dollar diamond-glass fabs. Instead, they’re on the hunt for licensees that could include, yes, Corning. “We welcome them,” Shurboff said.