Physics Professor Cheah Kok-wai of the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has received the Grand Prix Award at the recent 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva event for his new sapphire glass strengthening technique.

Cheah Kok-wai, who is the Chair Professor of the Department of Physics at the university, has won the top prize for developing a new method that can strengthen touchscreens used in today's smartphones, tablets and other screen-based devices.

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The new method involves adding a "very thin layer" of sapphire material onto the surface of a substrate, to protect the glass and prevent it from damages like scratches and cracks.

According to HKBU, Kok-wai said, "ArmoGlass®, a new material invented at HKBU, is a layer of nano-materials that have ultra-hard and anti-scratch properties and can be deposited onto a transparent substrate, ideal for use on touch screen devices."

"Its hardness is proved to be comparable to the hardness of single crystal sapphire, which although hard is fragile. Hence, our team developed this nano-materials sapphire that provides an ultra-hard and strong surface." The Professor added. According to the organizers of the Geneva inventions show, the anti-scratch material can be used in many other areas and devices as well such as watches and televisions.

In addition to the Grand Prix Award which is also known as the "International Invention Award", the same technique also earned the "Gold Medal" award in the Industrial Processes category and the Special Award for The Invention. This year, the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, which is the world's largest event of its kind, awarded forty five other inventions among over 750 exhibitors from different countries around the world.

TagsHong Kong Professor Anti-Scratch Material Smartphone Screens, Hong Kong Baptist University Professor Cheah Kok-Wai Grand Prix Award Geneva, 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva