Indium Tin Oxide properties and applications

Indium Tin Oxide properties and applications

Vacuum deposited onto varying substrates, an indium tin oxide coating has excellent electrical and optical properties. But what exactly is an ITO coating and what are its applications?

What Is An ITO Coating?

Commonly referred to simply as ITO, indium tin oxide is a solution consisting of indium, oxygen and tin – i.e. indium oxide (In₂O₃) and tin oxide (SnO₂). Depending on this solution’s oxygen content, it can be described either as an alloy or a ceramic.

Typically encountered in an oxygen-saturated form consisting of (by weight) 74% In, 8% Sn and 18% O², indium tin oxide is an optoelectronic material that is yellowish-grey in bulk form and colorless & transparent when applied in thin film layers.

Now among the most commonly utilized transparent conducting oxides due to its excellent optical transparency & electrical conductivity, indium tin oxide can be vacuum deposited onto substrates including glass, polyester, polycarbonate and acrylic.

Developed by industry leading ITO coating supplier Diamond Coatings, the Diamox ITO coating offers properties that make it the perfect solution for a multitude of different applications across all industries.

Diamox Indium Tin Oxide Coating Properties

With both better electrical conductivity and higher optical transparency* than most other doped metal oxides, the Diamox ITO coating can be produced (depending on film thickness) with sheet resistances starting as low as 2.5 ohms/sq.

*At wavelengths ranging between 525 and 600 nm, 20 ohms/sq. ITO coatings on polycarbonate and glass have respective typical peak light transmissions of 81% and 87%.

With excellent resistance to moisture penetration & chemical stability, with no evidence of optical degradation or reduction in coating adhesion and sheet resistance showing when subjected to MIL STD 48497 testing (i.e. Salt Spray, Humidity & Thermal Cycling), Diamox coatings also offer excellent resistance to flaking, peeling and cracking; delaminating and crazing.

Capable of inhibiting, minimizing and possibly eliminating RFI, EMI and ESD (Radio Frequency/Electro Magnetic Interface & Electro-Static Discharge) effects with a respective shielding effectiveness of 58dB & 26dB at 1MH & 1GH, a Diamox ITO coating can also improve electronic devices’ reception and overall performance.

Available in sheet sizes up to 1,000 x 1,000 mm and sheet resistances between 2.5 and 1,500 ohms/sq., Diamox ITO coatings can be:

• Applied to flat & shaped surfaces and injection molded parts
• Precision etched to generate extremely fine conductor paths & meet even exceptionally complex customer-specific patterning requirements
• Combined with other (anti reflective, special optical and/or hard coat) coatings to create application-specific, highly customised solutions.

ITO Coating Applications

This makes them ideal for applications in medical, entertainment and automotive; space, aviation and military & defense; research & development and imaging & microscopy industries, including, among many others:

• EMI/RFI Shielding, Electrostatic Dissipation & Photovoltaic Cells
• Touch Panels/Screens (Capacitive & Resistive) & Heated Display Filters (Optically Clear)
• Medical Equipment, Avionics Cockpit & Industrial Displays
• Navigational (Military Vehicles), LCD, Flat Panel & Plasma Displays
• Smart Windows, Electroluminescent Lamps & More

To learn more about the Diamox indium tin oxide coating and/or discuss your specific requirements, please feel free to contact our technical team today.