Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Coating
Let’s break this down: Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is an optically clear substance that is also electrically conductive, and can be coated to substrates including glass and plastics.
Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Coatings
As we mentioned above, Indium Tin Oxide is both transparent and conductive – two qualities that when combined form a product that is used in a multiple of industries and applications. Because of its relative ease in depositing onto substrates such as glass or plastic, ITO has become one of the most common transparent conducting oxides throughout the World.
So what are Indium Tin Oxide Transparent Conductive Coatings used for?
The most common and obvious application is in touchscreens. By providing a clear and conductive layer to your devices screen, the device can register exactly where you have touched on-screen and perform the command intended. This is down to your touch being conductive.
Other displays on a larger scale also utilise ITO. Flat panel and plasma displays commonly use ITO coatings within their screens. ITO can also be applied to thin films, providing a layer of conductivity. This is useful in larger touchscreen applications as well as retail window displays, for example.
The display applications above are only really scratching the surface though, Indium Tin Oxide is used in a variety of industries including automotive, aerospace and even space exploration! One example of this is heated windows which prevent misting, fogging and freezing. These are used in both trains and planes, with luxury car manufacturers now following suit.
Other areas of interest
The military industry benefits from ITO coatings in various applications including command consoles and precision instruments used in the field.
The medical industry also utilise ITO within a large number of devices, especially those that require a touch panel and / or EMI/RFI shielding. Research and Development comes to mind too, with ITO microscope slides and ITO coverslips being used in electron microscopy.
The environment benefits too with ITO being used in solar panels and energy efficient windows.
Do you need more information?
Contact a member of the Diamond Coatings team today. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have on Indium Tin Oxide. If you have a specific ITO requirement, we would be delighted to assist.