Everything about Indium Tin Oxide totally explained
| Physical Properties |
| State of matter |
Solid |
| Melting point |
1800-2200 K (2800-3500 °F) |
| Density |
7120-7160 kg/m3 at 293 K |
| Color (in powder form) |
Pale yellow to greenish yellow, depending on SnO2 concentration |
| Values vary with composition. |
| SI units & STP are used except where noted. |
Indium tin oxide (
ITO, or
tin-doped indium oxide) is a mixture of
indium(III) oxide (In
2O
3) and
tin(IV) oxide (SnO
2), typically 90% In
2O
3, 10% SnO
2 by weight. It is transparent and colorless in thin layers. In bulk form, it's yellowish to grey.
Indium tin oxide's main feature is the combination of
electrical conductivity and
optical transparency. However, a compromise has to be reached during film deposition, as high concentration of
charge carriers will increase the material's conductivity, but decrease its transparency.
Thin films of indium tin oxide are most commonly deposited on surfaces by
electron beam evaporation,
physical vapor deposition, or a range of
sputter deposition techniques.
Uses
ITO is mainly used to make transparent conductive coatings for
liquid crystal displays,
flat panel displays,
plasma displays,
touch panels,
electronic ink applications,
organic light-emitting diodes,
solar cells,
antistatic coatings and
EMI shieldings. In
organic light-emitting diodes, ITO is used as the anode (hole injection layer).
ITO has been used as a conductive material in the plastic
electroluminescent lamp of toy
Star Wars type
lightsabers.
ITO is also used for various
optical coatings, most notably
infrared-reflecting coatings (
hot mirrors) for architectural, automotive, and
sodium vapor lamp glasses. Other uses include
gas sensors,
antireflection coatings,
electrowetting on dielectrics, and
Bragg reflectors for
VCSEL lasers.
Reportedly, ITO is used as sensor coating in the Canon 400D/XTi and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100.
ITO thin film
strain gauges can operate at temperatures up to 1400 °C and can be used in harsh environments, eg.
gas turbines,
jet engines, and
rocket engines
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Alternatives
Due to high cost and limited supply of indium, the fragility and lack of flexibility of ITO layers, and the costly layer deposition requiring vacuum, alternatives are being sought.
Carbon nanotube conductive coatings are a prospective replacement. These coatings are being developed by
Eikos and
Unidym as a lower cost, more mechanically robust alternative to ITO.
PEDOT and are manufactured by
AGFA and
H.C. Starck. PEDOT:PSS layers are in use (though they degrade when exposed to ultraviolet radiation and have other disadvantages). Other alternatives are eg.
aluminium-
doped zinc oxide. Cambrios, founded in 2002 by Drs.
Angela Belcher of MIT and Evelyn Hu, has a wet-processable transparent conductive film alternative for ITO.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Indium Tin Oxide'.
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