What Is An ITO Coating?
We will start with what is ITO – it’s the acronym for Indium Tin Oxide, a transparent substance with the added benefit of being electrically conductive. This favourable transparent conductive oxide can be deposited onto glass, plastic and thin PET films.
Why use ITO Coatings?
ITO coatings are used in numerous applications wherever a substrate needs to remain clear whilst offering an electrical charge across its surface.
ITO coatings are used in automotive aerospace and military situations especially within a touch panel device and touch lighting for instance. ITO is also used extensively in research and development applications, such as microscope slides for electron microscopy – by charging the slide, the specimen no longer needs to be charged, resulting in a longer specimen ‘shelf life’.
More common that the above – and this might surprise you – ITO is used in the majority of smartphones and tablets. Your touchscreen device might use ITO coated glass for the screen. When you touch the screen, there is a change in voltage in that specific area. ITO coated touchscreens can also register the type of touch, whether it was a touch, a pinch or a swipe.
Other common uses for ITO coatings include retail touchscreens and ticket machines, supermarket freezer doors, as well as some ATM machines. There’s a good chance the next time in public you may be able to identify ITO coatings in action!
One particularly important use of ITO coatings is providing heat across windows. This type of ITO application is used in airplane cockpit windows to allow the pilots clear vision regardless of the environment or altitude. These same heated windows are also commonly used in trains and helicopters as well as some luxury cars.
Diamond Coatings Indium Tin Oxide
A leading manufacturer of quality ITO coatings, Diamond Coatings, an ISO9001 accredited company, are experienced in the deposition of ITO coatings onto a variety of substrates and offer an extensive range of ITO coated products, from our custom built facility based in the west Midlands.
We also offer special anti reflective and optical coatings which are available for specific purposes.
To learn more or if you have a specific query, please do get in touch with us. A member of our technical team will get back to you as soon as possible.
