Diamond Coatings ITO coatings offer highly beneficial optical and electrical properties that make them an ideal answer to the demands of many different industries’ applications. But what exactly are the applications of ITO coatings?
ITO Coating Properties
Before we explore potential applications of indium tin oxide coatings, let’s briefly look at their properties…
Offering high optical transparency1 combined with high electrical conductivity, ITO coatings can be applied to substrates including glass, acrylic, polyester (PET/PEN) films and polycarbonate at sheet resistances from as little as 2.5 ohms/sq. (please note, however, that sheet resistances below 10 ohms/sq. can be produced on glass only).
Shown to have both excellent moisture penetration resistance and chemical stability2, coatings are also resistant to delaminating, cracking and flaking; peeling and crazing.
Offering good shielding effectiveness3, they are also capable of improving electronic devices’ reception and consequently their overall performance by inhibiting/minimising and potentially eliminating EMI, ESD and RFI effects.
Incredibly versatile, indium tin oxide coatings can be:
- Provided in sheet sizes up to a maximum of 1,000×1,000mm and with sheet resistances from 2.5 ohms/sq. to 1,500 ohms/sq. (Please note: For sheet resistances below 8 ohms/sq., maximum sheet size is 800x800mm)
- Applied to injection-molded parts and both shaped & flat surfaces
- Precision etched, which allows creation of very fine conductor paths and compliance with customer-specific, highly complex patterning requirements
They can also be combined with varying other coatings (i.e. anti-glare/anti-reflective, hard coat and/or diverse special optical coatings).
1A 20 ohms/sq. indium tin oxide coating on polycarbonate or glass offers respective typical peak light transmission rates of 81 and 87 per cent (at wavelengths from 525 to 600 nm).
2Subjection to Salt Spray and Thermal/Humidity Cycling (to MIL STD 48497) produced no evidence of optical degradation, sheet resistance or adhesion reduction.
358dB at 1MHz and 26dB at 1GHZ
So, what Are the Applications of ITO coatings?
The above properties and capabilities of ITO coatings make them the perfect solution for applications across automotive, aviation and space; medical, R&D and military/defense, as well as imaging/microscopy, entertainment and other industries. Such applications include, for example:
- EMI/RFI Shielding, Touch (Capacitive & Resistive) Panels/Screens and Smart Windows
- Heated Display (Optically Clear) Filters, Medical Equipment and Photovoltaic Cells
- Avionics, Military and Industrial Displays
- LCD, Plasma, Flat Panel & Navigational (Military Vehicles) Displays
- Electrostatic Dissipation, Electroluminescent Lamps and More
Learn more or discuss how your application could benefit from our ITO coating capabilities by getting in touch with our technical specialists today.
