High ITO deposition temperatures once limited the choice of suitable substrates to glass. Combining years of experience, innovative ideas and ultra-modern technology, ITO Coatings US, a division of Diamond Coatings Inc., can now offer a wide range of ITO coated plastic products.
Optical Display Industries and ITO Coatings
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a highly conductive transparent material that can be vacuum deposited onto varying substrates to increase their conductivity while simultaneously maintaining their optical transparency/clarity – which is a must for applications such as, for example, shielded (RFI/EMI) displays and the touch screens/panels of many electronic consumer, commercial and industrial devices.
When ITO coatings first came into use, the need to maintain good optical clarity while at the same time achieving the low sheet resistances necessary to provide high conductivity meant depositing them required temperatures of at least 374° F (190°). This somewhat limited the choice of substrates and ITO coatings were subsequently predominantly applied to glass.
However, as technology continues to evolve at an ever-increasing pace, designers and manufacturers are under constant pressure to improve both the performance and cost-effectiveness of their devices while making them thinner and lighter.
For optical display industries, this demand for more cost-effective, lighter and thinner high-performance devices meant a way to deposit ITO coatings onto lightweight polymer substrates had to be found – which is where Diamond Coatings came into play.
ITO Coated Plastic
Thanks to their years of experience, continual research and development, an innovative team of coating specialists and ultra-modern technology, Diamond Coatings can now produce high-quality indium tin oxide coatings by use of a low-temperature deposition process.
Their highly conductive, optically clear Index-Matched Diamox+ ITO and Diamox ITO coatings can subsequently be vacuum deposited not only onto glass but also onto acrylic, polycarbonate and polyester substrates.
Furthermore, their state-of-the-art facilities’ flexible substrate handling system also allows Diamond Coatings to coat not only flat but also shaped and diverse injection molded parts – which, of course, means ITO coatings are now a viable solution in applications where substrate limitations previously made their use impossible.
ITO Plastic Applications
Combining excellent peak light transmission and RFI/EMI shielding effectiveness with high impact and temperature resistance, ITO plastic is the perfect solution to the demands of applications in industries including, among many others:
- Space, Aerospace, Automotive and Military & Defense
- Medical, Research & Development and Imaging & Microscopy
- Entertainment and Consumer Electronics (Tablets, Smart Phones, Laptops, etc.)
ITO plastic applications within these industries include, for example, EMI & RFI shielding, electrostatic dissipation and photovoltaic cells; touch panels & screens (both resistive & capacitive), optically clear heated display filters and more.
Learn More
Call us on (480) 999-3456 – or 001 (480) 999-3456 if you are calling from outside the US – now for more detailed information on ITO coated plastic products and/or to speak to one of our specialists about your application’s specific requirements.
