Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) offers superior electrical conductivity and optical transparency, making it the popular choice for glass coatings. Indium Tin Oxide coated glass has many uses, such as De-icing and heater applications, microscope slides, monolithic RFI filters, touchscreens and other display technology.
When Indium Tin Oxide is applied to glass, it forms a conductive and transparent surface allowing visible light and ultraviolet rays to pass through, whilst also reflecting ultraviolet rays, making it highly suitable for use in microscopy slides.
Many universities worldwide utilise ITO coated glass slides and ITO UK is the trusted supplier of microscope slides for many of these establishments.
As well as its popular use in microscope slides, ITO coatings are also used for coverslips and beam splitters in fluorescence microscopy.
ITO glass slides are used across many research and development, medical and scientific applications.
The use of ITO coatings extends across many other industries and sectors including aerospace, automotive and entertainment.
ITO Coated Glass Slides
By applying a highly conductive, transparent ITO layer to the surface of glass slides, the electronic and optoelectronic properties required for scientific, R&D and medical applications can be met.
Due to the importance of using a conductive glass slide in microscopy, indium tin oxide coatings are often used due to the high level of conductivity and transparency offered.
Soda-lime glass is most commonly used as the glass substrate for microscope slides, due to its low processing costs, chemical stability and hardness.
Soda-lime glass can also be thermally and/or chemically strengthened or supplied as standard. The glass can also be cut to offer diverse sizes if required.
One issue arising from the use of soda-lime glass in microscopy slides is the diffusion of sodium ions into the ITO layer that can occur over time, adversely affecting the quality and durability of the slides.
ITO UK’s market-leading manufacturers and suppliers of glass slides developed a solution to this problem by incorporating a silicon oxide barrier layer to inhibit the sodium ion diffusion between the glass and coating.
The longevity and quality of ITO coated glass microscope slides is increased by the use of the SiO2 layer.
Supplier of ITO Coated Glass Microscope Slides
ITO UK offers a wide range of premium quality ITO coated glass microscope glass slides and coverslips.
A range of grades and sizes are available that offer high levels of transmittance, with various dimensions, thickness and resistance offered.
As well as offering standard sizes, we also welcome customer-specific requests and can supply slides to a maximum size of 400 x 500 mm.
ITO microscope slides can be also be supplied with silver polymers/ busbars for ease of electrical current application if required.
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For more detailed information or to discuss your specific requirements, please feel free to contact our technical advisors today
