ITO coated slides
There are a huge variety of microscope slides available but, in our opinion, nothing matches the quality of Diamond Coatings ITO coated slides…
So, what’s so special about ITO coated slides?
ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is a clear substance that can carry an electric charge. It can be coated to various substrates including glass. ITO glass has many usage applications across a whole range of industries.
There’s a very good chance that if you are reading this blog on a smartphone or tablet, your screen utilises ITO as a means of relaying touch related commands… Seriously speaking, ITO is all around us in many different areas of daily life! It is also especially useful in electron microscopy (see below).
Why do you need ITO coated slides?
An interesting independent study showed that growing cells on conductive ITO glass slides provided secondary electron and backscatter electron images without the need to charge the specimen. It was also stated that “detailed features of actin cytoskeletal and mitochondrial structures in mouse embryonic fibroblasts” were revealed.
The bottom line to the study: A specimen can be viewed effectively, without the need to charge the specimen.
These ITO conductive glass slides are widely used in research and development facilities, as well as the leading universities worldwide, with Diamond Coatings being one of the leading suppliers globally.
ITO coated slides
The most common glass used in the production of glass slides is soda lime glass, as these are reasonably easy to manufacture with relatively low costs involved. They also have excellent stability and hardness and come with an additional option of being chemically or thermally strengthened.
There is a slight negative to soda lime glass though when being used for ITO coated slides – the natural diffusion of Sodium ions into the ITO layer, which will occur over a period of time, having an effect on the performance and lifetime of the slide. At Diamond Coatings we also offer on request a special silicon oxide barrier to prevent any diffusion.
Diamond Coatings offer a range of grades and sizes, with different dimensions, thickness and resistances available. If you would like more information on our ITO coated slides, please click the link.
You can of course get in touch with us directly. A member of our tech team would be more than happy to assist with any queries you may have.
