The uses of ITO on glass
ITO on glass is achieved by depositing a thin but uniform layer of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) over glass substrates. ITO on glass allows the glass to remain transparent and offers the additional advantage of being conductive. That’s pretty cool in our book – and the reason it is so ‘cool’ is clear conductive glass opens up a world of opportunities…
ITO on Glass Applications
A transparent and highly conductive material has numerous applications – possibly including your own smartphone which utilises ITO on glass to register a user’s touch. When the user touches the screen, there is a change in the charge and the device can recognise the location and gesture of the touch.
Another very common application of ITO on glass is within LCD and OLED displays – TV screens, computer screens, your phone… I bet you use ITO on glass in some way, everyday!
ITO can also be applied to plastics and thin films, opening up usage applications further. In fact, another form of touchscreen which would be more public facing (think cash points and ticket kiosks, for instance) uses ITO coated thin films. When pressure is applied to these screens there is a change in charge to the x-y grid in that exact position – allowing information to be collected by the screen. These types of screens are also widely used in the medical and military industry due to their reliability and robustness.
Back to ITO coated glass though… It is also used in some very important situations. Within the medical industry, as well as touch screen devices and instruments as mentioned above, ITO on glass is used for electron microscopy, with ITO coated glass slides and coverslips. The conductive glass slides take away the need to charge the specimen, giving a prolonged shelf life as well as being able to view skeletal structures. ITO is also particularly useful for EMF/EMI/EMC/RFI and HF shielding purposes.
Heated windows in planes, trains and automobiles are also both a common and lifesaving application of ITO on glass. By applying a small charge across the glass screen, the windows are heated and demisted – pretty useful for pilots and drivers!
ITO on glass – Positive environmental applications
Low-E smart glass will regulate temperatures internally, reducing costs of either air conditioning or heating – saving up to 30% of costs, it has been estimated. As well as the cost saving, this also has a positive environmental impact.
Sticking with positive environmental impact, ITO is also used to produce solar cells which is obviously a greener energy choice.
These are just some of the applications that use ITO on glass – it’s near on impossible to think of daily lives without this impressive material that offers complete optical clarity with the additional benefit of being electrically conductive.
Diamond Coatings ITO Glass
Diamond Coatings specialise in ITO, anti-reflective and other special optical coatings, and currently offer an extensive range of specialist coated glass products.
If you would like any guidance on our ITO on glass and any intended application, please get in touch with us. A member of our tech team will get back to you as soon as we can.
