What Are the Benefits of Transparent Conducting ITO Coatings?

The benefits of transparent conducting ITO coatings make Diamond Coatings’ Diamox ITO coatings the perfect solution for applications across many industries. But what exactly are these benefits? Read on to find out…

Benefits of Transparent Conducting ITO Coatings

The first of these coatings’ benefits is their versatility:

Vacuum deposited onto a diversity of substrates including polyester and polycarbonate; acrylic and glass in the shape of thin films with varying thicknesses and sheet resistances (starting at just 2.5 Ohms/sq., please note, however, that sheet resistances below 10 ohms/sq. can only be produced on glass substrates), ITO coatings have higher electrical conductivity and higher optical transparency* than other types of doped metal oxide. This, of course, makes them the ideal solution for a broad range of different electronic and optoelectronic applications.

*At wavelengths between 525 and 600 nm, a 20 ohms/sq. coating on polycarbonate or glass has typical light transmissions (peak) of 81% and 87% respectively.

The second major benefit of transparent conductive ITO coatings is their hardwearing durability:

Showing no evidence of coating adhesion/sheet resistance reductions or optical degradation when exposed to MIL STD 48497 testing (i.e. salt spray and thermal/humidity cycling), Diamox coatings offer good resistance to water/moisture penetration and chemical stability, as well as being resistant to peeling, flaking and cracking; delaminating and crazing.

These properties combine to make ITO coatings perfect for applications likely to be exposed to harsh environmental conditions and frequent heavy use.

Another benefit offered by Diamox ITO coatings is shielding effectiveness:

Offering respective shielding effectiveness rates of 26dB at 1GHz & 58dB at 1MHz, ITO coatings inhibit, minimise and potentially eliminate ESD, EMI and RFI (Electro-Static Discharge, Electromagnetic Interface & Radio Frequency Interface) effects – which, of course, serves to improve electronic devices’ reception and overall performance.

Finally, unlike many other doped metal oxide coatings, ITO coatings can also be etched to precision to create intricate, fine conductor paths and comply with even the most complex of customers’ patterning requirements.

Considering the constant demand for ever smaller, ever lighter devices, this ability is, of course, of significant advantage for all kinds of industrial, commercial and consumer-related applications.

Get in Touch

Producing a comprehensive selection of ITO/Index Matched ITO, as well as Multi-Layer Anti-Reflective) AR coatings, Diamond Coatings design many coatings to meet the specific optical/optoelectronic requirements of customers.

Does your application have specific optoelectronic/optical requirements? Our technical team on will be delighted to recommend/design a suitable coating solution to match these requirements to perfection. Why not contact them right now?