Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a ternary composition composed of indium, tin and oxygen in different proportions. Depending on the oxygen content, it can be described as a ceramic or alloy. Indium tin oxide usually occurs in the form of oxygen-saturated compositions. Oxygen-saturated compositions are so typical that unsaturated compositions are called anoxic ITO. It is clear and colorless in thin layers, while in bulk it is yellowish to gray. In the infrared region of the spectrum, it acts as a metal-like mirror.
Indium tin oxide is one of the most widely used transparent conductive oxides because it is electrically conductive and optically transparent, easily deposited as thin films, and is resistant to wet chemicals. As with all transparent conductive films , a compromise must be made between conductivity and transparency, since increasing thickness and increasing the concentration of charge carriers will increase the film's conductivity but reduce its transparency.
Indium tin oxide films are most commonly deposited on surfaces by physical vapor deposition. Typically electron beam evaporation or a series of sputter deposition techniques are used. The material of
ITO and ITO sputtering target is the same. The latter is actually a black gray ceramic semiconductor made of indium oxide and tin oxide powder mixed in a certain proportion.
The three main end uses come from indium metal, its alloys, and indium tin oxide (ITO). Indium is used to make germanium rectifiers, photoconductors and thermistors . It can be evaporated onto glass and plated onto metal, creating mirrors comparable to those made of silver but more resistant to atmospheric corrosion. Both indium and gallium have the ability to wet clean glass and other substances to create an airtight seal.
Indium semiconductor compounds are used in infrared detectors , high-efficiency photovoltaic devices and high-speed transistors. The largest end use of indium is in thin film coatings such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) used in computers, games and CD/DVD players, flat panel displays, solar cells and electroluminescent lamps. Indium metal represents a small specialized sector of the world economy, with over $10 million worth of the primary metal consumed in the United States. Two U.S. companies involved in indium production are the American Indium Corporation in Utica, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island.
The U.S. end-use distribution includes 49% coatings, 33% low-melting point solders and alloys, 14% electronic components and semiconductors, while research and other accounted for the remaining 4%. Japan exceeds global production by use in its various industries 50% to consume most of the indium. Domestic consumption in Japan has grown by more than 1,000% over the past decade.
my country is expected to increase its export levels in the coming years, and Taiwan may also become a larger importer of indium tin oxide (ITO) as it prepares to produce more thin film transistors (TFT). Our country has expanded its tin industry to such an extent that in all aspects of intensification it can be considered the world's leading producer and exporter.
