What is ITO?
Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a tin-containing indium oxide transparent conductive oxide and a transparent-electrode candidate for electrochromic glazing stacks. Keep supplied powder and ceramic-target records separate from deposited-film evidence, and qualify the finished optical-electrical stack for the intended process.
Technical owner: Aurexene Materials Engineering Team · Last updated: 2026-08-08
Indium Tin Oxidetin-doped indium oxideITO powderITO ceramic targetITO sputtered film
Quick Answer
ITO is a transparent conductive oxide for transparent electrodes, including the conductive electrode layers used alongside separate electrochromic active materials in smart-window stacks. ITO is not the active switching layer. Powder, ceramic-target, and deposited-film evidence are not interchangeable; grade-specific specifications and finished-film performance require approved documents and matched-stack validation.
What It Is Not
- ITO is not standalone Indium Oxide or Tin Oxide; it is a tin-containing indium oxide material whose exact grade composition requires approved evidence.
- A powder or ceramic-target value is not finished-film proof; sputtered-film properties remain method-, thickness-, substrate-, and process-dependent.
- ITO is a transparent-electrode candidate in an electrochromic stack, not the electrochromic active or counter-electrode switching material.
When Not to Use It
- Do not transfer powder, ceramic-target, or reference-film properties to another form, thickness, substrate, deposition route, or coating process without matched-film validation.
Intrinsic Screening Summary
- Identity screen
- Tin-containing indium oxide (ITO); exact grade composition and analytical basis are confirmed during quotation or sample qualification.; Form-dependent powder, ceramic-target, or deposited-film morphology; qualify the supplied form and the finished film separately.
- Intrinsic feature
- Carrier transport and optical response depend on composition, film formation, thickness, substrate, contacts, and process history; powder or target identity alone does not establish final-film performance.
- Material-level integration
- Treat powder, ceramic target, and deposited film as separate qualification records; do not transfer finished-film evidence to powder or target specifications. Any product or application review.
Application Fit
| Application | Suitability | Conditions | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers | GOOD FIT | Use when a deposited transparent electrode or an explicitly formulated ITO coating route matches the architecture; qualify substrate, thickness, contacts, sheet resistance, transmission, haze, color, adhesion, and aging. | Do not transfer powder, ceramic-target, or reference-film properties to another form, substrate, thickness, or process; matched finished-film data are required. |
| Smart Glazing | CONDITIONAL | Consider ITO when an electrochromic glazing architecture requires a deposited transparent electrode alongside separate active and counter-electrode layers. | ITO is not the electrochromic active switching layer. Do not assume a powder, target, or reference-film record meets sheet-resistance, haze, color, adhesion, weathering, or cost targets without final-stack validation. |
| NIR Shielding Coatings for Transparent Heat Control | CONDITIONAL | Consider ITO only when the IR-shielding architecture also needs a relevant finished-film optical-electrical role; qualify transmission, reflection, haze, color, thickness, sheet resistance, substrate, adhesion, and aging on the final stack. | ITO identity or a reference-film record does not establish near-infrared attenuation or cooling benefit in a binder, window film, or glazing stack. |
| EMI Shielding Materials | CONDITIONAL | Consider ITO when a transparent conductive shield or electrode uses a defined deposited-film route; validate shielding effectiveness, transmission, haze, thickness, contacts, adhesion, and aging on the final assembly. | Material identity does not establish shielding effectiveness; frequency, geometry, thickness, bonding path, and assembly validation remain required. |
| ESD Materials | CONDITIONAL | Use as a transparent antistatic film or electrode route when appearance-sensitive ESD control needs a deposited transparent conductor; qualify surface or volume resistance and charge decay on the final stack. | ITO identity does not establish ESD performance; specify the customer method, conditioning, grounding, thickness, substrate, contacts, and aging state. |
Selection & Validation Framework
| Decision Question | Material-Level Answer |
|---|---|
| Sputtered-film route | Transparent electrode, coated-glass, or transparent-conductor project. |
| Coating route | Treat any powder, slurry, or formulation-led coating route as a separate process candidate and validate resistance, optical response, film continuity, and durability on the finished coating. Coated-film or antistatic route. |
Material Identity & Specification Status
Approved values for Packaging are not published; confirm them during quotation or sample review.
| Property | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Tin-containing indium oxide (ITO); exact grade composition and analytical basis are confirmed during quotation or sample qualification. | |
| CAS / identity | 50926-11-9 | |
| Particle size | Grade-, form-, method-, and lot-specific particle-size data are confirmed during quotation or sample qualification. | |
| Morphology | Form-dependent powder, ceramic-target, or deposited-film morphology; qualify the supplied form and the finished film separately. | |
| Density | Grade- and form-specific density qualification required during quotation. | |
| Purity | Grade-specific purity, impurity limits, analytical method, and lot acceptance criteria are confirmed during quotation or sample qualification. | |
| Storage | Grade- and form-specific storage, handling, and shelf-life conditions are confirmed during quotation or sample qualification. | |
| Material identity | Indium tin oxide (ITO) | Material-class identity only; exact commercial grade and supplied form require approval. |
| CAS Number | 50926-11-9 | Material identity only; confirm applicability to the supplied commercial grade. |
Why It Works
| Structure | Function | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Tin-containing indium oxide transparent conductive oxide; exact composition, phase, and grade identity require form-specific qualification. | Transparent electrical conduction in a qualified continuous film while maintaining the project's optical acceptance window. | Carrier transport and optical response depend on composition, film formation, thickness, substrate, contacts, and process history; powder or target identity alone does not establish final-film performance. |
Compare Material Routes
| Material / Route | Decision Boundary |
|---|---|
| ATO | Screen ITO when a deposited transparent-electrode or explicitly formulated ITO route matches the intended architecture. Compare ATO and ITO on matched finished films; powder or target identity does not establish optical, electrical, durability, or delivered-cost performance. |
Technical Guides
| Technical Guide | Summary |
|---|---|
| Diagnosing High Sheet Resistance Despite Acceptable Material Loading | Diagnosing High Sheet Resistance Despite Acceptable Material Loading — a method-conditioned engineering guide using Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) for Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
| Qualifying Transparent Conductive Materials Across Substrates, Coating Lines, and Patterning Processes | Qualifying Transparent Conductive Materials Across Substrates, Coating Lines, and Patterning Processes — a method-conditioned engineering guide using Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) for Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
| Measuring Sheet Resistance, Transmission, Haze, Color, and Spatial Uniformity | Measuring Sheet Resistance, Transmission, Haze, Color, and Spatial Uniformity — a method-conditioned engineering guide using Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) for Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
| Forming Uniform Transparent Conductive Networks on Glass, Polymer Film, and Fiber | Forming Uniform Transparent Conductive Networks on Glass, Polymer Film, and Fiber — a method-conditioned engineering guide using Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) and Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) for Transparent Conductive Films, Coatings & Fibers covering structure-function behavior at the material, interface, and finished-system boundary, process limits, validation, and qualification boundaries. |
Commercial Availability
Supplier role: Request confirmation
Supply status: Request confirmation
Sample status: Sample availability requires confirmation
Commercial details are not published until the source and verification fields are complete and the Supplier Data Packet is signed by the sales owner, technical reviewer, and resource/compliance owner. Request current grade, form, sample, packaging, and delivery confirmation.
Documents & Inquiry
Document access follows the current approval state. Unapproved or unavailable files route to a document request instead of a public download.
Technical Data Sheet
Request required
Safety Data Sheet
Request required
Grade, Sample & Qualification Support
The Aurexene Materials Engineering Team can review the required form, host system, formulation or process, target, sample quantity, volume and timeline, and the grade-specific evidence needed before qualification.
Review Lab Capabilities for sample evaluation and qualification support, or Production Capabilities for scale-up, quality, documentation, and supply support.
Request ITO Sample / Qualification Review