UniversityWafer supplies indium tin oxide (ITO) glass wafers and coated substrates for transparent conductive applications, including touch screens, LCD displays, solar cells, optical coatings, nanoimprint lithography, spin curve testing, and thin-film research.
UniversityWafer supplies indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates for research requiring transparent conductive surfaces, custom patterns, controlled sheet resistance, and optical-quality substrates.
Patterned ITO can be useful for optical calibration targets, sensors, transparent electrodes, microfabrication, lithography, displays, and electro-optical research.
An application scientist requested the following custom configuration:
We are developing a calibration product for optical microscopes and require a specific ITO pattern on an optically flat glass substrate. The desired geometry is based on a 1951 USAF resolution target, with ITO thicknesses ranging from approximately 10 nm to 100 nm.
Optical flatness is also important, with a target specification comparable to a high-quality parallel optical flat.
Reference #187783 for specifications and pricing. For custom patterned substrates, please provide the desired pattern, substrate material, dimensions, ITO thickness, sheet resistance, flatness requirement, and quantity.
ITO-coated glass can also serve as a conductive test substrate for spin coating, resist characterization, polymer coating, and thin-film process development.
A PhD researcher requested:
Basic 6-inch-diameter ITO-coated glass wafers for spin-curve testing. The researcher did not require a specific substrate thickness and preferred a standard, economical configuration suitable for coating experiments.
Reference #125399 for specifications and pricing.
Send us your required substrate material, dimensions, ITO sheet resistance, coating thickness, surface finish, patterning requirements, and quantity. We can help match an ITO-coated substrate to your research application.
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ITO is a transparent conducting oxide (TCO) used when a device requires both electrical conductivity and optical transmission. Rather than being a bulk ITO wafer, most products consist of a thin ITO coating deposited onto a glass, fused-silica, or polymer substrate.
ITO-coated substrates are commonly used for:
ITO performance depends on more than substrate size. Researchers should consider both the electrical properties of the coating and the optical and mechanical properties of the underlying substrate.
ITO sheet resistance is expressed in ohms per square (Ω/sq). Lower sheet resistance generally indicates greater sheet conductance, but electrical performance must be balanced against optical transmission and other film requirements.
Film thickness influences resistance, optical transmission, interference behavior, and processing characteristics. The optimum thickness therefore depends on the intended device rather than on a single universal value.
Surface roughness can be especially important for nanoimprint lithography, thin-film stacks, optical devices, organic electronics, and nanostructure fabrication. Specify whether the roughness requirement applies to the coated ITO surface, the uncoated substrate surface, or both.
Transmission depends on wavelength, ITO thickness, carrier concentration, substrate material, surface condition, and deposition parameters. If your application operates at a specific wavelength, request transmission data for the appropriate coating and substrate combination.
Magnetron sputtering is widely used to deposit ITO thin films because film thickness, composition, and electrical properties can be controlled across relatively large substrates.
ITO can subsequently be patterned by techniques such as photolithography followed by wet or dry etching. Patterned deposition and lift-off may also be possible for compatible processes. The appropriate method depends on feature size, film thickness, substrate compatibility, resist system, and required edge definition.
ITO can be deposited onto both rigid glass substrates and flexible polymer films such as PET or PEN.
| Property | ITO on Glass | ITO on PET/PEN |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Form | Rigid | Flexible |
| Optical Flatness | Can be very high depending on glass grade | Generally lower than precision glass |
| Thermal Processing | Usually tolerates higher temperatures | Limited by polymer thermal stability |
| Typical Uses | Displays, sensors, optics, lithography, photovoltaics | Flexible electronics, sensors and transparent electrodes |
A spin curve characterizes how the final thickness of a spin-coated material changes with processing conditions, particularly rotational speed. It is commonly generated for photoresists, polymers, sol-gel coatings, and other liquid-deposited thin films.
Many spin-coating systems exhibit an empirical relationship that can be approximated as:
t = kω−n
where:
The constants are not universal. They depend on properties such as viscosity, solids concentration, solvent evaporation rate, spin time, acceleration, environmental conditions, and interactions between the coating and substrate.
ITO-coated glass provides researchers with an optically transparent surface that can simultaneously act as an electrical electrode. This combination is useful when thin films must be deposited, electrically contacted, and optically characterized through the same substrate.
Applications include photoresist development, organic and perovskite devices, electrochemical structures, optical sensors, thin-film photovoltaics, transparent heaters, and experimental display structures.
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a transparent conductive oxide commonly deposited onto glass, fused silica, and other substrates when a combination of electrical conductivity and optical transparency is required.
UniversityWafer supplies ITO-coated substrates for research involving transparent electrodes, displays, sensors, photovoltaics, electro-optics, nanoimprint lithography, and other thin-film devices. Important ordering parameters include substrate material, dimensions, ITO thickness, sheet resistance, optical transmission, surface roughness, and coating area.
A postdoctoral researcher requested ITO-coated glass with the following general requirements:
Polished 4-inch glass substrates coated with ITO, including configurations with sheet resistance below approximately 10 Ω/sq and below 7 Ω/sq. The researcher also needed a relatively small quantity rather than a production-volume order.
Reference #180192 for specifications and pricing. ITO coatings can be supplied on different substrate sizes and thicknesses depending on project requirements.
Surface quality can be especially important when ITO-coated substrates are used for nanoimprint lithography, photolithography, optical structures, or other processes involving nanoscale features.
A graduate researcher requested ITO-coated glass with extremely smooth surfaces, targeting surface roughness below approximately 1 nm Ra for a nanoimprint lithography experiment.
Reference #203125 for the original request. When surface roughness is critical, specify whether the requirement applies to the ITO-coated surface, the uncoated substrate surface, or both. The final surface roughness depends on the substrate finish as well as the deposited ITO film.
Two of the most important properties of an ITO coating are sheet resistance, usually expressed in ohms per square (Ω/sq), and optical transmission. These properties are related to film thickness, carrier concentration, deposition conditions, annealing, substrate material, and wavelength.
In general, increasing the electrical conductance of an ITO film can affect its optical performance. For this reason, researchers should specify the wavelength range and electrical requirements of the application rather than selecting a coating from sheet resistance alone.
A researcher evaluating 50 mm × 50 mm and 100 mm × 100 mm ITO-coated glass requested information about substrate type, dimensional tolerance, edge coverage, and the optical transmission curve of a low-sheet-resistance ITO coating.
Reference #209660. Transmission data should always be associated with a specific coating thickness, substrate, and measurement wavelength range.
Indium tin oxide is generally based on tin-doped indium oxide. It is a heavily doped, typically n-type transparent conducting oxide. Properly processed ITO films can combine relatively low electrical resistance with high transmission through much of the visible spectrum.
ITO is usually deposited as a thin film rather than used as a bulk structural material. Common deposition techniques include magnetron sputtering, other physical vapor deposition methods, and specialized chemical deposition processes.
Film properties can vary considerably with oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature, deposition power, film thickness, composition, post-deposition annealing, and substrate surface condition.
ITO combines these properties because its electronic structure permits visible-light transmission while a high concentration of free electrons provides electrical conductivity.
ITO has a wide optical band gap, so properly prepared thin films can transmit a large fraction of visible light. Optical behavior is not determined by band gap alone, however. Film thickness, free-carrier absorption, defects, surface roughness, and interference effects also influence measured transmission.
Tin incorporation and oxygen-related defects can contribute free electrons, producing a high carrier concentration and relatively low resistivity. ITO is therefore often described as a degenerate n-type semiconductor.
Increasing carrier concentration or coating thickness can decrease sheet resistance, but it can also increase optical absorption and reflection, particularly outside portions of the visible spectrum. Device designers therefore optimize the film for the required combination of transmission and electrical conductivity.
ITO is widely used as a transparent electrode in display and touch-interface technologies because patterned conductive regions can be formed while maintaining substantial visible-light transmission.
In photovoltaic structures, ITO can function as a transparent conducting electrode, allowing light to reach the absorber while providing an electrically conductive contact.
ITO-coated glass can be used in optical sensors, electrochemical devices, heaters, transparent electrodes, photodetector structures, and research devices requiring simultaneous electrical access and optical transmission.
ITO substrates are also useful for lithography, thin-film deposition, nanostructure fabrication, microscopy experiments, and electrically active optical surfaces.
ITO-coated substrates can be supplied as wafers, squares, rectangles, slides, and larger glass panels. Examples include:
| Item | Size | Thickness | Example Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2276 | 25 mm × 25 mm | 0.7 or 1.1 mm | ITO-coated glass, approximately 15–20 Ω/sq |
| 2272 | 75 mm × 25 mm | 0.7 or 1.1 mm | ITO-coated glass, approximately 5–20 Ω/sq |
| 2530 | 50 mm × 50 mm | 0.7 mm | ITO-coated boro-aluminosilicate glass |
| 2288 | 150 mm × 150 mm | 0.7 or 1.1 mm | ITO-coated polished glass, approximately 10 Ω/sq |
Availability and specifications can change. Confirm sheet resistance, ITO thickness, substrate type, dimensions, tolerances, and coating coverage when requesting a quote.
ITO can also be deposited onto transparent polymer films such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Compared with glass, PET provides flexibility and lower weight, but its lower thermal stability places additional constraints on deposition and post-deposition processing.
ITO-coated PET can be useful for flexible electronics, transparent electrodes, sensors, touch interfaces, and experimental optoelectronic devices. Important specifications include sheet resistance, visible transmission, PET thickness, haze, surface roughness, coating adhesion, and allowable processing temperature.
ITO films can be patterned using either subtractive etching or deposition-based patterning. The best process depends on ITO thickness, substrate material, feature size, resist compatibility, and required sidewall quality.
Acid-based wet etchants are commonly used for relatively simple ITO patterning. Wet etching is generally inexpensive and suitable for larger features, although lateral etching can limit dimensional control for very small structures.
Plasma-based processes such as reactive ion etching can provide improved feature control for micro- and nanoscale patterns. Actual etch chemistry and selectivity depend strongly on the ITO film, resist or hard mask, substrate, and equipment.
In some fabrication flows, patterned deposition and lift-off can be used instead of etching. Whether this approach is practical depends on the ITO deposition method, substrate temperature, resist profile, and required feature geometry.
When requesting an ITO-coated substrate, specify as many of the following parameters as possible:
Defining these parameters helps match the ITO coating and substrate to the electrical, optical, and fabrication requirements of your research.
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