ITO Film Thickness & Sheet Resistance: The Ultimate Trade-Off Guide
The Inverse Relationship: Thickness vs. Resistance
ITO glass substrates are made by depositing a layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) film onto a sodium-calcium-based or borosilicate-based glass substrate using methods such as sputtering and evaporation. The conductivity and light transmittance of ITO Conductive Glass vary depending on the thickness of the ITO film.
Generally, under the same processing conditions and with the same glass substrate material, a thicker ITO film results in lower surface resistivity and correspondingly lower light transmittance. For example, consider our TB-C series of Ito Glass.
- Analyzing the TB-C Series ITO Glass Data
| Items No. | typical(Ω/□) | ITO filmTHK(nm) | Available THK (mm) |
| TB-C004S | 3.5 | n/a | 1.1 |
| TB-C005S | 4.5 | 310 | 1.1 |
| TB-C007S | 6 | 260 | 1.1 |
| TB-C010S | 8.5 | 180 | 0.7 / 1.1 |
| TB-C017S | 14 | 110 | 1.1 |
| TB-C020S | 15 | 100 | 0.7 / 1.1 |
| TB-C030S | 24 | 65 | 1.1 |
| TB-C040S | 30 | 50 | 1.1 |
| TB-C050S | 40 | 40 | 1.1 |
| TB-C100S | 95 | twenty three | 0.55 / 0.7 / 1.1 |
| TB-C120S | 100 | twenty one | 1.1 |
| TB-C300S | 300±50 | 20 | 1.8 |
| TB-C500S | 500±160 | 15 | 0.3 / 0.4 / 0.7 / 1.1 / 1.8 |
- Tibbo Glass support to do AR coating on ITO Glass to improve transmittance
What's more, Tibbo Glass support to do special AR coating on the glass surface to improve the transmittance of ITO Glass, especially when clients have higher level request for the transmittance. Tibbo Glass support to do single-layer, double-layers and mutiple-layers AR coating on conductive glass surface as clients' request.
Let's take TB-ITO11-15SAR for an example. TB-ITO11-15SAR is our new release conductive glass substrate with 6-layer AR coating in response to market demand, featuring a transmittance exceeding 93%.Items No. Sheet resistance (Ω/□) Transmittance Glass Thickness TB-ITO11-15SAR 15ohm/sq 93% 1.1mm
Moveover, for FTO Coated Glass Substrates, Tibbo Glass also newly release some FTO Glass with AR coating in Feb this year.
Key Applications of ITO Coated Glass
Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a metallic compound with excellent transparent conductivity, characterized by a wide bandgap, high transmittance in the visible spectrum, and low resistivity. It is widely used in flat panel displays, solar cells, special functional window coatings, and other optoelectronic devices, serving as a transparent conductive electrode material for various flat panel displays such as LCDs, PDPs, OLEDs, and touchscreens. As a key fundamental material for flat panel displays, its market potential is expanding with the continuous updates and upgrades of these devices.
Key Parameter:
- Size: Square, Round
- Thickness: 400μm~2mm
- Single polishing, double polishing , etc. (Please call customer service for specificparameters)
Beyond Resistance: Optical and Physical Properties
- Optical properties: ITO has high transparency and low reflectivity in the visible light spectrum of 380~760nm , making it an ideal choice for display and touch screen applications.
- Electrical properties: ITO has the characteristics of low resistance and high carrier mobility, so it has excellent performance as a transparent conductive material.
- Durability and stability: ITO films exhibit excellent stability under various environmental conditions, making them suitable for long-term use.
FAQ:
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Q: How does ITO film thickness affect sheet resistance?
A: ITO film thickness has an inverse relationship with sheet resistance. Generally, a thicker ITO film results in lower surface resistivity due to the increased cross-sectional area for electron flow. -
Q: What is the typical sheet resistance of ITO for touchscreens?
A: For capacitive touchscreens, a sheet resistance between 10Ω/□ and 150Ω/□ is common. -
Q: Does thicker ITO film affect transparency?
A: Yes, there is a trade-off. While thicker films offer lower resistance, they can slightly reduce light transmittance in the visible spectrum (380-760nm).