ITO alternatives could thrive on touchscreen developments

Dan Rogers - 17 Feb 2012

Touchscreens and other transparent conductive layer applications are becoming compelling business for the printed electronics industry.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the material to beat for the range of emerging, alternative transparent conductive layers. It is the conventional material, established as part of the mature industry for touchscreen displays.

Alternative need

However, new technologies - with the capability to be printed in simpler (and potentially cheaper) manufacturing processes, or to create flexible displays and solar cells - have emerged.

New materials as diverse as nanosilver, carbon nanotubes and polymer-based layers are all being honed to challenge ITO, by better matching the needs of a range of applications. ITO is consistently criticised by the plastic electronics industry for the brittleness of its conductive layers, as well as the relative cost and security of indium supplies.

Numerous users and market analysts note that ITO layers suffer from brittleness that can limit its suitability for next generation electronic devices. The availability of indium, used in the ITO alloy, has also raised concerns. Some analysts predict the supply of indium could run out in this decade.

Whether such predictions reflect the true scarcity of the material is difficult to judge; but any perceived shortage is likely to have an impact on the price of indium as a raw material as time passes, which could have implications for companies reliant on using ITO layers in their electronic devices.

In ITO's favour is the well established supply chain and track record in touchscreen and solar devices. ITO is worth almost $7 billion (€5.3 billion), according to US-based market research firm Information Network, and boasts a number of multimillion Euro companies among the global supplier list.

However, more is expected from alternative materials in 2012, with a number of companies planning to prove their technology in the field in the coming months. As certain materials emerge and establish themselves in different niches - for instance, for OLED display touchscreens, or flexible PVs - the appeal of these ITO alternatives will become apparent to a wider audience of users.

This article appears in full in Volume 4, issue 4 of +Plastic Electronics magazine. To read this article, along with more high-value, exclusive content, subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine.