Low-emitting transparent coatings based on tin doped indiumoxide applied via a sol–gel routine

Abstract Outgoing from inorganic metallic precursors improved sol–gel processes for the deposition of transparent conductive oxides, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) on different substrates have been developed. Coatings could be obtained by the dip-coating method and a subsequent annealing process for glass-substrates. For the coating of temperature-sensitive substrates, such as polycarbonate for instance, outgoing from an ITO-sol via a precipitation process nanopowders could be obtained. Film deposition at temperatures below 140 °C with these dispersed nanoparticles resulted in transparent and infrared reflecting coatings. For annealed glass-substrates the lowest attained emittance in the infrared was below 0.20, whereas transparency in the visible could be kept at about 0.80.