ITO
n. uncountable C2 Proficiency US //ˈiˌtoʊ// ito
n. Stands for indium tin oxide. A clear material that conducts electricity and is used to make touchscreens and solar panels.
n. Abbreviation for indium tin oxide. A ternary composition of indium, tin, and oxygen that serves as a transparent conducting oxide. Often used in thin-film form for optoelectronic applications.
Most smartphone screens use a thin layer of ITO to detect touch.
The manufacturer switched to a different substrate because the cost of ITO had risen significantly due to indium scarcity.
While ITO remains the industry standard for transparent electrodes, its inherent brittleness makes it less suitable for the emerging market of flexible electronic displays.