Thin film coatings of fluorine doped tin oxide on glass were first produced in the 1940’s
as part of the World War II effort. Generically known as TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide)
Coatings, the primary use was for antifogging coatings for aircraft transparencies using an electrical
current to heat the glass assembly. Nearly 60 years later, these coatings are still used in cockpit
glazings. Although the first generation coatings were applied using spray pyrolysis on heated glass
panes, by 1990 these coatings were being applied directly on the float glass ribbon during the
primary glass manufacturing operation, using Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition
(APCVD). As part of a color suppressed multi-layer structure, these coatings met the aesthetic
and performance criteria for architectural low E glazings, and spawned new applications in
electrochromic devices, heated freezer doors, radiant glass heaters, EMI/RFI Shielding, and the
largest growing segment in glass – thin film photovoltaic panels.
In this paper we discuss the characteristics of the on-line production, the performance
characteristics of the coatings, the end use requirements, and the massive infrastructure in place
worldwide to support the volume requirements. We compare the properties of SnO2:F to other
emerging TCO materials such as zinc oxide.
