Development of nano indium tin oxide (ITO) grains by alkaline

Abstract. Indium tin oxide (ITO) nano powders of different compositions (In: Sn = 90: 10, 70: 30 and 50: 50) were prepared by heat treatment (300–450°C) of mixed hydroxides of In(III) and Sn(IV). The hydroxides were obtained by the reaction of aq. NH3 with mixed aq. solutions of In(NO3)3 and SnCl4. FTIR and TG/DTA studies revealed that powders existed as In(OH)3×H2O-SnO3H2×H2O in the solid state and then they transformed to In2O3–SnO2 via some metastable intermediates after 300°C. Cubic phase of In2O3 was identified by XRD for the oxides up to 30 % of Sn. Particle size measurements of the solid dispersed in acetone and SEM study for microstructure showed that the oxides were in the nano range (55–75 nm) whereas the size range determined from Debye–Scherrer equation were 11–24 nm