Indium(III) oxide

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Indium(III) oxide
Image:Indium(III) oxide.jpg
General
Other names	indium trioxide
Molecular formula	In₂O₃
Molar mass	277.64 g/mol
Appearance	yellowish green odorless pieces
CAS number	[1312-43-2]
Properties
Density and phase	7.179 g/cm³, solid
Solubility in water	insoluble
Melting point	1910°C
Boiling point	?
Hazards
EU classification	not listed
NFPA 704
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

Indium(III) oxide (In₂ O₃) is a chemical compound, an amphoteric oxide of indium. It forms bixbyite-type cubic crystals.

Indium oxide is used in some types of batteries, thin film infrared reflectors transparent for visible light (hot mirrors), some optical coatings, and some antistatic coatings.

In combination with tin dioxide, indium oxide forms indium tin oxide (also called tin doped indium oxide or ITO), a material used for transparent conductive coatings.

In semiconductors, indium oxide can be used as an n-type semiconductor used as a resistive element in integrated circuits. [1]

Thin films of indium oxide can be prepared by sputtering of indium target in argon/oxygen atmosphere. They can be used as diffusion barriers ("barrier metals") in semiconductors, eg. to inhibit diffusion between aluminium and silicon. [2]

Monocrystalline nanowires were synthetized from indium oxide by laser ablation, allowing precise diameter control down to 10 nm. Field effect transistors were fabricated from those. [3] Indium oxide nanowires can serve as sensitive and specific redox protein sensors. [4] Sol-gel method is another way to prepare the nanowires.

Indium oxide can serve as a semiconductor material, forming heterojunctions with p-InP, n-GaAs, n-Si, and other materials. A layer of indium oxide on a silicon substrate can be deposited from an indium trichloride solution, a method useful for manufacture of solar cells. [5]

In histology, indium oxide is used as a part of some stain formulations.

Thin films of chromium-doped indium oxide (In_2-xCr_xO₃) was recently reported to be a magnetic semiconductor displaying high-temperature ferromagnetism, single-phase crystal structure, and semiconductor behavior with high concentration of charge carriers. It has possible applications in spintronics as a material for spin injectors. [6] [7]