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Home / Functional Oxide Ceramics / Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO|Transparent Conductive Oxide for Charge Dissipation

Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO|Transparent Conductive Oxide for Charge Dissipation

Sb-doped SnO₂ (rutile) an n-type TCO, conductivity arises from free-carrier generation and particle-to-particle percolation while maintaining visible-light transmission.

Introduction

Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) | Transparent Conductive Paths for Antistatic Systems

Direct Answer

What it is

Sb-substituted SnO₂ (rutile-type) nanoparticle powder used as an n-type transparent conductive oxide (TCO).

What it is NOT

Not ITO; not a carbon conductive filler; not a p-type conductor; not a cure-all for conductivity below percolation/contact limits.

Where it fits

Used when conductivity + optical transmission are both required, especially in antistatic coatings and transparent conductive layers; also used as a functional additive in plastics and selected laser-marking and catalyst/plastics workflows (system-dependent).

Boundary condition

Performance is governed by (i) dispersion/agglomeration control, (ii) Sb oxidation state and crystallinity (thermal history), and (iii) humidity-driven surface hydroxylation that can increase resistivity over time.

Antimony tin oxide (ATO) is Sb-doped SnO₂ (a transparent conductive oxide) whose n-type conductivity comes from Sb donor states and carrier transport across particle contacts. It is used when optical transmission must be retained while creating an antistatic/conductive pathway in coatings, films, or composites.

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Product Parameter

Product feature

Entity Summary

Entity: Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO), Sb-doped SnO₂ (n-type TCO)
Primary use: transparent antistatic / conductive pathways in coatings, films, and composites
Key dependency: particle contact network + dispersion quality + thermal history
Common drift driver: humidity-related surface hydroxylation / moisture adsorption

Material Identity

Primary name: Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO); Antimony-doped Tin Oxide

CAS number:12673-86-8

Synonyms: Sb:SnO₂; ATO nanopowder; antimony doped tin dioxide

Material class: Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO); n-type wide band gap semiconductor

Generalized formula: SnO₂:Sb₂O₃ (doped system); sometimes represented as Sb₂SnO₅ (representation depends on convention)

Physical form: blue powder; approximately spherical primary particles (10–50 nm)

Mechanism: How it Works

Donor creation: substitutional Sb (Sb⁵⁺ in SnO₂ lattice) introduces shallow donor states → increases free carrier concentration.
Transport path: conductivity in coatings/composites is dominated by particle-to-particle contacts (percolation + contact resistance), not only “intrinsic” bulk conductivity.
Thermal history: calcination/annealing influences Sb³⁺↔Sb⁵⁺ ratio and crystallinity; insufficient oxidation lowers carrier density and increases scattering.
Interface resistance: organics/surfactants left from dispersion increase inter-particle resistance unless removed by post-heating (system-dependent).
Humidity effect: surface moisture adsorption / hydroxylation can trap carriers at the surface and increase resistivity over time.

Functional Role

Electrical: provides an n-type conductive pathway for antistatic dissipation in coatings/films/plastics when percolation/contact conditions are met.
Optical: supports visible-range transmission while enabling electrical conduction (balance depends on thickness, haze, and loading).
IR interaction: free-carrier absorption can increase IR absorption (relevant in some thermal/optical designs).
Surface function: nanoparticle surface can act as a support for catalytic/functional surface processes (application-dependent).

Application Windows

Compatible systems (examples from provided tech data): polyamide (PA), acrylic resins (PMMA / acrylic copolymers), polyester (PET), polystyrene and other thermoplastics (within Tg/processing limits), glass substrates, silicon wafers (often with adhesion promoters), ceramic glazes (high-temperature stable).

Dispersion media (example from provided tech data): ethanol/water blends (example ratio given: 9:1 by volume; system-dependent), ethanol/acetone preferred over pure water for dispersibility in many formulations.

Loading behavior (as provided):

Antistatic coatings: 2–15 wt% ATO (stated)
Transparent conductive coatings: 5–20 wt% (stated as a balance range)
Percolation threshold (indicative, provided): ~2–3 wt% for continuous conductive network (binder-dependent)

When to Use

When transparent antistatic behavior is required (conductivity + visible transmission in the same layer).
When the system can tolerate dispersion control steps (agglomeration management, film formation control).
When processing allows thermal history control (to manage Sb oxidation state / crystallinity and to remove organics if needed).
When chemical/thermal stability of an oxide host is preferred over carbon fillers for the target environment.

When NOT to Use

When maximum conductivity is the only target and transparency cost is acceptable (ITO is often higher-conductivity in practice, per provided comparison claim).
When processing temperature cannot reach conditions needed for adequate Sb oxidation/crystallinity (provided boundary: <500°C risks incomplete Sb³⁺→Sb⁵⁺ oxidation).
When the application is high-humidity sensitive and no barrier/encapsulation strategy exists (surface moisture can drive resistivity drift).
When the system requires p-type conductivity (ATO is inherently n-type in the provided technical description).
When the design requires <2 wt% loading but still expects robust antistatic conduction (risk of being below percolation/contact threshold, per provided note).

Limitations & Failure Modes

Agglomeration / coalescence: reduces effective dispersion → disrupts conductive pathway formation → conductivity drops (network becomes discontinuous).
Over-doping compensation: higher Sb content can trigger compensation/defect complexes → mobility collapse despite higher carrier concentration (conductivity can decrease).
Residual organics: dispersant/surfactant residues raise inter-particle resistance; post-heating (example provided: 300–500°C) may be required to recover contact conduction in films.
Humidity-driven drift: moisture adsorption / hydroxylation increases resistivity over time (time-dependent failure mode).
Incomplete activation: insufficient calcination (<500°C stated) → mixed Sb³⁺/Sb⁵⁺ states + low crystallinity → reduced conductivity.
Thermal cycling delamination: adhesion failures on some substrates without surface treatment can break electrical continuity.
Excess grain growth: too high calcination (>700°C stated) → grain growth + compensation mechanisms → reduced surface area and mobility; optical scattering can increase.

Misuse Cases

Using ATO as a “drop-in conductor” without dispersion control (expecting conductivity independent of agglomeration/contact quality).
Formulating a thin film but not removing organics where inter-particle contact conduction is required.
Deploying in high-humidity service while assuming resistivity is time-invariant without barrier design.
Requiring high conductivity at below-percolation loadings (system still needs a continuous contact network).

Alternatives & Trade-offs

SWCNT: higher-aspect-ratio conductive pathways at low loading are possible, but dispersion/network stability can be formulation-sensitive; optical haze can increase depending on system.
rGO: 2D percolation networks; sensitivity to restacking/dispersion; conductivity is contact/percolation governed.
GNP: thicker platelet carbon; often requires higher loading for robust networks; may increase haze/opacity depending on particle size and thickness.
ATO (this product): oxide stability + visible transmission focus; contact/percolation and humidity effects remain key boundaries.
Black Titanium Dioxide: primarily optical/photothermal absorption roles; not a direct substitute for transparent conduction when visible transmission must remain high.
BCHP: functional inorganic additive for different mechanisms (not a transparent conductor); compare by target mechanism rather than by “conductivity only.”

FAQ

What is ATO in one line?

ATO is Sb-doped SnO₂ (an n-type transparent conductive oxide) used to create antistatic/conductive pathways while retaining visible light transmission.

Why can conductivity vary strongly between formulations?

Electrical behavior is dominated by dispersion quality, percolation/contact continuity, and inter-particle contact resistance (including organic residues), not only by the material label.

What is a common in-service stability issue for ATO layers?

Humidity-related resistivity drift is common: surface moisture adsorption / hydroxylation can increase resistivity over time unless the system design mitigates it.

Does ATO always stay optically transparent?

Transparency depends on particle size distribution, film thickness, haze from scattering, and the conductivity–transparency balance; it is a film-structure problem, not a single-material guarantee.

What thermal step matters most for ATO activation in the provided tech notes?

The provided notes indicate calcination ≥500°C is needed to oxidize Sb³⁺→Sb⁵⁺, with 600–700°C cited as favorable for Sb⁵⁺ formation and crystallinity.

What are two frequent processing causes of poor conductivity?

Agglomeration (loss of a continuous contact network) and organic dispersant residues (high inter-particle resistance unless removed by post-heating) are frequent causes.

When should ATO be avoided based on the provided exclusion notes?

Avoid when the system cannot reach sufficient thermal processing for Sb oxidation, when very low loading (<2 wt%) must still conduct, when humidity drift is unacceptable, or when p-type conduction is required.

Application area

In-depth Technical Insights on Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO)

Last updated: 2026-01-21

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