The most important area of application for indium is thin-film technology, in which indium tin oxide (ITO) is used for the conductive coating of surfaces. In combination with zinc, indium becomes the semiconductor material IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide), which is used, for example, as a thin-film transistor for OLED flat screens. The metal is also used to produce high-purity low-temperature alloys and solders for mercury-free thermometers or for the dental and jewellery industry. Its use in photovoltaics is becoming increasingly important, for example in thin-film modules made of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS).
