Drilling FTO Coated Glass – FTO Coated Glass (CTE substrate dependent, 80 – 82% visible @ 7 ohm/sq); Drilling to +/-0.02 mm hole position. No minimum order; DFM review included with every RFQ.
Ask any process engineer what makes fto coated glass difficult and the answer is specific: the harder FTO film abrades diamond tooling faster and edges need post-cut inspection for film lift. Our drilling line is tooled around exactly that – diamond core drills, ultrasonic assist and laser percussion heads – holding +/-0.02 mm hole position on parts from 0.1 – 30 mm thick.
Specification envelope
| Material | FTO Coated Glass (TEC-7, TEC-15 equivalents) |
|---|---|
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | substrate dependent |
| Service temperature | 600 C (coating stable) |
| Transmission range | 80 – 82% visible @ 7 ohm/sq |
| Density | 2.23 – 2.50 g/cm3 |
| Knoop hardness | harder film than ITO |
| Refractive index | ~2.0 (FTO film) |
| Stock thickness | 1.1 – 3.2 mm substrates |
| Maximum blank size | 360 x 300 mm |
| Process | Drilling |
| Working tolerance | +/-0.02 mm hole position |
| Minimum feature | 0.15 mm laser / 0.5 mm mechanical |
| Surface finish | exit-chip controlled below 0.1 mm |
| Thickness window | 0.1 – 30 mm |
| Edge condition | optional chamfered hole entry |
| RFQ inputs | PDF/DXF/STEP drawing, quantity brackets, surface and edge spec |
What the process holds
Drilling earns its place through through-holes, blind holes and countersinks at densities beyond 1,000 holes per part. Its boundary condition – hole-to-edge distance should stay above 1.5x thickness to protect strength – is the first thing our DFM review checks.
Beyond this page, FTO Coated Glass routinely runs through cnc machining, coring, dicing in our shop – most real parts combine two or three of these steps.
Getting the drawing right
The shop-floor rules that matter here:
- Material note: the harder FTO film abrades diamond tooling faster and edges need post-cut inspection for film lift.
- Process boundary: hole-to-edge distance should stay above 1.5x thickness to protect strength.
- Over-specification is the quiet budget killer: a 20/10 scratch-dig face costs roughly three times an 80/50 face, so grade each surface individually.
For the complete framework, see the tolerance design guide and the holes and edges design guide.
Where these parts end up
The recurring buyers of drilling fto coated glass: semiconductor equipment (view ports, wafer carriers, plasma rings, chamber windows); laser systems (windows, beam splitters, debris shields); led packaging (groove covers, phosphor carriers, package windows). Background reading on the underlying material science: ScienceDirect: FTO glass.
Dimensions still moving? Configure this part live in the 3D builder below, or open the full custom glass machining 3D builder to start from a blank canvas.
For adjacent specifications, see FTO conductive glass, precision glass drilling, Borofloat 33 selection guide.
Buyer questions, answered
What tolerances are achievable on FTO Coated Glass parts?
Ground features hold +/-0.01 mm and lapped thickness reaches +/-0.003 mm. The harder FTO film abrades diamond tooling faster and edges need post-cut inspection for film lift.
What thickness range do you stock for FTO Coated Glass?
Standard stock spans 1.1 – 3.2 mm substrates, with blanks up to 360 x 300 mm. Other formats are sourced per order.
How does FTO Coated Glass behave under heat?
CTE is substrate dependent and continuous service reaches 600 C (coating stable), which is what drives its use where thermal stability beyond ITO matters.
What accuracy does drilling hold?
+/-0.02 mm hole position with minimum features of 0.15 mm laser / 0.5 mm mechanical. Hole-to-edge distance should stay above 1.5x thickness to protect strength.
Specifications on this page were last reviewed by our engineering team in July 2026.