As an advanced materials innovator and a premier global supplier to the mobile device assembly market, Indium Corporation is proud to be included in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Cellphone: Unseen Connections special exhibit in Washington D.C., on display through 2026.
Specifically, Indium Corporation’s Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is highlighted by the museum. The touchscreens ubiquitous on modern smart phones include many layers, including a transparent, conductive ITO film arranged in an invisible grid on top of the display. When a user touches the surface, that contact alters the capacitance, or stored energy, of an electronic circuit which determines the position of the user’s finger. In addition to ITO powder, Indium Corporation provides numerous cutting-edge materials for mobile device assembly, including an award-winning, low-temperature solder alloy system.
Not only is the company’s ITO powder on display, Indium Corporation team members are also integrated into the exhibit. Robert Ploessl, Product Manager for Metals and Compounds, is prominently featured as both a subject matter expert and representative of Indium Corporation.
“The Smithsonian is a prestigious institution and, as a self-proclaimed science geek, it is a tremendous honor to be included in this fascinating exhibit,” said Ploessl. “When you touch your screen to connect with others, you touch our materials. I am very proud of that.”
Through authentic artifacts, immersive and digital experiences, and data visualization, Cellphone: Unseen Connections illuminates the world of cell phones at the intersection of science, art, technology, and society. The exhibit consists of more than 750 objects from around the world, multimedia installations, an interactive group chat, and a graphic novel spanning three gallery walls. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History offers free admission and is open every day except for Christmas.
About Indium Corporation
Indium Corporation® is a premier materials refiner, smelter, manufacturer, and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil®. Founded in 1934, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Germany, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
For more information about Indium Corporation, visit www.indium.com or email jhuang@indium.com. You can also follow our experts, From One Engineer To Another® (#FOETA), at www.linkedin.com/company/indium-corporation/ or @IndiumCorp.
