CA1260099A - Nickel-based electrical contact device - Google Patents

Nickel-based electrical contact device

Info

Publication number
CA1260099A
CA1260099A CA000509516A CA509516A CA1260099A CA 1260099 A CA1260099 A CA 1260099A CA 000509516 A CA000509516 A CA 000509516A CA 509516 A CA509516 A CA 509516A CA 1260099 A CA1260099 A CA 1260099A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
contact
hydrogen
nickel
amount
coating
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000509516A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Joachim J. Hauser
Murray Robbins
John T. Plewes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
AT&T Corp
Original Assignee
American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc filed Critical American Telephone and Telegraph Co Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1260099A publication Critical patent/CA1260099A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01BCABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
    • H01B1/00Conductors or conductive bodies characterised by the conductive materials; Selection of materials as conductors
    • H01B1/02Conductors or conductive bodies characterised by the conductive materials; Selection of materials as conductors mainly consisting of metals or alloys
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01RELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/16Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending

Abstract

NICKEL-BASED ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE

Abstract This invention relates to a device having an electrically conducting member having a contact surface consisting of a nickel-based contact material. In accordance with the invention, the nickel-based material at least in a surface region (e.g. 23) comprises controlled amounts of hydrogen and has low electrical contact resistance even after prolonged exposure to an oxidizing ambient. When used as a surface layer (e.g. 22) on an electrically conducting member (e.g. 21), such material is suitable as a contact material and represents an inexpensive alternative to gold. And, when prepared in the form of microscopic flakes, such material is suitable for use in electrically conductive inks and adhesives. (FIG. 2)

Description

3~
..

NIC~EL~UA'ED EIECTRICAL CONT~CT DEVICE

T_chn~cal_Fleld The in~ention is conceLnecl with devices havlnq an electrically conducting member havirlg electrical contact surface of nickel-based materials.
B__k~___n__of__he_I_yent__n T~pically, the manufacture of high-quality electrical contacts has involved the usa~e of gold whose properties of low contact resistance and high chemical stability are key advantages in such usage. However, as the price of gold rematns hiyh, efforts continue at finding alternative materials for contact manufacture.
Prominent among such alternatives are precious metals other than gold; e~g., silver-palladium alloys have been found suita~le for certain applications.
While such alternate alloys are less expensive than gold, still further cost reduction is desired, and nonPreCiouS metal alloys such as, e.g., copper~nickel alloys have been investigated for contact resistance and stability over time. See S, M. Garte et al., "Contact Properties of Nickel-Containing Alloys", Elec_rica Contacts, 1972, Illinois Institute of Technology.
SummaEy_of_the_Inv_n_i__ It has been discovered that a material consisting essentially of nickel and a controlled amount of hydrogen has contact pro~erties comparable to those of gold such as, in particular, low and stable contact resistance. ~referred amounts of hydrogen in nickel are regarded to be such as to associate atoms of hydrogen with nickel atoms on dislocations, thus blocking oxidation at critical sites. Typically, surface contact resistance of the material is significantly less than 100 milliohms even after prolonged exposure to an oxidizing ambient.

q~

3~3 - la -In accordance with an aspect oE the invention there is provided a device compr;sing an electrically conducting member having a contact surface, said contact surface being the surface of a surface region oE said member, said surface region consisting of a contact material, an amount of at least 70 atom percent of said contact material consists of nickel and hydrogen, and hydrogen being present in said amount in a significant small percentage so as to enhance an electrical contact property of said contact surface.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for making an electrically conducting member in a device, said method comprising a step of providing said member with a surface which is the surface of a contact material comprising an amount of at least 70 atom percent of nickel and hydrogen, and hydrogen being present in said amount in a significant small percentage so as to enhance an electrical contact property of said contact surface.

. ~2 E;~g~3
2 -Br-ef-Des~ o~-of the_DraWlng FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electricaL
connector deYlce ln accordance with the invention; and FIG. 2 is a schema-tic cross-sectional vie~ oE a portion of a device in accordance with the invention.
Detailed D_s__ipti__ The electrical connector device showr, in FIG. 1 comprises housing 11 and contact pins 12. Housing 11 is made of an elec~rically insulatirg material, and contact pins 12 have contact surfaces in accordance with the illV ention.
Sho~n in EIG. 2 are, in cross section, an electrically conducting member 21 on ~hich layer 22 is situated. Member 2~ may consist of a copper conductor material~ and s~lrface layer 22 is a nic~el material which comprises hydrogen at least in a surface region 23. The incorporation of controlled amounts of hydrogen into nickel material results in enhanced contact properties such as low contact resis-tance and long-term stability of such resistance~
Hydrogen may be incorporated in a nickel material in a variety of ways such as, e.g., in the course of electroplating, by sputtering in an argon-hydrogen atmosphere, and by indiffusion at a bulk surface which, preferably, has been subiected to Plastic deformation by cold working. Preferred concentrations of hydrogen depend on conditions under which layers or bodies of nickel are produced and processed, and it is postulated thal preferred concentrations increase in direct relationship with the number of nickel atoms on dislocations. In particular, greater amounts of hydrogen are beneficial for cold worked material, preferred amounts being directly related to level of cold working. In the case of electrodeposited laYers, preferred amounts are in the range of from 0.0004 to 0.0009 atom concentration of h~drogen in nickel; when severe cold work is applied u~ to 0.01 atom concen-tration is preferred.

Fortuitously, as dislocation slip bands produced by cold workin~ also -facilitate indifEusion of hydrogen, contact properties of cold-worked bulk nickel materlal are most favorably affectecl by hYdrogen indiffusion.
Accordingly, applications are preferred in which nickeL
mateLial is ~lasticallY defornned by a significant amount, such as, e.g., corresponding to at least 50 percent reduction of cross-sectional area prior to hydrogen diffusion, the latter being carried out at a temperature which is less than the recrystallization temperature of Ni. H~drogen indiffusion is tYPicallY e-ffected over a time of a few minutes, and indiffusion is facilitated by heating at a temperature belo~ the recrYstallization temperature of Ni. Among applications of cold-worked material are those involving the use of microscopic flakes dispersed or embedded in a non-conductive matrix material as, e.g., in electrically conducting in]cs, pastes, and adhesives.
Conveniently, hydrogen can be incorporated in nickel layers b~ electroplating out of a suitable nickel bath, solutions of nickel salts being considered most suitable where the anion is but weakly oxidizing.
~ hile a contact material of the invention may be free or essentially free of elements ot~er than nickel and hydrogen, impurities may be present and additional elements maY be included such as, e~g., boron, silicon, germanium~ phosphorus, arsenic~ ant:Lmony, or bismuth.
When present in solid solution or~ in other words, when incorporated in the nickel structure, impurities and additives ars considered not to interfere with the beneficial effect of hydrogen in nickelO Amounts of at least 70 atom percent nickel~hYdrogen are preferred in the contact material.
Contacts of the invention may receive a final coating of "flash" comprising a significant amount of a coating material such as gold, one or several platinum-group elements, or ~old and one or several Platinum-group elements, the amount being sufficierlt to impart to -the coated surface the appearance of such coating material.
The structure of such coatinca may be essentiall~
homogeneous oE la~ered, and coating -thickness typically is ln a range from 0.01 to 0.05 micrometer~ For example, a cobalt-hardened gold coating maY be electro-dePosited ~rom a sli(Jhtly acidic solution (pH 5) comprisin~ ~otassium gold cyanide, cobalt citride, and a citric buffer. (The presence of cobalt, nominally in a range of from 0.2 to 0.5 percent by weiyht, enhances surface hardness especially in the case of thicker coatings.) Preferred temperature of the p;ating bath is approximately 35 degrees C, and a platin~ current of approximately 5 milliarnperes per cm~ is convenient. Typical plating times are of the order of half a minute~ Prior to plating, a surface may be cleaned, e.g., by electrolytic scrubbing in an alkaline solution, rinsing in de-ionized ~ater, and dipping in dilute hydrochloric acid at elevated temperature.
Examv~ layer having a thickness of approximately 1.68 micrometer and havinç approximatel~r 0.005 atom concentration of hydrogen in nickel l~as deposited on a copper substrate by sput-tering from an essentially ~ure nickel target in an atmosphere of approximately 10 percent by volume hYdro~en, remainder essent:Lally argon. The layer was exposed to atmospheric test conditions at 75 de~rees C and 95 percent relative humiditY for 65 hours. After such exposure contact resistance was determined to be in the range of from 7 to 10 milliohms.
30 Example 27 A layer having a thickness of approximately 0.4~ micrometer ~as deposited as further described in Example 1 above, Ultimate contact resistance ~as in the range of from 10 to 13 milliohms.
Example_3. A layer having a thickness of approximately 4.5 micrometers was de~osited on a copper substrate by electroplatin~ from a 2~molar nickel chloride solution at a temperature of appcoximately 75 degrees C, ~H of the - ~, solution uas ap~roximately 3 as obtainecl hy the addition of amlnoni.uln hydroxide, and current clensi-ty during deposition was approxi.mately 150 milliarnperes/cln2. The layer was exposecl to a~mos~heI:ic test cond.itions as described in Examrle 1 above, and contact resistance was determined to be in the range of from 1 to 10 milliohms.
Exam~1e_4~ A layer ~as deposited as described in Exalnple 3 a~ove except that a 2-molar nickel citrate solution was used at a pH of approximately 60 Contact resistance of the laYer was found to be in the range of from 0O8 to 10 milliohms.
Example 5. A layer was deposited as described in Example 3 above except that a 1/2-molar nickel acet.ate solution was used at a pH of approximately 8. Contact resistance of the layer was in the range of from 2 to 15 milliohms.

Claims (20)

Claims
1. Device comprising an electrically conducting member having a contact surface, said contact surface being the surface of a surface region of said member, said surface region consisting of a contact material, an amount of at least 70 atom percent of said contact material consists of nickel and hydrogen, and hydrogen being present in said amount in a significant small percentage so as to enhance an electrical contact property of said contact surface.
2. Device of claim 1, hydrogen atoms in said contact material being in correspondence with nickel atoms on dislocations.
3. Device of claim 1, said surface region being an electrodeposited layer in which atom concentration of hydrogen in said amount is in the range of from 0.0004 to 0.0009.
4. Device of claim 1, said surface region being a layer which has been plastically deformed and in which atom concentration of hydrogen in said amount is in the range of from 0.0004 to 0.01.
5. Device of claim 4 in which said surface region has been plastically deformed so as to result in cross-sectional area reduction greater than or equal to 50 percent.
6. Device of claim 1 in which the contact resistance at said surface is less than 100 milliohms.
7. Device of claim 1 in which said contact surface is essentially the entire surface of said member.
8. Device of claim 7 in which said member is a contact pin.
9. Device of claim 7 in which said member is a conductive particle.
10. Device of claim 9 in which said particle is an ink particle.
11. Device of claim 9 in which said particle is embedded in a non-conductive matrix material.
12. Device of claim 11 in which said non-conductive matrix material is an adhesive material.
13. Method for making an electrically conducting member in a device, said method comprising a step of providing said member with a surface which is the surface of a contact material comprising an amount of at least 70 atom percent of nickel and hydrogen, and hydrogen being present in said amount in a significant small percentage so as to enhance an electrical contact property of said contact surface.
14. Method of claim 13 in which said step is a step of electrodeposition.
15. Method of claim 13 in which said step is a step of sputtering.
16. Method of claim 13 in which said step is a step of diffusion of hydrogen into nickel.
17. Method of claim 16 in which said method comprises cold working said member prior to diffusion.
18. Device of claim 1, said contact material having a surface coating which consists essentially of a coating material selected from the group consisting of gold, one or several platinum-group elements, and gold and one or several platinum-group elements.
19. Device of claim 18, the amount of said coating material being sufficient to produce a surface appearance of said coating material.
20. Apparatus of claim 18, said surface coating having a thickness in the range of from 0.01 to 0.05 micrometer.
CA000509516A 1985-05-20 1986-05-20 Nickel-based electrical contact device Expired CA1260099A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US823,986 1977-08-12
US73577985A 1985-05-20 1985-05-20
US735,779 1985-05-20
US82398686A 1986-01-30 1986-01-30

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1260099A true CA1260099A (en) 1989-09-26

Family

ID=27112944

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000509516A Expired CA1260099A (en) 1985-05-20 1986-05-20 Nickel-based electrical contact device

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0225912A1 (en)
KR (1) KR880700503A (en)
CA (1) CA1260099A (en)
WO (1) WO1986007205A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4732821A (en) * 1986-01-30 1988-03-22 American Telephone And Telegraph Company, At&T Bell Laboratories Nickel-based electrical contact
WO1988004701A1 (en) * 1986-12-22 1988-06-30 Amp Incorporated Nickel plated contact surface having preferred crystallographic orientation
US4934968A (en) * 1986-12-22 1990-06-19 Amp Incorporated Nickel plated contact surface having preferred crystallographic orientation

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4361470A (en) * 1974-09-03 1982-11-30 Micro-Plate, Inc. Connector contact point
GB2097426B (en) * 1981-04-24 1984-01-18 James John Gilbert Electro-plating process and products therefrom

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0225912A1 (en) 1987-06-24
WO1986007205A1 (en) 1986-12-04
KR880700503A (en) 1988-03-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP3417089B1 (en) Articles including a multi-layer coating and methods
KR100783847B1 (en) Metal article coated with multilayer surface finish for porosity reduction
US20040038072A1 (en) Terminal with ruthenium layer and part having the same
DE2348606B2 (en) ELECTRIC CONNECTOR
KR19990045402A (en) Metal Composite Band Manufacturing Method
US6641930B2 (en) Electrically conductive metal tape and plug connector
CN110997984B (en) Tin-plated copper terminal material, terminal and wire terminal part structure
CA1260099A (en) Nickel-based electrical contact device
Lindborg et al. Intermetallic growth and contact resistance of tin contacts after aging
US4732821A (en) Nickel-based electrical contact
US3175181A (en) Electrical connector
US4579787A (en) Material for low voltage current contacts
JPS625999B2 (en)
CN110603349B (en) Tin-plated copper terminal material, terminal, and electric wire terminal structure
KR102295180B1 (en) Ag-Nano Alloy Plating Solution Compositions for Improving of Conductivity and Durability and Plating Methods Using Thereof
US4925407A (en) Nickel-based electrical contact
CA1248780A (en) Nickel-based electrical contact
US4518469A (en) Method of making non-precious metal electrical contacts by electroplating
JP7213390B1 (en) Silver-plated film and electrical contact provided with said silver-plated film
CA2069390A1 (en) Corrosion resistant high temperature contacts or electrical connectors and method of fabrication thereof
TWI824731B (en) Ptru alloy plating film and laminated structure including the ptru alloy plating film
JP7068899B2 (en) Rhodium phosphorus plating film and laminate material
JP2000012762A (en) Electrical/electronic equipment component material superior in corrosion resistance and manufacture thereof
US7575665B2 (en) Method of reducing corrosion of silver containing surfaces
JP2951462B2 (en) Sealing treatment method for gold plated material

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry