Optimization of Hard Gold Plating for Electrical Contacts

摘要

One of the most important factors, which determine the lifetime of gold plated electrical contacts is the tri-bological behavior of gold plate, which can be significantly influenced by both the kind and the amount of alloying elements. The lifetime, the electrical and tribological properties of electrical contacts with different kinds and different amounts of alloying elements are investigated. The results of the investigation are used to compare the lifetime, the electrical and tribological properties of different modified gold platings. They are important bases for the optimization of gold plating. The investigation shows that an increased lifetime can be achieved by an optimization of the amount of alloy element in gold. But the potential for the optimization of the amount of alloy element is limited. The modification of the gold plating by means of nanoscale particles seems to have a larger potential. The key issues of nanoscale particles are particle size distribution and particle distribution in plating.