CLEANING OF CONTACTS FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Contact resistance R-c of silver alloys AgNiO. 10, AgNiO. 15 and AgCdO for electronic components, i.e. hermetic relays, depends on mechanica l properties and the manufacturing technologies as well as on cleaning processes applied before and after assembling into electronic compone nts. The contact force (F-c) measurements of investigated contact mate rials indicate that the F-c,F--1/3 relation is not fulfilled in the ra nge from 3 to 15 cN. The results of present investigation indicate tha t vacuum outgassed contacts have required properties only if the conta ct force is above 15cN, while for the contacts with F-c in the region from 3 to 15cN additional cleaning process of plasma cleaning is sugge sted. Conventional methods using chemical solvents like fluorocarbons for cleaning of contacts are due to harmful environment influence forb idden in modern society. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.