Metallic contacts

Second, it is found that metal-metal contacts are still present even under normal boundary lubrication conditions where n is small. Very clear evidence... 

The radioautographic work suggests another model illustrated in Fig. XII-11. The load is supported over area A, with metal contacts of shear strength s over a portion of the area ctA and film-film contacts of shear strength Sf over the rest of the area. In analogy to Eq. XII-9, one can write the total frictional force, F as... 

Antiwear Compounds. Additives are used in many lubricating oils to reduce friction, wear, and scuffing and scoring under boundary lubrication conditions, ie, when fuU lubricating films cannot be maintained. Two general classes of materials are used to prevent metallic contact. 

Etch Mechanisms. Most wet etches for the compound semiconductors employ oxidation of the semiconductor followed by dissolution of the oxide. For this reason, many wet etches contain the oxidant hydrogen peroxide, although nitric acid can also be used. One advantage of wet etching over dry is the absence of subsurface damage that is common with dry etching. Metal contacts placed on wet-etched surfaces exhibit more ideal characteristics than dry-etched surfaces. 

During the fabrication process the surface of the semiconductor is etched and metal contacts are deposited. These features can represent a topographical challenge to subsequent metal wiring levels. For this reason it is important that the dielectric film used tends to smooth out such discontinuities as metal and etched edges (150,217). Additional appHcations for spin-on dielectrics include forming integrated microlenses for optoelectronics (218). 

Resistance Heating of Contacts. The contact material, contact area, and heat dissipating abihty, as well as the heat dissipating abihty of the stmcture to which the material is attached, limit the amount of current that a contact can transport. Excessive current heats and softens the metal contact. This softening results in an increase in the surface area of the contact and a corresponding reduction in contact resistance. 

Noble Metal Weldments. Noble metal contact buttons, TS—l h p.m thick, are made by resistance welding a rod of the material to the substrate, which usually is a contact spring, and by cutting the rod and forming the button to the desired shape. Pure gold and gold—silver alloys are the most commonly used metals. 

However, conductive elastomers have only ca <10 of the conductivity of soHd metals. Also, the contact resistance of elastomers changes with time when they are compressed. Therefore, elastomers are not used where significant currents must be carried or when low or stable resistance is required. Typical apphcations, which require a high density of contacts and easy disassembly for servicing, include connection between Hquid crystal display panels (see Liquid crystals) and between printed circuit boards in watches. Another type of elastomeric contact has a nonconducting silicone mbber core around which is wrapped metalized contacts that are separated from each other by insulating areas (25). A newer material has closely spaced strings of small spherical metal particles in contact, or fine soHd wires, which are oriented in the elastomer so that electrical conduction occurs only in the Z direction (26). 

Mechanical. Premature wearout or loss of contact metal during engagement and separation can result in loss of tolerances, reduced spring forces, formation of loose metallic wear debris, which may short-circuit contacts, and development of porosity in noble metal contacts. Underplatings, contact lubricants, and hard materials reduce mechanical wear. 

Fretting corrosion (36,37) can lead to high contact resistance of base metal contacts, such as tin plate in electronic connectors. Small cycHcal displacements of the connector halves occur because of external vibration or differential thermal expansion and contraction of the mating contacts. The wear debris that is formed remains in the contact zone. The accumulation of oxide debris in the contact region leads to increased contact resistance. Solutions to this problem are stmctures that do not permit movement of contact surfaces with respect to one another, the use of gold as a contact finish, and the appHcation of thick coatings of contact lubricants and greases, which reduce the rate of wear and restrict access of air to the contact surfaces. 

Nucleation due to crystal-to-ciystal contact is greater for equal striking energies than ciystal-to-metal contact. However, the viscous drag of the liquid on particle sizes normaUy encountered hmits the velocity of impact to extremely low values. The assumption that only the largest crystal sizes contribute significantly to the nucleation rate by ciystal-to-crystal contact permits a simple computation of the rate ... 

---