Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

9-23-2004

Publisher

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

Source Publication

Proceedings of the 50th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts and the 22nd International Conference on Electrical Contacts Electrical Contacts, 2004.

Source ISSN

0780384601

Abstract

This work is the first to report on a new analytic model for predicting micro-contact resistance and the design, fabrication, and testing of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) metal contact switches with sputtered bi-metallic (i.e. gold (Au)-on-Au-platinum (Pt), (Au-on-Au-(6%)Pt)), binary alloy (i.e. Au-palladium (Pd), (Au-(2%)Pd)), and tertiary alloy (i.e. Au-Pt-copper (Cu), (Au-(5%)Pt-(0.5%)Cu)) electric contacts. The micro-switches with bi-metallic and binary alloy contacts resulted in contact resistance between 1-2 /spl Omega/ and, when compared to micro-switches with sputtered Au electric contacts, exhibited a 3.3 and 2.6 times increase in switching lifetime, respectively. The tertiary alloy exhibited a 6.5 times increase in switch lifetime with contact resistance ranging from 0.2-1.8 /spl Omega/.

Comments

Published version. Proceedings of the 50th IEEE Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts and the 22nd International Conference on Electrical Contacts Electrical Contacts, 2004. (September 23, 2004). DOI.

This material is declared a work of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Ronald A. Coutu was affiliated with the Air Force Institute of Technology at the time of publication.

Download

Share

COinS