# US 2019/0169764 A1 · Surface-treated material, method for producing the surface-treated material, and component formed by using the surface-treated material

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- Number: US 2019/0169764 A1
- Document ID: US20190169764A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/206,141
- Filed: 2018-11-30
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-03
- Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Miho YAMAUCHI; Shuichi KITAGAWA; Yoshiaki KOBAYASHI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169764A1

## CPC

- C25D 5/44: Aluminium
- B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)}
- C23C 18/165: {Multilayered product (layered product B32B)}
- C23C 18/1651: {Two or more layers only obtained by electroless plating}
- C23C 18/1653: {Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating}
- C23C 18/1689: {After-treatment}
- C23C 18/18: Pretreatment of the material to be coated
- C23C 18/1803: {of metallic material surfaces or of a non-specific material surfaces}
- C23C 18/1824: {by chemical pretreatment}
- C23C 18/1827: {only one step pretreatment}
- C23C 18/1831: {Use of metal, e.g. activation, sensitisation with noble metals}
- C23C 18/1837: {Multistep pretreatment}
- C23C 18/1841: {with use of metal first}
- C23C 18/1848: {by electrochemical pretreatment}
- C23C 18/31: Coating with metals
- C23C 18/32: Coating with nickel, cobalt or mixtures thereof with phosphorus or boron (C23C18/50 takes precedence)
- C23C 18/38: Coating with copper
- C23C 18/42: Coating with noble metals
- C23C 18/54: Contact plating, i.e. electroless electrochemical plating
- C23C 30/00: Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process (C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence)
- C23C 30/005: {on hard metal substrates}
- C25D 3/12: of nickel or cobalt
- C25D 5/10: Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals (for bearings C25D7/10)
- C25D 5/12: at least one layer being of nickel or chromium
- C25D 7/00: Electroplating characterised by the article coated
- H01R 13/02: Contact members
- H01R 13/03: characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
- H01R 13/04: Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets
- Y10T 428/12708: Sn-base component
- Y10T 428/12715: Next to Group IB metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12722: Next to Group VIII metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12736: Al-base component
- Y10T 428/12743: Next to refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12757: Fe
- Y10T 428/12792: Zn-base component
- Y10T 428/12799: Next to Fe-base component [e.g., galvanized]
- Y10T 428/12861: Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12868: Group IB metal-base component alternative to platinum group metal-base component [e.g., precious metal, etc.]
- Y10T 428/12875: Platinum group metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12882: Cu-base component alternative to Ag-, Au-, or Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/12889: Au-base component
- Y10T 428/12896: Ag-base component
- Y10T 428/12903: Cu-base component
- Y10T 428/1291: Next to Co-, Cu-, or Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/12931: Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base components, alternative to each other
- Y10T 428/12937: Co- or Ni-base component next to Fe-base component
- Y10T 428/12944: Ni-base component
- Y10T 428/2495: Thickness [relative or absolute]
- Y10T 428/24959: of adhesive layers
- Y10T 428/24967: Absolute thicknesses specified
- Y10T 428/26: Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension
- Y10T 428/263: Coating layer not in excess of 5 mils thick or equivalent
- Y10T 428/264: Up to 3 mils
- Y10T 428/265: 1 mil or less
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A surface-treated material of the present disclosure has a conductive substrate, and a surface treatment film which includes at least one layer of metal layers and is formed on the conductive substrate. The surface treatment film is a plating film. The surface treatment film is formed on a whole surface or a part of the conductive substrate through a zinc-containing layer that contains zinc as a main component and has a thickness of 50 nm or less, or is formed on the conductive substrate without through the zinc-containing layer. The surface-treated material has a ratio of a contact area to a test area of 85% or more as measured according to a tape test method defined in JIS H 8504: 1999.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A surface-treated material comprising a conductive substrate, and a surface treatment film which includes at least one layer of metal layers and is formed on the conductive substrate, wherein
the surface treatment film is a wet plating film; is formed on a whole surface or a part of the conductive substrate through a zinc-containing layer that contains zinc as a main component and has a thickness of 50 nm or less, or is formed on the conductive substrate without through the zinc-containing layer; and a ratio of a contact area to a test area is 85% or more as measured according to a tape test method defined in JIS H 8504: 1999.

### Claim 2

A surface-treated material comprising a conductive substrate, and a surface treatment film which includes at least one layer of metal layers and is formed on the conductive substrate, wherein
in cross-sectional observation of the surface-treated material, when portions between a portion of the conductive substrate and a portion of the surface treatment film are subjected to a line analysis with the use of STEM-EDX, and an obtained profile of detection intensity of each component of the surface-treated material is viewed, a maximum value of an intensity ratio of zinc to a main component of the surface treatment film is 1/4 or less, in a specific analysis range in which the intensity of the main component of the surface treatment film is equal to or higher than the intensity of the main component of the conductive substrate; and a ratio of a contact area to a test area is 85% or more as measured according to a tape test method defined in JIS H 8504: 1999.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The surface-treated material according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate is aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The surface-treated material according to claim 1, wherein each of the metal layers forming the surface treatment film is formed of any one selected from the group consisting of nickel, a nickel alloy, cobalt, a cobalt alloy, copper, a copper alloy, tin, a tin alloy, silver, a silver alloy, gold, a gold alloy, platinum, a platinum alloy, rhodium, a rhodium alloy, ruthenium, a ruthenium alloy, iridium, an iridium alloy, palladium and a palladium alloy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The surface-treated material according to claim 1, wherein the surface treatment film comprises two or more metal layers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method for producing a surface-treated material according to claim 1, comprising:
a first surface activation treatment step of treating a surface of the conductive substrate, with the use of an activation treatment liquid that contains 10 to 500 mL/L of any one acid solution which is selected from among sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and phosphoric acid, and 0.1 to 500 g/L (in terms of metal content of nickel or cobalt) of nickel compounds which include nickel sulfate, nickel nitrate, nickel chloride and nickel sulfamate, or cobalt compounds which include cobalt sulfate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt chloride and cobalt sulfamate, at a treatment temperature of 20 to 60° C., at a current density of 0.5 to 20 A/dm2, and for a treatment time period of 1 to 300 seconds,
prior to forming the surface treatment film on the conductive substrate by a wet plating method.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method for producing the surface-treated material according to claim 6, further comprising:
a second surface activation treatment step of temporarily forming a zinc-containing thick film layer having a thickness of 100 nm or more on the surface of the conductive substrate by a zinc substitution method, then dissolving the zinc-containing thick film layer in a range of 50 nm or more, and reducing the thickness to a range of 50 nm or less to form the zinc-containing layer, or completely removing the zinc-containing thick film layer,
prior to performing the first surface activation treatment step.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A terminal formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A connector formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A bus bar formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A lead frame formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A medical member formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A shield case formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A coil formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A contact switch formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 1.

### Claim 16 (depends on 2)

The surface-treated material according to claim 2, wherein the conductive substrate is aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The surface-treated material according to claim 2, wherein each of the metal layers forming the surface treatment film is formed of any one selected from the group consisting of nickel, a nickel alloy, cobalt, a cobalt alloy, copper, a copper alloy, tin, a tin alloy, silver, a silver alloy, gold, a gold alloy, platinum, a platinum alloy, rhodium, a rhodium alloy, ruthenium, a ruthenium alloy, iridium, an iridium alloy, palladium and a palladium alloy.

### Claim 18 (depends on 2)

The surface-treated material according to claim 2, wherein the surface treatment film comprises two or more metal layers.

### Claim 19 (depends on 2)

A method for producing a surface-treated material according to claim 2, comprising:
a first surface activation treatment step of treating a surface of the conductive substrate, with the use of an activation treatment liquid that contains 10 to 500 mL/L of any one acid solution which is selected from among sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid and phosphoric acid, and 0.1 to 500 g/L (in terms of metal content of nickel or cobalt) of nickel compounds which include nickel sulfate, nickel nitrate, nickel chloride and nickel sulfamate, or cobalt compounds which include cobalt sulfate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt chloride and cobalt sulfamate, at a treatment temperature of 20 to 60° C., at a current density of 0.5 to 20 A/dm2, and for a treatment time period of 1 to 300 seconds,
prior to forming the surface treatment film on the conductive substrate by a wet plating method.

### Claim 20 (depends on 2)

A terminal formed with the use of the surface-treated material according to claim 2.