Method for processing vacuum switch and vacuum switch processed by the method

A method for processing a vacuum switch, comprising the steps of:

• intermittently applying a first current to a stationary electrode and a movable electrode of said vacuum switch, said movable electrode being spaced from the stationary electrode in a vacuum vessel, each of said electrodes including a conductive surface area and at least one of said electrodes including a contact piece comprising a portion of a respective said conductive surface area, said contact piece including a copper-chromium alloy, said first current having a density sufficient to create an arc between said electrodes and to evaporate a portion of said copper-chromium alloy, an anode for said current comprising one of said electrodes having a said contact piece, and a cathode for said current comprising the other electrode;
• said first current eliminating impurities from said contact piece of said one electrode, and simultaneously depositing metal vapor from said contact piece of said one electrode to the conductive surface area of said other electrode, forming thereby a copper-chromium alloy layer covering said conductive surface area of said other electrode;
• intermittently applying to said electrodes a second current having a density sufficient to create an arc between said electrodes, said second current having a polarity opposite that of said first current;
• said second current depositing on said one electrode metal vapor from said copper-chromium alloy layer of said other electrode, thereby covering the conductive surface area of said one electrode with a layer of said copper-chromium alloy, and thereby producing a recrystallized layer of said copper-chromium alloy on said contact piece of said one electrode.