Corrosion resistant electrical conductor
AssigneeTyco Electronics Corporation
InventorsGeorge Jyh-Shann Chou, Robert Daniel Hilty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical conductor has a metal substrate. A seal plating layer is provided on and exterior of the metal substrate. A nickel plating layer is provided on and exterior of the seal plating layer. A gold plating layer is provided on and exterior of the nickel plating layer. The seal plating layer is a non-nickel based metal. Optionally, the seal plating layer may be tin based. Optionally, the seal plating layer may create intermetallic interface layers with the nickel plating layer and the metal substrate. Optionally, the electrical conductor may constitute a contact configured for mating with at least one of a printed circuit board or another mating contact.
Claims19
An electrical conductor comprising:
- a metal substrate;
- a seal plating layer provided on and exterior of the metal substrate;
- a nickel plating layer provided on and exterior of the seal plating layer;
- and
- a gold plating layer provided on and exterior of the nickel plating layer;
- wherein the seal plating layer is a non-nickel based metal;
- and
- wherein the seal plating layer has a lower porosity than the nickel plating layer.
An electrical conductor comprising:
- a metal substrate;
- a tin based seal plating layer provided on and exterior of the metal substrate;
- a nickel plating layer provided on and exterior of the seal plating layer;
- and
- a gold plating layer provided on and exterior of the nickel plating layer;
- wherein the seal plating layer has a lower porosity than the nickel plating layer.
An electrical conductor comprising:
- a metal substrate;
- a seal plating layer provided directly on and exterior of the metal substrate, wherein an intermetallic interface is defined between the seal plating layer and the metal substrate;
- a nickel plating layer provided directly on and exterior of the seal plating layer, wherein an intermetallic interface layer is defined between the seal plating layer and the nickel plating layer;
- and
- a gold plating layer provided on and exterior of the nickel plating layer;
- wherein the seal plating layer has a thickness selected based on the metal compounds of the metal substrate, the nickel plating layer and the seal plating layer such that either substantially all or all of the metal of the seal plating layer is converted to intermetallic interface layers between the seal plating layer and the metal substrate and between the seal plating layer and the nickel plating layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.