Title :
Electrical Contact Resistance Degradation of a Hot-Switched Simulated Metal MEMS Contact
Author :
Dickrell, Daniel J., III ; Dugger, Michael T.
Author_Institution :
Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL
fDate :
3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
Electrical contact resistance testing was performed by hot-switching a simulated gold-platinum metal microelectromechanical systems contact. The experimental objective was to determine the sensitivity of the contact resistance degradation to current level and environment. The contact resistance increased sharply after 100hot-switched cycles in air. Hot-switching at a reduced current and in nitrogen atmosphere curtailed contact resistance degradation by several orders of magnitude. The mechanism responsible for the resistance degradation was found to be arc-induced decomposition of adsorbed surface contaminants
Keywords :
contact resistance; electrical contacts; gold; micromechanical devices; nitrogen; platinum; surface contamination; Au-Pt; N; arc-induced decomposition; electrical contact resistance degradation; electrical contact resistance testing; gold-platinum metal microelectromechanical systems contact; hot-switching; metal MEMS contact; surface contaminants; Atmospheric modeling; Contact resistance; Degradation; Electric resistance; Microelectromechanical systems; Micromechanical devices; Nitrogen; Performance evaluation; Surface resistance; System testing; Contact resistance; gold; microelectromechanical devices; platinum; surface contamination; switches;
Journal_Title :
Components and Packaging Technologies, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TCAPT.2007.892074