A study on the Surface Deactivation Treatment of Rhodium-Plated Contact Reed switches

As a member of the platinum group, rhodium is al adsorptive and catalytic element. Therefore, rhodium-plated contac surfaces adsorb organic impurities which become polymers durin operations having a low-level load. Oxygen treatment at high tempera tures is an effective way of preventing adsorption and catalysis, thu enabling the production of high-reliability reed switches with stabl contact resistance. In earlier work the optimum treatment temperatur was experimentally determined to be 450°C. However, research on th interaction between oxygen and the rhodium-plated contact surfac remained to be carried out. Therefore, rhodium-plated contact surface are examined precisely to determine how oxygen reacts with surface treated at around 450°°C by utilizing Auger electron spectroscopy reflection high-energy electron diffraction, molecular optical laser exam iner, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a result, oxygen ol rhodium-plated contact surfaces treated with oxygen at 450°C or above is found to be present in the state of rhodium oxide (Rh203)