Metallic material for electronic components and method for producing same, and connector terminals, connectors and electronic components using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10826203-B2
Application number	US-201314411766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2013
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

The present invention provides metallic materials for electronic components, having low degree of whisker formation, low adhesive wear property and high durability, and connector terminals, connectors and electronic components using such metallic materials. The metallic material for electronic components includes: a base material; a lower layer formed on the base material, the lower layer being constituted with one or two or more selected from a constituent element group A, namely, the group consisting of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Cu; an intermediate layer formed on the lower layer, the intermediate layer being constituted with one or two or more selected from a constituent element group B, namely, the group consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Os and Ir; and an upper layer formed on the intermediate layer, the upper layer being constituted with an alloy composed of one or two or more selected from the constituent element group B, namely, the group consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, Os and Ir and one or two selected from a constituent element group C, namely, the group consisting of Sn and In; wherein the thickness of the lower layer is 0.05 μm or more and less than 5.00 μm; the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.50 μm; and the thickness of the upper layer is 0.02 μm or more and less than 0.80 μm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metallic material for electronic components, comprising:
a base material;
a lower layer formed on the base material, the lower layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group A consisting of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co;
an intermediate layer formed on the lower layer, without any intervening layer, the intermediate layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir; and
an upper layer formed on the intermediate layer, the upper layer being constituted with an alloy consisting of one or two or more selected from the constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir and one or two selected from a constituent element group C consisting of Sn and In,
wherein the thickness of the lower layer is 0.05 μm or more and less than 5.00 μm; the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.50 μm; and the thickness of the upper layer is 0.02 μm or more and less than 0.80 μm.

2. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum value (μm) of the elevation differences between adjacent hills and valleys in a profile of an interface between the upper layer and the intermediate layer is 50% or less of the thickness (μm) of the upper layer.

3. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein on the surface of the upper layer, a region where the total atomic concentration (at %) of the constituent elements C≥the total atomic concentration (at %) of the constituent elements B is present in the range of 0.02 μm or less on the surface of the upper layer.

4. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein the upper layer comprises the metal(s) of the constituent element group C in a content of 10 to 50 at %.

5. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein a ζ(zeta)-phase being a Sn—Ag alloy and/or an ε(epsilon)-phase being a Sn—Ag alloy is present.

6. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 5 , wherein a β-Sn being a Sn single phase is further present.

7. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness ratio between the upper layer and the intermediate layer is such that upper layer:intermediate layer=1:9 to 9:1.

8. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein in the range from the upper layer to the intermediate layer, exclusive of the range of 0.03 μm from the outermost surface of the upper layer, C, S and O are each included in a content of 2 at % or less.

9. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein the indentation hardness of the surface of the upper layer, the hardness being obtained by hitting a dent on the surface of the upper layer with a load of 10 mN on the basis of a nanoindentation hardness test, is 1000 MPa or more.

10. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein the indentation hardness measured from the surface of the upper layer, the hardness being obtained by hitting a dent on the surface of the upper layer with a load of 10 mN on the basis of a nanoindentation hardness test, is 10000 MPa or less.

11. A metallic material for electronic components, comprising:
a base material;
a lower layer formed on the base material, the lower layer comprising one or two or more selected from a constituent element group A consisting of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co;
an intermediate layer formed on the lower layer, without any intervening layer, the intermediate layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir; and
an upper layer formed on the intermediate layer, the upper layer being constituted with an alloy consisting of one or two or more selected from the constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir and one or two selected from a constituent element group C consisting of Sn and In,
wherein the thickness of the lower layer is 0.05 μm or more and less than 5.00 μm; the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.50 μm; and the thickness of the upper layer is 0.02 μm or more and less than 0.80 μm, and
wherein the content of the metal(s) of the constituent element group A is 50% by mass or more in terms of the total content of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co in the lower layer, and the rest of the alloy component of the lower layer consists of one or two or more selected from the group consisting of B, P, Sn and Zn.

12. A metallic material for electronic components, comprising:
a base material;
a lower layer formed on the base material, the lower layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group A consisting of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co;
an intermediate layer formed on the lower layer, without any intervening layer, the intermediate layer consisting of (i) one or two or more selected from a constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir; and (ii) one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Bi, Cd, Co, Fe, In, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, W, Tl and Zn
an upper layer formed on the intermediate layer, the upper layer being constituted with an alloy consisting of one or two or more selected from the constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir and one or two selected from a constituent element group C consisting of Sn and In,
wherein the thickness of the lower layer is 0.05 μm or more and less than 5.00 μm; the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.50 μm; and the thickness of the upper layer is 0.02 μm or more and less than 0.80 μm, and
wherein the content of the metal(s) of the constituent element group B is 50% by mass or more in terms of the total content of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir in the intermediate layer.

13. A metallic material for electronic components, comprising:
a base material;
a lower layer formed on the base material, the lower layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group A consisting of Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co;
an intermediate layer formed on the lower layer, without any intervening layer, the intermediate layer consisting of one or two or more selected from a constituent element group B consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Rh, Os and Ir; and
an upper layer formed on the intermediate layer, the upper layer being constituted with an alloy comprising one or two selected from a constituent element group C consisting of Sn and In,
wherein the thickness of the lower layer is 0.05 μm or more and less than 5.00 μm; the thickness of the intermediate layer is 0.01 μm or more and less than 0.50 μm; and the thickness of the upper layer is 0.02 μm or more and less than 0.80 μm, and
wherein the content of the metal(s) of the constituent element group C is 50% by mass or more in terms of the total content of Sn and In in the upper layer, and the rest of the alloy component in the upper layer consists of one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, W and Zn.

14. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 1 , wherein P is deposited on the surface of the upper layer, and the deposition amount of P is 1×10 −11 to 4×10 −8 mol/cm 2 .

15. The metallic material for electronic components according to claim 14 , wherein N is further deposited on the surface of the upper layer, and the deposition amount of N is 2×10 −12 to

Assignees

• Jx Nippon Mining & Metals Corp

Inventors

• Shibuya Yoshitaka
• Fukamachi Kazuhiko
• Kodama Atsushi

Classifications

• C25D7/00

  Electroplating characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• H01R43/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors (of trolley lines B60M1/28) · CPC title

• H01R4/58 Primary

  characterised by the form or material of the contacting members (H01R4/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25D9/02

  with organic materials · CPC title

• C25D5/611 Primary

  Smooth layers · CPC title