Method for determining wear of a connector contact using atom transfer radical polymerization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9921207-B2
Application number	US-201514923967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A method for examining wear of a connector contact using atom transfer radical polymerization. Metals in the connector contact are involved in atom transfer radical polymerization. In the method, polymers are formed via atom transfer radical polymerization. An average molecular weight and a polydispersity index of the polymers are determined. The exposure of underlying metal layers of the connector contact is determined based on the average molecular weight and atom transfer radical polymerization.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for examining wear of a connector contact using atom transfer radical polymerization, the method comprising:
placing the connector contact into a reactor;
adding chemicals for the atom transfer radical polymerization to the reactor;
determining an average molecular weight and a polydispersity index of polymers in a sample from the reactor; and
determining whether an underlying metal layer of the connector contact is exposed, based on the average molecular weight and the polydispersity index.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that no copper layer and no nickel layer are exposed, in response to determining that no atom transfer radical polymerization occurs.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a nickel layer of the connector contact is exposed, in response to determining that the polydispersity index is greater than 2.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that a copper layer of the connector contact is exposed, in response to determining that the polydispersity index is less than 2.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
keeping the reactor at a predetermined temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
stirring the reactor for a predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
withdrawing the sample containing the polymers from the reactor.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deoxygenating the reactor.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the average molecular weight of the polymers with a standard profile of the average molecular weight versus time for the atom transfer radical polymerization; and
determining a metal that initiates the atom transfer radical polymerization.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing monomer conversion with a standard profile of the monomer conversion versus time for the atom transfer radical polymerization; and
determining a metal that initiates the atom transfer radical polymerization.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the polydispersity index of the polymers with a standard profile of the polydispersity index versus time for the atom transfer radical polymerization; and
determining a metal that initiates the atom transfer radical polymerization.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Czaplewski Sarah K
• Kuczynski Joseph
• Wertz Jason T
• Zhang Jing

Classifications

• G01N33/20

  Metals · CPC title

• G01N33/442 Primary

  Resins; Plastics · CPC title

• G01N2033/0096

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01N33/208

  Coatings, e.g. platings · CPC title

• G01N31/10

  using catalysis · CPC title