Investigation of alternative to gold contact finishes for telecom connector applications

Before introducing any alternative to gold contact finishes for connector contacts into a network to be applied in telecommunication equipment, several combined and comparative laboratory test series must be completed. Such a test program was carried out with several layer structures also available in connector form. Combined testing by wear cycling, humidity, SO₂ treatments, by applying also an ohmic load inside the climatic chambers, is reported. Contact behavior, wear characteristics, and the surface properties of the contacts were studied. Pd finishes, low-carat gold platings, and silver alloy structures, were tested with and without additional electroplated Au layers of 0.1-0.2 μm thicknesses. Lubrication with a fluorinated composition, giving a liquid-type film on the contact surface was also investigated by several comparative experiments