The electrodeposition and material properties of palladium nickel alloys

The deregulation of gold in the early 1970s coupled with political and economic events of that era brought about an astronomical increase in its price in the late 1970´s and early 1980s. Since then gold has traded in the range of $320 to $440 per troy ounce, approximately ten times is price prior to deregulation. Thus, the major impetus for replacing gold as a contact material for electronic applications has been economic. Substituting palladium and palladium-nickel alloys for gold has proved to be highly rewarding. Not only is a significant cost reduction realized, but the technological advantages of this substitution are generally recognized today. This paper reports the development of a process for electroplating palladium-nickel films of compositions from 10 to 30 weight percent nickel. The material properties and contact reliability of the deposited films will also be presented