Microstructure, electric, and thermal properties of the Ta-Cu composite is evaluated for the application in electric contact materials. This material has the potential to be used in a medium for a high current range of current conditions, replacing Ag-MO, W, and WC containing materials. The optimized SPS process conditions are a temperature of 900oC for a 5 min holding time under a 30 MPa mechanical pressure. Comparative research is carried out for the calculated and actual values of the thermal and electric properties. The range of actual thermal and electric properties of the Ta-Cu composite are 50~300W/mk and 10~90 %IACS, respectively, according to the compositional change of the 90 to 10 wt% Ta-Cu system. The results related to the electric contact properties, suggest that less than 50 wt% of Ta compositions are possible in applications of electric contact materials.

As an alternative to the W plug used in MOSFETs, a Cu plug with a NiSi contact using Ta / TaN as a diffusion barrier is currently being considered. Conventionally, Ni was first deposited and then NiSi was formed, followed by the barrier and Cu deposition. In this study, Ti was employed as a barrier material and simultaneous formation of the NiSi contact and Cu plug / Ti barrier was attempted. Cu(100 nm) / Ti / Ni(20 nm) with varying Ti thicknesses were deposited on a Si substrate and annealed at 4000˚C for 30 min. For comparison, Cu/Ti/NiSi thin films were also formed by the conventional method. Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD), and Auger Electron Microscopy (AES) analysis were performed to characterize the inter-diffusion properties. For a Ti interlayer thicker than 50 nm, the NiSi formation was incomplete, although Cu diffusion was inhibited by the Ti barrier. For a Ti thickness of 20 nm and less, an almost stoichiometric NiSi contact along with the Cu plug and Ti barrier layers was formed. The results were comparable to that formed by the conventional method and showed that this alternative process has potential as a formation process for the Cu plug/Ti barrier/NiSi contact system.

[ Cf/C-Cu ]composites were fabricated by infiltrating molten Cu into different Cf/C preforms prepared by chemical vapor infiltration, resin impregnation and carbonization. The microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that Cu in the composites filled the pores and showed network-like distribution. Compared with homemade J204 brush material and certain grade pantograph slider from abroad, the composites have higher flexural strength and better electrical conductivity. The friction and wear properties of the composites are better than that of J204, and closed to that of the abroad material.

The brazing adhesion properties of Ag coated W-Ag electric contact on the Cu substrate have been investigated in therms of microstructure, phase equilibrium and adhesion strength. Precoating of Ag layer ( in thickness) on the contact material was done by electro-plating method. Subsequently the brazing treatment was conducted by inserting BCuP-5 filler metal (Ag-Cu-P alloy) layer between Ag coated W-Ag and Cu substrate and annealing at in atmosphere. The optimum brazing temperature of was semi-empirically calculated on the basis of the Cu atomic diffusion profile in Ag layer of commercial electric contact produced by the same brazing process. As a mechanical test of the electric contact after brazing treatment the adhesion strength between the electric contact and Cu substrate was measured using Instron. The microstructure and phase equilibrium study revealed that the sound interlayer structure was formed by relatively low brazing treatment at . Thin Ag electro-plated layer precoated on the electric contact ( in thickness) is thought to be enough for high adhesion strength arid sound microstructure in interface layer.

Electrical contact property of the W-20wt%Cu contact materials manufactured by liquid phase sintering of nanocomposite W-Cu powders was investigated and discussed in terms of microstructural development during performance test. Nanocomposite powders were prepared by hydrogen reduction of ball milled W-Cu oxide mixture. They underwent complete densification and microstructural homogenization during liquid phase sintering. As a consequence, the W-Cu contacts produced from nanocomposite powders showed superior contact property of lower arc erosion and stable contact resistance. This might be mostly due to the fact that the arc erosion by evaporation of Cu liquid droplets and surface cracking remarkably became weakened. It is concluded that the improvement of anti-arc erosion of the composite specimen is basically attributed to microstructural homogeneity.