Electrical contact resistance (ECR) measurements are needed for judging the performance of electrical appliances. Understanding the behaviour of ECR at low temperature gives a unique opportunity for understanding the contact mechanism itself and controlling the contact resistance for its applications in various areas at these temperatures. In many high-end applications, sophisticated electronic devices are being operated below ambient temperature to improve their performance. The availability of cryogens, improvement in Thermo-Electrical (TE) based Peltier coolers, accelerated the development of these devices. In designing such systems, an accurate measurement of electrical contact resistance below room temperature is important. A detailed experimental investigation has been conducted on electrical contact resistance across bare and coated metal contacts at low temperatures. As a part of the experimental investigation, a test facility capable of varying the contact force, surrounding pressure and temperature, is developed. The design, construction, testing and use of this facility are described. Electrical contact resistance at different contact pressures across copper, OFHC copper and brass with and without gold coatings is measured using 4-wire technique with high accuracy. The test specimen preparation, instrumentation and data acquisition are explained in detail. The setup is standardized by comparing the experimental results obtained across copper-copper contacts in vacuum with the theoretical model. The electrical contact resistance is measured as a function of contact force at different temperatures. The effect of loading and unloading, and the existence of hysteresis are experimentally studied. The electrical properties of conductors improve at low temperature but this is not true for contact resistance. At low temperature the contact resistance increases and it depends on applied contact force, hardness and roughness of the contacting surfaces. Gold-coated contacts exhibited an increase in contact resistance at low temperatures.

The effects of AC and DC on cooling rate, solute distribution and nugget shape after solidification, which are responsible for microstructure of the fusion zone, during resistance spot welding are realistically and extensively investigated. The finite difference method is used to predict transport variables in workpieces and electrodes during heating, melting, cooling and freezing periods. The model accounts for electromagnetic force, heat generations at the electrode-workpiece interface and faying surface between workpieces, and dynamic electrical resistance including bulk resistance and contact resistances at the faying surface and electrode-wokpiece interfaces, which are function of hardness, temperature, electrode force, and surface condition. The computed results show that in contrast to DC, using AC readily produces the nugget in an ellipse shape. Deficit and excess of solute content occur in a thin layer around the boundary and interior of the nugget, respectively. The effects of dynamic electrical resistance subject to AC (Alternative current) on transport variables, cooling rate, solute distribution and nugget shape after solidification during resistance spot welding are realistically and extensively investigated. The model accounts for electromagnetic force, heat generation and contact resistances at the faying surface and electrode-workpiece interfaces and bulk resistance in workpieces. Contact resistance are comprised of constriction and film resistances, which are functions of hardness, temperature, electrode force and surface condition. The computed results show that the weld nugget readily occurs by increasing constriction resistance and Curie temperature. High Curie temperature enhances convection and solute mixing, and readily melts through the workpiece surface near the electrode edge. Aside from finding the significant effect of Curie temperature on resistance spot welding, this study indicates that any mean (For example, adjusting solute content) to reduce Curie temperature can be a new way to control weld quality.

Abstract Dynamic electrical resistance during resistance spot welding has been quantitatively modeled and analyzed in this work. A determination of dynamic resistance is necessary for predicting the transport processes and monitoring the weld quality during resistance spot welding. In this study, dynamic resistance is obtained by taking the sum of temperature dependent bulk resistance of the workpieces and contact resistances at the faying surface and electrode-workpiece interface within an effective area corresponding to the electrode tip where welding current primarily flows. A contact resistance is composed of constriction and film resistances, which are functions of hardness, temperature, electrode force, electrical resistivity and surface condition. Unsteady, axisymmetric transport of mass, momentum, energy, species, and magnetic field intensity with a mushy-zone phase change in workpieces and temperature, and magnetic fields in electrodes during resistance spot welding, are systematically investigated. Electromagnetic force, joule heat, heat generation at the electrode-workpiece interface and faying surface between workpieces, different properties between phase, and geometries of electrodes are taken into account. The predicted nugget thickness and dynamic resistance versus time show quite good agreement with available experimental data. Excluding expulsion, the dynamic resistance curve can be divided into four stages. A rapid decrease of dynamic resistance in stage 1 is attributed to decreases in film resistances at the faying surface and electrode-workpiece interface. In stage 2, the increase in dynamic resistance results from the primary increase of bulk resistance in the workpieces and an increase of the sum of contact resistances at the faying surface and electrode-workpiece interface. Dynamic resistance in stage 3 decreases, because increasing rate of bulk resistance in the workpieces and contact resistances decrease. In stage 4 decrease of dynamic resistance is mainly due to the formation of the molten nugget at the faying surface. The molten nugget is found to occur in stage 4 rather than stage 2 or 3 as qualitatively proposed in the literature. The effects of different parameters on the dynamic resistence curve are also presented. Besides, electromagnetic force effect on velocity field of molten nugget was proven to be crucial. Higher current, smaller magnetic diffusivity and decreasing the radius of electrode tip will lead to high current density around the corner between electrode and workpiece. Sometimes the corner of electrode and surface of workpieces will be melted due to local high current density.

L’étude du contact électrique quasi statique à plusieurs échelles permet de comprendre celui des micro-relais MEMS. Au cours de ce travail, une modélisation fine du contact est développée pour valider des lois de comportement établies à partir des mesures obtenues grâce à la mise au point de deux dispositifs expérimentaux originaux : la balance de précision, qui permet de réaliser un contact à l’échelle macroscopique entre barreaux croisés recouverts des films minces des matériaux à tester, et un nanoindenteur instrumenté pour la mesure électrique reproduisant un micro-contact identique à celui des micro-relais. Ils permettent tous deux de mener une étude comparative de différents échantillons en fonction de la force (de la dizaine de µN à quelques N), du courant (du µA à l’A), de l’état de surface (rugosité) ou encore du temps ; le contact étant caractérisé par sa résistance électrique. Ce travail concerne principalement le contact réalisé entre films minces en Au, matériau de contact de référence pour les applications micro-relais MEMS. L’étude des contacts de grande dimension a néanmoins été élargie à Ru, Rh, Pt et à l’alliage Au-Ni.Les résultats obtenus à l’aide de la balance de précision ont démontré la nécessité de prendre en compte l’influence de la configuration en film mince des matériaux de contact, tant du point de vue mécanique (rugosité) qu’électrique (répartition des lignes de courant). Leur comparaison à une modélisation statistique du contact rugueux donne des résultats satisfaisants. Cette approche a par ailleurs nécessité le développement d’un algorithme d’analyse d’image des relevés topographiques réalisés au microscope à force atomique, permettant ainsi de quantifier précisément les positions, taille et rayon de courbure de chaque aspérité de la surface.Les mesures effectuées à l’aide du nanoindenteur ont mis en évidence l’effet de la durée de fermeture des microcontacts sur la valeur de la résistance électrique. Le fluage des aspérités serait en partie responsable de la décroissance temporelle observée, aboutissant à des valeurs de résistance limite comparables à celles calculées à l’aide d'une modélisation numérique du contact entre des aspérités discrétisées et une sphère lisse. / The multi scale study of quasi static electrical contact is aimed at understanding those in MEMS microswitches. In this work, an accurate modeling of contact is developed to validate constitutive relations based on measurements obtained through the development of two original experimental set ups: a precision balance, which enables to perform a macroscopic contact between crossed roads coated with thin films of the materials to be tested, and a nanoindenter instrumented for electrical measurements reproducing microswitches contacts. They both allow a comparative study of different samples depending on the force (from μN to N), current (µA to A), surface condition (roughness) or time, while the contact is characterized through its electrical resistance. The measurements are obtained in the first place for gold, the reference contact material for MEMS microswitches applications. The study of large contacts was nevertheless extended to Ru, Rh, Pt and Au-Ni alloy.The results obtained using the precision balance showed the need to take into account the influence of the thin film configuration of contact materials, both in terms of mechanical (roughness) and electrical (distribution of current lines). Their comparison to a statistical model of rough contact gives satisfactory results. This approach also required the development of an image analysis algorithm of topographic maps obtained through atomic force microscopy. It allows quantifying precisely the position, height and radius of curvature of each surface asperity.Measurements made using the nanoindenter showed the effect of the time of closure of the micro contact on electrical resistance values. The creep of asperities may be partly responsible for the observed time decay, leading to limit resistance values comparable to those calculated using a numerical modeling of the contact between discretized asperities and a smooth sphere.

Contact resistance is the most important and universal characteristic of all types of electrical and thermal contacts. Accurate measurement of contact resistance is important, because it serves as a measure for judging the performance and operational life span of contacts. Rise in contact temperature is one of the major factors that pose a big threat to the stability of electrical contacts. Dissipation of heat by solid conduction through a contact interface is governed by its thermal contact conductance (TCC). This emphasizes the need to study the TCC of an electrical contact along with its electrical contact resistance (ECR). Simultaneous measurement of ECR and TCC is important for understanding the interconnection between these two quantities and the possible influence of one over another. Real time experimental data and analytical correlations can be extremely helpful in developing electrical contacts with improved thermal management capabilities. As a part of the experimental investigation, a test facility has been developed for making simultaneous measurement of ECR and TCC across flat contacts. The facility has the capability of measuring ECR and TCC over a wide range of operating parameters, such as contact pressure, contact temperature, interstitial gaseous media, ambient pressure, etc. It is also capable of determining the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of materials as a function of temperature, which is very helpful in analyzing the generated contact resistance data. Using this facility, simultaneous ECR and TCC measurements are made across bare and gold plated contacts of OFHC Cu (oxygen free high conductivity copper) and brass. Simultaneous ECR and TCC measurements are made on nominally flat contacts in the contact pressure range of 0 – 1 MPa and the interface temperature range of 20 – 120 °C. Effect of contact pressure and interface temperature on ECR and TCC is studied on bare and gold coated contacts in vacuum, N2, Ar, and SF6 environments. TCC strongly depends on the thermophysical properties of the interstitial media and shows a significant enhancement in gaseous media, because of the increased interfacial gap conductance compared to vacuum. The gas pressure is varied in the range of 1 – 2.6 bar to study its effect on the gap conductance at different contact pressures and interface temperatures. Minor increase in the ECR observed in gaseous media is found to be independent of the properties of the media. Experimental results indicated that ECR depends on the gas pressure as well as on the applied contact load. Effect of gold coating and its thickness on the ECR and TCC across OFHC Cu and brass contacts is studied. Measurements on electroplated gold specimens having different gold layer thicknesses (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 µm) indicated that ECR decreases and TCC increases with increasing gold coating thickness. Effect of gold coating on the substrate properties, contact surface tomography, and microhardness is analyzed and correlated to the observed behavior of ECR and thermal gap conductance. An attempt is made to understand and quantify the changes in the contact surface characteristics due to contact loading and heating, by measuring various surface topography parameters before and after the experimentation. Effect of thermal stresses (generated due to temperature variations) on ECR and TCC is studied and inclusion of an experimentally measured temperature dependent load correction factor is suggested in the theoretical models to take into account the effect of thermal stresses in contact assemblies.

This research conducts tribological investigation in three areas. The first area of research is to obtain basic understanding of tribological properties of high performance Inconel alloys. Pin-on-disk testing was conducted through a range of applied normal loads and sliding velocities in an unlubricated condition. Average friction coefficient, friction work, and specific wear rates were calculated from the data and microscopy techniques were used to observe and characterize wear mechanisms. Experimental results show a dependence of average coefficient of friction as a function of frictional work. Also shown is the wear rate dependence on frictional work, predicated by a wear mechanism change. This research gives a tribological baseline for high performance alloys. The second area of research is in the in situ spatial study of friction, complemented by monitoring changes in electrical contact resistance (ECR). Pin-on-disk testing of samples was done under low normal loads and velocities. Friction and electrical contact resistance measurements were taken spatially in the wear track during each friction cycle, giving a spatial evolution of friction and resistance change, in situ. Results show a lowering in the ECR under increased friction cycles, which was closely related to a change in the friction coefficient of the material. Using surface profilometry and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, we determined that the lowering of resistance is a result of surface modification through wear and development of a friction induced conductive tribo-film. This research provides a simple method for in situ monitoring of friction and solidifies a fundamental relationship between friction and contact resistance. The third area of research is the design of a variable force tribometer, incorporating the fundamental results demonstrated in the first two experiments. The creation of a novel testing apparatus to test materials under dynamic tribological conditions is given in detail. Simple experiments were performed on an Inconel sample and preliminary results show how dynamic normal and tangential forces affect the friction coefficient. These early results utilizing the variable force tribometer will lay the groundwork for more advanced research into the dynamic nature of friction.

L’instrumentation de plus en plus poussée des systèmes mécaniques (aéronautique, automobile,…) impose une utilisation croissante des connecteurs électriques. Cependant, leur environnement de fonctionnement (sollicitations chimiques et vibratoires) peut entrainer une dégradation plus ou moins sévère des contacts électriques limitant ainsi le passage du courant. Pour limiter cette dégradation et assurer la stabilité des connexions, des revêtements d’or sont couramment appliqués au niveau des contacts. Cependant, la conjecture économique et le coût très élevé de l’or nécessite de trouver une alternative moins chère. Parmi les métaux conducteurs, l’argent est aujourd’hui le meilleur candidat. L’objectif de cette thèse est donc d’étudier la réponse électrique et l’endommagement de dépôts argent soumis à des sollicitations de fretting. Pour cela, ces travaux de recherche ont été abordés selon trois axes. Le premier axe a permis une étude complète d’un contact homogène argent/argent afin d’identifier les mécanismes de dégradation responsables de la rupture électrique aussi bien en fretting qu’en glissement alterné. Il a aussi été possible, par une approche énergétique, de mettre en place un modèle prédictif permettant d’extrapoler les durées de vie du contact selon différents paramètres de chargement. Une étude complémentaire a également montré l’impact d’une atmosphère corrosive à base de soufre sur les contacts électriques en argent. Le second axe a permis, quant à lui, d’étudier le comportement tribologique et électrique de nouveaux matériaux à base d’argent développés dans le but de remplacer les dépôts dorés. L’analyse de ces contacts homogènes a permis de mettre en évidence les mécanismes de dégradation et les comportements mécaniques des contacts soumis à des environnements humides. Dans le dernier axe, une étude a été menée sur ces mêmes matériaux à base d’argent mais en configuration hétérogène contre un dépôt d’or afin d’identifier le comportement tribologique et électrique de ces contacts quand ils sont composés par des matériaux avec des propriétés similaires ou opposées. / Advanced instrumentation in mechanical systems (aeronautical, automobile etc…) goes hand in hand with an ever increased use of electrical connectors. However, the unfavorable operating environment (chemical attack and vibrational loads) causes more or less severe degradation of electrical contacts, which in turn perturbs their electrical conductivity. Gold plating is usually applied in electrical contacts in order to limit damage and to ensure connector stability. However, economic constraints and the high cost of gold require cheaper alternatives. Amongst conductive metals, silver is the best candidate. Hence, the purpose of this PhD project is to investigate the electrical response and the degradation of silver coatings when subjected to fretting loadings. The study is divided into three main research axes. The first axis consists in realizing a complete study of a homogeneous silver/silver contact in order to identify the degradation mechanisms that are responsible for the electrical failure, both in fretting loadings and reciprocating sliding. It was possible to formalize a predictive model, using an energy density approach, allowing to extrapolate the lifetime of the contact as a function of various loading parameters. A complementary study also showed the impact of a corrosive sulfur atmosphere on these electric contacts. As part of the second research axis, an investigation of the tribological and electrical behavior of novel silver-based materials, solely synthesized as a gold replacement, was performed. The analysis of these homogeneous contacts allowed to explain the degradation mechanism and the mechanical behavior of these contacts when subjected to a wet environment. In the last research axis a study was led on the same silver-based materials but in a heterogenous configuration against a gold coating in order to identify the tribological and electrical behavior of these contacts when composed by materials with similar or opposite properties.

Le mémoire de thèse propose une méthode de modélisation multi physique capable de quantifier l’influence des paramètres des processus d’écrouissage, le câblage et le compactage, sur le comportement mécanique et électrique des câbles électriques. Les propriétés électriques d’un câble dépendent de la nature du matériau utilisé, de son état métallurgique, des contraintes mécaniques exercées et de la conductance électrique des aires de contact inter-fils. De nombreuses mesures ont permis de définir les caractéristiques des câbles mais aussi des matériaux utilisés, comme par exemple la variation de la conductivité électrique d’un fil de cuivre en fonction de l’écrouissage. La modélisation mécanicoélectrique, réalisée avec le logiciel Abaqus®, est utilisée pour étudier les différents paramètres impliqués dans les processus de câblage et de compactage. Cela a permis de déterminer les déformations géométriques des fils ainsi que les contraintes mécaniques dans le câble. Les résultats de simulation sont comparés aux mesures afin de valider la précision des modèles numériques développés.Un couplage faible entre les modèles mécanique et électrique permet de mettre en évidence la distribution non-homogène de la conductivité électrique à l’intérieur d’un conducteur après qu’il ait subi des contraintes mécaniques dues au processus de déformation à froid, le câblage et le compactage. Ensuite, en appliquant une procédure d’optimisation, nous avons identifié les paramètres capables de réduire de 2 % la masse du matériau conducteur utilisés dans les processus de fabrication, tout en conservant des propriétés mécaniques et électrique répondant aux exigences normatives des constructeurs de câbles. / The presented PhD thesis propose multi-physics modeling method able to predict the impact of stranding and compacting processes parameters on the mechanical and electrical behavior of stranded conductors. The electrical properties of stranded conductors depend on the nature of the material, on its metallurgical state, on the mechanical pressure within the conductor and on the electrical conductance of contact areas between wires. A wide range of measurements has allowed us to define the characteristics of structures and materials, such as for example the resistivity as a function of the stresses due to material hardening. The electromechanical modeling with Abaqus and Vector Fields software are used to study different parameters involved in the stranding and compacting processes to determine actual wires shapes, induced deformations and actual stresses between wires within the conductor. The results obtained by simulation were compared with experimental measurements to analyze the accuracy of the model. By coupling mechanical and electrical simulations, we pointed out the non-homogeneous distribution of the electrical conductivity along conductor cross sections resulting from the hardness of each single wire. Applying the optimization procedure, we have identified the parameters able to reduce the mass of conducting material by 2 % while maintaining mechanical and electrical properties that meet the prescriptive requirements of cables manufacturers and standards.

Afin d’améliorer la durée de vie des micro-relais MEMS ohmiques, plusieurs traitements de surface de films minces d’or sont réalisés pour augmenter leur dureté tout en conservant une résistance électrique de contact faible.Les revêtements ultrafins de ruthénium (20 à 100 nm) déposés sur l’or augmentent la dureté des surfaces de contact d’un facteur 15. L’implantation ionique de bore ou d’azote (3,5 ppm à 10 % atomique) à une profondeur de 100 nm dans le film mince d’or permet d’atteindre un gain en dureté de 75%. Le contrôle (AFM, EBSD et DRX) de la microstructure induite met en évidence le durcissement par solution solide par insertion. Mais au-delà de 1% atomique, les atomes d’azote quittent le réseau cristallin de l’or pour former des précipités de nitrure d’or.L’analyse AFM (rugosité et diamètre) des empreintes résiduelles (quelques μm²) réalisées par nano-indentation sphérique, imitant le cyclage et le fluage des surfaces de contact de ces MEMS, démontre l’apport de ces traitements de surface. De plus, leurs résistances électriques de contact, mesurées par nano-indentation instrumentée reproduisant un micro-contact identique à un dispositif réel, sont similaires à celle de l’or pur.La modélisation discrète mécanique du contact rugueux est ajustée à la mesure de la déformation mécanique de nano-rugosités en comparant les relevés topographiques réalisés par AFM avant et après nano-indentation sphérique. La comparaison entre la modélisation et la mesure de la résistance électrique de contact indique que pour les gammes de force utilisées dans les micro-relais MEMS (inférieure au mN), seule une fraction allant de 2% à 9% de la surface de contact réelle est conductrice. / Ohmic MEMS switches made by gold thin films are promising devices but their mechanical contacts are one of the critical concerns for enhancing reliability. For this reason, surface processes are investigated in this work to improve both mechanical and electrical contact resistance (ECR) of MEMS gold contacts. Ruthenium ultra-thin films (20 to 100 nm) deposited on a top of gold layer increase surface hardness by a factor of fifteen. In parallel, surface implantations of both boron (<10% atomic) or nitrogen (<0.1% atomic) into gold reveals a solid solution hardening by insertion, thus increasing the hardness of initial film by about 75% and 25%, respectively. Notably, above 0.1% atomic of nitrogen, atoms precipitate from the tetra or octahedral sites of gold inducing a decrease of hardness.Static and multi load/unload spherical nano-indentation are performed on treated gold thin films to simulate the mechanical actuation of ohmic MEMS switches. Analysis of residual imprints (about few µm²) from treated surface exhibits both minimal local deformation and adhesion forces that reduce stiction probability. In-situ measurement of ECR for treated gold by instrumented nano-indentation, reproducing the design of MEMS, is in the same range of pure gold-to-gold configuration.A new mechanical discrete model of rough contact is introduced, confronted and validated to the experimental mechanical surface deformation obtained by comparison of AFM images before and after spherical nano-indentation. An electrical discrete model is added and fitted to the ECR measurements. In ohmic MEMS switch load range (< 1 mN), the conductive area is found to be about 2% to 9% of the real contact area.

Le recuit photonique est une technologie émergente basée sur la conversion instantanée del’énergie lumineuse absorbée par les nanoparticules (NPs) en chaleur. Dans ces travaux, il estdéployé sur des pistes d’interconnexions imprimées sur support souple par jet de matière, àpartir d’une encre de NPs d’argent (Ø=25nm).Une étude des paramètres du procédé a permis d’établir le lien entre ces derniers (énergie,fréquence) et la résistance carrée (120m!/ ) induite. Celui-ci a été confirmé grâce à unemodélisation thermique multicouches et au développement d’une instrumentation inéditemesurant, toutes les 4μs, les variations de la résistance pendant le recuit photonique (quelquesms). La stabilisation de la résistance corrélée avec les propriétés optiques du film est optimalepour une exposition de 2-3J/cm² induisant un échauffement à environ 200°C.L’analyse de la microstructure des films par diffraction des rayons X met en évidence le lienentre la croissance des cristallites et la résorption des défauts. La minimisation de la résistanceélectrique est corrélée à la croissance du collet entre les nanoparticules par diffusion atomiquede surface. De plus, une meilleure cohésion des NPs améliore la dureté par rapport au recuit àl’étuve.La résistance électrique de contact (200m!) entre les plots d’interconnexion d’une puce ensilicium et les pistes imprimées a été mesurée grâce à un montage dédié de mesure électriqueau nano-indendeur. Les forces à appliquer (300mN par bump) / Photonic sintering is an emerging technology based on the instantaneous conversion ofabsorbed light energy by nanoparticles (NPs) into heat. In this work, it is used oninterconnections printed on flexible substrates by inkjet printing of a metal silver nanoinkwith particle mean diameter of Ø=25nm.A process parameters study has allowed us to link them (energy, frequency) with theinduced sheet resistance (120m!/ ). This has been confirmed through thermal modeling ofthe multilayer system, and also by monitoring the resistance variations in-situ duringphotonic sintering (a few ms) using an innovative characterization tool, allowingmeasurements every 4 μs. The electrical resistance stabilization correlated with the opticalproperties of the film was found to be optimal for an exposition of 2-3J/cm², whichcorresponds to heating up to approximately 200°C.Films microstructure analysis with X-ray diffraction enlightens the link between crystallitescoarsening and defaults density reduction. The minimization of electrical resistivity iscorrelated with neck growth between nanoparticles trigged by surface atomic diffusion.Moreover, a stronger cohesion between NPs improves the mechanical hardness compared toclassical oven curing.The electrical contact resistance (200m!) between a silicon chip interconnection bumpand printed tracks is measured thanks to an in-house setting for electrical measurement withthe nanoindenter. The level of forces to apply (300mN per bump) is optimized and transferredto a thermocompression by industrial equipment. A set of prototypes are fabricated andconfirm the compatibility of these technologies with a future industrial integration.