Precious-metal-alloy contacts

US10411379B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Daniel C. Wagman · Los Gatos, US
• Benjamin J. Kallman · Menlo Park, US
• Hani Esmaeili · Sunnyvale, US
• Stefan A. Kowalski · Cupertino, US
• Daniel T. McDonald · San Jose, US
• Eric S. Jol · San Jose, US
• Raymund W. M. Kwok · Kowloon, CN
• Michael W. Barnstead · Pleasanton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 20, 2017
• Grant date: Sep 10, 2019
• Expiry date: Mar 20, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01R24/60
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Contacts that may be highly corrosion resistant, may be readily manufactured, and may conserve precious materials. One example may provide contacts having a layer of a precious-metal alloy to improve corrosion resistance. The precious-metal-alloy layer may be plated with a hard, durable, wear and corrosion resistant plating stack for further corrosion resistance and wear improvement. The resources consumed by a contact may be reduced by forming a bulk or substrate region of the contact using a more readily available material, such as copper or a material that is primarily copper based.