Electrical properties of contacts covered with multicomponent coatings by the dynamic ion mixing

The paper presents the results of operational characteristics measurements on electrical contacts covered with two-component coatings of Ni+Au, Au+W, Pt+Au and Ni+Ag on copper surfaces. A method of one-beam dynamic ion mixing has been used to deposit those layers. An essential depth redistributing the deposited atoms is revealed by AES spectroscopy. Energy of an electrical arc that formed when the contacts get opened has been determined. It has been found that the coatings reduce mean energy of the arc between contacts from 1.74 J for pure copper down to 1.12 J for a coating of Au+W.