Intermittency Phenomenon of Electrical Contacts Induced by Fretting Behavior

Metal contact plays a key role in conducting current and transmitting signals in electrical and electronics engineering fields. However, fretting caused by mechanical vibration stress degrades the electrical contact behavior gradually, and induces the intermittency phenomenon. This paper investigated the fretting behavior of Au-plated copper contacts and the variation of contact resistance was obtained by using an electro dynamic shaker. By analyzing contact resistance and worn surface morphology, the relationship between fretting frequency and amplitude inducing the intermittency phenomenon and the intermittency failure mechanism was discussed.