He implantation for improved tribological performance in Au electrical contacts

This paper describes the role of He ion implantation on the friction, wear, electrical contact resistance (ECR), and near surface microstructure of Au films. The films were deposited by e-beam evaporation and implanted with He under two different conditions. Electrical contact resistance and friction data were collected simultaneously, while sliding a Au-Cu alloy pin on He ion implanted Au films. Results showed that friction coefficients were reduced from ~1.5 to ~0.5 and specific wear rates from ~4 × 10⁻³ to ~1 ×10⁻⁴ mm³/N m (both versus un-implanted samples) without a significant change in sliding ECR (~16 mΩ) as a result of He ion beam implantation. Subsurface microstructural changes due to tribological stress and the passing of current were analyzed using site-specific cross-sectional TEM. The implantation of He by itself did not induce changes to the grain size or crystallographic texture of e-beam Au. However, frictional contact during ECR testing of low energy He implanted films resulted in the formation of stable equiaxed nanocrystalline grains and the growth and redistribution of cavities beneath the wear surface. Plastic deformation as evidenced by transfer of Au to the pin during frictional contact was significantly reduced as a result of implantation. This was hypothesized to be a result of Orowan-like hardening due to He implantation.