Contact erosion of silver and Ag/8%Ag following N+ ion-beam treatment

Comparison has been made between the contact erosion behaviour of Au/8% Ag and pure silver prior to and following N+ implantation of surfaces to a dose of 2 x 1017 ion cm-?2. Details of the rate of erosive transfer between anode and cathode pairs were studied over a range of switching current with subsequent surface examination by scanning electron microscope. Significant reduction in erosion rate due to N+ implantation occurred in Au/8% Ag at currents of I < 100 mA and in silver over an extended range of current (25 to 500 mA), conditions which corresponded to metal transfer by mechanical adhesion. The ion-beam treatments were observed to produce no qualitative change in the nature of the erosion process. (author)