ELECTRICAL CONTACT, MANUFACTURE THEREOF, AND REED SWITCH

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent local concentration of wear of a contact surface and extend a contact switching service-life without causing various characteristics required as an electrical contact to deteriorate. SOLUTION: This electrical contact 10 comprises a multi-layer metal coating 14 placed on a contact base material 12. The multi-layer metal coating 14 comprises a substrate layer 16 plated on the surface 12a of the contact base material 12 and the outermost layer 18 plated on the surface 16a of the substrate layer 16. The surface 16a of the substrate layer 16 is actively worn out by electric discharge process to be roughed to a desired surface roughness. The surface 18a of the outermost layer 18 is applied with many micro recesses and projections, corresponding to a recess and projection shape of the surface 16a of the substrate layer 16. The surface 18a of the outermost layer 18 roughed in this manner prevents repeating of local contact between contacts and local concentration of wear following this, and therefore, acts so as to extend a contact switching service life. Since the surface 18a is not post-processed in making roughness, various characteristics are not deteriorated.