Tin coatings incorporating selected elemental additions to reduce discoloration

摘要

A tin coated electrical or electronic component has enhanced resistance to oxidation and tarnishing as well a smaller increase in contact resistance when exposed to elevated temperatures. These benefits are achieved by depositing a relatively thin, on the order of 5-50 angstroms thick, layer of zinc on the tin coating prior to heating. A subsequent step of heating the sample to a temperature and time effective to convert all free tin to an intermetallic imparts the additional advantage of reducing the coefficient of friction.