The Benefits of Ruthenium as a Contact Material
In the realm of magnetic sensors, the choice of contact material determines the performance, durability, and reliability of the sensors.
Ruthenium, a rare transition metal, has emerged as a superior option for contact materials, especially when it comes to sputtering versus traditional plating methods.
Sputtering vs. Plating – Why Sputtering Wins
- Sputtering, a process that involves bombarding a target material with high-energy particles to deposit thin layers onto the reed blades, offers significant advantages over electro-plating.
- Unlike plating, where the material is deposited in layers that can sometimes flake or peel due to imperfections, sputtered Ruthenium forms a more uniform and durable layer.
- This process ensures better adhesion and resistance to wear and corrosion, which are critical in applications that demand high reliability.
Performance Across Various Loads
- One of the features of Ruthenium as a contact material is its ability to perform exceptionally well across different load ranges and load types.
- For low-level currents, for example 10mA, sputtered Ruthenium has shown to enhance durability and reducing the wear and tear typically seen with plated contacts.
- On the other end of the spectrum, for high-current loads, for example around 1A, Ruthenium offers consistent contact performance.
Advantages of Multi-layer Sputtering
- We have developed a proprietary multi-layer sputtering technique that further amplifies the benefits of Ruthenium.
- This method layers Ruthenium to optimise its properties, leading to a substantial increase in overall durability.
- For high-current loads, this process improves durability by over 10%, making it ideal for applications that require long-term reliability.
- Additionally, for low-level loads, the multi-layer sputtering process improves durability by as much as 25%, ensuring that sensors perform over millions of operations.
Ruthenium, especially when applied through sputtering, offers unmatched benefits as a sensor contact material. Our advanced multi-layer sputtering technique ensures that our sensors will stand the test of time, providing consistent performance across various applications.
Do contact us for more information on how we can customise Ruthenium coating for your specific application!