TITLE:
A Study of the Replacement of Materials in Smart Card
AUTHORS:
Md. Khalilur Rahma, Raphaël Marchand, Budrun Neher
KEYWORDS:
Mechanical and Electrical Properties, Corrosion Resistance, Cost, Process Compatibility, CES Study
JOURNAL NAME:
Materials Sciences and Applications,
Vol.6 No.9,
September
9,
2015
ABSTRACT: Gold, nickel and copper are usually used in connector of the smart card. Since Au is expensive and
Ni is an allergenic material, simulated (CES) and bibliographical work is carried out in order to replace
the Au and Ni layer in smart card connectors without sacrificing reliability. During the work,
mechanical and electrical properties, corrosion resistance, cost, toxicity and process compatibility
of the samples have been taken into consideration. Cu alloying with Zn or Sn, Cr and stainless steel
were selected for electrodeposition process. Secondly, carbides (WC, TiC, ZrC), Ti, TiN, borides
(TiB2) and silicide (MoSi2) are considered as a vapour deposited materials and some Cu alloying
with Al, N or Mg also considered via ion implantation processes. But, vapour deposition and implantation
are high energy processes compared to the electrodeposition process, which is expensive.
Therefore, electrodeposited materials such as, Cu alloys (Brass or bronze), Cr and stainless
steel could be considered as promising candidate to replace the Au and Ni layer in smart card
connectors.