Electric connector and preparation method thereof, and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides an electric connector, a preparation method thereof and electronic equipment. The electric connecting piece comprises a base material and a carbon-based film layer arranged in a surface preset area of the base material, the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel, the surface preset area of the base material can be electrically connected, and then the functions such as data transmission and / or charging are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of surface treatment technology, and in particular to an electrical connector and a preparation method thereof, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] At present, when the I / O (Input / Output) connection devices of electronic devices, such as TYPE-C connectors or charging devices of smart wearable devices, are treated for surface anti-electrolytic corrosion, electroplating of electrolytic corrosion-resistant precious metal coatings such as platinum, platinum ruthenium, and rhodium ruthenium is usually used to achieve the purpose of corrosion protection. However, this solution uses a large amount of precious metals, is costly, and is difficult to commercialize on a large scale. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the problems existing in the related art, the present disclosure provides an electrical connector and a preparation method thereof, and an electronic device.

[0004] According to a first aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector includes a substrate and a carbon-based film layer disposed in a preset area on a surface of the substrate, wherein the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel.

[0005] In some exemplary embodiments, the conductive channels are multiple and dispersed.

[0006] In some exemplary embodiments, the carbon-based film layer is a composite structure of a diamond carbon structure and a graphite carbon structure.

[0007] In some exemplary embodiments, the carbon-based film layer has a diamond carbon structure as a skeleton, and a graphite carbon structure is embedded inside, and the graphite carbon structure forms the conductive channel.

[0008] In some exemplary embodiments, the diamond carbon structure is a polyhedral diamond carbon structure; and the graphite carbon structure is a layered polygonal graphite carbon structure.

[0009] In some exemplary embodiments, the carbon content in the carbon-based film layer is 93%-99%.

[0010] In some exemplary embodiments, the carbon-based film layer has a thickness of 0.5 μm-5 μm.

[0011] In some exemplary embodiments, the electrical connector further includes a substrate layer disposed between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer.

[0012] In some exemplary embodiments, the substrate layer is a metal layer.

[0013] In some exemplary embodiments, the substrate layer includes at least one of the following coating layers:

[0014] Copper, nickel, zinc, copper alloys, nickel alloys, zinc alloys.

[0015] In some exemplary embodiments, the substrate layer has a thickness of 1 μm-10 μm.

[0016] In some exemplary embodiments, the electrical connector is at least one of the following:

[0017] Connectors, springs, and terminal blocks.

[0018] According to a second aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes the above-mentioned electrical connection component.

[0019] According to a third aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for preparing an electrical connector is provided. The method is used to prepare the electrical connector described above, and the method comprises:

[0020] Providing a substrate;

[0021] A carbon-based film layer is formed in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, wherein the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel.

[0022] In some exemplary embodiments, forming a carbon-based film layer in a predetermined area on a surface of a substrate includes:

[0023] The carbon-based film layer is formed in a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a physical vapor deposition process.

[0024] In some exemplary embodiments, the physical vapor deposition process includes a filtered cathode vacuum arc deposition process.

[0025] In some exemplary embodiments, forming a carbon-based film layer in a predetermined area on a surface of a substrate includes:

[0026] Clamping the substrate, placing it in a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating chamber, and evacuating the chamber to a preset vacuum degree;

[0027] A carbon-based film layer is deposited on a predetermined area on the surface of the substrate by a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process.

[0028] In some exemplary embodiments, before forming the carbon-based film layer in the predetermined area on the surface of the substrate, the preparation method further comprises:

[0029] A substrate layer is formed on the surface of the substrate; the substrate layer is arranged between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer.

[0030] In some exemplary embodiments, forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate includes:

[0031] A substrate layer is formed on the surface of the substrate by an electroplating process.

[0032] In some exemplary embodiments, forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate by an electroplating process comprises:

[0033] The surface of the substrate is placed in a preset electroplating solution, the metal of the substrate layer is used as the anode, the substrate is connected to the cathode, and electroplating is performed after the power is turned on. The metal of the substrate layer is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a substrate layer.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the present disclosure include but are not limited to: in the electrical connector provided by the present disclosure, a conductive channel is provided in the carbon-based film layer arranged in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, which can enable the preset area on the surface of the substrate to be electrically connected, thereby realizing functions such as data transmission and / or charging.

[0035] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The accompanying drawings incorporated into the specification and constituting a part of the specification illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and are used together with the description to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to represent similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the microstructure of a carbon-based film layer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a method for preparing an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of forming a carbon-based film layer on a predetermined area on a surface of a substrate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a method for preparing an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 7 The present invention is a schematic diagram of a method for preparing an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solution of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described in combination with the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other without conflict.

[0045] The electrical connectors of electronic devices, such as I / O (Input / Output) connectors, are very susceptible to electrolytic corrosion. Currently, when treating the surface of the electrical connectors of electronic devices for electrolytic corrosion protection, electroplating of electrolytic corrosion-resistant precious metal coatings such as platinum, platinum ruthenium, and rhodium ruthenium is usually used to achieve the purpose of both conductivity and corrosion resistance. However, this solution uses a large amount of precious metals, is costly, and is difficult to commercialize on a large scale.

[0046] Based on this, Figure 1 The longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electrical connector shown in the figure, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electrical connector 10, which includes a substrate 30 and a carbon-based film layer 20 arranged in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, and the carbon-based film layer 20 is provided with a conductive channel.

[0047] The substrate of the electrical connector can be copper material, titanium material, aluminum material, or various stainless steel materials. The preset surface area of ​​the substrate can be the functional area of ​​the electrical connector. A carbon-based film layer is arranged in the preset surface area of ​​the substrate, and the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel, so that the preset surface area of ​​the substrate can be electrically connected, thereby realizing functions such as data transmission and / or charging.

[0048] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, the electrical connection member is at least one of the following: a connector, a spring, and a terminal.

[0049] Electrical connectors such as connectors, springs or wiring terminals are provided with a carbon-based film layer with a conductive channel in a preset area on the surface of their substrates, so that the preset area on the surface of the substrate can be electrically connected, thereby enabling the electrical connectors such as connectors, springs or wiring terminals to achieve functions such as data transmission and / or charging.

[0050] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, there are multiple conductive channels and they are dispersedly arranged.

[0051] In the carbon-based film layer in the preset area on the surface of the substrate of the electrical connector, there are multiple conductive channels. These conductive channels are independently dispersed at the microscopic level. For example, in the nanometer-level dimension space, when the conductive channel area is touched, the impedance is small and conduction is possible; when the area outside the conductive channel is touched, the impedance is large and it is even non-conductive. However, since the conductive channels are densely arranged in the carbon-based film layer, that is, a large number of conductive channels are arranged in the carbon-based film layer, the carbon-based film layer is conductive from a macroscopic perspective. When the carbon-based film layer is arranged in the preset area on the surface of the substrate of the electrical connector, the preset area on the surface of the substrate can be electrically connected, thereby enabling the electrical connector to achieve functions such as data transmission and / or charging.

[0052] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, the carbon-based film layer is a composite structure of a diamond carbon structure and a graphite carbon structure.

[0053] The carbon in the carbon-based film layer includes a diamond carbon structure and a graphite carbon structure, wherein the carbon in the diamond carbon structure can make the carbon-based film layer have a higher hardness, stronger wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance; and the carbon in the graphite carbon structure can make the carbon-based film layer have a low impedance characteristic, thereby having good conductivity. Therefore, the electrical connector formed by the above-mentioned carbon-based film layer is arranged in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, and it has multiple excellent characteristics such as high hardness, good wear resistance, excellent conductivity, and strong corrosion resistance, and there is no need to use electrolytic corrosion-resistant precious metal coatings such as platinum, platinum ruthenium, and rhodium ruthenium, thereby reducing production costs. The preset area on the surface of the substrate can be a functional area of ​​the electrical connector. For example, when the electrical connector is applied to an I / O connector or a charging connector of an electronic device, the preset area can be an access area of ​​the connector.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, the carbon-based film layer has a diamond carbon structure as a skeleton, with a graphite carbon structure embedded inside, and the graphite carbon structure forms a conductive channel.

[0055] like Figure 2 The microscopic structure diagram of the carbon-based film layer shown in FIG. 3 The diamond carbon structure 51 is a skeleton, which can achieve high hardness of the carbon-based film layer, so that the carbon-based film layer has strong wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance; 3 Diamond carbon structural skeleton 51 embedded with sp 2 Graphite Carbon Structure 52, sp 2 The graphite carbon structure 52 forms a conductive channel, so that the carbon-based film layer achieves low impedance characteristics, thereby having good conductivity; in addition, sp 2The carbon with graphite carbon structure can also make the carbon-based film layer achieve a low friction coefficient, further reducing the friction and wear on the surface of the electrical connector. When the electrical connector is applied to the electrical connector of electronic equipment, such as I / O connector or charging connector, the problem of rapid attenuation of corrosion resistance caused by wear of the electrical connector during use is reduced, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector.

[0056] It should be noted that Figure 2 It is only a plan view of the microstructure of the carbon-based film layer. The actual microstructure of the carbon-based film layer is a three-dimensional structure. 2 The graphite carbon structure 52 is arranged in any manner on the sp 3 The interior of the diamond carbon structural skeleton 51.

[0057] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, the diamond carbon structure is a polyhedral diamond carbon structure; and the graphite carbon structure is a layered polygonal graphite carbon structure.

[0058] The carbon-based film layer in the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure uses a polyhedral diamond carbon structure as a skeleton to achieve high hardness of the carbon-based film layer, so that the carbon-based film layer has strong wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance; a layered polygonal graphite carbon structure is embedded inside the polyhedral diamond carbon structure skeleton, so that the carbon-based film layer achieves low impedance characteristics, thereby having good conductivity; in addition, the carbon in the layered polygonal graphite carbon structure can also enable the carbon-based film layer to achieve a low friction coefficient, further reducing the friction and wear on the surface of the electrical connector. When the electrical connector is applied to electrical connectors of electronic devices, such as I / O connectors or charging connectors, the problem of excessive decay of the corrosion resistance caused by wear of the electrical connector during use is reduced, thereby ensuring the reliability of the use of the electrical connector.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the carbon content in the carbon-based film layer is 93%-99%.

[0060] In addition to carbon, the carbon-based film layer of the electrical connector provided in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also contain silicon, oxygen and other trace impurity elements. Among them, the doping of silicon, oxygen and other trace impurity elements in the carbon-based film layer has a negative impact on the conductivity of the carbon-based film layer. In addition, it will affect the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate, which is not conducive to the carbon-based film layer firmly adhering to the surface of the substrate to form anti-corrosion protection for the substrate. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the carbon content in the carbon-based film layer is limited to 93%-99%, which can ensure the conductivity of the carbon-based film layer and the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. At the same time, the content of silicon, oxygen and other trace impurity elements in the carbon-based film layer is reduced as much as possible. For example, the content of silicon can be 0.5%-3.9%, and the content of oxygen can be 0.5%-3%.

[0061] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the carbon-based film layer does not contain hydrogen. If the carbon-based film layer is doped with hydrogen, the brittleness of the carbon-based film layer will increase and the hardness of the carbon-based film layer will be reduced. In addition, the doping of hydrogen will also increase the impedance of the carbon-based film layer, increase the resistance of the carbon-based film layer, and be detrimental to the conductivity of the carbon-based film layer. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the carbon-based film layer does not contain hydrogen, which can ensure the hardness and conductivity of the carbon-based film layer.

[0062] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer is 0.5 μm-5 μm.

[0063] The carbon-based film layer in the electrical connector provided in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure has a diamond carbon structure as a skeleton, which can achieve high hardness of the carbon-based film layer, so that the carbon-based film layer has strong wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance; the graphite carbon structure is embedded in the diamond carbon structure skeleton, so that the carbon-based film layer achieves low impedance characteristics, thereby having good conductivity, so that the carbon-based film layer on the surface of the substrate can make the surface of the electrical connector have high hardness, strong wear resistance, excellent corrosion resistance, and good conductivity. However, when the thickness of the carbon-based film layer is too large, it will produce greater stress, which will have an adverse effect on the toughness of the substrate. In addition, if a thicker carbon-based film layer is to be formed, its processing time will also increase, and the cost will increase, which is not conducive to mass production. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer is limited to the range of 0.5μm-5μm, so that the electrical connector can have both performance improvement and cost control.

[0064] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer can be 1.3 μm-4.1 μm. Although the greater the thickness of the carbon-based film layer, the more it can enhance the hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and conductivity of the surface of the electrical connector, to form a thicker carbon-based film layer, the processing time and cost will also increase, and a carbon-based film layer with too large a thickness will also have an adverse effect on the toughness of the substrate. Therefore, considering the problems of process mass production and substrate toughness, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer is limited to 1.3 μm-4.1 μm.

[0065] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer can be 2.1 μm-3.5 μm. In order to ensure the hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and conductivity of the surface of the electrical connector and the toughness of the substrate, and to control the processing time and cost, the thickness of the carbon-based film layer is limited to 2.1 μm-3.5 μm.

[0066] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, Figure 3 As shown in the schematic longitudinal section diagram of the electrical connector, the electrical connector 10 further includes a substrate layer 40 , which is disposed between the substrate 30 and the carbon-based film layer 20 .

[0067] The substrate in the electrical connector provided in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be a copper material, a titanium material, an aluminum material, or various stainless steel materials. The surface of the substrate is usually formed by a stamping process, so the surface of the substrate will be rough and uneven, and the carbon in the carbon-based film layer is nanometer-level, so the unevenness of the substrate surface will be unfavorable for carbon deposition on the substrate surface, affecting the effect of carbon deposition, making the carbon-based film layer weaker in bonding to the substrate surface. In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, a substrate layer is provided between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer, and the substrate layer is used to level the substrate surface, fill the depressions on the substrate surface, reduce the roughness of the substrate surface, and enhance the bonding between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. In addition, the substrate layer can also provide support for the carbon-based film layer, further enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the carbon-based film layer.

[0068] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, Figure 1 In the schematic longitudinal section diagram of the electrical connector shown, the substrate layer may not be disposed between the substrate 30 and the carbon-based film layer 20 in the electrical connector 10. For example, when the surface of the substrate becomes rough and uneven after stamping, the surface of the substrate may be polished to make the surface of the substrate smooth, so that there is no need to form the carbon-based film layer after the substrate layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate, but the carbon-based film layer may be formed directly on the smooth surface of the substrate.

[0069] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the substrate layer is a metal layer.

[0070] The surface of the substrate in the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is usually formed by a stamping process, so the surface of the substrate is rough and uneven. A metal layer is provided between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer as a substrate layer, and the metal layer is used to level the surface of the substrate, fill the concave parts of the substrate surface, reduce the roughness of the substrate surface, and enhance the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. In addition, the metal layer can also provide support for the carbon-based film layer, further enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the carbon-based film layer.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the substrate layer includes at least one plating layer selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, zinc, copper alloy, nickel alloy, and zinc alloy.

[0072] Copper, nickel, zinc, copper alloys, nickel alloys, and zinc alloys are common low-cost metal materials. A coating of pure copper, pure nickel, pure zinc, or at least one of copper alloys, nickel alloys, and zinc alloys is formed on the surface of the substrate as an underlay layer. The surface of the substrate can be leveled, the roughness of the substrate surface can be reduced, and the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate can be enhanced.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the thickness of the substrate layer is 1 μm-10 μm.

[0074] The substrate layer between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer can level the surface of the substrate and enhance the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. In addition, the substrate layer can also provide support for the carbon-based film layer, further enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the carbon-based film layer. The thickness of the substrate layer should not be too thin, so as not to be unable to level the surface of the substrate, but the thickness of the substrate layer should not be too thick, so as not to generate large stress, adversely affect the toughness of the substrate, and cause unnecessary cost increases. In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, the thickness of the substrate layer is limited to the range of 1 μm-10 μm, the surface of the substrate can be leveled, and the toughness of the substrate is not damaged.

[0075] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the thickness of the substrate layer can be 2.3 μm-8.9 μm. When the thickness of the substrate layer is within the range of 2.3 μm-8.9 μm, the uneven surface caused by the stamping of the substrate can be leveled, and the subsequently formed carbon-based film layer can be supported, and the toughness of the substrate will not be adversely affected due to the excessive thickness of the substrate layer.

[0076] In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the thickness of the substrate layer can be 3.4 μm-7.6 μm. If the thickness of the substrate layer is too small, it will not be able to level the surface of the substrate, and it will not be enough to support the subsequently formed carbon-based film layer. Therefore, the thickness of the substrate layer is limited to 3.4 μm-7.6 μm, so that the substrate layer can level the surface of the substrate and support the subsequently formed carbon-based film layer under the premise of controlling the thickness and cost of the substrate layer.

[0077] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, and the electronic device includes an electrical connector provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. When the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is used as a connector, spring or terminal of the electronic device, the electrical connector can be electrically connected without using an electrolytic corrosion-resistant noble metal plating layer, thereby realizing functions such as data transmission and / or charging, while solving the problem of the electrical connector being susceptible to electrolytic corrosion, and solving the problem of the electrical connector being worn during use, resulting in the anti-corrosion performance decaying too quickly, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electronic device and its electrical connector.

[0078] The exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for preparing an electrical connector. The method is used to prepare the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, the preparation method comprises:

[0079] S100: providing a substrate;

[0080] S200: forming a carbon-based film layer in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, wherein the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel.

[0081] In the method for preparing an electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a carbon-based film layer is formed on a preset area on the surface of a substrate to prepare an electrical connector, and the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel, which can enable the preset area on the surface of the substrate to be electrically connected, thereby enabling the electrical connector to achieve functions such as data transmission and / or charging. When the electrical connector is used as a connector, spring or terminal of the electronic device, the electrical connector can be electrically connected without using an electrolytic corrosion-resistant noble metal coating, thereby achieving functions such as data transmission and / or charging.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, before forming the carbon-based film layer in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, the preparation method further includes: masking the welding area on the surface of the substrate.

[0083] The carbon-based film layer has the characteristic of solder rejection. Therefore, if the substrate with the carbon-based film layer formed in the preset area of ​​the surface is to be welded later, the welding area on the surface of the substrate needs to be masked before the carbon-based film layer is formed in the preset area of ​​the surface of the substrate, so as to avoid the substrate with the carbon-based film layer formed in the preset area of ​​the surface being unable to be effectively welded later. The welding area on the surface of the substrate can be masked by bonding a layer of adhesive to the welding area, such as bonding a peelable adhesive layer to mask the welding area, or by clamping the welding area with a clamp. After masking the welding area on the surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate is cleaned to remove dust on the surface of the substrate, waiting for the carbon-based film layer to be formed in the preset area on the surface of the substrate.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, a carbon-based film layer is formed in a preset area on the surface of a substrate, including: forming a carbon-based film layer in a preset area on the surface of the substrate by a physical vapor deposition process.

[0085] The physical vapor deposition process is to vaporize the surface of the carbon material source into gaseous atoms or molecules, or partially ionize it into ions under vacuum conditions, and deposit a carbon-based film layer on a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a low-pressure gas (or plasma) process. The carbon-based film layer formed on the preset area on the surface of the substrate by the physical vapor deposition process has the advantages of high hardness and strength, good thermal stability, good wear resistance, stable chemical properties, low friction coefficient, and dense organizational structure.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, the physical vapor deposition process includes a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process.

[0087] The filtered cathode vacuum arc coating (FCVA) process uses 100% pure plasma coating to form a highly adhesive carbon-based film layer on the surface of the substrate, thereby forming an electrical connector. The hardness of the electrical connector can reach 1200HV-1500HV, and it has strong wear resistance and excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, the carbon-based film layer on the surface of the electrical connector has low surface energy, which can further inhibit corrosion and oxidation on the surface of the electrical connector.

[0088] In traditional coating processes, high-temperature deposition of coatings is often required. In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process is used to form a dense, ultra-high hardness, and ultra-strong adhesion carbon-based film layer in a preset area on the surface of the substrate under low temperature conditions, thereby avoiding the problems caused by high-temperature deposition in other traditional coating processes, such as the problem of passivation of the substrate metal due to high temperature.

[0089] In the exemplary embodiments provided in the present disclosure, a carbon-based film layer is formed on a predetermined area on the surface of the substrate, such as Figure 5 As shown, including:

[0090] S201: clamping the substrate, placing it in a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating chamber, and evacuating the chamber to a preset vacuum degree;

[0091] S202: depositing a carbon-based film layer on a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process.

[0092] After the substrate is clamped, the welding area on the substrate surface is shielded and placed in the filtered cathode vacuum arc coating chamber, and evacuated to a preset vacuum degree, for example, the preset vacuum degree can be 10 -3 Pa~10 -5 Pa, through the filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process, under low temperature conditions, for example, at a temperature of 80°C to 85°C, a carbon-based film layer is deposited on a preset area on the surface of the substrate, and the deposition rate can be 0.1As -1 ~1As -1 The deposition time can be 2 minutes to 30 minutes. The deposited carbon-based film layer has the advantages of density, ultra-high hardness, and super strong adhesion, and can avoid the problem of passivation of the substrate metal due to high-temperature deposition in other traditional coating processes.

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, before forming a carbon-based film layer in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, the preparation method further includes: forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate; the substrate layer is disposed between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer.

[0094] The substrate in the electrical connector provided in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can be a copper material, a titanium material, an aluminum material, or various stainless steel materials. The surface of the substrate is usually formed by a stamping process, which will cause the surface of the substrate to be rough and uneven. The carbon in the carbon-based film layer is nanometer-level, so the unevenness of the substrate surface will be unfavorable for carbon deposition on the substrate surface, affecting the effect of carbon deposition, so that the bonding force of the carbon-based film layer on the substrate surface is weak. In the exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, before the carbon-based film layer is formed in the preset area of ​​the substrate surface, a substrate layer is first formed on the surface of the substrate, and the substrate layer is used to level the substrate surface, fill the depressions on the substrate surface, reduce the roughness of the substrate surface, and enhance the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. In addition, the substrate layer can also provide support for the carbon-based film layer, further enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the carbon-based film layer.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment provided by the present disclosure, forming a substrate layer on a surface of a substrate includes: forming the substrate layer on the surface of the substrate by an electroplating process.

[0096] Before forming the carbon-based film layer on the preset area of ​​the substrate surface, at least one of copper, nickel, zinc, copper alloy, nickel alloy, and zinc alloy is electroplated on the surface of the substrate by electroplating, such as water plating, or chemical plating to form an underlayer, and the substrate surface is leveled by the underlayer to fill the depressions on the substrate surface, reduce the roughness of the substrate surface, and enhance the bonding force between the carbon-based film layer and the substrate. In addition, the underlayer can also provide support for the carbon-based film layer, further enhancing the hardness and wear resistance of the carbon-based film layer.

[0097] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, a substrate layer is formed on the surface of a substrate by an electroplating process, including: placing the surface of the substrate in a preset electroplating solution, using the metal of the substrate layer as an anode, connecting the substrate to a cathode, and performing electroplating after power is turned on, so that the metal of the substrate layer is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a substrate layer.

[0098] During the electroplating process, the metal of the substrate layer serves as the anode, the preset electroplating solution includes a metal salt of the substrate layer metal, the substrate is connected to the cathode, and after the power is turned on, the substrate layer metal ions in the preset electroplating solution are reduced and deposited on the surface of the substrate, the substrate layer metal at the anode is oxidized into substrate layer metal ions and dissolved in the preset electroplating solution, and the substrate layer metal ions in the preset electroplating solution are replenished to maintain the concentration of the substrate layer metal ions in the preset electroplating solution, so that the substrate layer metal is continuously deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a uniform substrate layer.

[0099] For example, when the substrate layer is a nickel plating layer, the preset formula of the electroplating solution is: nickel sulfate 320.00g / L-350.00g / L, sodium chloride 12.00g / L-15.00g / L, boric acid 35.00g / L-40.00g / L, coumarin 0.10g / L-0.15g / L, formaldehyde (36%) 0.10g / L-0.15g / L, sodium dodecyl sulfate 0.10g / L-0.15g / L, and the balance is water. The preset pH value of the electroplating solution is 3.5-4, the temperature is 50°C-55°C, and the current density of the circuit is 3A / dm 2 -4 A / dm 2 , metal nickel is used as the anode, and the substrate is connected to the cathode. After the power is turned on, the nickel ions in the preset electroplating solution are reduced and deposited on the surface of the substrate, and the nickel at the anode is oxidized into nickel ions and dissolved in the preset electroplating solution. The nickel ions in the preset electroplating solution are replenished to maintain the nickel ion concentration in the preset electroplating solution, so that nickel is continuously deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a uniform nickel plating layer.

[0100] In the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, before forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate, the preparation method also includes: in an alkaline solution, ultrasonically oscillating the substrate and then performing electrolytic degreasing to remove oil stains on the surface of the substrate; and immersing the substrate in an acidic solution to remove oxides on the surface of the substrate.

[0101] When the substrate is stored, it is usually necessary to coat the surface with anti-rust grease to avoid corrosion. Impurities such as grease and oxides on the surface of the substrate are not conducive to the adhesion of the substrate layer or the carbon-based film layer. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment provided in the present disclosure, before the substrate layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate is degreased and pickled. During the degreasing process, the substrate is subjected to ultrasonic oscillation treatment in an alkali + surfactant solution for 10s-30s to preliminarily remove the grease on the surface of the substrate; after the ultrasonic oscillation is completed, the substrate is placed in an alkaline solution, connected to a power source for electrolysis, and gas is generated on the surface of the substrate. These gases break free from the grease film on the surface of the substrate, further achieving the removal of oil stains on the surface of the substrate.

[0102] After degreasing the surface of the substrate, the substrate is immersed in an acid solution to neutralize the alkali remaining on the surface of the substrate during the degreasing treatment and remove the oxide on the surface of the substrate. After degreasing and acid washing the surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate is dried to prepare for the subsequent formation of an underlayer or a carbon-based film layer on the surface of the substrate.

[0103] It should be noted that if the underlayer or the carbon-based film layer is formed only on a portion of the surface of the substrate, only the surface or portion of the substrate where the underlayer or the carbon material is to be formed may be degreased and pickled.

[0104] In order to more clearly explain the technical solution of the present disclosure, two specific examples are given in which the method for preparing an electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is used to prepare an electrical connector.

[0105] Example 1

[0106] like Figure 6 The method for preparing the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0107] S301: providing a substrate;

[0108] S302: Degreasing: in an alkaline solution, the substrate is subjected to ultrasonic vibration and then electrolytic degreasing to remove oil stains on the surface of the substrate;

[0109] S303: Pickling: soaking the substrate in an acidic solution to remove oxides on the surface of the substrate;

[0110] S304: electroplating substrate layer: forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate by electroplating;

[0111] S305: Welding area shielding: shielding the welding area on the surface of the substrate;

[0112] S306: Cleaning: Cleaning the surface of the substrate to remove dust on the surface of the substrate;

[0113] S307: FCVA carbon-based film layer: forming a carbon-based film layer on a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process;

[0114] S308: Quality inspection.

[0115] Example 2

[0116] like Figure 7 The method for preparing the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes:

[0117] S401: providing a substrate;

[0118] S402: Grinding and polishing: Grinding and polishing the surface of the substrate;

[0119] S403: Welding area shielding: shielding the welding area on the surface of the substrate;

[0120] S404: Cleaning: Cleaning the surface of the substrate to remove dust on the surface of the substrate;

[0121] S405: FCVA carbon-based film layer: forming a carbon-based film layer on a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process;

[0122] S406: Quality inspection.

[0123] The contents described above may be implemented individually or in combination in various ways, and these variations are all within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0124] Finally, it should be noted that in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus.

[0125] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, a person skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that: The electrical connector comprises a substrate and a carbon-based film layer arranged in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, wherein the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive channels are multiple and dispersed.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carbon-based film layer is a composite structure of a diamond carbon structure and a graphite carbon structure.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The carbon-based film layer has a diamond carbon structure as a skeleton, and a graphite carbon structure is embedded inside, and the graphite carbon structure forms the conductive channel.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The diamond carbon structure is a polyhedral diamond carbon structure; the graphite carbon structure is a layered polygonal graphite carbon structure.

6. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The carbon content in the carbon-based film layer is 93%-99%.

7. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The thickness of the carbon-based film layer is 0.5 μm-5 μm.

8. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The electrical connector further includes a substrate layer disposed between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, characterized in that: The substrate layer is a metal layer.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, characterized in that: The substrate layer includes at least one of the following coatings: Copper, nickel, zinc, copper alloys, nickel alloys, zinc alloys.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The thickness of the substrate layer is 1 μm-10 μm.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector is at least one of the following: Connectors, springs, and terminal blocks.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises the electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1-12.

14. A method for preparing an electrical connector, characterized in that: The preparation method is used to prepare the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the preparation method comprises: Providing a substrate; A carbon-based film layer is formed in a preset area on the surface of the substrate, wherein the carbon-based film layer is provided with a conductive channel.

15. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 14, characterized in that: Forming a carbon-based film layer in a predetermined area on the surface of a substrate, comprising: The carbon-based film layer is formed in a preset area on the surface of the substrate through a physical vapor deposition process.

16. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 15, characterized in that: The physical vapor deposition process includes a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process.

17. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that: Forming a carbon-based film layer in a predetermined area on the surface of a substrate, comprising: Clamping the substrate, placing it in a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating chamber, and evacuating the chamber to a preset vacuum degree; A carbon-based film layer is deposited on a predetermined area on the surface of the substrate by a filtered cathode vacuum arc coating process.

18. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 14, characterized in that: Before forming the carbon-based film layer in the predetermined area on the surface of the substrate, the preparation method further comprises: A substrate layer is formed on the surface of the substrate; the substrate layer is arranged between the substrate and the carbon-based film layer.

19. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 18, characterized in that: The method further comprises forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate, comprising: A substrate layer is formed on the surface of the substrate by an electroplating process.

20. The method for preparing an electrical connector according to claim 19, characterized in that: Forming a substrate layer on the surface of the substrate by an electroplating process, comprising: The surface of the substrate is placed in a preset electroplating solution, the metal of the substrate layer is used as the anode, the substrate is connected to the cathode, and electroplating is performed after the power is turned on. The metal of the substrate layer is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a substrate layer.

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