Connectors

Copper Alloys for Board to Board Connectors

Backgrounds and Trends

As electronic devices continue to offer more advanced functions, the number of board-to-board connectors in each device is increasing.
This increase is especially notable in smartphones, where board-to-board connectors have become more compact, while minimization of heat generation has arisen as an issue.

Material Requirements

Lower connector profile and narrower pin pitch are leading to use of thinner materials supporting the reduced pin-terminal width and thickness. The increasing thinness must be accompanied by increased strength to ensure sufficiently reliable connections. Moreover, the metal contacts are in many cases formed into complex bent shapes in stamping, requiring materials with excellent bend formability. Recently, there has been demand for high-conductivity materials to minimize heat generation, as board-to-board connectors with power pins increase.

High strength copper alloys

Titanium copper alloys NKT322C1990HC
Hyper phosphor bronze C5210 (HP)C5240 (HP)
High strength Corson alloys NKC286NKC286SNKC388

High conductivity copper alloys

High conductivity Corson alloys 
NKC164ENKC4820NKC1816NKC4419
High conductivity alloys NKE010NKE012