Study of Contact Resistance in Connectors With Physical Simulation Using Nanofabrication

The contact resistance of electrical contacts in connectors consists of constriction resistance that results from the constriction of current flow and the film resistance of the high-resistivity material between the two electrodes. The constriction resistance depends on the number of contact points and their sizes. In the case of a simplified single-point contact, the constriction resistance can be calculated analytically; however, this is not the case for real contact. To establish a relationship between the physical structure of an electrical contact and its constriction resistance, samples that represent the contact structure were fabricated on a Si-chip for measuring the constriction resistance.