An Electrical Bond Contact-Impedance Model

Abstract

A model is presented for the impedance of an electrical bond between two metal surfaces held in mechanical contact. Sample calculations are performed which show that such electrical bonds may be assumed to be purely resistive for frequencies below approximately 1.0 GHz. Measured electrical bond impedance data for selected sample bonds are shown to be in general agreement with this assumption when skin effect and bulk conductor inductance are considered. The predicted bond impedance was found to be a surface phenomenon and is a function of surface properties and contact pressure applied to the faying surfaces.