工業自動化產品由於產品壽命長，應用環境較惡劣，對於電子連接器的性能及品質要求較3C產業嚴格。表面鍍金的方法經常被用來增加連接器的耐久性及對抗環境的變異性，但近年來黃金價格持續且快速的飊漲，造成連接器的成本受到相當大的影響，嚴重衝擊到最終產品的成本。
鍍金的厚度與連接器的價格成正比，因此鍍金的厚度由60年代未到70年代出所使用的100 μinch，減少到現在的1 μinch以下，以降低連接器的成本。然而鍍金層表面的多孔性卻又與鍍金層的厚度成反比，多孔性會造成鍍金層底下的基材及鍍層受到外界環境的氣體所腐蝕，而使連接器產生接觸不良或訊號中斷的問題。
本論文將介紹與連接器相關的測試規範，並根據規範來設計實驗，以討論鍍金厚度與耐久度的關聯。最後，提出幾點結論，以供後續連接器鍍層選用及未來研究工作之參考。

As the longer life cycle and harsher application environment of the industrial automation product, its connector requires higher quality and better performance than other 3C products. Gold plating method is usually used to improve the durability and against the variability of the environment. However, the price of gold has become higher and higher in recent years. It caused a great effect on the connector cost and consequently it had a serious impact on the cost of end products.
The price of connector is proportional to the thickness of gold plating, so the thickness of gold plating has reduced from 100 μinch in late 1960’s to 1970’s to less than 1 μinch nowadays in order to reduce the cost of connector. However, the porosity of the surface in gold plating coating is contrary to the thickness of gold plating layer. The porosity leads to corrosion on both the substrate material of gold plating coating and cladding exposing in the gas of external environment. This would occur the problems of connection failure or data missing in connector.
In order to find the relationship between durability and thickness of gold plating, the related test specifications of connector will be introduced in this thesis and the experiments will be conducted based on the specifications. In the end, some conclusions will be presented as the selection of connector coating as well as the reference for future research.

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[8] ASTM B578 (Standard Test Method for Microhardness of Electroplated Coatings)
[9] ASTM B765 (Standard Guide for Selection of Porosity and Gross Defect Tests for Electrodeposits and Related Metallic Coatings)
[10] ASTM B735 (Standard Test Method for Porosity in Gold Coatings on Metal Substrates by Nitric Acid Vapor)
[11] ASTM B799 (Standard Test Method for Porosity in Gold and Palladium Coatings by Sulfurous Acid/Sulfur-Dioxide Vapor)
[12] ASTM B489 (Standard Practice for Bend Test for Ductility of Electrodeposited and Autocatalytically Deposited Metal Coatings on Metals)
[13] EIA-364-D (Electrical Connector /Socket Test Procedures Including Environmental Classifications)
[14] EIA-364-65A (Mixed Flowing Gas)
[15] ASTM B845, Standard Guide for Mixed Flowing Gas (MFG) Tests for Electrical Contacts
[16] EIA-364-TS-1000.01, Environmental Test Methodology for Assessing the Performance of Electrical Connectors and Sockets Used in Business Office Applications.
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[19] T-MACHINE鐵木真科技股份有限公司鹽霧測試機技術手冊
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