Disclosed are a copper alloy strip having high heat resistance and thermal dissipation properties which is suitable for a material for shield cans to solve heating of mobile devices, a material for vehicles and semiconductor lead frames, and a material for electrical and electronic parts, such as connectors, relays, switches, etc., widely used in industries including vehicles, and a method of preparing the same.

Disclosed are a copper alloy strip having high heat resistance and thermal dissipation properties which is suitable for a material for shield cans to solve heating of mobile devices, a material for vehicles and semiconductor lead frames, and a material for electrical and electronic parts, such as connectors, relays, switches, etc., widely used in industries including vehicles, and a method of preparing the same.

There is provided a novel Cu bonding wire that achieves a favorable FAB shape and reduces a galvanic corrosion in a high-temperature environment to achieve a favorable bond reliability of the 2nd bonding part. The bonding wire for semiconductor devices includes a core material of Cu or Cu alloy, and a coating layer having a total concentration of Pd and Ni of 90 atomic % or more formed on a surface of the core material. The bonding wire is characterized in that: in a concentration profile in a depth direction of the wire obtained by performing measurement using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) so that the number of measurement points in the depth direction is 50 or more for the coating layer, a thickness of the coating layer is 10 nm or more and 130 nm or less, an average value X is 0.2 or more and 35.0 or less where X is defined as an average value of a ratio of a Pd concentration C.sub.Pd (atomic %) to an Ni concentration C.sub.Ni (atomic %), C.sub.Pd/C.sub.Ni, for all measurement points in the coating layer, and the total number of measurement points in the coating layer whose absolute deviation from the average value X is 0.3X or less is 50% or more relative to the total number of measurement points in the coating layer.

An electronic component includes a component body, a base electrode that has a surface exposed from the component body and contains at least one of silver and copper, an alloy layer deposited on the surface of the base electrode, and a nickel layer deposited on a surface of the alloy layer. The material of the alloy layer is an alloy containing nickel and tin.

An electronic component includes a component body, a base electrode that has a surface exposed from the component body and contains at least one of silver and copper, an alloy layer deposited on the surface of the base electrode, and a nickel layer deposited on a surface of the alloy layer. The material of the alloy layer is an alloy containing nickel and tin.

While a molten metal of copper heated to a temperature, which is higher than the melting point of copper by 250 to 700° C. (preferably 350 to 650° C. and more preferably 450 to 600° C.), is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the heated molten metal of copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere (such as an atmosphere of nitrogen, argon, hydrogen or carbon monoxide) to rapidly cool and solidify the heated molten metal of copper to produce a copper powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and a crystallite diameter Dx.sub.(200) of not less than 40 nm on (200) plane thereof, the content of oxygen in the copper powder being 0.7% by weight or less.

A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker with ordered ceramic microparticles is provided. The metal contact comprises an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material. Both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy. The metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about few micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures.

A metal contact of a residential circuit breaker with ordered ceramic microparticles is provided. The metal contact comprises an electrical contact material comprising a metal alloy and ceramic particles to form a metal matrix composite material. Both materials the metal alloy and the ceramic particles are present together as a metal compound but without forming an alloy. The metal compound is a matrix and reinforcement being the ceramic particles such that first the ceramic particles has a sintering step to get a homogeneous preform for the metal compound being porous with a controlled size obtained by pressing a particle size of about few micrometers of the ceramic particles and then a liquid metal infiltration step to provide a homogenous distribution of the metal alloy and the ceramic particles in a three-dimensional open porous arrangement and the homogenous distribution results in ordered microstructures.

Bendability of a copper alloy wire is improved without decrease in an electrical conductivity of the copper alloy wire made of copper alloy containing zirconium. A cable includes: a two-core stranded wire formed by intertwining two electrical wires made of a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor; a filler formed around the two-core stranded wire; and a sheath formed around the filler and the electrical wire. The conductor is a copper alloy wire in which a precipitate containing the zirconium disperses, and has a crystal gain diameter that is equal to or smaller than 1 μm, an electrical conductivity that is equal to or higher than 87% IACS, and a tensile stress that is equal to or larger than 545 MPa.

Bendability of a copper alloy wire is improved without decrease in an electrical conductivity of the copper alloy wire made of copper alloy containing zirconium. A cable includes: a two-core stranded wire formed by intertwining two electrical wires made of a conductor and an insulating layer covering the conductor; a filler formed around the two-core stranded wire; and a sheath formed around the filler and the electrical wire. The conductor is a copper alloy wire in which a precipitate containing the zirconium disperses, and has a crystal gain diameter that is equal to or smaller than 1 μm, an electrical conductivity that is equal to or higher than 87% IACS, and a tensile stress that is equal to or larger than 545 MPa.