How Cu doping improves the interfacial wettability between Ag and SnO₂ of Ag/SnO₂ contact material

In order to explore how Cu doping improves the wettability between Ag and SnO₂ of Ag/SnO₂ contact material, the physical and chemical changes of pure SnO₂ and Cu-doped SnO₂ powders at a high temperature were studied using a laser simulated arc. The results show that some of the SnO₂ grows preferentially along the (211) and (101) crystal planes, and the other part changes to SnO preferentially growing along the (101) crystal plane. SnO₂ particles with SnO make contact with each other under the action of the simulation arc to form large agglomerate particles. Meanwhile, the deposition of gasified SnO₂ during the arc process aggravates the formation of SnO₂ agglomerates. However, Cu doping reduces the gasified deposition of SnO₂ during the arc process, and inhibits the preferred growth of SnO₂ along the (211) and (101) crystal planes and the change from SnO₂ to SnO at a high temperature. Furthermore, Cu doping induces SnO₂ grains to redistribute along a specific direction to form nanoneedle assembled Cu-doped SnO₂ hierarchical nanostructures during the arc process. Finally, a mechanism of Cu doping which improves the interfacial wettability between Ag and SnO₂ of Ag/SnO₂ contact material is proposed.