Abstract: A stacking device for uniform platelike pieces includes a conveying device and a container in which the pieces, which are advanced by the conveying device, are deposited with the front side of one piece against the back side of another. In order to protect the coated surface of the pieces the latter are separated from one another by means of intermediate layers separately fed into the container.

Abstract: Copper is sputtered onto a substrate to make a solder-fast contact layer by carrying out the sputtering in a discharge of a monatomic gas containing 0.5 to 16% of air, nitrogen or oxygen which reduces the conductivity of the copper layer, but makes it resistant to alloying with a solution in solder, to an extent comparable with the results obtained by the provision of intermediate diffusion barrier layers. Best results are obtained in an argon discharge in the presence of an admixture of nitrogen or air between 2 and 4% by volume. The solder-wetting properties are not impaired.