JP7816951B2 - Contact Probe - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a contact probe that is used by contacting the terminals of an object to be tested, such as a semiconductor device, when testing the object.

Conventionally, when testing semiconductor devices and other test objects, contact probes (hereinafter simply referred to as "probes") have been used, in which the tips of pins contact a pair of pad-type terminals provided on the surface of the test object. In recent years, as test objects have become increasingly miniaturized, there has been a demand for probes that can contact a pair of pad-type terminals spaced very close together.

For example, in the conventional probe described in Patent Document 1, a pair of plungers, each of which is cylindrical overall and arranged parallel to one another, have an inclined surface formed at one axial end that sharpens the adjacent portions in the axial direction.

Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2009-0096272

However, in the above-mentioned conventional probes, the support portion that positions the plunger with the pointed portions in close proximity in the axial direction using an inclined surface protrudes perpendicular to the axis from the plunger's body. This structure has the problem of making the plunger and the holder that holds it complex. Furthermore, there is a certain limit to how miniaturized the overall size of the probe device can be.

The object of the present invention is to provide a contact probe that can achieve close proximity of a pair of tips that come into contact with the test object using a simple and compact structure.

One aspect of the contact probe according to the present invention is
a pair of conductive pins each extending in an axial direction with an outer peripheral shape having one or more corners, and each having an inclined surface at one end in the axial direction that sharpens one of the corners in the axial direction;
a holder that holds both of the pair of conductive pins in a state in which the pair of conductive pins are aligned with each other so that the respective corners that are sharp in the axial direction are close to each other;
and
the holder has an integral structure provided with a pair of through holes extending parallel to each other and having a shape that matches the outer periphery of the holder so that the pair of conductive pins are inserted therein,
The pair of conductive pins are configured such that the heads protruding from the pair of through holes are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is smaller than the distance between the body portions .

The present invention makes it possible to achieve close proximity of a pair of pointed ends that come into contact with the test object using a simple and compact structure.

1A and 1B are perspective views of a contact probe according to an embodiment as viewed obliquely from above and below, respectively. 2A and 2B are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a contact probe according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front and the side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor element as an object to be inspected. FIG. 4 is a view of the contact portion of the contact probe according to the embodiment as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 5 is a view of the contact portion of the contact probe according to the embodiment as viewed from below and in front. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the head of the conductive pin of the contact probe according to the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows only the conductive pins of the contact probe according to the embodiment, with the heads of these pins viewed from below in the axial direction. FIG. 8 shows only the holder of the contact probe according to the embodiment, as viewed from below in the axial direction. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the contact probe according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A taken along line IX-IX. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the tip of the conductive pin of the contact probe according to the embodiment is placed directly facing the object to be inspected.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B are diagrams showing the appearance of a contact probe according to an embodiment of the present invention, and are respectively perspective views (Figures 1A and 1B), a front view (Figure 2A), and a side view (Figure 2B) of the contact probe as seen diagonally from above, below, the front, and the side. Note that in this embodiment, the up-down direction refers to the direction extending up and down in the front view of contact probe 100 shown in Figure 2A, the left-right direction refers to the direction extending left and right in the front view, and the front-rear direction refers to the direction extending left and right in the side view of contact probe 100 shown in Figure 2B.

The contact probe 100 according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "probe 100") is used, for example, in testing (e.g., electrical testing such as confirming continuity) a semiconductor element S (see Figure 3) as an object to be inspected. The semiconductor element S has pad-type terminals S3, S4 arranged side by side at a very short interval on the terminal surface S2 of the element body S1, which is in the form of a chip, for example. The probe 100 is suitable for use in testing a semiconductor element S having a structure in which a pair of pad-type terminals S3, S4 are arranged side by side at a very short interval on the terminal surface S2.

The contact probe 100 has a pair of conductive pins 140a, 140b and a holder 160 that holds these conductive pins 140a, 140b in a state where they are aligned with each other. When the contact probe 100 is in use, the contact portion 120, which functions to make a conductive connection with the semiconductor element S by contacting the pad-type terminals S3, S4 of the semiconductor element S, is configured by inserting the body portions 141a, 141b of the conductive pins 140a, 140b into through-holes 161a, 161b that extend parallel to each other and vertically penetrate the holder 160, with the heads 142a, 142b of the conductive pins 140a, 140b protruding downward from the holder 160.

The holder 160 is made of a non-conductive material and has an integral structure with a pair of through holes 161a, 161b. The holder 160 can be manufactured as an integral unit, for example, by injection molding a non-conductive resin material, but may also be manufactured by other methods.

The conductive pins 140a and 140b are made of a conductive material and have a pin-shaped structure. The conductive pins 140a and 140b can be made by cutting a conductive metal material, but they may also be made by other methods. In this embodiment, the conductive pins 140a and 140b are solid, but they may also be hollow.

The conductive pins 140a, 140b are rod-shaped members that extend linearly in the axial direction overall. When the rod-shaped conductive pins 140a, 140b are inserted into the through-holes 161a, 161b of the holder 160, they are held in the holder 160 aligned with each other, more specifically, approximately parallel to each other. When the conductive pins 140a, 140b are held in the holder 160, most of the body portions 141a, 141b of the conductive pins 140a, 140b are accommodated in the through-holes 161a, 161b. The body base portions 1411a, 1411b of the body portions 141a, 141b, located on the opposite side from the head portions 142a, 142b, protrude upward from the holder 160. During use, the body base portions 1411a, 1411b are electrically connected to a test device (not shown) via lead wires or the like.

The heads 142a, 142b of the conductive pins 140a, 140b that protrude downward from the holder 160 are provided with inclined surfaces 1421a, 1421b so that the heads 142a, 142b taper from both left and right sides toward the center. These inclined surfaces 1421a, 1421b form the tips (the lower axial ends) of the heads 142a, 142b into pointed ends 1422a, 1422b that are pointed in the axial direction. Furthermore, because the inclined surfaces 1421a, 1421b are configured to incline from both sides toward the center, the pointed ends 1422a, 1422b are positioned close to each other.

As a result, even if the pad-type terminals S3 and S4 are arranged very close to each other on the semiconductor element S to be tested, the pointed ends 1422a and 1422b can be placed directly opposite the pad-type terminals S3 and S4, respectively (see Figure 10), and the pointed ends 1422a and 1422b can be brought into contact with the pad-type terminals S3 and S4.

In addition, because the conductive pins 140a, 140b are held in a state aligned with each other, more specifically, in a state approximately parallel to each other, during use, the conductive pins 140a, 140b can be brought into perpendicular contact with the contact points (pad-type terminals S3, S4 in this embodiment), allowing a load to be applied perpendicularly to the tips 1422a, 1422b. Therefore, in this embodiment, the occurrence of problems such as the tip becoming misaligned or being damaged or deformed can be reduced compared to when the conductive pins are brought into oblique contact with the terminals of the test object.

In this embodiment, the inclined surfaces 1421a and 1421b are flat across the entire surface, but only the pointed ends 1422a and 1422b may be spherical, convex downward in the axial direction. In this case, durability against vertical loads can be further improved.

The detailed configuration of the probe 100 will be described below with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, as well as Figures 4 to 9.

Figures 4 and 5 are views of the contact portion 120 as seen from diagonally below and from below the front, respectively. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the heads 142a and 142b of the conductive pins 140a and 140b shown in Figure 5. Figure 7 shows only the conductive pins 140a and 140b, with the heads 142a and 142b viewed from below in the axial direction. Figure 8 shows only the holder 160, with the holder 160 viewed from below in the axial direction. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the probe 100 shown in Figure 2A, taken along line IX-IX.

The conductive pins 140a, 140b extend in the axial direction with a substantially square (i.e., four-cornered) outer periphery (see Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B). In other words, in this embodiment, the conductive pins 140a, 140b are generally prismatic.

In conductive pin 140a, the four corners 143a1, 143a2 included in the outer periphery are arranged so that a pair of opposing corners 143a1, 143a1 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and another pair of opposing corners 143a1, 143a2 are spaced apart in the left-to-right direction. In conductive pin 140b, the four corners 143b1, 143b2 included in the outer periphery are arranged so that a pair of opposing corners 143b1, 143b1 are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, and another pair of opposing corners 143b1, 143b2 are spaced apart in the left-to-right direction.

With this arrangement, the four corners of each conductive pin 140a, 140b, namely, corners 143a2, 143b2, are positioned close to each other. In the following description, corners 143a2, 143b2 are also referred to as close corners 143a2, 143b2.

In this embodiment, in addition to the arrangement of corners 143a1, 143a2, 143b1, and 143b2 as described above, the heads 142a and 142b of the conductive pins 140a and 140b are configured with inclined surfaces 1421a and 1421b that are inclined diagonally (corresponding to the left-right direction) from the adjacent corners 143a2 and 143b2 toward the opposing corners 143a1 and 143b1, respectively.

This allows the adjacent corners 143a2, 143b2, which are positioned closest to each other on the outer periphery of the conductive pins 140a, 140b, to be sharpened in the axial direction at the tips of the conductive pins 140a, 140b.

In other words, by simply arranging the conductive pins 140a, 140b, each having a diagonally inclined inclined surface 1421a, 1421b at one axial end, with one corner 143a2, 143b2 in the diagonal direction close to each other, the pointed ends 1422a, 1422b that come into contact with the semiconductor element S can be reliably arranged close to each other.

In this embodiment, the outer peripheral shape of the conductive pins 140a, 140b is approximately square, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the outer peripheral shape of the conductive pins has one or more corners, regardless of the shape, the starting position of the inclination of the inclined surface can be aligned with one corner of each of the pair of conductive pins, and the corners can be positioned close to each other, thereby positioning the pointed ends close to each other.

Incidentally, if the conductive pin were a round bar overall, a special configuration would be required to position the pointed ends obtained by the inclined surfaces in close proximity, complicating the overall device configuration (see the protrusion (50) and recess (212) in the probe of Patent Document 1). However, this embodiment does not require such a special configuration. Therefore, this embodiment allows for a simplified configuration of the probe 100.

In this embodiment, as described above, the conductive pins 140a and 140b are held in the holder 160 with the conductive pins 140a and 140b aligned with each other so that the corners 143a2 and 143b2 are close to each other. With this configuration, the conductive pins 140a and 140b can be accommodated in the holder 160 with a width that is slightly larger than the sum of the outer diameters (more specifically, the diagonal width) of the conductive pins 140a and 140b. This allows the overall device size of the probe 100 to be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the through holes 161a, 161b provided in the holder 160 have an outer peripheral shape that is approximately the same as the outer peripheral shape of the conductive pins 140a, 140b, and the outer peripheral size is approximately the same as the outer peripheral size of the conductive pins 140a, 140b so that the conductive pins 140a, 140b can be inserted into them.

In this way, the holder 160 has a pair of through holes 161a, 161b that extend parallel to the outer periphery of the conductive pins 140a, 140b, allowing the conductive pins 140a, 140b to be inserted therein. This allows the conductive pins 140a, 140b to be held in a rotation-preventing state simply by inserting them into the holder 160, thereby reliably positioning the adjacent corners 143a2, 143b2, whose axial ends become the pointed ends 1422a, 1422b, at the closest positions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the conductive pins 140a, 140b are configured so that the body portions 141a, 141b housed in the holder 160 are spaced apart by a distance d1, while the head portions 142a, 142b protruding downward from the holder 160 are spaced apart by a distance d2 that is smaller than the distance d1 (see Figures 2A and 4-9). Therefore, the pointed ends 1422a, 1422b in particular are closer to each other than the body portions 141a, 141b, which are closer to each other.

This makes it easier to realize the holding structure of the holder 160 that holds both of the pair of conductive pins 140a, 140b, and also allows the pointed ends 1422a, 1422b to be positioned as close as possible to each other.

In addition, in this embodiment, the through-hole corners 1611a and 1611b of the through-holes 161a and 161b of the holder 160 are all formed as rounded surfaces, while the corners 143a1, 143a2, 143b1, and 143b2 of the body portions 141a and 141b of the conductive pins 140a and 140b housed in the holder 160 are all formed as chamfered surfaces.

This ensures clearance between the through-hole corners 1611a, 1611b and the corners 143a1, 143a2, 143b1, 143b2 of the body portions 141a, 141b, preventing problems such as the conductive pins 140a, 140b not being able to be inserted into the through-holes 161a, 161b due to manufacturing tolerances of each part, and ensuring reliable assembly of the conductive pins 140a, 140b and the holder 160.

In the above-described embodiment, the conductive pins 140a, 140b are rod-shaped members that extend linearly in the axial direction as a whole, but an elastic body such as a spring may be interposed in part of the body bases 1411a, 1411b.

By providing elastic bodies in parts of the body bases 1411a and 1411b, the contact pressure of the probes 100 against the semiconductor element S can be adjusted to any desired pressure.
Furthermore, a mechanism for adjusting the contact pressure may be provided on the side of the through holes 161a and 161b of the holder 160 opposite to the side on which the tip ends 1422a and 1422b of the probes 100 are arranged.

Furthermore, the probe 100 and the test device only need to be electrically connected, and lead wires or the like may be connected to the body base portions 1411a and 1411b of the probe 100. If the elastic body is made of a conductive material, lead wires or the like may be connected to the elastic body, or lead wires or the like may be connected to a mechanism for adjusting the contact pressure.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention. Please note that the above description is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the description of the configuration of the device and the shape of each part is merely an example, and it is clear that various modifications and additions to these examples are possible within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is useful as a contact probe that is used by contacting the terminals of an object to be tested, such as a semiconductor device, when testing the object.

100 Contact probe 120 Contact portion 140a, 140b Conductive pin 141a, 141b Body portion 1411a, 1411b Body base portion 142a, 142b Head portion 1421a, 1421b Inclined surface 1422a, 1422b Pointed end portion 143a1, 143b1 Corner portion 143a2, 143b2 Adjacent corner portion (corner portion)
160 Holder 161a, 161b Through-hole 1611a, 1611b Through-hole corner S Semiconductor element (test object)
S1: Element body S2: Terminal surface S3, S4: Pad-type terminals

Claims (3)

a pair of conductive pins each extending in an axial direction with an outer peripheral shape having one or more corners, and each having an inclined surface at one end in the axial direction that sharpens one of the corners in the axial direction;
a holder that holds both of the pair of conductive pins in a state in which the pair of conductive pins are aligned with each other so that the respective corners that are sharp in the axial direction are close to each other;
and
the holder has an integral structure provided with a pair of through holes extending parallel to each other and having a shape that matches the outer periphery of the holder so that the pair of conductive pins are inserted therein,
the pair of conductive pins are formed such that the heads protruding from the pair of through holes are spaced apart from each other by a distance smaller than the distance between the body portions;
Contact probe. all corners of the through hole are formed into rounded surfaces, and all corners of the body of the conductive pin accommodated in the through hole are formed into chamfered surfaces;
The contact probe according to claim 1 . The inclined surface is spherical at each of the axially pointed corners.
The contact probe according to claim 1 or 2 .