CN117917572A - Electrical contact, electrical connection structure and electrical connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an electrical contact, an electrical connection structure and an electrical connection device, which can restrain abrasion of a specific arm during contact and can adjust deflection of the arm under the state of shortening the whole length of the electrical contact and maintaining frequency characteristics. The present invention is a vertical electrical contact, comprising: a first base portion having a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected; a second base portion having a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode portion; and a plurality of elastic members including a plurality of arm portions branching the plate-like members coupled to the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively, wherein the plurality of elastic members are arranged in a thickness direction of the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively.

Description

Electrical contact, electrical connection structure and electrical connection device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electrical contact, an electrical connection structure, and an electrical connection device, and is applicable to an electrical connection device used for electrical inspection such as a power test of each semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a wafer.

Background

In electrical inspection of each semiconductor integrated circuit (inspected object) on a wafer, an inspection device (tester) in which a probe card (electrical connection device) having a plurality of probes is mounted on a test head is used. At the time of inspection, the probes of the probe card are brought into electrical contact with electrode terminals of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The tester main body portion supplies an electrical signal to the semiconductor integrated circuit via the probe, and the tester main body portion analyzes the electrical signal from the semiconductor integrated circuit via the probe to perform an electrical inspection.

Patent document 1 discloses a vertical probe mounted on a vertical probe card. The vertical probe includes a first contact portion, a second contact portion, and a branch portion, wherein the branch portion includes an annular perforation. When the vertical probe is set on the probe card, the first contact portion and the branch portion of the vertical probe are inserted into the first through hole of the first probe substrate, and the branch portion is held between the first probe substrate and the second probe substrate. By holding the branched portion having the annular hole in the probe card main body in this manner, the vertical probe can be made elastic without being displaced when in contact.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

[ Patent document 1] U.S. patent publication No. 2019/0212367

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in recent years, the demand for narrowing the pitch of probes has increased, and the diameter of a through hole (in the case of the above example, a first through hole of a first probe substrate) for accommodating a vertical probe in a probe substrate tends to be small. In addition, in order to improve the frequency characteristics of the inspection signal transmitted through the vertical probe, and to improve the inspection accuracy of the inspection apparatus, it is desirable to shorten the entire length of the probe.

However, there are cases where the widths of the two arms in the branched portion of the vertical probe are different due to processing errors in forming the probe. Thus, upon contact, the following problems occur: one arm is greatly deflected and strongly touches the wall surface of the through hole, thereby wearing the arm.

In order to adjust the deflection of the arm to be small, the load on the control arm may be considered. However, since the total length of the vertical probe tends to be shortened, there are few portions where the load can be controlled, and it is difficult to adjust the deflection. On the other hand, when the entire length of the vertical probe is lengthened and a portion capable of controlling the load is newly provided, there is a problem in that the frequency characteristics are lowered.

Therefore, there is a need for an electrical contact, an electrical connection structure, and an electrical connection device that can suppress wear of a specific arm during contact, and can adjust the deflection of the arm while maintaining frequency characteristics by shortening the entire length of the electrical contact.

Technical means for solving the problems

In order to solve the problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a vertical electrical contact, comprising: a first base portion having a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected; a second base portion having a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode portion; and a plurality of elastic members including a plurality of arm portions branching the plate-like members coupled to the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively, wherein the plurality of elastic members are arranged in a thickness direction of the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively.

A second aspect of the present invention is an electrical connection structure including: a through hole formed in the support substrate; and an electrical contact inserted through the through hole, one of the tips being in contact with the electrode portion, the other tip being in contact with an electrode terminal of the object to be inspected, the electrical contact including: a first base portion having a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected; a second base portion having a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode portion; and a plurality of elastic members having a plurality of arm portions and opening portions branching the plate-like members connected to the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively, the plurality of elastic members being arranged in the thickness direction of the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively.

A third aspect of the present invention is an electrical connection device that is provided with a support substrate that supports a plurality of electrical contacts and that electrically connects an object to be inspected with an inspection apparatus, the electrical connection device having the electrical contact structure of the electrical contacts of the first aspect of the present invention.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, wear of a specific arm can be suppressed at the time of contact, and the deflection of the arm can be adjusted while shortening the entire length of the electrical contact and maintaining the frequency characteristic.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of an electrical contact according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a front view of an electrical contact of an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a top view of an electrical contact of an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a side view of an electrical contact of an embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a main configuration of the electrical connection device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a front view showing a main configuration of the electrical connection device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a structural view showing the structure of the electrical contact before and at the time of contact, which is held in the probe assembly according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view showing the structure of an electrical contact according to a modified embodiment, and fig. 8 (B) is a plan view of the electrical contact.

Fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view showing the structure of an electrical contact according to a modified embodiment, and fig. 9 (B) is a plan view of the electrical contact.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory view illustrating deflection of the arm portion when the electrical contact of fig. 9 is in contact.

Fig. 11 is a front view (one of) an electrical contact of a variant embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a front view of an electrical contact of a variant embodiment (two).

Detailed Description

(A) Main embodiment

Embodiments of the electrical contact, the electrical connection structure, and the electrical connection device according to the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In this embodiment mode, the present invention is applied to an electrical connection device mounted on an inspection device (hereinafter also referred to as a "tester") that performs inspection (for example, power-on inspection or the like) of electrical characteristics of a plurality of semiconductor integrated circuits formed on a semiconductor wafer.

The "electrical connection device" has a plurality of electrical contacts that electrically contact the respective electrodes of the object to be inspected, and electrically connects the object to be inspected and the tester main body portion of the inspection device (tester). The electrical connection means is, for example, a probe card or the like, and in this embodiment, a case of a vertical probe card is exemplified, and a case of an electrical contact being a vertical probe is exemplified.

The "subject to be inspected" is an object to be inspected for electrical characteristics by the inspection apparatus, and represents, for example, an integrated circuit, a semiconductor wafer, or the like. The "semiconductor wafer" has a plurality of integrated circuits having circuit patterns formed on the wafer, and is assumed to be in a state before probing.

(A-1-1) constitution of electric connection device

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a main configuration of the electrical connection device according to the embodiment. Fig. 6 is a front view showing a main configuration of the electrical connection device according to the embodiment.

In fig. 5 and 6, the electrical connection device 1 of the embodiment includes a wiring board 2, a connection board 3, and a probe assembly 5.

Although the electric connection device 1 of fig. 5 and 6 illustrates main constituent members, the electric connection device is not limited to these constituent members, and actually includes constituent members not shown. Note that, in the following, the "up" and "down" are mentioned focusing on the up-down direction in fig. 6.

The electrical connection device 1 is mounted on a test head of an inspection device (tester), not shown, and electrically connects the tester main body, not shown, and the object 15 by electrically contacting the corresponding electrical contacts 21 with the electrode terminals 16 of the object 15 during inspection.

At the time of inspection, the electrical connection device 1 supplies an electrical signal from the tester main body portion to the electrode terminals 16 of the inspected body 15 via the electrical contacts 21, and supplies an electrical signal from the inspected body 15 to the tester main body portion via the electrical contacts 21. In this way, the electrical connection device 1 electrically connects the object 15 to the tester main body, and the tester main body can inspect the electrical characteristics of the object 15.

The object 15 to be inspected is placed on an upper surface of a chuck connected to an inspection table such as a multi-axis table, for example, and the position of the object 15 on the chuck can be adjusted by driving the inspection table. For example, at the time of inspection, the object 15 on the chuck and the lower surface of the wiring board 2 of the electrical connection device 1 are brought into relative proximity, and each electrode terminal 16 of the object 15 is brought into electrical contact with the contact portion of the corresponding electrical contact 21.

[ Wiring Board 2]

The wiring board 2 is made of a resin material such as polyimide, for example, and is a printed board formed in a substantially circular plate shape. A rectangular opening 7 is formed in a central portion of one surface (for example, an upper surface) of the wiring substrate 2. The rectangular opening 7 is an opening penetrating the wiring board 2 in the board thickness direction (Z-axis direction), and the connection board 3 is mounted on the opening 7. A plurality of connection portions (not shown) are formed on one surface of the wiring board 2 in an aligned manner.

A plurality of tester connection portions 8 connected to the circuits of the tester main body are formed on the outer edge portion of the wiring board 2. Each connection portion on one surface of the wiring substrate 2 is electrically connected via a conductive path (not shown) of the wiring substrate 2.

[ Connection substrate 3]

The connection substrate 3 is a substrate made of an electrically insulating material, and is mounted on the opening 7 of the wiring substrate 2. The connection board 3 has a rectangular plate-shaped rectangular portion 11 accommodated in the opening 7, and a rectangular annular flange 12 protruding toward an outer edge portion of the rectangular portion 11 on one surface (for example, an upper surface) of the rectangular portion 11.

The rectangular portion 11 is accommodated in the opening 7 of the wiring board 2, and the annular flange 12 is mounted on the wiring board 2 by a plurality of screw members 13 in a state where the annular flange 12 is placed on an edge portion of the opening 7.

The rectangular portion 11 has a plurality of through holes 14 formed in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction, plate thickness direction) of the substrate. The through holes 14 are formed corresponding to the positions of the electrode terminals 16 of the object 15.

One end of each wire is inserted into each through hole 14 of the connection substrate 3, and is electrically connected to the corresponding electrical contact 21 via a wiring pattern on the other surface (for example, the lower surface) of the wiring substrate 2. The other end of each wiring is connected to a corresponding connection portion. Accordingly, each of the electrical contacts 21 is connected to the connection portion by wiring, and is connected to the circuit of the tester main body portion via the connection portion and the tester connection portion 8.

The tip of one end of each wire inserted into each through hole 14 may be electrically connected to each corresponding electrical contact 21, and for example, one end of each wire may be connected to the electrical contact 21 via the wiring pattern of the wiring board 2 as described above. In addition, as another method, one end of the wiring may be directly connected to the corresponding each of the electrical contacts 21. Alternatively, one end of the wiring may be indirectly connected to each of the electrical contacts 21 via a conductive path and a connection terminal provided on the wiring board 2 (or the connection board 3).

[ Probe Assembly 55]

The probe assembly 5 is a member holding a plurality of electrical contacts 21. The probe assembly 5 includes a support substrate for supporting the plurality of electrical contacts 21, and the support substrate includes through holes 71 at positions corresponding to the respective positions of the plurality of electrode terminals 16 of the object 15.

The electrical contacts 21 are accommodated in a plurality of through holes 71 provided in the support substrate, respectively, and the probe assembly 5 holds the plurality of electrical contacts 21.

The probe assembly 5 is a plate-like member made of an electrically insulating material. In order to allow the distal end portions of the respective electrical contacts 21 to be in electrical contact with the electrode terminals 16 of the corresponding object to be inspected 15, the probe assembly 5 is mounted on the other surface (e.g., the lower surface) of the connection substrate 3.

(A-1-2) detailed constitution of the electric contact 21

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of an electrical contact 21 according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view of the electrical contact 21, fig. 3 is a top view of the electrical contact 21, and fig. 4 is a side view of the electrical contact 21.

For convenience of explanation, the dimensions, wire diameters, lengths, widths, thicknesses, and the like of the electrical contacts 21 illustrated in fig. 1 to 4 are highlighted, and are not limited to those illustrated.

In fig. 1 to 4, the electrical contact 21 has a first contact portion 56, a second contact portion 57, a first connecting portion (also referred to as "first base portion") 55, a second connecting portion (also referred to as "second base portion") 62, a first arm portion 51, a second arm portion 52, a third arm portion 53, and a fourth arm portion 54.

The electric contact 21 is formed entirely of a conductive material, and is a vertical probe having elasticity in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). The electrical contacts 21 electrically contact the electrode terminals 16 of the test object 15 with the wiring pattern formed on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 2 during the test in order to electrically connect the electrode terminals 16 of the test object 15 with the main body of the tester.

In the electrical contact 21, the first contact portion 56 is a portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal 16 of the object 15, and the second contact portion 57 is a portion that is in electrical contact with the wiring pattern of the wiring substrate 2.

The first connecting portion 55 is a portion integrally connected to the first contact portion 56. The first connecting portion 55 has a substantially quadrangular prism shape in cross section, and an end portion (for example, an upper end portion of the first connecting portion 55 when the electrical contact 21 is provided) opposite to an end portion of the first contact portion 56 is connected to the first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54, respectively. The shape of the first connecting portion 55 is not limited to a prism, and may be a cylinder, a cone, a polygonal pyramid, or a polygonal column other than a quadrangle.

The second connecting portion 62 is a portion integrally connected to the second contact portion 57, and functions as a base portion where the second contact portion 57 is provided. The second connecting portion 62 functions as a portion to be connected to the first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54.

The members integrally and continuously branch from the first connecting portion 55 to the second connecting portion 62 (or from the second connecting portion 62 to the first connecting portion 55). The branched members are a first arm 51, a second arm 52, a third arm 53, and a fourth arm 54.

The first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54 are plate-like members having a narrow width and a thin thickness, respectively.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the first arm portion 51 and the third arm portion 53 are provided on the right side with respect to the axis L of the electrical contact 21, and are arranged in the thickness direction T (for example, Y-axis direction) of the electrical contact 21.

On the other hand, the second arm portion 52 and the fourth arm portion 54 are provided on the left side with respect to the axis L, and are arranged in the thickness direction T (for example, Y-axis direction) of the electrical contact 21.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, if attention is paid to the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 are provided on one surface side of the electrical contact 21 and are flat (i.e., the same plane) without steps with respect to the one surface.

That is, the first arm 51 and the second arm 52 are formed as a group on the same plane as one surface of the plate-like electrical contact 21, and an annular member having an opening 60 is formed.

The annular member having the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52, and the opening 60 formed by the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52, when receiving a contact load, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 store energy and exert elasticity in the up-down direction. Therefore, the annular member is also referred to as an elastic member.

The opening 60 is, for example, an opening of a long hole, but the opening 60 may be a slit, a perforation, or the like as long as both arms have elasticity.

Similarly, if attention is paid to the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54, the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54 are provided on the other surface side of the electrical contact 21, and are flat (i.e., the same plane) without steps with respect to the other surface. That is, the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54 are formed as a group on the same plane as the other surface of the plate-like electrical contact 21, and an annular member having an opening 60 is formed.

In other words, the first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54 are plate-like members that branch to the left and right (for example, the X-axis direction) with respect to the axis L of the electrical contact 21 between the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62, respectively, and the arm portions (for example, the first arm portion 51 and the third arm portion 53) located on the same side are provided in the thickness direction T of the electrical contact 21.

The first arm 51, the second arm 52, the third arm 53, and the fourth arm 54 are provided in a direction perpendicular to a plane including the thickness direction T of the electrical contact 21.

Further, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 are branched on one surface side of the electrical contact 21, and the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 are formed in a ring shape having an opening 60. Similarly, the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54 branch off from the other surface side of the electrical contact 21, and the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54 form a ring shape having an opening 60.

In general, when a vertical probe is used, it is difficult to make the vertical probe exhibit vertical elasticity. Conventionally, in order to make a vertical probe exhibit vertical elasticity, for example, in the case of a needle-type probe, it is necessary to tilt or flex the vertical probe.

In contrast, in the electrical contact 21 according to the embodiment, for example, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 are formed in a ring shape (or a hole), and thus, the elasticity in the up-down direction can be exerted.

In addition, the alignment of the electrical contact 21 of the vertical probe with respect to the electrode terminal 16 of the object 15 is simplified, which contributes to the improvement of the inspection accuracy.

As shown in fig. 4, since the first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54 are each plate-like members having a thin thickness, for example, a gap 61 exists between the arm portions located on the same side as the first arm portion 51 and the third arm portion 53, and the electrical contact 21 penetrates in the left-right direction (for example, the X-axis direction).

Here, the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62 provided in the thickness direction T and supporting the first arm portion 51, the second arm portion 52, the third arm portion 53, and the fourth arm portion 54 have a function of adjusting the thickness of the electrical contact 21.

For example, by reducing the thickness of the first coupling portion 55 and the second coupling portion 62, the length of the gap 61 can be shortened. Therefore, in order to cope with the narrowing of the pitch of the electrode terminals 16 of the object 15, it is possible to cope with the reduction of the diameter of the through holes provided in the substrate of the probe assembly 5. In addition, conversely, the thicknesses of the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62 can be made thicker, and for example, the gaps 61 of the arm portions can be made longer, or the number of arm portions can be increased.

(A-2) Electrical connection Structure of Electrical contact 21

(A-2-1) constitution of the Electrical contact 21 before contact

Next, an electrical connection structure of the electrical contact 21 held by the probe assembly 5 will be described.

Fig. 7 (a) is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electrical contact 21 before contact held on the probe assembly 5, and fig. 7 (B) is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electrical contact 21 at the time of contact.

First, the structure of the electrical contact 21 before contact held on the probe assembly 5 will be described with reference to fig. 7 (a).

In fig. 7 (a), the probe assembly 5 is provided with a first support substrate (also referred to as a "top plate" or "upper plate") 72 and a second support substrate (also referred to as a "bottom plate" or "lower plate") 74. The probe assembly 5 has a plurality of through holes 71 for housing the plurality of electrical contacts 21.

In the probe assembly 5, the through holes 71 are formed at positions corresponding to the positions of the electrode terminals 16 of the object 15, and the through holes 71 are formed in the same number as the number of the electrode terminals 16 of the object 15.

The through-hole 71 of the probe assembly 5 is formed in the thickness direction of the first support substrate 72 and the second support substrate 74, and penetrates from the first support hole 711 of the first support substrate 72 to the second support hole 712 of the second support substrate 74. The inner wall surface of the through hole 71 is referred to as a wall surface 73.

Here, as long as the electrical contact 21 can be accommodated while ensuring the elasticity in the up-down direction of the plate-like electrical contact 21, the hole shape of the through hole 71 can be formed in a circular shape, a long hole, an oval shape, a quadrangular shape, or the like in a plan view, for example.

In other words, the hole shape of the first support hole 711 of the first support substrate 72 may be, for example, circular, long hole, elliptical, quadrangular, or the like in a plan view, in accordance with the hole shape of the through hole 71.

The first support hole 711 of the first support substrate 72 may be sized to be insertable into the electrical contact 21. For example, when the hole shape of the first support hole 711 in a plan view is circular, the diameter of the first support hole 711 may be the same as or slightly larger than the width of the electrical contact 21.

On the other hand, the hole shape of the second support hole 712 of the second support substrate 74 is a shape matching the cross-sectional shape of the first connecting portion 55 of the electrical contact 21, and may be, for example, circular, long hole, elliptical, quadrangular, or the like in a plan view.

The second support hole 712 of the second support substrate 74 may be sized to be insertable into the first connection portion 55 of the electrical contact 21. For example, when the hole shape of the second support hole 712 in a plan view is circular, the diameter of the second support hole 712 may be the same as or slightly larger than the width of the first coupling portion 55 of the electrical contact 21.

Next, a method of inserting the electrical contact 21 through the through hole 71 of the probe assembly 5 is exemplified. The method of inserting the electrical contact 21 through the through hole 71 is not limited to the following method.

For example, the electrical contact 21 can be inserted from the first support hole 711 side of the first support substrate 72. In this case, the first contact portion 56 of the electrical contact 21 is inserted into the first support hole 711 of the first support substrate 72, and then the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 of the electrical contact 21 are inserted into the first support hole 711.

Then, when the electrical contact 21 is sufficiently inserted into the through hole 71, the first contact portion 56 and the first connecting portion 55 of the electrical contact 21 are inserted into the second supporting hole 712 of the second supporting substrate 74. In this way, the electrical contact 21 can be inserted into the through hole 71, and the electrical contact 21 can be held inside the through hole 71.

Here, in order to smoothly insert the electrical contact 21 into the through hole 71, the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 of the electrical contact 21 each have a slope 592 in the vicinity of the boundary with the first connecting portion 55.

For example, when the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 of the same group are used for explanation, the inclined surface portion 592 of the first arm portion 51 and the inclined surface portion 592 of the second arm portion 52 are inclined surfaces whose tip ends become thinner as approaching the first connecting portion 55.

The third arm 53 and the fourth arm 54 also have inclined surface portions 592, and even if the inclined surface portions 592 of the first arm 51 to the fourth arm 54 contact the edges of the first support holes 711 when the electrical contact 21 is inserted into the first support holes 711 of the first support substrate 72, the inclined surface portions 592 can slide on the edges of the first support holes 711 and be smoothly inserted.

The first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 of the electrical contact 21 each have a slope 581 in the vicinity of the boundary with the second connecting portion 62.

For example, in the case of the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 of the same group, the inclined surface portion 581 of the first arm portion 51 and the inclined surface portion 581 of the second arm portion 52 become inclined surfaces whose tip ends become thinner as approaching the second connecting portion 62. In this case, the electrical contact 21 can be smoothly inserted.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the second support substrate 74 in the through hole 71 has a support portion 741 for supporting the electrical contact 21 at the periphery of the second support hole 712 in order to prevent the electrical contact 21 from falling off.

On the other hand, the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 of the electrical contact 21 each have a supported portion 591 supported by the support portion 741 of the second support substrate 74 in the through hole 71.

That is, when the power contact 21 is inserted into the through hole 71, the supported portions 591 of the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 function as stoppers, and the supported portions 591 of the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 are caught by the supporting portions 741 of the second supporting substrate 74, so that the power contact 21 can be prevented from falling off.

(A-2-2) constitution of the electric contact 21 at the time of contact

Next, the structure of the electrical contact 21 at the time of contact will be described with reference to fig. 7 (B).

As shown in fig. 7 (B), at the time of inspection, the electrical contact 21 is pressed in a state where the electrical contact 21 is accommodated in the through hole 71 of the probe assembly 5. As a result, the first contact portion 56 of the electrical contact 21 is in contact with the electrode terminal 16 of the object 15, and the second contact portion 57 of the electrical contact 21 is in contact with the wiring pattern of the wiring substrate 2.

When a contact load is applied to the electrical contact 21, a load is applied to the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54, respectively. In this way, the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 are deformed (e.g., deflected) so as to be protruded outward, respectively, and thereby store energy. At this time, the first arm 51 to the fourth arm 54, which independently exert elasticity, respectively contact and deform with the wall surface 73 of the through hole 71.

Conventionally, a specific arm strongly hits a wall surface, and only the specific arm is worn. However, according to this embodiment, the plurality of arm portions (the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54) can suppress contact with the wall surface 73, and the arm portions can disperse frictional force by being arranged in the thickness direction, so that abrasion of the electrical contact 21 can be suppressed.

In addition, in recent years, in order to improve frequency characteristics, an electrical contact having a short overall length is demanded, and it is difficult to control a load applied to the arm portion. However, the electrical contact 21 having a plurality of arms can distribute the load to the first arm 51 to the fourth arm 54, so that the load to the arms can be easily controlled and the deflection of the arms can be easily adjusted.

As a method of adjusting the deflection amount of the arm portion, a method of changing the cross-sectional shape of the arm portion for each arm or for each annular member may be employed. For example, the deflection of the arm portion can be adjusted to be small by increasing the width, thickness, or the like of the arm portion. In this case, since there are a plurality of arm portions (for example, the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54) to be subjected to load adjustment, the deflection amount can be easily adjusted as compared with the conventional one. In addition, for example, the cross-sectional shape (width, thickness) of the arm portion may be adjusted for each arm portion or each annular member.

The shape of the upper end and the shape of the lower end of the opening 60 in the annular member may be different from each other. In this case, the deflection of the arm portion in which the opening 60 is formed can be adjusted. For example, the shape of the upper end and the lower end of the opening 60 may be elliptical, circular, rounded corner, or the like in the front view, but the shape of the upper end and the lower end may be different. For example, the width of the upper end (length in the X-axis direction) and the width of the lower end of the opening 60 may be different from each other.

Effects of embodiment (A-3)

As described above, according to this embodiment, since the plurality of arm portions (the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54) as the branching members are provided on both the left and right sides in the thickness direction with respect to the axis L of the electrical contact 21, the plurality of arm portions come into contact with the wall surface 73 of the through hole at the time of contact, and therefore the frictional force can be dispersed. As a result, only specific arm wear can be suppressed.

Further, according to this embodiment, even if the overall length is shortened, the load applied to the arm portion can be adjusted, and therefore the deflection of the arm portion can be adjusted while maintaining the frequency characteristic.

(B) Other embodiments

While various modifications have been described in the above embodiments, the present invention is applicable to the following modifications.

(B-1) in the above embodiment, the case where the electrical contact 21 has four arm portions (first arm portion 51 to fourth arm portion 54) is exemplified. However, the configuration of the electrical contact 21 is not limited to this, and the following configuration may be provided.

(B-1-1) fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view showing the structure of the electrical contact 21A according to the modified embodiment, and fig. 8 (B) is a plan view of the electrical contact 21A.

The electrical contact 21A illustrated in fig. 8 (a) and 8 (B) has a thicker first connecting portion 55 and second connecting portion 62, four arm portions 81, 83, 85, 87 are provided on the left side of the electrical contact 21A in the thickness direction, and four arm portions 82, 84, 86, 88 are provided on the right side in the thickness direction. That is, the electrical contact 21A has 4 sets of annular members.

As described above, the number of the electrical contacts of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the electrical contacts have a plurality of arm portions on the left and right sides in the thickness direction. In other words, the electrical contact may also have a plurality of sets of annular members that form two arm portions into one set.

In addition, when a plurality of annular members are provided in the thickness direction, the distance from the adjacent annular member is set to be constant. In addition, as a modification thereof, the distance between the adjacent annular members may be made different.

(B-1-2) fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view showing the structure of the electrical contact 21B according to the modified embodiment, and fig. 9 (B) is a plan view of the electrical contact 21B. Fig. 10 is an explanatory view illustrating the deflection of the arm portion when the electrical contact 21B contacts.

The electrical contact 21B illustrated in fig. 9 (a) and 9 (B) includes 4 first to fourth arm portions 51 to 54, similar to the electrical contact 21 of fig. 1 in the above-described embodiment, and includes: a fifth arm 91 connected to the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62 between the first arm 51 and the second arm 52; and a sixth arm portion 92 connected to the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62 between the third arm portion 53 and the fourth arm portion 54.

The fifth arm 91 and the sixth arm 92 are plate-like members formed of a conductive material. At the time of contact, as shown in fig. 10, the fifth arm 91 and the sixth arm 92 flex and store energy so as to protrude outward with respect to the center axis of the electrical contact 21B.

As described above, the electrical contact according to the present invention includes the fifth arm 91 and the sixth arm 92 in the opening 60 of the annular member formed by the two arm portions, and thus the deflection of the arm portions can be adjusted.

Here, as shown in fig. 9 (a) and 9 (B), the fifth arm 91 is not provided on the flat surfaces of the first arm 51 and the second arm 52, and the fifth arm 91 is disposed on the surfaces of the first connecting portion 55 and the second connecting portion 62. In other words, the fifth arm 91 is arranged in a state protruding with respect to the flat surfaces (planes) of the first arm 51 and the second arm 52.

The sixth arm 92 is also disposed so as to protrude from the flat surfaces (planes) of the third arm 53 and the fourth arm 54.

By disposing the fifth arm portion 91 and the sixth arm portion 92 in a protruding state in this way, even when a load is applied to each arm portion (each of the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54, the fifth arm portion 91, and the sixth arm portion 92) at the time of contact, the fifth arm portion 91 and the sixth arm portion 92 can effectively exert the elasticity of the first arm portion 51 to the fourth arm portion 54 without disturbing the elasticity. The fifth arm 91 and the sixth arm 92 can also exhibit elasticity independently of each other.

In the electrical contact of fig. 9 (a), the fifth arm 91 and the sixth arm 92 are provided for each group of annular members, but the arms may be provided not for all groups of annular members but for any group of annular members.

In the electrical contact according to the present invention (B-2), 3 or more arm portions may be branched, and the electrical contact may include an annular member having 2 or more openings. This is a further modification of fig. 9 (a) to 9 (B). In this case, the deflection of the arm portion can be adjusted.

(B-3) in the above-described embodiment, in order to adjust the amount of change (deflection) of the arm portion at the time of contact load, a case is mentioned in which the cross-sectional shape of the arm portion can be adjusted for each arm portion or each annular member, and an example thereof will be described with reference to fig. 9 and 11.

For example, in fig. 9 (a) and 9 (B), if the respective cross sections of the fifth arm 91 and the first arm 51 and the like are compared, the cross sectional shapes of the fifth arm 91 and the first arm 51 and the like are respectively rectangular, but the length and width of the height of the cross section of the fifth arm 91 may be shorter than the length and width of the height of the cross section of the first arm 51 and the like, respectively. In this way, the adjustment to change the respective amounts of change in the fifth arm 91 and the first arm 51 and the like at the time of the contact load can be performed by making the cross-sectional area of the fifth arm 91 smaller than that of the first arm 51 and the like.

Further, another example will be described with reference to fig. 11. As illustrated in fig. 11, the width of the lower portion 511 of the first arm portion 51 may be smaller than the width of the same upper portion of the first arm portion 51, and the cross-sectional shape of the upper portion having a large width may be different from the cross-sectional shape of the lower portion having a small width. Thus, even with the same first arm portion 51, the amount of change in contact load can be adjusted. In this way, the cross-sectional shape may be different with respect to one arm. The same applies to the other second arm 52.

In the above embodiment, (B-4) the shape of the upper end side and the shape of the lower end side of the opening 60 in the annular member may be different, and an example thereof will be described with reference to the drawings.

For example, as shown in fig. 2, the opening 60 of the annular member is substantially rectangular, but the upper end of the opening 60 is rounded, and the lower end of the opening 60 is tapered so as to have a smaller width opening downward. As described above, by making the upper end shape and the lower end shape of the opening 60 different, the amount of change in the arm portions (for example, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 in the example of fig. 2) forming the opening 60 can be adjusted.

As another example, as shown in fig. 12, the opening 60 of the annular member has a substantially inverted triangle shape, and the upper end of the opening 60 has a circular shape at the corner. The opening 60 is tapered such that the width of the opening 60 decreases from the corner of the upper end of the opening 60 to the lower side, and the lower end of the opening 60 has a narrow width. As shown in fig. 12, by forming the opening 60 of the annular member in an inverted triangle shape, the amount of change in the arm portions (for example, the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52 in the example of fig. 12) can be adjusted when the load is applied.

Further, by forming the ring-shaped member as a substantially inverted triangle as illustrated in fig. 12, the effect of making the insertion of the electric contact 21D into the through hole 71 of the probe assembly 5 smooth can be obtained.

Symbol description

1 … Electrical connection means, 2 … wiring substrate, 3 … connection substrate, 5 … probe assembly, 7 … opening, 8 … tester connection portion, 11 … rectangular portion, 12 … annular flange, 13 … screw member, 14 … through hole, 15 … inspected body, 16 … electrode terminal, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D … electrical contact, 51-54 … first arm-fourth arm, 91 … fifth arm, 92 … sixth arm, 81-88 … arm, 55 … first connection portion (first base portion), 56 … first contact portion, 57 … second contact portion, 60 … opening portion, 61 … gap, 62 … second connection portion (second base portion), 712 through hole, 72 … first support substrate, 73 … wall surface, 74 … second support substrate, 581 … bevel portion, 591 … supported portion 592, … bevel portion, 711, … first support hole, … support hole 741, … second support hole.

Claims (6)

1. A vertical electrical contact, comprising:

A first base portion having a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected;

a second base portion having a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode portion; and

A plurality of elastic members including a plurality of arm portions branching plate-like members connected to the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively,

The plurality of elastic members are arranged in the thickness direction of the first base and the second base, respectively.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is configured to electrically connect to the electrical contact,

The plurality of elastic members are ring-shaped members each having an opening formed by the plurality of arm portions.

3. The electrical contact of claim 2, wherein the electrical contact is configured to electrically connect to the electrical contact,

The cross-sectional shape of each arm portion is formed so as to be capable of adjusting the deformation amount by which each arm portion or each annular member deforms under a contact load.

4. The electrical contact of claim 2, wherein the electrical contact is configured to electrically connect to the electrical contact,

The opening shape of the upper end of the opening and the opening shape of the lower end are different shapes.

5. An electrical connection structure is characterized by comprising:

a through hole formed in the support substrate; and

An electrical contact inserted through the through-hole, one of the electrical contacts having a tip in contact with the electrode portion and the other of the electrical contacts having a tip in contact with the electrode terminal of the subject,

The electrical contact has:

a first base portion having a first contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected;

A second base portion having a second contact portion that is in electrical contact with the electrode portion; and

A plurality of elastic members having a plurality of arm portions and an opening portion for branching the plate-like members connected to the first base portion and the second base portion, respectively,

The plurality of elastic members are arranged in the thickness direction of the first base and the second base, respectively.

6. An electrical connection device comprising a support substrate for supporting a plurality of electrical contacts, for electrically connecting an object to be inspected to an inspection device, characterized by having the electrical contact structure of any one of claims 1 to 4.