DE112022002955T5 - TEST BASE FOR IC HOUSINGS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

The base main body (10) includes a space (8) that allows lateral movement of the ground contact pin (40) toward the outer peripheral portion of the base main body (10), wherein the lateral movement of the ground contact pin (40) in the space (8) facilitates attachment of the ground contact pin (40) on the base main body (10), thereby preventing the ground contact pin (40) from moving up and down.

Description

[Technical area]

The present disclosure relates to a test socket for an IC (integrated circuit) package and a method of manufacturing the same.

[State of the art]

There are situations where IC packages such as SOP (Small Outline Package) and QFP (Quad Flat Package) have a heat dissipating and/or grounding pad on a bottom of the IC package in addition to the lead connections. In some cases, when testing such IC packages, it is desired to have a contact pin that is brought into thermal or electrical contact with the bottom (e.g., pad) of the IC package (see, e.g., Patent Literatures 1 and 2).

[citation list]

[patent literature]

• [PTL 1] Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-5130
• [PTL 2] Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-166270

[Summary]

[Technical task]

In a situation where signal pins to be in contact with the lead terminals are disposed in an outer peripheral portion of a socket main body, there would be a limitation as to how a pin to be in contact with the bottom of the IC package is placed in should be arranged on the base main body. With such a restriction, the contact pin could be vertically inserted into and fixed to the socket main body to guide the contact pin into the socket main body to be brought into contact with the bottom of the IC package. However, if a load is applied to the contact pin in the same vertical direction, the contact pin could possibly be slightly displaced and its mounting position could change.

Additionally, during any inspection of the IC packages, an upper contact portion of the contact pin could be brought into contact with the bottom of the IC package and carry a downward load. In addition, a lower contact section of the contact pin could be loaded upwards by the mounting plate when the base is mounted on a mounting plate. In addition, there is the possibility that an external force acts that causes a displacement or change in the position of the contact pin during manufacture or transport of the bases. The displacement or change in position of the contact pin in the socket main body may potentially affect the state of electrical or thermal coupling with the IC package or mounting plate, which would be undesirable.

In view of the exemplary technical problem described above, the present inventors have discovered a new technical problem to prevent the contact pin to be in contact with a bottom of the IC package from being easily displaced relative to the socket main body when it is moved upward or below or carries an up and down bidirectional load. It should be noted that the above-mentioned technical problem may occur in any system in which a contact pin of the socket is in electrical or thermal contact with a mounting plate by soldering, or in a system in which a contact pin of the socket is in electrical or thermal contact is in contact with a mounting plate while carrying an upward load from the mounting plate, or in any other system. In the system in which a contact pin of the socket is in electrical or thermal contact with a mounting plate while carrying an upward load from the mounting plate, the contact pin continuously carries the upward load from the mounting plate and is therefore particularly sensitive to the vertical load.

[solution to the task]

A test socket for an IC package according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: an insulating socket main body on which an IC package is mounted; a group of first contact pins attached to an outer peripheral portion of the socket main body to be electrically contactable with terminals (eg, lead terminals) of the IC package; and one or more second contact pins attached to the socket main body to be contactable with a heat dissipating and/or grounding pad exposed in a bottom of the IC package and disposed further inward of the socket main body than the first contact pins. The socket main body includes a space that allows lateral movement of the second contact pin toward the outer peripheral portion of the socket main body, the lateral movement of the second contact pin in the space enabling attachment of the second contact pin to the socket main body, and a ver Pushing the second contact pin up and down through the base main body is prevented.

In some embodiments, the first contact pins are signal contact pins and the second contact pins are ground or heat dissipation contact pins. The first contact pin can be designed so that it clamps a line connection of the IC package.

In some embodiments, the space includes a retaining groove formed in the socket main body to retain the second contact pin. The space may further include an insertion hole in spatial communication with the retention groove to facilitate insertion of the second contact pin into the retention groove. The retaining groove may extend from an inwardly directed position in the socket main body toward a corner of the socket main body. When viewing the base main body from above, the retaining groove may be elongated between a corner (e.g., a column section) and a corner of the base main body. In a case where the socket main body includes the insertion hole, the retaining groove may be elongated between a corner (e.g. a pillar portion) of the socket main body and the insertion hole when the socket main body is viewed from above. The shape and size of the insertion hole may vary. A third contact pin (e.g., a heat dissipation contact pin) may be disposed in the insertion hole, which is intended for the same or a different purpose as the second contact pin.

In some embodiments, a plurality of the retaining grooves are arranged to respectively retain a plurality of the second contact pins, and the insertion hole is usually arranged for the plurality of the retaining grooves.

In some embodiments, the space includes a retaining groove formed in the socket main body to retain the second contact pin, the socket main body having a pair of wall surfaces opposed to each other to define the retaining groove, and a plurality of coupling portions connected thereto at least one of the pair of wall surfaces are coupled, and wherein the plurality of coupling portions are arranged to define an insertion path into which an insertion portion of the second contact pin is inserted.

In some embodiments, the plurality of coupling sections are arranged alternately at the top and bottom of the insertion path along the longitudinal direction of the insertion path.

In some embodiments, the plurality of coupling portions are arranged such that the insertion portion of the second contact pin is pressed into the insertion path and/or the second contact pin is configured such that the insertion portion of the second contact pin is pressed into the insertion path.

In some embodiments, a plurality of second contact pins are separately arranged in the socket main body, and the insertion hole is usually arranged for a plurality of retaining grooves formed to retain the plurality of second contact pins, respectively.

In some embodiments, the second contact pin has an upper contact portion that can be brought into contact with the heat dissipating and/or grounding pad, a lower contact portion that can be brought into contact with a mounting plate on which the socket is mounted, and a middle one Section disposed between the upper contact section and the lower contact section, the upper contact section being elastically displaceable downwardly in response to a load applied from above, the lower contact section being elastically displaceable upwardly in response to a load applied from below, and wherein the insertion portion of the second contact pin extends in a lateral direction from the central portion.

In some embodiments, the socket main body and the second contact pin have a complementary retention structure to prevent the second contact pin from falling out of the socket main body.

In some embodiments, the second contact pin has an upper contact portion contactable with the heat dissipating and/or grounding pad and a lower contact portion contactable with a mounting plate on which the base is mounted, the upper contact portion responsive is elastically displaceable downwards in response to a load applied from above and the lower contact section is elastically displaceable upwards in response to a load applied from below.

In some embodiments, the test socket further includes a cover arranged to be movable in an up-down direction relative to the socket main body to switch a state of the first contact pins; and a movable member arranged to move in the up-down direction relative to the base main body is movable in synchronization with the up-down movement of the cover to switch a state of the second contact pin.

A method of manufacturing a test socket for an IC package according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes: attaching a group of first contact pins to an outer peripheral portion of an insulating socket main body; and attaching one or more second contact pins to the socket main body at a position further inside the socket main body than the first contact pins, wherein the second contact pin is moved laterally toward the outer peripheral portion of the socket main body in a space formed in the socket main body, so that the second contact pin is attached to the socket main body, thereby preventing the second contact pin from moving up and down.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention]

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a contact pin to be in contact with a bottom of the IC package can be prevented from being easily displaced relative to a socket main body when it receives an up-down or up-down bidirectional load carries, thereby improving the reliability of the electrical or thermal connection to the IC package.

[Brief description of the drawings]

• [ 1 ] is a schematic perspective view of a test socket for an IC package according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
• [ 2 ] 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the test base according to an aspect of the present disclosure. Note that the signal pins are not attached to a socket main body.
• [ 3 ] 3 is a schematic top view of the test socket according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
• [ 4 ] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along an alternating long and short dashed line AA in 3 , with the base being in a first state.
• [ 5 ] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along an alternating long and short dashed line AA in 3 , with the base in a second state.
• [ 6 ] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view along an alternating long and short dashed line BB in 3 , with the base in a first state.
• [ 7 ] 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view along an alternating long and short dashed line BB in 3 , with the base in the second state.
• [ 8th ] is a schematic diagram of a process in which an IC package is mounted on the socket main body while the socket is in the second state.
• [ 9 ] 9 is a schematic diagram showing that the socket is moved from the second state to the first state and that a lead terminal of the IC package is clamped by a signal contact pin.
• [ 10 ] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the ground contact pin is in a state where it is not in contact with the IC package (not shown) while the socket is in the second state.
• [ 11 ] 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the socket is moved from the second state to the first state and the ground contact pin is in a state where it is contactable with a bottom of the IC package (not shown).
• [ 12 ] 12 is a schematic diagram showing that the ground contact pin is in a situation where it is in contact with a bottom of the IC package.
• [ 13 ] 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ground contact pin being moved laterally and attached to the socket main body.
• [ ] 14 is a schematic diagram showing a variant in which a plug is used to prevent the ground contact pin from being displaced or dropped.
• [ 15 ] 15 is a schematic representation of a variant in which the socket main body and the ground contact pin have a complementary retention mechanism.

[Description of Embodiments]

Various embodiments and features are described below with reference to the drawings. One skilled in the art would be able to combine the respective embodiments and/or the respective features without the need for excessive description and would appreciate the synergistic effects of such combinations. Overlapping descriptions between the embodiments are basically omitted. The drawings to which reference is made primarily serve to describe inventions and are simplified for clarity. The respective features should be understood as universal features that apply not only to a base and a method of making the same, but also to other various bases and methods of making the same that are not disclosed in the present specification.

1 is a schematic perspective view of the test socket 91 (hereinafter simply referred to as socket 91) for an IC package. 2 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the base 91. 3 is a schematic top view of the socket 91. Note that the signal contact pins 20 are not attached to a socket main body 10. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along an alternating long and short dashed line AA in 3 , with the base being in a first state. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along an alternating long and short dashed line AA in 3 , with the base in a second state.

As in 1 As shown, base 91 is an open-topped base mounted on a mounting plate 92, referred to as a test plate. The base 91 can be attached to the mounting plate 92 in various ways and, for example, can be firmly attached to it with one or more screws. The IC package accommodated in the base 91 would be in electrical and thermal contact with the mounting plate 92 via the base 91. Of course, types of bases other than the open-top type can also be used.

Typically the IC packages are such as SOP (Small Outline Package) or QFP (Quad Flat Package). One or more IC chips can be mounted on a leadframe and overmolded with resin to create the IC package. Several connection terminals (e.g. gullwing connections) protrude from the molded part of the IC housing. A heat dissipating and/or grounding pad (exposed metal area) is formed and exposed at the bottom of the IC package. In other words, the insulating material of the IC package can be partially removed or not formed, exposing the pad. As a result, the heat generated in the semiconductor chip within the IC housing can be dissipated via the pad and/or a ground potential of the semiconductor chip within the IC housing can be adjusted from the outside of the IC housing. In QFPs, the conductor terminals are arranged at a constant spacing and with higher density along the four sides of the rectangular resin-molded part.

Like in the 1 and 2 As shown, the socket 91 has an insulating socket main body 10 on which the IC package is placed; signal contact pins 20 (first contact pins) attached and fixed to an outer peripheral portion of the socket main body 10 to be in electrical contact with the lead terminals of the IC package; and ground contact pins 40 (second contact pins) attached to the socket main body 10 and fixed to be in contact with a bottom of the IC package at a position in the socket main body 10 that is further inward than the signal contact pin 20. In addition, the socket 91 a heat dissipation contact pin 30 (third contact pin) disposed in the socket main body 10 so as to be in contact with a bottom of the IC package at a position further inside the socket main body 10 than the signal contact pin 20; a cover 50 arranged to be movable in an up-down direction relative to the socket main body 10 to switch a state of the signal contact pin 20; and a movable member 60 arranged to be movable in the up-down direction relative to the socket main body 10 in synchronization with the up-down movement of the cover 50 to control a state of the heat dissipation contact pin 30 and the grounding contact pin 40 to switch.

The socket main body 10 is a stationary insulator fixed on the mounting plate 92 and composed of, but not necessarily limited to, an assembly of a base part 10A and a bottom cover 10B. The base member 10A has an outer peripheral portion 6 to which the signal pins 20 are attached and fixed, and an inner portion 7 in which the heat dissipation pin 30 and the grounding pins 40 are disposed. The inner portion 7 is offset downward from an upper surface of the outer peripheral portion 6 to form an IC package accommodating space. The bottom cover 10B is attached to the inner portion 7 of the base member 10A and fixed so that the movable member 60 is interposed therebetween and the inner portion 7 and the movable member 60 are covered from above by the bottom cover 10B.

The outer peripheral portion 6 of the base member 10A includes pillars 11 at its corners. The pillar 11 has a space for receiving a cylindrical portion 63 of the movable member 60 described below, and an inner wall surface of the pillar 11 is provided with a notch formed in the position. Down direction is extended to allow the movable member 60 to move in the up-down direction. A section 12 with a retaining groove is inserted between the adjacent columns 11. Each section 12 provided with a retaining groove includes a plurality of retaining grooves into and through which the signal contact pins 20 are inserted and held. Each retaining groove is disposed between adjacent partitions and provides isolation between the signal contact pins 20 retained by the adjacent retaining grooves.

The bottom cover 10B has an upper surface 14 on which the IC package is placed, and is attached and fixed to the inner portion 7 of the base member 10A. Specifically, an upwardly projecting rib 15 is formed on an edge of the upper surface 14 of the lower cover 10B, thereby facilitating positioning of the IC package (particularly its resin molded part) on the upper surface 14. The lower cover 10B has an X-shaped guide hole G1 through which the movable member 60 is guided for its up and down movement, and an opening is formed in the upper surface 14 of the lower cover 10B. The guide hole G1 accommodates a part of the movable member 60 (e.g., the entirety of the middle portion 61 and a part of the extended portion 62) as described below. The bottom cover 10B is provided with four legs 96, and each leg 96 is inserted into a retaining groove in the inner portion 7 of the base part 10A. When the leg 96 is inserted into the retaining groove, a projection at the lower end of the leg 96 slides over a projection formed on a wall surface of the retaining groove, thereby locking the bottom cover 10B by the base member 10A.

The heat dissipation contact pin 30 is a rod-shaped metallic member having a resilient property that allows expansion and contraction in the up-down direction. The heat dissipation contact pin 30 consists, for example, of several parts and, as in 2 shown, an upper and a lower part 31 and 32, which are movable relative to one another, and a spring 35 which is held between the flanges 33 and 34 of the upper and lower parts 31 and 32 and the upper and lower parts 31 and 32 presses to opposite sides along the up-down direction. The top portion 31 would be in contact at its top with the heat dissipating and/or grounding pad at the bottom of the IC package. The lower part 32 is in contact at its underside with heat-dissipating wiring on the mounting plate 92. The upper part 31 and the lower part 32 are mechanically assembled so that they can be expanded and contracted and cannot be separated from each other.

The ground contact pin 40 is a pin-like metallic member having a resiliency allowing expansion and contraction in the up-down direction, and is made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy with a plating layer formed on the surface thereof. As in 2 shown, the ground contact pin 40 has a central portion 41; a lower contact portion 42 coupled to the middle portion 41 via a spring portion 43 so as to be in elastic contact with a wiring pad of the mounting plate 92; an upper contact portion 44 coupled to the middle portion 41 via a spring portion 45 so as to be in elastic contact with the bottom of the IC package; and a pressed portion 46 coupled to the middle portion 41 via the upper contact portion 44 and the spring portion 45 so as to be pressed downward by a pressing portion 66 of the movable member 60. The middle portion 41 of the ground contact pin 40 includes an insertion portion 49 which is inserted into and retained by an insertion path 81 in the retaining groove 17 of the base member 10A, as described below.

The number of heat dissipation pins 30 and the number of grounding pins 40 can be changed as desired. For example, an increased number of heat dissipation pins 30 allows for increased heat dissipation capacity of the base 91. An increased number of ground contact pins 40 allows for a lower resistance to ground potential.

The signal contact pin 20 is a pin-like metallic member having a resiliency allowing expansion and contraction in the up-down direction, and is made of, for example, copper or a copper alloy with a plating layer formed on its surface. Like in the 4 and 5 shown, the signal contact pin 20 has a middle section 21; a lower contact portion 22 coupled to the middle portion 21 via a spring portion 23 so that it is in elastic contact with a wiring pad of the mounting plate 92 stands; and a clamping portion 24 configured to clamp one end of a lead terminal of the IC package.

The clamping portion 24 has a contact portion 25 on which and with which one end of the lead terminal of the IC package is placed and is in contact; a pressing portion 26 coupled to the middle portion 21 via the spring portion 27 to be pressed toward the contact portion 25; and a lever 28 operated by the cover 50 to move the pressure portion 26 away from the contact portion 25.

The middle portion 21 includes an insertion portion 29 which is pressed into a slot 13 of the retaining groove portion 12 of the outer peripheral portion 6 of the base member 10A. When the insertion portion 29 is pressed into the slot 13, the signal contact pin 20 is attached and secured to the portion 12 of the base member 10A disposed in the retaining groove. It should be noted that the signal pins 20 is a transmission path used for various purposes such as data transmission, control signal transmission, test signal transmission and clock signal transmission.

The cover 50 includes a rectangular frame 51 made of plastic with a window through which the IC package can be passed. The inner surface of the rectangular frame 51 includes an inclined guide surface through which the width of the window is narrowed downward, thereby facilitating smoother movement of the IC package toward the socket main body 10. Four corners of the rectangular frame 51 are provided with four hollow cylindrical parts 52 extending downward. The hole of the cylindrical portion 52 extends to the upper surface of the rectangular frame 51 and is open on the upper surface of the rectangular frame 51.

The rectangular frame 51 has a groove 53 into which the lever 28 of the signal contact pin 20 is inserted from below. As the cover 50 lowers, the lever 28 moves further into the groove 53 and is brought into contact with a bottom surface 53B of the groove 53. As the cover 50 lowers further, the lever 28 is pushed outward from the bottom surface 53B, and the pressing portion 26 is pulled upward away from the contact portion 25.

The movable member 60 is an The engaging hole 64 of the movable member 60 is divided into an upper hole 64A and a lower hole 64B, between which a pressed surface crossing or orthogonal to the central axis CL is formed. The heat dissipation contact pin 30 (e.g., the flange 33) contacts this pressed surface, and the movable member 60 is pressed upward. Note that the upper hole 64A has a smaller diameter than the lower hole 64B. When the movable member 60 descends, the heat dissipation contact pin 30 is compressed because it carries a downward load from the movable member 60. Once this downward loading of the lid 50 is removed, the heat dissipation contact pin 30 further expands and pushes the movable member 60 upward.

The extension portion 62 has an insertion groove 65 into which an upper portion of the grounding contact pin 40 is inserted (specifically, the upper contact portion 44, the spring portion 45, the pressed portion 46). The insertion groove 65 is provided with a pressing portion 66 that presses the pressed portion 46 of the grounding contact pin 40 downward when the movable member 60 descends. The pressed section 46 is located directly below the pressing section 66, and the pressed section 46 is pressed downward by the pressing section 66 as the movable member 60 descends. On the side of the central axis CL of the base 91, an insertion space for the upper contact section 44 is arranged adjacent to the pressure section 66, while an insertion space for the spring section 45 is formed on the opposite side. When the pressing portion 66 presses the pressed portion 46 downward, the upper contact portion 44 of the grounding contact pin 40 shifts closer to the center axis CL of the base 91 and/or downward. Once the downward load on the lid 50 is removed, the movable member 60 rises and the ground contact pin 40 returns to the initial position.

The outer end of each extension portion 62 is provided with a hollow cylindrical portion 63 which is coaxially disposed with the cylindrical portion 52 of the lid 50. The cylindrical portion 52 of the lid 50 is inserted into a through hole of the cylindrical portion 63 of the movable member 60. The movable member 60 and the lid 50 are mechanically connected by pins 72, each of which has a spring 71 inserted between the cylindrical portion 63 of the movable member 60 and the cylindrical portion 52 of the lid 50. The spring 71 is a screw pressure spring, and the lid 50 and the movable member 60 are pushed away from each other in the up-down direction by the spring 71. Each spring 71' is disposed between the base member 10A and the cover 50, which are urged in a direction away from each other by the spring 71'.

The lid 50 and the movable member 60 can be assembled as follows. First, the cylindrical part 52 is inserted through the spring 71 and then through the cylindrical part 63 of the movable element 60. This results in the spring 71 being arranged between the cylindrical part 52 and the cylindrical part 63. The pin 72 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical portion 52 and an inserted end of the pin 72 is pressed. In this way, the lid 50 and the movable element 60 are assembled.

When the lower cover 10B is attached to the base member 10A, the movable member 60 is disposed between the base member 10A and the lower cover 10B. This prevents the movable member 60 and the lid 50 from falling out of the base main body 10. Of course, the assembly of the movable member 60 and the cover 50 is arranged so that it can be moved up and down relative to the socket main body 10.

6 is a schematic cross-sectional view along an alternating long and short dashed line BB in 3 , with the base being in a first state. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view along an alternating long and short dashed line BB in 3 , with the base in a second state. Like from the 6 and 7 As can be seen, the socket main body 10 includes a retaining groove 17 that retains the grounding contact pin 40, and an insertion hole 16 spatially coupled to the retaining groove 17 to facilitate insertion of the grounding contact pin 40 into the retaining groove 17. The insertion hole 16 is formed on the central axis CL of the base 91 and penetrates the inner portion (e.g., the inner portion 7) of the base main body 10. The retaining groove 17 includes a partial space extending from an inner position in the base main body 10 toward the outer peripheral section 6 extends. Specifically, the respective wall surfaces 18 defining the retaining groove 17 extend from a wall surface defining the insertion hole 16 toward the outer peripheral portion 6 (eg, its corner (eg, the pillar 11)).

In the present embodiment, the socket main body 10 includes a space 8 that allows lateral movement of the ground contact pin 40 toward the outer peripheral portion 6 of the socket main body 10, and the ground contact pin 40 is in by the lateral movement (or via the lateral movement) of the ground contact pin 40 the space 8 is secured to the base main body 10, so that displacement of the ground contact pin 40 up and down by the base main body 10 is prevented. For example, a lower portion of the ground contact pin 40 is inserted into the insertion hole 16 from above and received therein. Then, the lower part of the grounding contact pin 40 is moved from the insertion hole 16 to the retaining groove 17 and inserted into the retaining groove 17 and held there. In this way, the ground contact pin 40 is fixed to the base main body 10 via the lateral movement of the ground contact pin 40, and the upward and downward displacement of the ground contact pin 40 is prevented by the base main body 10. Displacement or positional change of the ground contact pin 40 in the socket main body 10 is prevented, and the reliability of the electrical or thermal connection to the IC package or mounting board is improved.

Note that the space 8 described above includes a retention space of the retention groove 17. In cases where the insertion hole 16 is formed in the socket main body 10, the above-described space 8 includes an interior of the insertion hole 16. In the fully assembled socket 91, the heat dissipation contact pin 30 may be disposed in the insertion hole 16 and the ground contact pin 40 in the retaining groove 17 be, but not necessarily limited to. It should therefore be noted that in the present specification, space does not indicate a state in which no object is placed therein.

The lateral movement direction of the ground contact pin 40 typically corresponds to, but is not necessarily limited to, a direction orthogonal to the central axis CL of the base 91, and may be at a certain angle (e.g., equal to or less than 35 °) to the direction orthogonal to the central axis CL of the base 91 may be inclined. The insertion hole 16 is formed so that the ground contact pin 40 can be inserted into the retaining groove 17. It is not absolutely necessary to arrange the heat dissipation contact pin 30 in the insertion hole 16.

In some cases, a plurality of retaining grooves 17 (e.g., radial) are formed to retain the plurality of ground contact pins 40. The insertion hole 16 is typically designed for the plurality of retaining grooves 17, thereby facilitating downsizing of the socket main body 10.

In some cases, the base main body 10 includes a pair of wall surfaces 18 opposed to each other to define the retaining groove 17 and a plurality of coupling portions 19 coupled to at least one of the pair of wall surfaces 18 (both in the example shown), and the plurality of coupling portions 19 are arranged to define an insertion path 81 into which the insertion portion 49 of the ground contact pin 40 is inserted. The insertion portion 49 of the ground contact pin 40 is inserted (e.g., pressed) into the insertion path 81 and held therein.

Two or more (preferably three or more) coupling portions 19 may be arranged alternately on the upper and lower sides of the insertion path 81 along the length of the insertion path 81. In this case, the coupling sections 19 can be formed by a conventional injection molding technique. The longitudinal direction of the insertion path 81 is generally orthogonal to the central axis CL of the base 91, but can also be inclined at a certain angle. The insertion portion 49 of the ground contact pin 40 may be shaped so that it can be pressed into the insertion path 81. A projection or recess may be provided on the wall surface 18 to hold the ground contact pin 40 or for other purposes.

The following is in the 8-12 describes a method in which the IC package 200 is mounted on the socket main body 10. 8th is a schematic diagram of the process in which the IC package 200 is mounted on the socket main body 10 while the socket 91 is in the second state. 9 is a schematic diagram showing that the socket 91 is shifted from the second state to the first state and a lead terminal 202 of the IC package 200 is clamped by a signal contact pin. 10 is a schematic diagram showing that the second contact pin is in a state of not being in contact with the IC package (not shown) while the socket 91 is in the second state. 11 is a schematic diagram showing that the socket 91 is moved from the second state to the first state and the second contact pin is in a situation where it can be contacted with a bottom of the IC package (not shown). 12 is a schematic diagram showing that the second contact pin is in a situation where it is brought into contact with a bottom of the IC package 200.

In an in 8th and 10 In the case shown, the base 91 is in the second state, and the IC package 200 can be placed on the base 91. When the lid 50 is pushed down, the base 91 is moved from the first state to the second state. Specifically, as the cover 50 is lowered, the movable member 60 lowers. As the cover 50 and the movable member 60 lower, the cover 50 brings the signal pin 20 to a state in which it receives the lead terminal 202 of the IC package 200 can. For example, the cover 50 pushes the lever 28 outward, and the pressing portion 26 is pulled upward away from the contact portion 25. In addition, the movable member 60 presses down the heat dissipation contact pin 30 and then presses down the pressed portion 46 of the grounding contact pin 40, resulting in a lowered position of the upper contact portion 44. Accordingly, the heat dissipation pin 30 and the grounding pin 40 are avoided from being brought into contact with the bottom of the IC package 200.

In an in 9 and 11 In the case shown, the base 91 returns to the first state, and the IC package 200 is reliably placed on the base 91. When the depression of the lid 50 is released, the base 91 automatically returns to the first state from the second state. Specifically, the movable member 60 rises with the lifting of the cover 50. As the cover 50 and the movable member 60 rise, the signal contact pin 20 returns to its original position, the lever 28 moves inward, the pressure section 26 approaches Contact portion 25, and a terminal end of the lead terminal 202 of the IC package 200 is located between them. The heat dissipation contact pin 30 extends upward longer to push the movable member 60 upward, and the upper contact portion 44 of the grounding contact pin 40 moves to its initial height. This ensures that the heat dissipation pin 30 and the grounding pin 40 are brought into contact with the bottom of the main body 201 of the IC package 200 (see 12 ).

A method for removing the IC package from the socket 91 would be understood from the foregoing descriptions and is therefore omitted.

Next, an overview of a method for manufacturing the base 91 will be discussed. The present method includes attaching a group of signal contact pins 20 to the outer peripheral portion 6 of the insulating base main body 10; and attaching one or more ground contact pins 40 to the base main body 10 at a position that is further inside the base main body 10 than the signal contact pins 20. Here, the ground contact pin 40 is laterally in the space 8 of the base main body 10 towards the outer peripheral portion 6 of the base main body 10 moves, and the ground contact pin 40 is fixed to the socket main body 10, which hinders the displacement of the ground contact pin 40 in the up-down direction. After setting the grounding contact pin 40, the heat dissipation contact pin 30 is inserted into the insertion hole 16. The ground contact pin 40 can be moved by a human or a robot. Since the contact pin is a metal part that is susceptible to deformation, it is recommended to handle it carefully, for example with tweezers or similar. As already discussed, the coupling of the base member 10A and the bottom cover 10B and the attachment of an assembly of the movable member 60 and the cover 50 are not repeated here.

As in 13 shown, the ground contact pin 40 is moved downward and inserted into the insertion hole 16. Subsequently, the ground contact pin 40 is moved laterally toward the outer peripheral portion 6 of the base main body 10. Thereby, the insertion portion 49 of the ground contact pin 40 can be inserted into the retaining groove 17 and held there. Specifically, the insertion portion 49 of the ground contact pin 40 is inserted into and held in the insertion path 81 formed by the plurality of coupling portions 19.

In cases where the heat dissipation contact pin 30 is also arranged in the base main body 10 in addition to the ground contact pins 40, the receiving space (in particular the insertion hole 16) for the heat dissipation contact pin 30 in the base main body 10 would also be utilized for the lateral movement of the ground contact pin 40 into the retaining groove 17 become.

Note that the heat dissipation pin 30 is disposed in the insertion hole 16 so that the grounding pin 40 can be prevented from slipping out of the retaining groove 17. As an alternative to the heat dissipation contact pin 30, a stuffing element 250 can be used to prevent the ground contact pin 40 from slipping out of the retaining groove 17 (see 14 ).

To prevent the ground contact pin 40 from slipping off the socket main body 10, the socket main body 10 and the ground contact pin 40 may have a complementary retaining structure (see 15 ). A locking portion 181 is formed on the wall surface 18 of the retaining groove 17 of the socket main body 10, and the ground contact pin 40 has a locking portion 47. When the ground contact pin 40 is inserted into the retaining groove 17, the locked portion 47 is locked by the lock portion 181. A snapping feeling would indicate the end of contacting of the ground contact pin 40, thereby suppressing insufficient contact of the ground contact pin 40. The locked section 47 is a recess and the locking section 181 is a lance that can be inserted into the recess (slanted metal section). It would be possible to reverse the locking portion 181 and the locked portion 47 with respect to the protrusion/recess ratio.

Based on the above teachings and disclosures, those skilled in the art may add various modifications to the respective embodiments and the respective features. It is optional to operate the heat dissipation pin 30 and the grounding pin 40 so that they are not in contact with the bottom of the IC package mounted on the socket main body 10, and this may be omitted in some embodiments. The insertion hole should not be limited to a cylindrical space, but may be formed as a narrow slot elongated in a certain direction like the retaining groove. Position and number of insertion hole would be adjustable.

Reference symbol list

8th

Space

10

Base main body

16

Insertion hole

17

retention groove

20

Signal contact pin (First contact pin)

30

Heat dissipation contact pin

40

Ground contact pin (Second contact pin)

91

base

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• JP 20055130 [0002]
• JP 2005166270 [0002]

Claims (13)

Test socket for IC packages, the test socket comprising: - an insulating base main body on which an IC package is mounted; - a group of first contact pins attached to an outer peripheral portion of the socket main body so as to be electrically contactable with terminals of the IC package; and - one or more second contact pins attached to the socket main body so that they can be contacted with a heat-dissipating and / or grounding pad which is exposed in a bottom of the IC housing and is arranged further inwardly than the first contact pins in the socket main body, where - the base main body includes a space that allows lateral movement of the second contact pin toward the outer peripheral portion of the base main body, wherein the lateral movement of the second contact pin in the space enables attachment of the second contact pin to the base main body and upward displacement of the second contact pin and is prevented at the bottom by the base main body. Base after Claim 1 , wherein the gap includes a retaining groove formed in the socket main body to hold the second contact pin, the retaining groove extending from an inwardly directed position in the socket main body to a corner of the socket main body. Base after Claim 2 , wherein the space further includes an insertion hole in spatial communication with the retaining groove to facilitate insertion of the second contact pin into the retaining groove. Base after Claim 3 , wherein a plurality of the retaining grooves are arranged to respectively retain a plurality of the second contact pins, and the insertion hole for the plurality of the retaining grooves is arranged in common. Base after one of the Claims 1 until 4 , wherein the gap includes a retaining groove formed in the socket main body to hold the second contact pin, wherein - the socket main body has a pair of wall surfaces opposed to each other to define the retaining groove, and a plurality of coupling portions coupled to at least one pair of wall surfaces are, wherein - the plurality of coupling sections are arranged so that they define an insertion path into which an insertion section of the second contact pin is inserted. Base after Claim 5 , wherein the plurality of coupling portions are arranged alternately on the upper and lower sides of the insertion path along the longitudinal direction of the insertion path. Base after Claim 5 or 6 , wherein the plurality of coupling portions are arranged such that the insertion portion of the second contact pin is pressed into the insertion path and/or the second contact pin is configured such that the insertion portion of the second contact pin is pressed into the insertion path. Base after one of the Claims 5 until 7 , wherein the second contact pin has an upper contact portion contactable with the heat-dissipating and/or grounding pad, a lower contact portion contactable with a mounting plate on which the base is mounted, and a middle portion contactable between the upper contact portion and the lower contact portion is arranged, wherein the upper contact portion is elastically displaceable downwardly in response to a load applied from above, the lower contact portion is elastically displaceable upwardly in response to a load applied from below, and wherein - the insertion portion of the second contact pin extends in a lateral direction from the central portion. Base after one of the Claims 1 until 8th , wherein the socket main body and the second contact pin have a complementary retaining structure to prevent the second contact pin from falling out of the socket main body. Base after one of the Claims 1 until 9 , wherein the second contact pin has an upper contact portion contactable with the heat dissipating and / or grounding pad and a lower contact portion contactable with a mounting plate on which the base is mounted, the upper contact portion responsive to one of load applied above is elastically displaceable downward and the lower contact section is elastically displaceable upward in response to a load applied from below. Base after one of the Claims 1 until 10 , further comprising: a cover arranged to be movable in an up-down direction relative to the socket main body to switch a state of the first contact pins; and - a movable member arranged to move in the up-down direction relative to the base main body in synchronization with the up-down direction. Movement of the cover is movable to switch a state of the second contact pin. A method for producing a test socket for an IC package, the method comprising: - attaching a group of first contact pins to an outer peripheral portion of an insulating socket main body; and - attaching one or more second contact pins to the socket main body at a position that is further inside the socket main body than the first contact pins, the second contact pin being moved laterally towards the outer peripheral portion of the socket main body in a space formed in the socket main body, so that the second contact pin is attached to the socket main body, thereby preventing upward and downward displacement of the second contact pin. Method for producing the base Claim 12 , wherein the second contact pin has an upper contact portion contactable with the heat-dissipating and/or grounding pad exposed in a bottom of the IC housing, a lower contact portion contactable with a mounting plate on which the base is mounted, and a middle portion disposed between the upper contact portion and the lower contact portion, the upper contact portion being elastically displaceable downwardly in response to a load applied from above, the lower contact portion being elastically displaceable upwardly in response to a load applied from below and wherein - the middle portion is provided with an insertion portion which is inserted into a retaining groove formed as a space in the base main body.

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