JP2000150595A - Contact unit and electrically connecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably bring contact portions into contact with portions to be contacted and to thereby achieve accurate testing, by providing a plurality of wiring portions on a sheet-shaped member provided on a support body of a contact sheet, and locating the contact portions projecting in a direction opposite to the sheet member at positions corresponding to resiliently deformable portions of the wiring portions. SOLUTION: A contact sheet 14 is prepared by forming a plurality of wiring portions 18 on one surface of a sheet-shaped member 16 that is made of an electrically insulating resin and contact portions 20 on one side of the portions 18. Each portion 20 is made of a conductive metallic material into an annular shape and projected from the corresponding portion 18 in a direction opposite to the member 16. Further, the sheet 14 is bent J-shaped, with the surface where the portions 18 are formed as the outside, in such a manner that the portions 20 are located at positions corresponding to resilient deformable portions 12b and the sheet 14 extends from one surface of a support 12 to the other surface via the portions 12b and further extends from the support 12. The sheet 14 is then attached to the support 12 by means of adhesion or the like at an end thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a contact unit used for testing electrical characteristics of a device under test such as an integrated circuit, and an electrical connection device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A needle-type probe card in which a plurality of probes pressed against electrodes of an integrated circuit are mounted on an electrically insulative substrate is one of the electrical connection devices used for a current test of an integrated circuit. . In this type of probe card, the probe is made of a thin metal wire, and is electrically connected to a tester using an interface such as a performance board, a motherboard, or a relay board.

As another electrical connection device, there is a probe card using a probe unit in which an elastically deformable probe sheet having a plurality of probe elements is arranged on a plate-like support (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-304438). No.).
Each probe element forms a wiring pattern on synthetic resin,
By forming a cut in the synthetic resin, it is manufactured in a finger shape including a part of the wiring pattern, and the tip of the finger-shaped probe element is pressed against the electrode portion of the integrated circuit.

[0004]

However, in the probe card of the needle type, the arrangement pattern of the probes on the substrate is fixed so as to correspond to the arrangement pattern of the electrode parts of the integrated circuit. Each time the pattern changes, a new probe card must be created.

Further, in a probe card using a finger-like probe element, the height positions of the tips of the probe elements are likely to be uneven, so that the contact state of the probe element with the electrode portion of the integrated circuit becomes uneven. In some cases, accurate test results cannot be obtained.

Therefore, in this type of electrical connection device, it is important to be able to obtain accurate test results despite being able to cope with a change in the arrangement pattern of the electrodes of the device under test.

[0007]

A contact unit according to the present invention includes a plate-shaped support and an elastically deformable contact sheet disposed on the support. The support includes a plate-shaped portion having first and second surfaces in a thickness direction, and an elastically deformable portion following one edge of the plate-shaped portion. The contact sheet has a sheet-like member arranged on the support so as to extend from the first surface to the second surface via the elastically deformable portion, and from a portion corresponding to at least the elastically deformable portion. A plurality of wiring portions formed on the sheet-like member so as to extend to a portion corresponding to the second surface, and provided at a portion corresponding to the elastic deformation portion in each wiring portion;
A contact portion protruding from the wiring portion to a side opposite to a side of the sheet-like member.

[0008] An electrical connection device according to the present invention includes a plurality of unit assemblies including a plurality of contact units as described above, a grid member having a plurality of first openings in which the respective unit assemblies are arranged, and A plate-like frame having a first opening in which the lattice-like member is disposed in the opening; and assembling means for assembling the lattice-like member to the plate-like frame. The unit assembly further includes maintaining means for maintaining the plurality of contact units in a state where the plurality of contact units are stacked in the thickness direction thereof, and the unit assembly further includes a state in which at least the contact portion protrudes from the first opening. It is arranged in one opening.

The tip of the contact portion is pressed against a contacted portion such as a probe card or an interface. At this time, since the elastically deforming portion of the support is deformed, the contact portion surely comes into contact with the contacted portion, and an accurate test result can be obtained.

[0010] The electrical connection device is assembled into a probe card or an interface using a plurality of contact units according to the arrangement pattern of the contact locations. For this reason, when the arrangement pattern of the contact location is changed,
What is necessary is just to change the kind and number of contact units used.

[0011] The contact portion may have a concave portion which is open to a side opposite to a side of the sheet-like member. In this way, the present invention can be applied to a case where the contacted portion is a bump electrode such as a bump electrode, and the height of the bump electrode and the contact portion is varied, and the mutual plane of the bump electrode and the contact portion is different. Even if there is an actual misalignment, by receiving the projecting electrode in the recess of the contact part,
The protruding electrode and the contact portion surely make contact.

Each of the sheet-like member and each of the wiring portions has an extension extending further from a portion corresponding to the second surface, and the contact sheet can further include a connector provided on the extension. . With this configuration, the contact sheet can also function as a flexible film-like printed wiring board such as a flat cable, and the contact unit can be directly connected to the tester without using a flat cable.

[0013] The maintaining means includes a fixing screw that penetrates the plurality of contact units in a thickness direction to maintain the plurality of contact units in an overlapping state, and a pair of rectangular fixing members through which the plurality of contact units penetrate. A fixed frame joined in a state of crossing in an X-shape at a pair of opposing sides, wherein the pair of fixed frames are relatively swingable by the fixing screw at their intersection. And a locking portion for locking to the lattice-shaped member. In this way, even if the electrical connection device is thermally expanded and contracted as a whole, the positional relationship between the contact units and the positional relationship between the unit assemblies do not change.

[0014] The electrical connection device further includes a probe assembly, the probe assembly comprising: an electrically insulating substrate;
A plurality of probes may be provided on the substrate so as to penetrate the substrate, and each probe may be assembled to the plate-like frame while being electrically connected to the contact. In this case, instead of the contact portion, the probe is brought into contact with a contacted portion such as an electrode portion of the device under test. With this configuration, when the arrangement pattern of the contacted portion is changed, a probe assembly in which the probes are arranged in a state corresponding to the arrangement pattern of the contacted portion may be used.

[0015] The substrate may further include, on one surface, a plurality of connection lands to which the probes are electrically connected, the connection lands being in contact with the contact portions.

The thickness direction of the contact units of the adjacent unit assemblies may be the same or different. In particular, the thickness directions of the contact units of the unit assemblies adjacent in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction may be different directions.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a contact unit 10 includes a plate-like support 12 having an elastically deformable portion 12b formed at one end of a rectangular plate-like portion 12a; Elastically deformable contact sheet 1 arranged at
4 is included.

The plate portion 12a is made of a material having small thermal expansion and contraction. On the other hand, the elastic deformation portion 12b
In the illustrated example, it is formed of an elastic member such as silicone rubber. However, an elastically deformable portion may be formed in which a recess such as a cut is formed at one edge (tip) of the plate-shaped portion 12a so that the one edge of the plate-shaped portion 12a can be elastically deformed.

The contact sheet 14 is a strip-shaped sheet member 1 made of an electrically insulating resin such as polyimide.
6, a plurality of wiring portions 18 are formed on one surface, and each wiring portion 1 is formed.
A contact portion 20 is formed at one end of each of the wiring portions 18.
A connector 22 having a connection terminal connected to the connector 22 is disposed at the rear end.

The wiring section 18 is a wiring pattern formed on the sheet member 16 by an appropriate method such as a printed wiring technique, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the sheet member 14 so as not to contact each other. In the illustrated example, the wiring section 18 is
The sheet-like member 16 is formed at a portion other than the distal end side, but may be formed over the entire length of the sheet-like member 16 in the longitudinal direction.

Each contact portion 20 is formed in a ring shape from a conductive metal material such as nickel, and protrudes from the wiring portion 18 to the opposite side to the sheet-like member 16. Therefore, the space, that is, the recess 20 a of the contact portion 20 is open to the opposite side to the sheet-like member 16.

The contact sheet 14 is in a state in which the wiring portion 18 is on the outside and the contact portion 20 is in a position corresponding to the elastically deformable portion 12b (position of the tip).
2 extends from one surface to the other surface of the support 12 via the elastic deformation portion 12b, and further extends from the support 12,
It is bent into a J-shape, and the support 12
Is attached by an appropriate method such as bonding.

The contact unit 10 is provided with a plurality (two in the illustrated example) of holes 24 penetrating the support 12 and the contact sheet 14 in the thickness direction. Independent cuts 26 are provided in the elastically deforming portion 12b and the sheet-like member 18.
Note that an electrical insulating layer covering the wiring portion 18 may be provided in the contact unit 10.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the electrical connection device 30 includes a plurality of unit assemblies 32 connected to a grid member 34.
The lattice member 34 is disposed on the plate frame 36, and the lattice member 34 and the probe assembly 38 are assembled to the plate frame 36.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each unit assembly 32 includes a plurality of contact units 10 stacked in a state where the thickness direction is the same at the front end portion (the portion on the support 12 side). The overlapped portion is passed through a pair of rectangular fixed frames 40, and is maintained in this state by the screw members 42.

The fixed frame 40 is connected in a state of crossing in an X-shape at a pair of opposing sides, and is connected at a crossing portion by one fixing screw 42 so as to be relatively swingable. Further, the pair of springs 44 receive the expanding force. Each of the fixed frames 40 has a triangular locking portion 46 protruding outward at a side on the distal end side (lower side).

Each of the fixing screws 42 has a cap nut passed through the hole 24 of the stacked contact unit 10 from one side,
It is formed by a screw member inserted into the hole 24 from the other side and screwed into the cap nut. The spring 44 is prevented from being detached from the unit assembly 32 by the two fixed frames 40.

The lattice member 34 has a plurality of rectangular openings 48 like a lattice.
Is received in the opening 48 with its tip protruding downward.

Each of the unit assemblies 32 is disposed on the lattice member 34 such that the thickness direction of the contact unit 10 is different from that of the adjacent unit assembly, and penetrates the opening 48. Each unit assembly 32 is inserted into the opening 48 in a state where both fixed frames 40 are contracted against the expanding force of the spring 44, so that the grid members 34 are formed.
Assembled in

When the unit assembly 32 is disposed on the lattice member 34 as described above, the locking portion 46 of the fixed frame 40 is expanded by the spring 44 and locked on the lower surface of the lattice member 34. This prevents the unit assembly 32 from dropping off the grid member 34.

The plate-like frame 36 has the shape of a ring, and receives the lattice-like member 34 in the opening 50.

The probe assembly 38 includes a plurality of probes 5.
2 is disposed on an electrically insulating substrate 54. Each probe 54 is of a needle type formed of a thin metal wire, and penetrates the substrate 54 in its thickness direction. The substrate 54 has a plurality of connection lands 56 electrically connected to the probe 52 on one surface, and a hemispherical contact point 58 on each connection land 56.

In the electrical connection device 30, each of the unit assemblies 32 is assembled to the lattice member 34, and the lattice member 34 is arranged in the opening 50 of the plate frame 36, and the probe assembly 3
8 and the upper lattice fixing plate 60 are assembled on the upper side of the plate-shaped frame 36 by a plurality of screw members 62, and the lower lattice fixing plate 64 is assembled on the lower side of the plate-shaped frame 36 by a plurality of screw members 66. The upper and lower fixing plates 60 and 64 have openings 68 and 70 for receiving the unit assembly 32, respectively.

When assembled in the electrical connection device 30, the lattice member 34 is sandwiched between the upper and lower fixing plates 60 and 64 and does not move with respect to the plate frame 36. Each of the unit assemblies 32 and each of the contact units 10 can be displaced with respect to the lattice member 34 by the amount that the fixed frame 40 is expanded by the spring 44.

Each contact 20 receives the tip of the hemispherical contacted portion 58 into the recess 20a, and
Touch 8. When the electrical connection device 30 is assembled, the elastic deformation portion 12b of the support body 12 is elastically deformed so that the contact portion 20 retreats toward the upper fixing plate 60, and the contact portion 20 is brought into contact with the contact portion 58. To ensure contact.

The probe 52 is arranged on the substrate 54 so that the probe tip has the same pattern as the arrangement pattern of the electrode portions of the integrated circuit 72 to be tested. The integrated circuit 72 has a plurality of electrode pads as electrode portions in a matrix on one surface. One such integrated circuit 72 is an uncut IC on a semiconductor wafer.

The electrical connection device 30 is located at the test station of the tester, the connector 22 is electrically connected to the test head 74 of the tester, and the integrated circuit 72 is located on the test table 76 of the tester.

During the energization test, the tip of the probe 52 is pressed against the integrated circuit 72. As a result, the integrated circuit 72 is electrically connected to the test head 74 of the tester by the probe 52, the connection land 56, the contact 20, the wiring 18, and the connector 22.

When conducting an energization test of an integrated circuit having a different electrode portion arrangement pattern, the probe assembly 38 may be replaced with another probe assembly having a probe arranged in a state corresponding to the electrode portion arrangement pattern.

In the electrical connection device 30, the contact portion 20 is formed in the hemispherical contact portion 5 of the probe assembly 38.
8 is received in the recess 20 a, the height of the contact portion 58 and the contact portion 20 varies, and the contact portion 58
Even if there is a mutual planar displacement between the contact portion 20 and the contact portion 20, the contacted portion 58 is
By receiving the contact at 0a, the contact point 58 and the contact portion 20 surely come into contact with each other.

Further, since each unit assembly 32 and each contact unit 10 can be displaced with respect to the lattice-like member 34, even if it is thermally expanded and contracted as a whole, the positional relationship between the contact units 10 and the unit There is no possibility that the positional relationship between the assemblies 32 is largely changed, and therefore, it is suitable for the burn-in test of the integrated circuit.

In the electrical connection device 30, the contact sheet 14 also functions as a flexible film-like printed wiring board such as a flat cable, and the contact unit 10 can be connected to the test head 74 of the tester without using a flat cable. Can be connected directly.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electrical connection device 30 connects the contact portion 20 to the electrode portion of the integrated circuit 80, that is, the contacted portion 82 without using the probe assembly 38.
It may be used so as to make direct contact. Contact point 8
In the example shown in FIG.
Is a hemispherical bump electrode because it has a recess 20a for receiving the tip of the bump electrode. As such an integrated circuit 80, a ball array IC provided with a plurality of bump electrodes on one surface, a CSP (chip size package) IC
And the like.

Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the contact portion 20 receives the hemispherical contact portion 82 of the integrated circuit 80 in the recess 20a. By receiving the contacted portion 82 in the recess 20a of the contact portion 20, even if there is a mutual planar displacement between the contact portion 20 and the contact portion 20,
The contacted portion 82 and the contact portion 20 are surely in contact with each other.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, when conducting a current test of an integrated circuit having different arrangement patterns of the electrode portions, that is, the contact portions, the type and number of the contact units 10 to be used, the lattice members 36 and the like are changed. Good.

As shown in FIG. 2, an electrical insulating layer 28 covering the wiring section 18 may be provided on the contact sheet 10. In this manner, the plurality of contact units 10
, The electrical contact of the wiring portions 18 of the adjacent contact units 10 is prevented.

Further, instead of forming the contact portion 20 in the wiring portion 18 in advance, after assembling the unit assembly 32 or the electrical connection device 30, all the contact portions of the unit assembly 32 or the electrical connection device 30 are removed. It may be formed in the wiring section. With this configuration, the contact portion can be easily formed in an arrangement that accurately corresponds to the arrangement pattern of the contacted location.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, a ring-shaped contact portion 20 having a recess 22a
Instead, a normal protruding contact portion having no recess may be used. In addition, the present invention is applicable not only to the contact unit and the electrical connection device used for the conduction test of the integrated circuit, but also to the contact unit and the electrical connection device used for the conduction test of another flat test object such as a liquid crystal substrate. Can be applied. Therefore, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of a contact unit according to the present invention, wherein (A) is a side view, (B) is a front view,
(C) is a bottom view.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the contact unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of an electrical connection device using the contact unit shown in FIG. 1, and is a bottom view with a probe assembly removed.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a part of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view showing one embodiment of a unit assembly,
(A) is a side view, (B) is a front view, and (C) is a bottom view.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of use of the electrical connection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Contact unit 12 Support body 12a Plate part 12b Elastic deformation part 14 Contact sheet 16 Sheet member 18 Wiring part 20 Contact part 20a Depression 22 Connector 24 Hole 26 Cutout 30 Electrical connection device 32 Unit assembly 34 Grid member 36 Plate frame 38 Probe assembly 40 Fixed frame 42 Fixing screw 44 Spring 46 Locking portion 48, 50 Opening 52 Probe 54 Board 56 Connection land 58 Connected portion 60, 64 Fixing plate 62, 66 Screw member 68, 70 Opening 72, 80 integrated circuit 74 test head 76 inspection table

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2G011 AA16 AA21 AB06 AB07 AB08 AC14 AE22 AF07 2G032 AA00 AF02 AL03 4M106 AA02 AA04 AD09 BA01 BA14 DD04 DD09 DD10 9A001 BB04 BB05 JJ49 JZ45 KK37 KK54 LL05

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A plate-shaped support comprising: a plate-shaped support; and an elastically deformable contact sheet disposed on the support, wherein the support has a first and a second surface in a thickness direction. And an elastically deformable portion following one edge of the plate-shaped portion, wherein the contact sheet is arranged on the support so as to extend from the first surface to the second surface via the elastically deformable portion. A plurality of wiring portions formed on the sheet member so as to extend from at least a portion corresponding to the elastically deformable portion to a portion corresponding to the second surface; A contact portion provided at a position corresponding to the elastically deformable portion and protruding from the wiring portion to a side opposite to a side of the sheet-shaped member. 2. The contact unit according to claim 1, wherein said contact portion has a concave portion opened on a side opposite to a side of said sheet-shaped member. 3. The sheet-like member and each of the wiring portions each have an extension extending further from a portion corresponding to the second surface, and the contact sheet further includes a connector provided on the extension. Claim 1 or 2 comprising
The contact unit according to the above. 4. Each one of claims 1 to 3
A plurality of unit assemblies provided with the plurality of contact units described in the item, a grid member having a plurality of first openings in which each unit assembly is disposed, and a grid member having the grid members disposed in the openings. A plate-like frame having one opening;
Assembling means for assembling the lattice-shaped member to the plate-shaped frame, wherein the unit assembly further includes a maintaining means for maintaining the plurality of contact units in a state of being stacked in their thickness direction, and at least The electrical connection device, wherein the contact portion is arranged in the first opening so as to protrude from the first opening. 5. A fixing screw for penetrating the plurality of contact units in a thickness direction to maintain the plurality of contact units in an overlapped state, and a pair of rectangular members through which the plurality of contact units penetrate. And a fixed frame coupled in a state of crossing in an X-shape at a pair of opposing sides, wherein the pair of fixed frames are relatively shaken by the fixing screws at their intersections. The electrical connection device according to claim 4, further comprising a locking portion that is movably connected to the grid-shaped member. 6. The probe assembly further includes a probe assembly, the probe assembly including an electrically insulating substrate, and a plurality of probes disposed on the substrate so as to penetrate the substrate. 5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the electronic component is assembled to the plate frame in a state of being electrically connected to the contact.
Or the electrical connection device according to 5. 7. The substrate according to claim 6, wherein the substrate further includes, on one surface, a plurality of connection lands to which the probes are electrically connected, the connection lands being in contact with the contact portions. Electrical connection device. 8. The electrical connection device according to claim 5, wherein the unit assemblies adjacent in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction have different thickness directions of the contact units.