JP2006023265A - Inspection probe - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive inspection probe that improves pressurization, positioning, and contact stability, and expands a usage range by the ease of installation. <P>SOLUTION: A film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 having bumps corresponding to a substrate to be inspected is created, a complete round cylindrical elastic body 5 is held between the FPC 1 and its support section 2, and a terminal immediately after the bump of the FPC 1 is rolled in the support for fixing on the side of the support. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus for performing an electrical property test on a substrate on which a high-density integrated circuit is mounted and various display pattern forming substrates before chip mounting.
[Conventional technology]
At present, with the high integration of integrated circuits or the diversification and high definition of various displays, the line pitch of the circuit board pattern has become 50 microns or less. Since this circuit board is an integrated circuit before mounting an expensive integrated circuit, particularly in the case of a display board, the test before mounting the integrated circuit is an indispensable process. Conventionally, a spring probe pin is applied to input / output a test signal. However, in such a display substrate, a method in which a bump formed on the test apparatus side is in direct contact with a pad on the substrate is mainstream. It has become.

  However, the bumps are formed on a flexible film substrate, which is difficult to align with the refinement of the line pitch on the substrate under test side. At the same time, in order to press the bumps against the pads of the substrate to be tested to obtain proper conduction, since the bumps are formed on the flexible film substrate, it is necessary to fix the flexible film substrate. In particular, when a voltage is applied to an unnecessary portion in the inspection of the display substrate, there is a problem that contamination occurs and the characteristics of the substrate are deteriorated.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Inspection probes that are supposed to inspect various display substrates must achieve fine precision positioning of the X, Y, and θ axes of 10 microns or less, and ensure stable contact without damaging the substrate under test. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the inspection probe is unnecessarily high and the adjustment during the test must be complicated. Further, in the case of inspection of the display substrate, it is necessary to consider that the circuit and the component members are usually arranged in the immediate vicinity of the pad to be measured when the inspection probe is arranged and fixed.

[Means for solving problems]
By the additive method currently in practical use, wiring pattern formation, bump formation corresponding to the pads of the substrate to be tested, and input / output signal pattern formation to the test apparatus are integrally formed on a film-like flexible substrate. The pattern part is formed of an elastic metal such as Ni. The bump portion is formed of a conductive or corrosion resistant metal such as Ni. The surface where the bumps are arranged and the interface portion with the inspection apparatus are left, and the surface is coated with insulation. The film-like flexible substrate is fixed with a support portion having a sufficient thickness between a thin resin or metal member, an elastic body is sandwiched between the bump forming portion and the tip is folded at the corner of the support portion. Then, fix it to the support with another light resin or metal plate.

[Actual example]
FIG. 1 shows an outline of an inspection probe according to the present invention.
A film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is attached to a sufficiently thick support portion 2 and fixed with a holding plate 3 for fixing. One end of the film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is a terminal for an external tester. 8, and the other end is bent at the end of the support portion 2 and is fixed by the lateral pressing plate 7.

  FIG. 3 is a side view of the inspection probe. A cylindrical elastic body 5 is fitted in the support portion 2 on the back side of the bump 4 formation portion of the film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1, and about half of the inspection probe is shown. The film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 that protrudes from the support portion 2 and winds around this protrudes from the bottom surface of the support portion 2. The film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is bent and fixed to the support portion 2 by a lateral pressing plate 7 on the side surface of the support portion 2. The holding substrate 3 is formed with a taper that becomes thinner toward the bump 4 forming portion of the film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 so that the surface of the inspection probe facing the substrate 9 to be inspected becomes a flat surface. The flexible flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is devised so as not to be bent excessively.

  FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the inspection probe, but a part of both ends of the film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is cut and extends without winding the cylindrical elastic body 5 and is placed on the substrate 9 to be inspected. It is like that. The positioning of the inspection probe is aided by matching the mark on the substrate 9 to be inspected with the corresponding mark. The surface of the film-like flexible substrate (FPC) 1 that faces the substrate to be inspected 9 is coated with an insulating coating except for the bump 4 formation portion. FIG. 5B shows a state in which the inspection probe is pressurized. At this time, the bump 4 on the flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is in contact with the pad on the substrate 9 to be inspected, and further a cylindrical elastic body. The elastic deformation of 5 causes sufficient contact, but the flexible substrate (FPC) 1 around the bump 4 may also contact the inspection substrate 9 in some cases. However, since the portions other than the bumps 4 are coated with insulation, the substrate 9 to be inspected does not deteriorate due to unnecessary current.

  Further, since the cylindrical elastic body 5 is placed in a cylindrical shape in the bump arrangement direction of the bump 4 forming portion, the pressure in the arrangement direction is canceled at the time of pressurization, and once the positioning is performed, the positional deviation in the arrangement direction does not occur. FIG. 4 shows a schematic arrangement in the case of inspecting a panel substrate with this inspection probe. Various panel integrated circuits are arranged close to the panel 9 in order to reduce the overall size. Since the bumps of the inspection probe of the present invention are arranged at the tip of the inspection probe, it is possible to inspect such a panel substrate.

  FIG. 6A shows an example of a wiring pattern formed on a flexible substrate (FPC) 1. In this figure, a portion that is rolled up and assembled at a corner of the support portion 2 is shown in a plane. In the present invention, since the bump 4 forming portion side of the flexible substrate (FPC) 1 is wound up and fixed at the corner of the support portion 2, there can be a space margin ahead of the bump 4 forming portion. Some wiring patterns can be formed in the portion. This is further advantageous when two-row staggered bump formation is performed as shown in FIG. 6B, since the lead-out line of one bump row must be drawn to the opposite side. In addition, when two rows of staggered bumps are formed, the cylindrical elastic body 5 on the back side has a sufficiently large cross-sectional area with respect to the interval between the two rows of bump rows, and there is no problem in pressurization. FIG. 6C shows an example in which bumps are formed in a U-shape, but in this case as well, there is a margin on the front side of the bump 4 formation portion, so that the degree of freedom in routing the wiring pattern is increased. In this case, of course, it goes without saying that the cylindrical elastic body 5 is disposed on the back side of each bump row.

[The invention's effect]
As a result of this invention, it is possible to manufacture an inspection probe corresponding to a substrate to be tested that has a high definition and has a small margin for installation of the inspection probe, and positioning becomes easy even during testing, and stable contact conduction can be obtained. It was.

[Figure 1]
Schematic diagram of the inspection probe of the present invention [FIG. 2]
View of the inspection probe from the bottom [Fig. 3]
View of inspection probe from the side [Fig. 4]
Schematic block diagram when inspecting the LCD substrate with the inspection probe of the present invention [FIG.
Positional relationship diagram with substrate to be inspected before this inspection probe is pressurized [FIG. 5-b]
State when this inspection probe is pressed and in close contact with the substrate to be inspected [FIG. 6A]
Example of wiring pattern on film-like flexible substrate (FPC) before one end is fixed to the support [FIG. 6b]
Example of wiring pattern on a film-like flexible substrate (FPC) before fixing one end to the support (when the bumps are arranged in a two-row zigzag pattern)
[Fig. 6c]
Example of wiring pattern on a film-like flexible substrate (FPC) before one end is fixed to the support (when the bump arrangement is U-shaped)

Explanation of symbols

1 Film-like flexible substrate (FPC)
2 Film support substrate (support part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Holding substrate 4 Bump 5 Cylindrical elastic body 6 Positioning FPC drawer part 7 Horizontal holding plate 8 Tester terminal part 9 Test substrate 10 Inspection probe main body 11 Tester lead wire 12 Test substrate pad

Claims (2)

  An inspection probe having a bump and a wiring pattern for contacting an electrode pad formed on a high-density integrated circuit board, and inspecting the high-density integrated circuit board by inputting and outputting signals from the electrode pad through the bump Then, the bump portion is formed on the flexible film substrate, the end of the flexible film substrate is wound up to the side portion of the support portion, and the flexible film substrate is screwed together with the stopper plate from the lateral direction to the support portion. Inspection probe that makes it possible to fix the bump part near the end of the support part by fixing with a stopper   A cylindrical elastic body having a perfect circle cross-section near the end of the bump placement portion of the flexible film substrate of the inspection probe, that is, near the end of the support portion, is supported by about half of the perfect circle around the support portion in the bump placement direction. Inspection probe that enables proper pressurization to the pads of the high-density integrated circuit board under test by this elastic body when the inspection probe is pressed by placing it protruding from

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