JP2006337202A - Probe pin - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a long-lifetime probe pin, provided with both workability and wear resistance capable of appropriately reconciling the conflicting needs for the workability of the probe pin and the wear resistance of a contact head. <P>SOLUTION: In the probe pin having both a shaft part 5 and the contact head 6 to be pressed into contact with one end of the shaft part 5 in the axial direction, a rod material is cut to form the shaft part 5, and the contact head 6 is electrocast. The probe pin is provided with a structure where the axial face of the cut shaft part 5 is butted against and jointed to the electrocast contact head 6 in the axial direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe pin used for pressure contact with a ball-shaped electrode of a BGA type IC, an electrode of an IC wafer, an electrode of a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel.

  Conventionally, a so-called stamped contact that has been punched from a metal plate as this type of contact and a sleeve pin contact shown in FIG. 1 are known.

  As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 2, the sleeve pin type contact is inserted into the sleeve 1 between the proximal ends of the probe pins 2 by inserting the proximal ends of the probe pins 2 to both ends of the sleeve 1 so as to be able to advance and retract. It has a structure in which a coil spring 3 is interposed and held.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, in the sleeve pin type contact, both probe pins 2 contract while compressing the coil spring 3, and are expanded by the elastic force of the coil spring 3, for example, the contact head of one probe pin 2 6 is brought into pressure contact with the ball-shaped electrode 4 of the BGA type IC and the like, and the contact head 6 of the other probe pin 2 is brought into pressure contact with the electrode 7 of the wiring board.

  The probe pin 2 has a shaft portion 5 and a contact head 6 formed at one end of the shaft portion 5, and a plurality of sharp ends 8 are arranged annularly at the end portion of the contact head 6 or on the axis line. A single sharp tip 8 is provided. In the former case, for example, a lower spherical surface of the ball-shaped electrode 4 is received in a recess 9 defined by a plurality of sharp tips 8, and the inner surface of each sharp tip 8 is pressurized. In the latter case, pressure contact is made so that the sharp end 8 protrudes from the electrode 7.

  Thus, the probe pin 2 is conventionally manufactured as a single body by cutting a bar. Therefore, the shaft portion 5 and the contact head 6 have a solid structure made of the same metal material.

  In general, beryllium copper or phosphor bronze is used as the bar material from the viewpoint of machinability. Therefore, the shaft portion 5 and the contact head 6 are made of a single solid structure made of beryllium copper, or both 5, 6 are phosphorous. It has a solid structure made of bronze.

  However, beryllium copper and phosphor bronze have good electrical conductivity, but lack wear resistance, and in the case of sleeve pin type contacts in which the contact head 6 at the end of the probe pin 2 is repeatedly brought into pressure contact with the electrodes 4 and 7, contact is not possible. The head 6 wears out early, has a short service life, requires frequent replacement of the sleeve pin-type contact from the connector in which the sleeve 6 is implanted, and the inspection work for the IC is interrupted. This has resulted in a large maintenance cost and deterioration of inspection work efficiency.

  Further, the above-described method of cutting the probe pin 2 cannot follow the miniaturization of the probe pin 2 and, for example, if the probe pin is 0.1 mm or less, cutting is difficult, especially the sharp end 8 of the contact head 6 is remarkably cut. It becomes difficult.

  On the other hand, when nickel or tungsten rods are used as a material to improve wear resistance, cutting is almost impossible and unrealistic.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a long-life probe pin having both workability and wear resistance, which appropriately solves the conflicting problems between the workability of the probe pin and the wear resistance of the contact head.

  In the probe pin according to the present invention, a rod is cut to form a shaft portion of the probe pin, while a contact head is formed by electroforming, and the shaft end surface of the cutting shaft portion is formed into the electroformed contact. The head is butt-joined in the axial direction to form an integral composite structure.

  Alternatively, the shaft portion is formed by forging a bar, and the contact head is formed by electroforming as in the above, and the shaft end surface of the forged shaft portion is butted against the electroformed contact head in the axial direction. These are joined to form an integral composite structure.

  According to the present invention, the shaft portion of the probe pin can be easily manufactured using a bar material made of, for example, brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, etc. having good machinability or forgeability, and the contact head has wear resistance. Therefore, it is possible to provide a probe pin or sleeve pin type contact which can be easily electroformed using nickel and tungsten which are rich in metal, and meet both requirements of workability and wear resistance by butt-joining them.

  Therefore, the problem of short life and the problem of maintenance work and cost in the conventional probe pin can be drastically solved.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those of the conventional probe pin 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As described above, the probe pin 2 has the shaft portion 5 and the contact head 6 connected to one end portion of the shaft portion 5, and the end portion of the contact head 6 is given a contact shape corresponding to the counterpart electrode. .

  For example, as described above, a plurality of sharp ends 8 are arranged annularly at the end of the contact head 6 or a single sharp end 8 protruding on the axis is provided, and the former is defined by a plurality of sharp ends 8. For example, the lower spherical surface of the ball-shaped electrode 4 is received in the recess 9 and is in pressure contact with the inner surface of each sharp tip 8. In the latter, the pressure contact is made so that the sharp tip 8 is pushed against the electrode 7. Make the structure.

  The shaft portion 5 is formed by cutting a bar. A specific example of this cutting method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3A, a bar 10 made of brass, beryllium copper, and phosphor bronze is prepared. As shown in FIG. 3B, the end of the bar 10 is cut with a known bite to obtain a probe pin 2. 3A to 3C, and cut at the connecting portion with the bar 10 to obtain the shaft portion 5 having the required shape shown in FIG.

  The above operation is repeated to mass-produce the shaft portion 5 having the large-diameter shaft portion 12 at the end of the small-diameter shaft portion 11. The shaft portion 5 has a cut surface (rough surface) on the end surface 13 of the small-diameter shaft portion 11, and the peripheral surface thereof is a smooth surface.

  As another example, the shaft portion 5 is formed by forging. A specific example of the forging method for the shaft portion 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A, the short bar 10 cut to a required size is inserted into the molding cavity 15 of the shaft mold 14 and supported by the knockout pin 16, and the bar 10 protruding from the molding cavity 15. 6 is plastically deformed so as to conform to the shape of the inner surface of the forming cavity 15 by applying forging pressure to the end surface of the small-diameter shaft portion 11 shown in FIG. Mass production of the shaft portion 5 is carried out.

  The end surface of the shaft portion 5 is a surface obtained by applying forging pressure to the cut surface when a long rod member is cut to form a short rod member 10, and therefore the end surface 13 of the small diameter shaft portion 11 forms a rough surface. is doing.

  On the other hand, the contact head 6 is formed by electroforming. A specific example of this electroforming method will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, a template 19 having a number of contact head molding recesses 18 opened on the surface is prepared.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, a photosensitive resist layer 20 is formed on the surface of the template 19 by coating or laminating, and the photosensitive resist layer 20 is exposed and developed to correspond to the contact head molding recess 18. The molding opening 21 to be formed is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the contact head 6 is formed by electroforming in the contact head forming recess 18 and the forming opening 21. Nickel or tungsten is used as the forming metal of the contact head 6 by electroforming.

  The electroforming contact head 6 fills the contact head forming recess 18 with electroformed metal and fills the forming opening 21, and simultaneously forms the sharp end 8 in the contact head forming recess 18. The joint portion 22 is formed in the opening 21 for use.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the resist layer 20 is removed. The removal of the resist layer 20 forms a state in which the joint portion 22 protrudes from the opening surface of the contact head molding recess 18. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the electroformed contact head 6.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5E, in the state where the electroformed contact head 6 is inserted into the head forming recess 18 of the template 19, the axis of the cutting shaft 5 or the forged shaft 5 described above is used. The end surface, that is, the shaft end surface 13 of the small-diameter shaft portion 11 is abutted and joined in the axial direction to the end surface of the electroformed contact head 6, that is, the end surface of the joint portion 22 to form an integral composite structure.

  By removing the butt joint portion from the mold plate 19, the probe pin 2 having an integral composite structure of the cutting shaft portion 5 or the forged shaft portion 5 and the electroformed contact head 6 shown in FIGS. Get.

  As an example, as shown in FIGS. 5C, D, and E, the joint portion 22 of the electroformed contact head 6 is electroformed to a larger diameter than the shaft portion 5, that is, the small diameter shaft portion 11. As a result, the small-diameter shaft portion 11 is allowed to have a slight misalignment with respect to the large-diameter joint portion 22 and can be appropriately joined.

  As the joining means, for example, as shown in FIG. 5E, a joining plating layer 23 is applied to the end face of the cutting shaft portion 5 or the end face of the electroformed contact head 6, and butt joining is performed by heating.

  Alternatively, the end face of the electroformed contact head 6 and the end face of the cutting shaft portion 5 are brought into contact with each other without applying the plating, thereby forming an integrated composite structure by ultrasonic welding, friction welding, electric heating heating welding, or the like.

A is a sectional view of a sleeve pin type contact using a known probe pin, and B is a sectional view showing a contact state of the sleeve pin type contact. The perspective view of the cutting probe pin which the said whole consists of the same metal. A, B, C is a side view showing a cutting process of a shaft portion constituting the probe pin according to the present invention. A and B are sectional views showing a forging process of a shaft portion constituting the probe pin according to the present invention. A, B, C, D, and E are sectional views showing the molding process of the electroformed contact head constituting the probe pin according to the present invention. The perspective view of a cutting process shaft part or a forge molding shaft part. The perspective view of an electroforming shaping | molding contact head. The perspective view of the probe pin obtained by the butt | joining joining of the cutting shaft part or a forge shaping | molding shaft part, and an electroforming shaping | molding contact head. The side view of the probe pin of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sleeve, 2 ... Probe pin, 3 ... Coil spring, 4 ... Electrode, 5 ... Shaft part, 6 ... Contact head, 7 ... Electrode, 8 ... Sharp end, 9 ... Recess, 10 ... Bar material, 11 ... Small diameter shaft , 12 ... Large diameter shaft part, 13 ... End face of small diameter shaft part, 14 ... Shaft part mold, 15 ... Molding cavity part, 16 ... Knockout pin, 17 ... Punch, 18 ... Recess for contact head molding, 19 ... Template: 20 ... Photosensitive resist layer, 21 ... Molding opening, 22 ... Joint part, 23 ... Joint plating layer

Claims (2)

In a probe pin having a shaft portion and a contact head that is in pressure contact with one end of the shaft portion in the axial direction, the shaft portion formed by cutting a bar is prepared, and a contact head formed by electroforming is prepared. A probe pin prepared and having a structure in which the shaft end surface of the cutting shaft portion is butted and joined to the electroforming contact head in the axial direction. In a probe pin having a shaft portion and a contact head that is in pressure contact with one end of the shaft portion in the axial direction, the shaft portion formed by forging a bar is prepared, and a contact head formed by electroforming is prepared. A probe pin prepared and having a structure in which a shaft end surface of the forged shaft portion is butted and joined to the electroforming contact head in the axial direction.

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