JP2007113972A - Probe device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a probe device capable of forming a narrow pitch for probe pins. <P>SOLUTION: This probe device 10 includes the plurality of probe pins 18 contacting respectively with line electrodes 44 formed with the narrow pitch in a flat panel display 40. The each probe pin 18 has an elastic part 26 having a substantially circular-arc side face shape. A scratch action of whittling off an oxide film of the line electrode 44 by the probe pin 18 is generated by elastic deformation of the elastic part 26, when the probe pin 18 contacts with the line electrode 44. The each probe pin 18 is a thin film-like member having a narrow width in an arranging direction (Y-direction) of the line electrodes 44, and having a wide width in a longitudinal direction (X-direction). An arrangement direction space between the fellow probe pins 18 is thereby narrowed. The probe pin 18 has also sufficient strength because wide in a longitudinal direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a probe device used for inspection of a flat panel display in which a plurality of columnar electrodes extending in the front-rear direction are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, probe devices used for inspection of flat panel displays are widely known. The probe device includes probe pins that come into contact with the columnar electrodes disposed on the flat panel display, and supplies inspection signals to the columnar electrodes via the probe pins.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a spring-type probe device. This uses a spring pin movable in the vertical direction as a probe pin. Patent Document 2 discloses a cantilever type probe device. The probe pin in this probe device has a crank shape, and one end thereof is a cantilever (cantilever) fixed to the block. Patent Document 3 discloses a probe device in which a part of a probe pin is formed in a flat plate shape bent in a substantially arc shape, and the substantially arc-shaped portion functions as a plate spring.

  Here, the columnar electrodes are made of metal, and a thin oxide film is formed on the surface thereof. This oxide film hinders the electrical contact between the probe pin and the row electrode, and hence the highly reliable electrode inspection. Therefore, at the time of electrode inspection, it is desirable that a so-called “slatch action” occurs in which this oxide film is shaved with a probe pin.

  However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the probe pin is movable only in the vertical direction, this scratch action is difficult to occur, and as a result, reliable electrode inspection cannot be performed. The device described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that the amount of shaving of the columnar electrodes becomes excessive while the slatting action tends to occur. Debris of the row electrode that has been shaved excessively becomes a foreign substance and obstructs electrical contact between the probe pin and the row electrode. That is, even with the technique described in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to perform highly reliable electrode inspection.

  In the probe device described in Patent Document 3, a part of the probe pin acts as a leaf spring having appropriate elasticity, so that a good scratch action is generated. As a result, good electrical contact between the probe pins and the row electrodes can be achieved, and as a result, highly reliable electrode inspection can be performed.

JP 2003-35722 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-313557 JP 2005-55343 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 3 has a problem that it is difficult to further narrow the pitch of the probe pins. That is, in recent years, with the improvement in performance of flat panel displays, the pitch of column electrodes has been further reduced. In accordance with this, it is desired to further reduce the pitch of the probe pins of the probe apparatus. However, the probe pin described in Patent Document 3 is wide in the arrangement direction of the row electrodes, and it is difficult to realize a narrow pitch of the probe pins.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a probe device capable of further narrowing the pitch of probe pins.

  The probe device of the present invention is a probe used for inspecting a flat panel display in which a plurality of columnar electrodes extending in the front-rear direction are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction, and an inspection signal is supplied from an inspection circuit. A plurality of wiring electrodes arranged in the arrangement direction, an upper support plate in which a plurality of upper holes are formed, and disposed below the upper support plate via a predetermined gap, A lower support plate in which a lower hole is formed, and a probe pin that is inserted into and supported by the upper hole and the lower hole and electrically connects the wiring electrode and the columnar electrode, And a plurality of probe pins each having an elastic portion that can be elastically deformed by a load received during contact with the row electrodes, and each probe pin is a thin plate-like member that is wide in the front-rear direction.

  In a preferred embodiment, the upper hole and the lower hole are formed in substantially the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin, and the probe pin is inserted into the upper hole and the lower hole so that positioning in the probe device is performed. Made. In this case, the upper hole and the lower hole are preferably formed by etching.

  In another preferred aspect, the elastic portion of the probe pin has a low-rigidity portion that is less rigid than the other portions. In this case, the low-rigidity part is desirably a part having a smaller width in the front-rear direction than other parts. In addition, it is desirable that the elastic part has a substantially arc-shaped side surface, and the low-rigidity part is provided at the approximate center of the elastic part. As another form, you may provide the through-hole penetrated in the arrangement | positioning direction in the elastic part of a probe pin. In this case, it is desirable that the through hole is a long hole extending substantially over the entire elastic portion.

  In another preferred embodiment, the probe pin is formed by sheet metal pressing or etching. In another preferred embodiment, the plurality of probe pins are arranged in a plurality of stages in a staggered manner.

  According to the present invention, each probe pin is a thin plate-like member that is wide in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the width of the probe pins in the arrangement direction can be reduced, and the pitch of the probe pins can be further reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a probe apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the probe device 10. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the number of probe pins 18 and the scale relations of each part are slightly changed from the actual ones for easy viewing.

  The probe device 10 is used for lighting inspection of a flat panel display 40 such as a liquid crystal panel, and supplies inspection signals to a plurality of columnar electrodes 44 formed on the upper surface of the flat panel display 40.

  The upper side of the probe device 10 is covered with a base 12. The base is a flat plate made of an insulating material, and an inspection circuit board is attached to the bottom of the base. The inspection circuit board includes an inspection circuit (not shown) and a plurality of wiring electrodes 23 connected to the circuit. The inspection circuit generates an inspection signal to be supplied to each wiring electrode 23. The wiring electrodes 23 are arranged on the bottom surface of the base 12 at the same pitch as the row electrodes. By electrically connecting the wiring electrode 23 and the columnar electrode 44, an inspection signal is supplied to the columnar electrode 44, and a lighting inspection of the flat panel display 40 is performed.

  The electrical connection between the wiring electrode 23 and the column electrode 44 is realized by the probe pin 18. The probe pin 18 is a pin made of a conductive material, and a plurality of probe pins 18 are provided in the probe device 10. Each probe pin 18 is held upright by the support 13, and its tip contacts the wiring electrode 23 and its lower end contacts the column electrode 44.

  Here, in order to bring each probe pin 18 into contact with each row electrode 44, it is necessary to arrange the probe pins 18 at the same pitch as the row electrode 44. However, in recent years, with the improvement in performance of the flat panel display 40, the arrangement pitch of the columnar electrodes 44 has become an extremely narrow pitch, specifically, an arrangement pitch of about 30 μm to 50 μm. In the prior art, it has been difficult to arrange the probe pins 18 at the same pitch as the narrow pitch columnar electrodes 44. Therefore, as will be described in detail later, in the present embodiment, the shape of the probe pin 18 is devised so that it can cope with further narrowing of the pitch. Further, by arranging four rows of pin rows, in which a plurality of probe pins 18 are arranged at a predetermined pitch, shifted in the front-rear direction (long direction of the row electrode), it is possible to further reduce the pitch. The shape and arrangement relationship of the probe pins 18 will be described in detail later.

  The support body 13 that supports the probe pin 18 includes an upper support plate 14 and a lower support plate 16 that face each other. The upper support plate 14 is formed with a plurality of upper holes 14a through which the upper end portions 24 of the probe pins 18 are inserted, and the lower support plate 16 is formed with a plurality of lower holes 16a through which the lower end portions 28 of the probe pins 18 are inserted. Yes. By inserting both ends of the probe pin 18 into the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a, the probe pin 18 is supported and positioned. A method of forming the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a will be described later in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the movement of the probe pin 18 when the probe pin 18 contacts the row electrode 44. As is clear from FIG. 2, the side surface of the probe pin 18 is partially arcuate. This is to induce bending of the probe pin 18 and to move the lower end portion 28 of the probe pin 18 slightly in the front-rear direction. That is, an oxide film is formed on the surface of the columnar electrode 44 although it is extremely fine. This oxide film obstructs the electrical contact between the probe pins 18 and the columnar electrodes 44, and consequently reduces the reliability of the lighting test of the flat panel display 40. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the probe pin 18 is provided with a substantially arc-shaped elastic portion 26 so as to be easily bent. By adopting such a shape, the substantially arc-shaped elastic portion 26 bends due to the load in the vertical direction received when it contacts the column electrode 44, and the upper end portion 28 of the probe pin 18 slightly moves in the front-rear direction. Along with this minute movement, a so-called scratch action occurs in which the oxide film formed on the surface of the row electrode 44 is scraped off by the probe pin 18. By this scratching action, the probe pin 18 and the row electrode 44 can be reliably brought into electrical contact, and the reliability of the lighting inspection can be improved.

  Next, the shape of each probe pin 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. 4A is a side view of the probe pin 18, and FIG. 4B is a front view. Moreover, FIG. 4C is CC sectional drawing in FIG. 4A.

  Each probe pin 18 is roughly divided into an upper end portion 24 that contacts the wiring electrode 23, a lower end portion 28 that contacts the row electrode 44, and an elastic portion 26 that connects the upper end portion 24 and the lower end portion 28. The upper end portion 24 and the lower end portion 28 are straight portions extending in the Z direction. The upper end portion 24 and the lower end portion 28 are maintained in their shapes without being bent even when subjected to a load in the vertical direction. The lower end portion 28 is allowed to move minutely in the front-rear direction because of the above-described scratching action. On the other hand, the movement of the upper end portion 24 is restricted by an upper hole 14 a formed in the upper support plate 14.

  The elastic portion 26 is a portion that connects the upper end portion 24 and the lower end portion 28 and has a substantially arcuate side shape. Since this elastic part 26 is substantially arc-shaped, when it receives a force in the vertical direction, it tends to bend due to elastic deformation. Due to this bending, the above-described scratching action occurs, and good electrical contact between the probe pin 18 and the columnar electrode 44 can be obtained.

  A wide locking portion 28 a is formed between the elastic portion 26 and the lower end portion 28. The locking portion 28a is wider than the lower hole 16a and restricts the probe pin 18 from falling off.

  The width Wy of the probe pin 18 of this embodiment in the Y direction (arrangement direction of the column electrode 44) is larger than that of other conventional probe pins 18 in order to cope with further narrow pitch of the column electrode 44. It is getting smaller.

  Here, various probe devices have been proposed heretofore, and a probe pin having a unique shape for each probe device has been proposed. However, in the conventional probe pin shape, it is difficult to reduce the Y-direction width Wy in accordance with the narrowing of the pitch of the row electrodes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a spring-type probe pin in which a first needle-shaped body that contacts a wiring electrode and a second needle-shaped body that contacts a row electrode are connected by a spring. . When trying to reduce the width of the spring-type probe pin, it is naturally necessary to reduce the size of the spring itself. However, it is difficult to reduce the size of the spring, and even if the size can be reduced, an increase in cost is inevitable.

  Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose a round probe or a flat probe pin which is crushed and round in the Y direction. In such a probe pin, it is not difficult to reduce the Y-direction width Wy of the probe pin by reducing the diameter of the round bar. However, when the diameter of the round bar is reduced according to the arrangement pitch of the row electrodes, the rigidity of the entire probe pin is lowered, and the probe pin is easily deformed or damaged. As a result, the probe device may cause a decrease in inspection reliability and a decrease in the lifetime of the probe device.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4C, the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin is a substantially rectangular shape that is wide in the X direction (long direction of the row electrode). By adopting such a shape, a sufficiently large cross-sectional area can be secured even if the Y-direction width Wy is reduced. As a result, it is possible to cope with further narrowing of the pitch of the columnar electrodes 44 without reducing the reliability and life of the probe device 10.

  As is clear from FIG. 4B, the probe pin 18 of the present embodiment is a flat plate member having a uniform width Wy in the Y direction. The probe pin 18 that is a flat plate member can be manufactured by a technique such as etching or sheet metal press. In the case of manufacturing by etching, a mask having a shape corresponding to the side surface shape shown in FIG. 4A may be formed on a metal thin plate as a material for etching. Moreover, when manufacturing with a sheet metal press, it can manufacture by stamping the electroconductive metal plate of predetermined thickness into the side shape illustrated in FIG. 4A. It can be said that the manufacturing method of the probe pin 18 is extremely simple when compared with other conventional manufacturing methods of probe pins. That is, any of the probe pins described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above needs to go through a plurality of steps for manufacturing, and it takes time, labor, and cost. On the other hand, the probe pin 18 of the present embodiment can be manufactured by simply etching or punching a conductive metal plate having a predetermined thickness into a predetermined shape. Moreover, the manufacturing efficiency can be improved by etching or punching many at the same time. By simplifying and improving the efficiency of the manufacturing, it is possible to obtain the advantage that the manufacturing cost of the probe pin 18 is reduced, and that the cost of the entire probe device is reduced.

  Next, the formation method and arrangement relationship of the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a formed in the upper support plate 14 and the lower support plate 16 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial top view of the lower support plate 16. In addition, since the shape and arrangement | positioning relationship of the upper side hole 14a and the lower side hole 16a are substantially the same, below, only the lower side hole 16a is demonstrated. In FIG. 5, the alternate long and short dash line C indicates the center line of each columnar electrode 44, and the interval P between the alternate long and short dashed lines C indicates the arrangement pitch of the columnar electrodes 44.

  As described above, the lower support plate 16 has a plurality of lower holes 16a. By inserting the tip of the probe pin into the lower hole 16a, the probe pin 18 is supported and positioned. Here, the lower hole 16 a has a substantially rectangular shape having the same size as the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin 18. By making the lower hole 16a substantially the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin 18, the movement of the probe pin 18 is restricted, and the probe pin 18 is positioned at a predetermined position. However, the width in the front-rear direction of the lower hole 16a through which the upper end portion 28 of the probe pin 18 is inserted is smaller than the width Wx in the front-rear direction of the probe pin 18 in order to allow minute movement of the tip end portion 28 in the front-rear direction. Slightly larger. On the other hand, in the case of the upper hole 14a through which the upper end portion 24 of the probe pin 18 is inserted, there is no need to allow the movement of the upper end portion 24, so that it is increased by a very small margin necessary for insertion of the probe pin 18. Yes.

  A plurality of lower holes 16 a are formed in the lower support plate 16. Here, the plurality of lower holes 16a may be formed adjacent to each other in one row, but in this embodiment, in order to cope with further narrowing of the pitch, the rows of lower holes 16a formed adjacent to each other are Four rows are formed by shifting in the X direction. That is, the first hole row L1 to the fourth hole row L4 are formed so as to be shifted in the front-rear direction. The hole pitches Ph of the hole arrays Ln are equal to each other, but their Y-direction positions are shifted by the arrangement pitch P of the columnar electrodes 44. That is, the first hole row L1 and the fourth hole row L4 are shifted by a distance P in the Y direction. Similarly, the fourth hole row L4 and the second hole row L2, and the second hole row L2 and the third hole row L3 are each shifted by a distance P in the Y direction. In other words, the lower holes 16a are formed in a staggered manner. By forming a plurality of lower holes 16a in a staggered manner, it is possible to further reduce the pitch while preventing interference between the lower holes 16a, and hence the probe pins 18 inserted through the lower holes 16a. can do.

  In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin 18 is a substantially rectangular shape having a narrow cross-sectional shape in the Y direction. By adopting such a shape, it is possible to cope with a further narrow pitch of the columnar electrodes 44 while ensuring a sufficient cross-sectional area. That is, if the round bar type probe pin and the probe pin 18 of the present embodiment have the same cross-sectional area, the latter has a smaller width in the Y direction. In the case of a round rod type probe pin, as shown as a broken-line circle K in FIG. 5, the width in the Y direction is larger than the probe pin 18 of the present embodiment. That is, by making the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin substantially rectangular, the Y-direction width can be reduced while ensuring a sufficient cross-sectional area. As a result, it is possible to cope with further narrowing of the pitch of the columnar electrodes 44.

  In the present embodiment, a vertically long probe pin is held upright. With such a configuration, an effect of narrowing the pitch by staggered arrangement can be obtained. In other words, even if the probe pins elongated in the horizontal direction are arranged in a staggered manner as in the cantilever type, the effect of narrowing the pitch cannot be obtained. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B. 6A is a side view when the cantilever type probe pins are arranged in a staggered manner, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 6A. FIG. 7A is a side view when the probe pins of this embodiment are arranged in a staggered manner, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 7A.

  In the case of the cantilever type, the probe pin 50 is long in the horizontal direction. Therefore, even in the zigzag arrangement, the probe pin distance M1 at the same height is the same as in the case where the zigzag arrangement is not used. In other words, in the case of the cantilever type, even in a staggered arrangement, the probe pin distance M1 is the same as the probe pitch P (the arrangement pitch P of the row electrodes 44) (see FIG. 6B). Therefore, if the probe pitch P is reduced, the probe pin distance M1 is also reduced, and there is a possibility that interference between the probe pins 50 occurs. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to provide an insulating material between the probe pins.

  On the other hand, in the case of the probe pins 18 elongated in the vertical direction as in the present embodiment, when the staggered arrangement is used, the inter-probe distance M2 in the same height plane is surely increased as compared to the case where the staggered arrangement is not used. In other words, in the case of the present embodiment, the inter-probe pin distance M2 can be made larger than the probe pitch P by using the staggered arrangement (see FIG. 7B). As a result, even if the probe pitch P is reduced, a certain distance M2 between the probe pins can be secured, and interference between the probe pins can be prevented.

  The lower hole 16a is formed by a processing technique called reactive ion etching (RIE). RIE is a type of dry etching, in which an etching gas is turned into plasma in a reaction chamber, and ion processing and chemical reaction of the etching gas are generated on the work material placed on the cathode, and the work material is removed. This is a technique for processing into a desired shape. According to this RIE, a fine shape can be formed with high accuracy. In particular, according to a processing technique called Deep-RIE, a high aspect ratio hole shape can be formed. In the present embodiment, the lower hole is formed using the Deep-RIE.

  Here, the reason why Deep-RIE is used for forming the lower hole 16a and the upper hole 14a will be described. In the conventional probe device, the lower hole and the upper hole are formed by machining, for example, drilling. In this case, the shape accuracy and position accuracy of the lower hole and the upper hole cannot be kept high. Therefore, conventionally, the probe pin could not be positioned only by the lower hole and the upper hole. Therefore, conventionally, in order to position the probe pin in the probe device, a dedicated positioning component has been provided. However, the provision of such positioning parts has led to an increase in the number of parts and an increase in man-hours for manufacturing the probe device. As in the present embodiment, the lower hole 16a and the upper hole 14a are formed with high precision using a high-precision processing technique, specifically, Deep-RIE, and the probe pin 18 is positioned only by these holes. By realizing this, positioning parts can be omitted. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing process of the entire probe apparatus can be simplified.

  Further, in this embodiment, a smaller probe pin 18 is used as compared with the conventional probe device. Needless to say, the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a through which the probe pin 18 is inserted are required to have higher machining accuracy than conventional ones. However, the conventional drilling has a limit in the processing accuracy, and it is difficult to obtain the processing accuracy corresponding to the size of the probe pin 18 of the present embodiment. Further, in the drilling process, a round hole can be formed, but a square hole as in this embodiment cannot be formed.

  Further, the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a are likely to have a high aspect ratio, and it is difficult to process with a drill. For example, the lower hole 16a in the present embodiment has a minimum width of about 30 μm, and a depth of about 750 μm. That is, the aspect ratio of the lower hole 16a is 25. It has been difficult to form such high aspect ratio holes by drilling. On the other hand, in the case of Deep-RIE, even a high aspect ratio hole can be processed with high accuracy.

  That is, by using reactive ion etching, high-aspect-ratio square holes (lower hole 16a and upper hole 14a) can be formed with high accuracy. As a result, positioning parts are not required, the number of parts of the entire probe apparatus can be reduced, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the probe pin 18 is a thin plate that is wide in the front-rear direction. Thereby, it is possible to cope with further narrowing of the pitch of the columnar electrodes 44 and to simplify the manufacturing process of the probe pin 18. Further, by arranging the probe pins 18 in a staggered manner, it is possible to cope with further narrowing of the pitch. Further, by using a dry etching technique such as RIE, the upper hole 14a and the lower hole 16a through which each probe pin 18 is inserted can be formed with high accuracy. As a result, positioning parts are not required, the manufacturing process of the entire probe apparatus can be simplified, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  The configuration described above is an example, and other configurations may be appropriately changed as long as the thin plate-like probe pins 18 that can cope with the narrow pitch of the columnar electrodes 44 are used. For example, the elastic portion 26 of the probe pin 18 may be provided with a low-rigidity portion that is less rigid than other portions. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the width in the front-rear direction of the elastic portion 26 may be partially reduced. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8A, the front-rear width W2 at the approximate center of the elastic portion 26 is smaller than the front-rear width W1 near the end of the elastic portion 26. As a result, the substantially center of the elastic portion 26 is a low-rigidity portion that is less rigid than the other portions. By adopting such a shape, the spring constant of the elastic portion 26 is lowered, and bending occurs even with a small load. Further, by reducing the front-rear width W2 at the approximate center of the elastic portion 26, the bending moment when bending in the front-rear direction is reduced, and bending in the front-rear direction is further induced. As a result, the above-described scratching action can be caused more reliably. Moreover, you may comprise a low-rigidity part by providing a cut | notch in a part of elastic part 26, or making Y direction width Wy smaller than another part.

  Moreover, you may form the through-hole penetrated in the Y direction in the elastic part 26 as another form. By forming the through-hole, the spring constant of the elastic portion 26 is lowered, and bending occurs even with a small load. As shown in FIG. 9, the through-hole is desirably a long hole 62 that extends over substantially the entire elastic portion 26. In this case, the elastic part 26 functions like two thin leaf springs in the bending direction. Since the two leaf spring portions 60a and 60b formed in the elastic portion 26 by the long holes 62 are thin in the front-rear direction, bending in the front-rear direction is easily induced. As a result, bending occurs with a smaller load, and a scratching action can be generated more reliably. In FIG. 9, only one long hole 62 is formed, but a plurality of long holes may naturally be formed. Further, in FIG. 9, the width of the long hole 62 is constant, in other words, the thickness of the leaf spring portions 60a and 60b is uniform, but may be changed as appropriate. For example, a long hole may be formed so that the approximate center of the leaf spring portion is thin.

  In the present embodiment, the probe pins are arranged in a staggered manner in order to cope with further narrowing of the pitch. However, the probe pins are not necessarily arranged in a staggered manner. In the present embodiment, the RIE technique is used to obtain holes with high accuracy and high aspect ratio. However, as long as the upper hole 14a can be formed with such an accuracy that the upper hole 14a can be used as a positioning hole, other processing techniques may naturally be used.

It is a perspective view of the probe apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of a probe apparatus. It is a figure which shows a motion of the probe pin at the time of contacting a row-like electrode. It is a side view of a probe pin. It is a front view of a probe pin. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. 4A. It is a partial top view of an upper side support plate. It is a side view of cantilever type probe pins arranged in a staggered manner. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. 6A. It is a side view of the probe pin of this embodiment. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. 7A. It is a side view of another probe pin. It is a front view of another probe pin. It is a side view of another probe pin.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Probe apparatus, 12 Base, 13 Support body, 14a Upper hole, 14 Upper support plate, 16a Lower hole, 16 Lower support plate, 18 Probe pin, 23 Wiring electrode, 24 Upper end part, 26 Elastic part, 28 Lower end Part, 40 flat panel display, 44 column electrodes.

Claims (10)

A probe used to inspect a flat panel display in which a plurality of columnar electrodes extending in the front-rear direction are arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction,
An inspection signal is supplied from the inspection circuit, and a plurality of wiring electrodes arranged in the arrangement direction;
An upper support plate in which a plurality of upper holes are formed;
A lower support plate which is arranged opposite to the lower side of the upper support plate via a predetermined gap and has a plurality of prepared holes;
Both ends of the probe pin are supported by being inserted into the upper hole and the lower hole, and are electrically connected to the wiring electrode and the columnar electrode, and are elastically deformed by a load received during contact between the probe pin and the columnar electrode. A plurality of probe pins with possible elastic parts;
With
Each probe pin is a thin plate member wide in the front-rear direction. The probe device according to claim 1,
The upper hole and the lower hole are formed in almost the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the probe pin,
The probe pin is positioned in the probe device by being inserted into the upper hole and the lower hole. The probe device according to claim 2,
The probe device, wherein the upper hole and the lower hole are formed by etching. The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The probe device is characterized in that the elastic portion of the probe pin has a low-rigidity portion whose rigidity is lower than that of other portions. The probe device according to claim 4,
The low-rigidity part is a part having a smaller width in the front-rear direction than other parts. The probe device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The elastic part has a substantially arc-shaped side surface,
A low rigidity part is provided in the approximate center of an elastic part, The probe apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The probe device, wherein the elastic portion of the probe pin is provided with a through hole penetrating in the arrangement direction. The probe device according to claim 7,
The probe device, wherein the through hole is a long hole extending substantially over the entire elastic portion. The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The probe pin is formed by sheet metal pressing or etching. The probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The probe device, wherein the plurality of probe pins are arranged in a plurality of staggered patterns.

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