JP2016090437A - Contact probe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contact probe that can be miniaturized, is excellent in a high frequency property, and improves an insulation property between a signal layer and a shield layer.SOLUTION: A contact probe 1 includes an integrally formed contact part 2 and main body part 10, in which the main body part 10 is a laminate body that is integrally formed by a lamination of a signal layer 13, an insulation layer 12 and a shield layer 11. On a contact part 2 side of the main body part 10, the signal layer 13 and the insulation layer 12 are configured to protrude from an end face of the shield layer 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact probe, and more particularly to an improvement of a contact probe including a contact portion and a main body portion that are integrally formed.

  The probe card is an inspection device used for inspecting the electrical characteristics of an electronic circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer, and is provided with a large number of fine contact probes that are brought into contact with electrodes on the electronic circuit. Since the elongated conductor easily transmits and receives electromagnetic waves, the conventional contact probe has a problem that the high-frequency characteristics are not good when a high-frequency circuit is inspected. For example, in order to use in a high frequency band, the transmission loss in the contact probe is large.

  Thus, a coaxial probe in which the signal line is covered with a conductor for shielding has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 includes a signal pin 4 which is manufactured using a coaxial cable in which a central conductor is covered with a dielectric 5 and a shield conductor 6, and is formed by projecting one end of the central conductor from the dielectric 5 and the shield conductor 6. A coaxial probe 2 is described. In the coaxial probe 2, since the conductor for transmitting the signal is covered with the conductor for shielding, the electromagnetic wave is electrostatically shielded and the high frequency characteristics are good.

  Further, a method for forming the above-described coaxial probe finely has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2). In this Patent Document 2, a central body portion 906 of a spring contact element 900 serving as a central conductor includes a central body portion 906, an insulating layer 920 that covers the central body portion 906, and a layer 922 of a conductive material that covers the insulating layer 920. The structure which consists of is shown (FIG. 9A-FIG. 9C). The spring contact element 900 is a coaxial probe that is finely formed by micro-machining. By using such a processing technique, it is possible to form a fine coaxial probe in accordance with an inspection object that is being miniaturized.

  The spring contact element 900 is a fine coaxial probe as compared with the coaxial probe 2 of Patent Document 1, and the contact tip 904 that comes into contact with the object to be inspected and the conductive material layer 922 that serves as a shield are interposed via an insulating layer 920. It is electrically insulated. However, the thickness of the insulating layer 920 is shown as 1 to 10 μm, and a conductive material having a length longer than this thickness is interposed between the contact tip 904 and the conductive material layer 922 and the contact tip 904 and When the layer 922 is electrically connected, the conductive material layer 922 does not function as a shield and a desired high-frequency characteristic cannot be obtained. As the conductive material, metal shavings generated when the contact tip 904 comes into contact with the inspection object can be considered.

JP 2001-343406 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-232809

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a contact probe that has good high-frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a contact probe that has both an appropriate rigidity and conductivity while improving the insulation between the signal layer and the shield layer.

  A contact probe according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a contact portion and a main body portion that are integrally formed, and the main body portion is a laminated body that is integrally formed by laminating a signal layer, an insulating layer, and a shield layer. The signal layer and the insulating layer are configured to protrude from the end face of the shield layer on the contact portion side of the main body portion.

  In this contact probe, the signal layer and the insulating layer protrude from the end face of the shield layer on the contact portion side of the main body portion. For this reason, the creeping distance between the signal layer and the shield layer is increased by the protruding length of the insulating layer, compared with the case where the signal layer and the insulating layer do not protrude from the shield layer. Can be improved.

  The contact probe according to the second aspect of the present invention is configured such that, in addition to the above configuration, the insulating layer covers the end face of the shield layer. According to such a configuration, the creepage distance is further increased by the length of the insulating layer extending along the end face of the shield layer, so that the insulation between the signal layer and the shield layer can be improved.

  A contact probe according to a third aspect of the present invention has the above configuration, the signal layer has a rectangular cross section, and the insulating layer and the shield layer are each one of the four side surfaces of the signal layer, It is comprised so that it may be provided in two side surfaces or three side surfaces.

  According to such a configuration, when two or more contact probes are installed, one of the contact probes is not provided in each of the contact probes without providing an insulating layer and a shield layer in each of the contact probes. By providing the insulating layer and the shield layer only on the probe, it is possible to suppress the electromagnetic wave emitted from the counterpart contact probe from entering the signal layer. For this reason, compared with the case where an insulating layer and a shield layer are provided on each of both contact probes, the contact probe can be made finer by the thickness of the insulating layer and the shield layer.

  In a contact probe according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the signal layer is made of a metal material having a resistivity lower than that of the shield layer, and the shield layer is made of a metal material having rigidity higher than that of the signal layer. Configured. According to such a structure, compared with the case where the signal layer and the shield layer are made of the same metal material, the main body portion can be formed thin while suppressing a decrease in rigidity and a decrease in conductivity.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a contact probe that has good high-frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized. In particular, it is possible to provide a contact probe that improves the insulation between the signal layer and the shield layer while combining moderate rigidity and conductivity.

It is the perspective view which showed one structural example of the contact probe 1 by Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting the main-body part 10 by a horizontal surface is shown. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a cut surface when the contact probe 1 is cut by a vertical surface including a contact portion 2. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a probe unit 100 in which two or more contact probes 1 are arranged on a probe substrate 110. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a connection form between the main body portion 10 of the contact probe 1 and electrode pads 111 and 112 formed on the probe substrate 110. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing an example of a method for manufacturing the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, in which a process of forming a shield layer 32 on the laminated substrate 30 is shown. It is explanatory drawing which showed typically an example of the manufacturing method of the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and the process of forming the shield layer 35 and the insulating layer 36 is shown. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view schematically showing an example of a method for manufacturing the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and shows a process of forming a signal layer 39. It is explanatory drawing which showed typically an example of the manufacturing method of the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and the process of forming the insulating layer 41 and the shield layer 45 is shown. It is explanatory drawing which showed typically an example of the manufacturing method of the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, and the process of removing the sacrificial layers 46, 40, and 33 is shown. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the contact probe 1. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a probe unit 100 in which the contact probes 1 of FIG. 11 are arranged in a lattice shape. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the contact probe 1. It is sectional drawing which showed the other structural example of the contact probe 1, and the cut surface at the time of cutting the contact probe 1 by a vertical surface is shown. It is the perspective view which showed one structural example of the contact probe 1a by Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the contact probe 1a of FIG. 15, and the cut surface at the time of cutting the contact probe 1a with the AA cutting line is shown. It is sectional drawing which showed the other structural example of the contact probe 1a.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, for the sake of convenience, the direction of the needle pressure is defined as the up-down direction, one of the directions perpendicular to the up-down direction is defined as the front-rear direction, and further, the vertical direction and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction are defined as the left-right direction. The posture of the contact probe according to the present invention is not limited.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one configuration example of a contact probe 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and shows a vertical needle type contact probe. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views showing the contact probe 1 of FIG. FIG. 2 shows a cut surface when the main body 10 is cut along a horizontal plane. FIG. 3 shows a cut surface when the contact probe 1 is cut by a vertical surface including the contact portion 2.

  The contact probe 1 includes a main body portion 10 having an elongated shape extending in the vertical direction and a contact portion 2 formed at the upper end of the main body portion 10. The contact portion 2 and the main body portion 10 are integrally formed. Yes. The lower end of the main body 10 is fixed to a probe board (not shown).

<Main body 10>
When the contact part 2 is brought into contact with an inspection object (not shown), the main body part 10 is elastically deformed by the stress applied from the inspection object via the contact part 2, and the position of the contact part 2 in the vertical direction A needle pressure corresponding to the amount of change is added to the inspection object. For example, the main body 10 is formed of a rectangular columnar body having a flat cut surface when cut by a horizontal plane, that is, a rectangular columnar body having a long side extending in the front-rear direction and a short side extending in the left-right direction.

  The main body 10 is composed of a laminate integrally formed by laminating a signal layer 13, an insulating layer 12, and a shield layer 11 extending in the longitudinal direction. The signal layer 13 is a conductive layer for transmitting a signal, and is connected to the signal electrode formed on the probe substrate and the contact portion 2. The signal layer 13 has a rectangular shape that is elongated in the front-rear direction when cut along a horizontal plane.

  The shield layer 11 is a conductive layer that shields the signal layer 13 using an electrostatic shielding effect, and is connected to a shield electrode formed on the probe substrate. The insulating layer 12 is a thin film layer that insulates the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 from each other. The insulating layer 12 is made of an insulating material, that is, an oxide such as silicon or tantalum, nitride, or resin. For example, the insulating layer 12 is made of silicon dioxide.

  The shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided on four side surfaces of the signal layer 13 surrounding the cut surface of the signal layer 13 by a horizontal plane. That is, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 both have an annular shape that includes the signal layer 13, and are arranged coaxially with the signal layer 13 as the center. The signal layer 13 is formed inside the insulating layer 12, and the shield layer 11 is formed outside the insulating layer 12.

  The insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrude from the upper end surface 11a of the shield layer 11 on the contact portion 2 side. That is, the upper end portions of the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 are located above the upper end of the shield layer 11, and the upper portion of the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 is the contact portion 2. According to such a configuration, compared to the case where the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 do not protrude from the shield layer 11, the creepage distance between the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 is equal to the protruding length of the insulating layer 12. Can be long.

  The signal layer 13 is made of a metal material having a lower resistivity than the shield layer 11. On the other hand, the shield layer 11 is made of a metal material having higher rigidity than the signal layer 13. Rigidity is a physical property represented by an elastic modulus such as Young's modulus and rigidity. The metal material has higher rigidity as the elastic modulus is higher.

  According to such a structure, compared with the case where the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 are made of the same metal material, the main body 10 can be formed thin while suppressing a decrease in rigidity and a decrease in conductivity. it can. In particular, the signal layer 13 is required to ensure conduction performance, whereas the shield layer 11 does not need to ensure conduction performance. By using a highly rigid metal material for the shield layer 11 as described above, it is possible to suppress deterioration in conductivity while securing the rigidity of the contact probe 1 that has good high frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized.

  For example, the signal layer 13 is formed using gold having a resistivity of about 20 nΩm and a Young's modulus of about 80 GPa as a metal material. On the other hand, the shield layer 11 is formed using nickel, which has an electrical resistivity of about 70 nΩm and a Young's modulus of about 200 GPa, as a metal material. The Young's modulus is a proportional coefficient between stress and strain in the coaxial direction within the range in which Hooke's law is established, and is sometimes called a longitudinal elastic modulus.

  According to such a configuration, the elongated main body 10 is formed of a laminate of the signal layer 13, the insulating layer 12, and the shield layer 11, so that noise is mixed into the signal layer 13 and high-frequency signals from the signal layer 13 are generated. Leakage can be suppressed by the shield layer 11. Note that instead of the Young's modulus, the shield layer 11 may be formed using a metal material having a higher rigidity than the signal layer 13 by focusing on the rigidity of the metal material. The rigidity factor is a proportional coefficient between the shear stress and the shear strain, and is sometimes called a transverse elastic modulus.

<Contact part 2>
The contact portion 2 is a needle tip portion that is brought into contact with the inspection object and has a shape extending in the vertical direction. The contact portion 2 is formed of a columnar body having a rectangular shape whose cut surface when cut along a horizontal plane is elongated in the front-rear direction. The contact portion 2 is made of a conductive material and is connected to the signal layer 13. For example, a metal material whose hardness is higher than that of the signal layer 13 is used for the contact portion 2.

<Probe unit 100>
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the probe unit 100 in which two or more contact probes 1 are arranged on the probe substrate 110. In this figure, the direction perpendicular to the probe substrate 110 is the direction of the needle pressure, and the vertical direction in the figure is drawn so as to coincide with the longitudinal direction of the contact probe 1. The probe unit 100 includes two or more contact probes 1, a probe substrate 110, and a guide member 120. The probe substrate 110 is a wiring substrate for connecting the contact probe 1 and a tester device (not shown).

  Each contact probe 1 is accommodated in a guide hole 123 formed in the guide member 120. The guide member 120 is a positioning member for limiting the position of the contact probe 1 in the horizontal plane, and the upper plate 122 in which two or more guide holes 123 are formed and the upper end are connected to the peripheral portion of the upper plate 122. The side plate 121 has a lower end fixed to the probe substrate 110. The upper plate 122 is horizontally disposed in a state of being separated from the probe substrate 110, and restricts the upper end portion of the main body portion 10 of the contact probe 1 received in the guide hole 123 from moving in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Yes.

  In the probe unit 100, four contact probes 1 are arranged in the left-right direction with the left and right side surfaces facing each other. When the contact part 2 of the contact probe 1 is brought into contact with the inspection object, the main body part 10 is curved in either the left-right direction. The contact probes 1 are arranged at an interval so that adjacent contact probes 1 do not come into contact with each other when the main body 10 is curved.

  Since the main body unit 10 includes the shield layer 11 that electrostatically shields the signal layer 13, it is possible to suppress the electromagnetic wave emitted from the contact probe 1 disposed adjacent to the signal layer 13. In particular, since the shield layer 11 surrounds the signal layer 13, not only when arranged in the left-right direction, but also when arranged in any direction including the front-back direction, It is possible to suppress electromagnetic waves from entering the signal layer 13.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a connection form between the main body 10 of the contact probe 1 and the electrode pads 111 and 112 formed on the probe substrate 110. (A) in the drawing shows the lower end surface of the main body 10, and (b) shows the signal electrode pad 111 and the shield electrode pad 112 formed on the probe substrate 110. Yes.

  The main body 10 is provided with connecting portions 11b and 13a protruding from the lower end surface. The connection part 11b is a conduction part for connecting the shield layer 11 to the electrode pad 112, and is formed of a columnar body extending in the vertical direction. In this example, three connection portions 11 b are formed on the lower end surface of the shield layer 11. These connecting portions 11b are located at the vertices of an isosceles triangle by arranging one connecting portion 11b in the front portion of the shield layer 11 and arranging two connecting portions 11b in the rear portion of the shield layer 11. doing. The connection portion 13a is a conduction portion for connecting the signal layer 13 to the electrode pad 111, and includes a columnar body extending in the vertical direction.

  The electrode pad 111 is a signal electrode connected to an external terminal (not shown) for inputting and outputting signals. On the other hand, the electrode pad 112 is a shielding electrode connected to a ground terminal (not shown) common to each contact probe 1.

<Method for Manufacturing Contact Probe 1>
FIGS. 6 to 10 are explanatory views schematically showing an example of a method for manufacturing the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, showing each process of probe manufacturing using a so-called MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technique. Yes. MEMS is a technique for manufacturing a fine three-dimensional structure using a photolithography technique and a sacrificial layer etching technique. The photolithography technique is a fine pattern processing technique using a photosensitive resist used in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like. The sacrificial layer etching technique is a technique for forming a three-dimensional structure by forming a lower layer called a sacrificial layer, further forming a layer constituting the structure thereon, and then etching only the sacrificial layer. .

  6 to 10 show the case where conductive layers are stacked with the horizontal direction of FIG. 1 as the stacking direction. 6A to 6F show a process of forming the shield layer 32 on the laminated substrate 30. FIG.

  First, a sacrificial layer is formed on the surface of the multilayer substrate 30 as a base for plating ((a) of FIG. 6). For the sacrificial layer, a metal that can be easily removed by an etchant, such as copper, is used. Next, a photoresist is applied on the laminated substrate 30 to form a resist layer 31, and after exposure through a photomask, development processing is performed to remove excess photoresist. By patterning the resist layer 31, a non-formation region of the resist layer 31 is formed at a planar position corresponding to the left portion of the shield layer 11 (FIG. 6B).

  Next, the shield layer 32 is formed in the non-formation region of the resist layer 31 by plating (FIG. 6C). For example, nickel is used for the shield layer 32. The resist layer 31 is removed using a release agent after the shield layer 32 is formed ((d) in FIG. 6). Next, a sacrificial layer 33 is formed on the multilayer substrate 30 by plating (FIG. 6E), and then the surface of the sacrificial layer 33 is polished until the shield layer 32 is exposed (FIG. 6). (F)).

  7A to 7D show a process of forming the shield layer 35 and the insulating layer 36. After the surface of the sacrificial layer 33 is polished, a photoresist is applied on the laminated substrate 30 to form a resist layer 34. After exposure through a photomask, development processing is performed to remove excess photoresist. By patterning the resist layer 34, regions where the resist layer 34 is not formed are formed at planar positions corresponding to the front and rear portions of the shield layer 11 (FIG. 7A).

  Next, a shield layer 35 is formed in a region where the resist layer 34 is not formed by plating (FIG. 7B). The same metal material as the shield layer 32 is used for the shield layer 35. The resist layer 34 is removed using a release agent after the shield layer 35 is formed ((c) in FIG. 7).

  Next, after removing the resist layer 34, an insulating layer 36 is formed on the laminated substrate 30 ((d) in FIG. 7). The insulating layer 36 is made of an insulating material. For example, if a silicon film is formed on the laminated substrate 30 by vapor deposition such as sputtering or CVD (chemical vapor deposition), then the silicon film is oxidized by heat treatment to be insulated as a silicon oxide film made of silicon dioxide. Layer 36 is obtained. In addition, after forming a metal film on the multilayer substrate 30 by plating, the metal film is oxidized by oxidation to form the insulating layer 36 as an oxide film made of metal oxide. Also good.

  8A to 8F show a process of forming the signal layer 39. After the formation of the insulating layer 36, a seed layer 37 is formed on the laminated substrate 30 ((a) of FIG. 8). The seed layer 37 is a base film for plating for laminating a conductive layer on the insulating layer 36, and is made of a conductive material. For example, the seed layer 37 is formed by vapor deposition such as sputtering or CVD (chemical vapor deposition), and is made of the same metal as the signal layer 39.

  Next, a photoresist is applied on the laminated substrate 30 to form a resist layer 38, which is exposed through a photomask, and then developed to remove excess photoresist. By patterning the resist layer 38, a region where the resist layer 38 is not formed is formed at a planar position corresponding to the signal layer 13 (FIG. 8B).

  Next, a signal layer 39 is formed in a region where the resist layer 38 is not formed by plating (FIG. 8C). For example, gold is used for the signal layer 39. The resist layer 38 is removed using a release agent after the signal layer 39 is formed ((d) in FIG. 8). Next, a sacrificial layer 40 is formed on the multilayer substrate 30 by plating (FIG. 8E), and then the surface of the sacrificial layer 40 is polished until the shield layer 35 is exposed (FIG. 8). (F)).

  9A to 9H show a process of forming the insulating layer 41 and the shield layer 45. After polishing the surface of the sacrificial layer 40, an insulating layer 41 is formed on the laminated substrate 30 (FIG. 9A), and then a seed layer 42 is formed (FIG. 9B). Next, a photoresist is applied on the laminated substrate 30 to form a resist layer 43, which is exposed through a photomask, and then developed to remove excess photoresist. By patterning the resist layer 43, a resist film is formed at a planar position corresponding to the right portion of the insulating layer 12 (FIG. 9C).

  In the seed layer 42 and the insulating layer 41, the resist film non-formation region is removed by etching using the resist film as a mask (FIG. 9D), and then the resist film is removed using a release agent. ((E) of FIG. 9).

  Next, a photoresist is applied on the laminated substrate 30 to form a resist layer 44, which is exposed through a photomask. Then, development processing is performed to remove excess photoresist. By patterning the resist layer 44, a non-formation region of the resist layer 44 is formed at a planar position corresponding to the right side portion of the shield layer 11 ((f) in FIG. 9).

  Next, a shield layer 45 is formed in a region where the resist layer 44 is not formed by plating ((g) in FIG. 9). The resist layer 44 is removed using a release agent after the shield layer 45 is formed ((h) in FIG. 9).

  FIGS. 10A to 10E show a process of removing the sacrificial layer 33 after removing the sacrificial layers 46 and 40 and then removing the excess seed layer 37 and the insulating layer 36. After removing the resist layer 44, a sacrificial layer 46 is formed on the laminated substrate 30 by plating (FIG. 10A), and then the surface of the sacrificial layer 46 is polished until the shield layer 45 is exposed. ((B) of FIG. 10).

  Next, after the sacrificial layers 46 and 40 are removed by immersing the laminated substrate 30 in an etching solution for a predetermined time (FIG. 10C), the excess seed layer 37 and the insulating layer 36 are removed by the etching process. ((D) in FIG. 10). Then, the contact probe 1 is completed by removing the sacrificial layer 33 by immersing the multilayer substrate 30 in an etching solution for a predetermined time ((e) of FIG. 10).

  In the contact probe 1 according to the present embodiment, the elongated main body 10 is formed of an integral laminate of the signal layer 13, the insulating layer 12, and the shield layer 11. The high frequency signal leakage is suppressed by the shield layer 11. For this reason, the high frequency characteristic of the contact probe 1 can be improved.

  The signal layer 13 is made of a metal material having a low resistivity, while the shield layer 11 is made of a metal material having a high rigidity. For this reason, compared with the case where the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 are comprised with the same metal material, the main-body part 10 can be made thin, suppressing the fall of rigidity and the fall of electroconductivity. In particular, the signal layer 13 is required to ensure conduction performance, whereas the shield layer 11 does not need to ensure conduction performance. By using a highly rigid metal material for the shield layer 11 as described above, it is possible to suppress deterioration in conductivity while securing the rigidity of the contact probe 1 that has good high frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized.

  In the first embodiment, an example in which the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 have an annular shape surrounding the signal layer 13 has been described. However, the present invention limits the configuration of the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 to this. Not what you want. For example, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 may be provided on only one side surface among the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13 or may be provided on two side surfaces.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the contact probe 1, and the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the main body 10 are arranged on two side surfaces adjacent to each other among the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13. The case where it is provided is shown. In this contact probe 1, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided on the left side surface and the front side surface among the four side surfaces surrounding the cut surface of the signal layer 13 by the horizontal plane, that is, the left and right side surfaces and the front and rear side surfaces. Yes.

  That is, the cut surfaces of the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 in the horizontal plane are both L-shaped. According to such a configuration, electromagnetic waves can be prevented from entering the signal layer 13 through two adjacent side surfaces, and high-frequency signals can be prevented from leaking from the signal layer 13 through the two side surfaces. Can be suppressed.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the probe unit 100 in which the contact probes 1 of FIG. 11 are arranged in a lattice shape, and shows a state in which the probe unit 100 is viewed from above the contact probe 1. In this figure, the vertical direction of the drawing is drawn so as to coincide with the front-back direction of the contact probe 1.

  In the probe unit 100, a large number of contact probes 1 are two-dimensionally arranged. Each contact probe 1 is arranged in the same posture. In this way, when a plurality of contact probes 1 are arranged in a lattice shape, it is possible to suppress electromagnetic waves emitted from the contact probes 1 arranged around the signal layer 13.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another configuration example of the contact probe 1. (A) in the drawing shows a case where the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided only on one of the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13. In the contact probe 1, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the main body 10 are provided only on the left side surface of the signal layer 13.

  Even with such a configuration, the main body 10 can be made thinner while suppressing a decrease in rigidity and conductivity of the contact probe 1 having good high-frequency characteristics. In particular, when two or more contact probes 1 are arranged in the left-right direction with the left and right side surfaces facing each other, it is possible to suppress electromagnetic waves emitted from the contact probes 1 arranged adjacent to the signal layer 13. Can do.

  (B) in the figure shows a case where the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided on two opposing side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13. In the contact probe 1, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the main body 10 are provided on the left side surface and the right side surface of the signal layer 13. Even with such a configuration, the main body 10 can be made thinner while suppressing a decrease in rigidity and conductivity of the contact probe 1 having good high-frequency characteristics.

  In the first embodiment, the example in which the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrude from the upper end surface 11a of the shield layer 11 has been described. However, the present invention is based on the configuration of the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13. It is not limited. For example, the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrude from the upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11 on the contact portion 2 side of the main body 10, and the insulating layer 12 covers the upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11. It may be.

  FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the contact probe 1, and shows a cut surface when the contact probe 1 is cut by a vertical surface including the contact portion 2. In the contact probe 1, the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrude from the upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11, and the insulating layer 12 covers the upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11. That is, the insulating layer 12 extends outward along the upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11. Note that the insulating layer 12 may not be formed on the entire upper end surface 11 a of the shield layer 11.

  According to such a configuration, the creeping distance is further increased by the length of the insulating layer 12 extending along the upper end surface 11a of the shield layer 11, so that the insulation between the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 is further improved. Can be made.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a vertical needle contact probe has been described. In contrast, in this embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to a cantilever type contact probe will be described.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing one configuration example of the contact probe 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the contact probe 1a of FIG. 15, and shows a cut surface when the contact probe 1a is cut along an AA cutting line. Compared with the contact probe 1 of FIG. 1, the contact probe 1a has a main body portion 10 formed by a beam portion 10a having an elongated shape extending in the front-rear direction and a base portion 10b formed at the rear end of the beam portion 10a. It differs in that it is configured.

  The base portion 10b is a root portion extending in the vertical direction, and a lower end is fixed to a probe substrate (not shown). Moreover, the base part 10b consists of a rectangular shape where the cut surface at the time of cut | disconnecting by a horizontal surface is elongate in the front-back direction.

  The beam portion 10a is a beam portion in which the contact portion 2 is formed at the front end portion, and is freely bent with the front end as a free end and the rear end as a fixed end. The contact part 2 and the beam part 10a are integrally formed. Moreover, the beam part 10a consists of a rectangular shape where the cut surface when it cut | disconnects by a vertical surface is elongate in an up-down direction. When the contact portion 2 is brought into contact with an inspection object (not shown), the beam portion 10a is elastically deformed by the stress applied from the inspection object via the contact portion 2, and the contact portion 2 is moved in the vertical direction. A needle pressure corresponding to the amount of change in position is added to the inspection object.

  Each of the beam portion 10a and the base portion 10b is formed of a laminated body integrally formed by laminating the signal layer 13, the insulating layer 12, and the shield layer 11, and similarly to the main body portion 10 of the contact probe 1, the shield portion is shielded. The layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 have an annular shape surrounding the signal layer 13.

  The insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrude from the upper end surface 11a of the shield layer 11 on the contact portion 2 side. That is, one end of the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the beam portion 10 a and is connected to the contact portion 2. According to such a configuration, compared to the case where the insulating layer 12 and the signal layer 13 do not protrude from the shield layer 11, the creepage distance between the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 is equal to the protruding length of the insulating layer 12. Can be long.

  Further, since the elongated beam portion 10a is formed of a laminate of the signal layer 13, the insulating layer 12, and the shield layer 11, the shield layer 11 prevents noise from entering the signal layer 13 and leakage of high-frequency signals from the signal layer 13. Can be suppressed.

  The signal layer 13 is made of a metal material having a lower resistivity than the shield layer 11. On the other hand, the shield layer 11 is made of a metal material having higher rigidity than the signal layer 13. For this reason, compared with the case where the signal layer 13 and the shield layer 11 are comprised with the same metal material, the main-body part 10 can be formed thinly, suppressing the fall of the rigidity of the main-body part 10, and the fall of electroconductivity. In particular, by using a highly rigid metal material for the shield layer 11, it is possible to suppress deterioration in conductivity while securing the rigidity of the contact probe 1a that has good high frequency characteristics and can be miniaturized.

  For example, the signal layer 13 is formed by using gold having an electric resistivity of about 20 nΩm and a rigidity of about 30 GPa as a metal material. On the other hand, the shield layer 11 is formed using nickel, which has an electrical resistivity of about 70 nΩm and a rigidity of about 80 GPa, as a metal material.

  In the second embodiment, an example in which the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the main body 10 have an annular shape surrounding the signal layer 13 has been described. However, the present invention describes the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer of the main body 10. The configuration of the layer 12 is not limited to this. For example, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 may be configured to be provided on two of the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13.

  FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another configuration example of the contact probe 1a, and the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the main body 10 may be provided on two of the four side surfaces of the signal layer 13. It is shown. (A) in the drawing shows a case where the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided on two adjacent side surfaces of the signal layer 13. In the contact probe 1a, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the beam portion 10a are provided on the left side surface and the lower side surface among the left and right side surfaces and the upper and lower side surfaces surrounding the cut surface by the vertical surface of the signal layer 13. .

  That is, the cut surfaces of the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 by the vertical surfaces are both L-shaped. Even with such a configuration, when two or more contact probes 1 a are arranged in the left-right direction with the side surfaces facing each other, the electromagnetic waves emitted from the adjacent contact probes 1 a are prevented from wrapping around the signal layer 13. Can be suppressed.

  The lower part of the shield layer 11 in the beam part 10a constitutes a base part that supports the signal layer 13 from below. For this reason, when the contact portion 2 is brought into contact with the inspection object, the downward stress applied to the signal layer 13 from the inspection object via the contact portion 2 is received by the lower portion of the shield layer 11. Compared with the case where the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 cover only the left side surface of the signal layer 13, the strength of the beam portion 10a can be improved. For example, it is possible to prevent the shield layer 11 from peeling off from the signal layer 13 due to the downward stress applied to the signal layer 13.

  (B) in the drawing shows a case where the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 are provided on two opposing side surfaces of the signal layer 13. In the contact probe 1a, the shield layer 11 and the insulating layer 12 of the beam portion 10a are provided on the left side surface and the right side surface among the left and right side surfaces and the upper and lower side surfaces surrounding the cut surface by the vertical surface of the signal layer 13. .

  Even with such a configuration, when two or more contact probes 1 a are arranged in the left-right direction with the side surfaces facing each other, the electromagnetic waves emitted from the adjacent contact probes 1 a are prevented from wrapping around the signal layer 13. Can be suppressed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a Contact probe 2 Contact part 10 Main body part 10a Beam part 10b Base part 11 Shield layer 11a Upper end surface 11b Connection part 12 for shielding 12 Insulating layer 13 Signal layer 13a Connection part 30 for signal Laminated substrates 31, 34, 38, 43, 44 Resist layers 32, 35, 45 Shield layers 33, 40, 46 Sacrificial layers 36, 41 Insulating layers 37, 42 Seed layer 39 Signal layer 100 Probe unit 110 Probe substrate 111 Signal electrode pad 112 Shield electrode pad 120 Guide member 121 Side plate 122 Upper plate 123 Guide hole

Claims (4)

Provided with an integrally formed contact portion and body portion,
The main body is a laminate integrally formed by laminating a signal layer, an insulating layer, and a shield layer,
The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the signal layer and the insulating layer protrude from an end face of the shield layer on the contact portion side of the main body portion.   The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the insulating layer covers the end face of the shield layer.   A cross section of the signal layer has a rectangular shape, and the insulating layer and the shield layer are provided on one side surface, two side surfaces, or three side surfaces of the four side surfaces of the signal layer. The contact probe according to claim 1 or 2.   The signal layer is made of a metal material having a resistivity lower than that of the shield layer, and the shield layer is made of a metal material having rigidity higher than that of the signal layer. Contact probe.

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