JP2019133956A - socket - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a socket which is advantageous in increasing the number of pins and reducing the length, and which is also capable of suppressing an increase in cost.SOLUTION: A socket 1 comprises: a contact probe 70; and an insulating support 50 for supporting the contact probe 70. The contact probe 70 includes: a first plunger 10 for connection to an inspection object 9; a second plunger 20 for connection to an inspection board 8; and a spring 30 which biases the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 to a direction for separating them from each other. With the tip end of the first plunger 10 opened, a projection amount of the second plunger 20 from the insulating support 50 can be eliminated without compressing the spring 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a socket in which a contact probe is supported by an insulating support.

  When inspecting an inspection object such as a semiconductor integrated circuit, a socket in which a contact probe is supported by an insulating support is used to electrically connect the inspection object and the inspection substrate on the measuring instrument side. . Each contact probe includes a first plunger for connection to the inspection object, a second plunger for connection to the inspection substrate, and a spring that urges the first and second plungers away from each other. Have. Conventionally, when the socket is set on the inspection substrate, the second plunger is pushed by the electrode of the inspection substrate and is retracted while compressing the spring. For this reason, a spring is not provided between the second plunger and the electrode of the inspection substrate in a state where the tip of the first plunger is opened (in the state where no external force is applied to the tip of the first plunger). Contact force above a certain level was generated by the force. This contact force (load) is called preload, and was thought to contribute to improvement of contact stability and reduction and stabilization of contact resistance.

JP 2015-215223 A

  The preload causes a warp of the insulating support that supports the contact probe. The warpage of the insulating support is required to be suppressed to a predetermined value or less in setting. On the other hand, in the recent semiconductor inspection market, in addition to cost reduction that has been demanded in the past, there are strong demands for increasing the number of pins associated with higher functionality and shortening the length by supporting high frequencies. The increase in the number of pins increases the preload of the entire socket and increases the warp of the insulating support. Moreover, shortening requires the thinning of the insulating support, which also increases the warp of the insulating support. Further, from the viewpoint of cost reduction, a material having a high strength that hardly warps cannot be used practically as a material for the insulating support. For this reason, in the conventional design concept, due to the warp of the insulating support, it has not been possible to meet the demands for increasing the number of pins, reducing the length, and reducing the cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a socket that is advantageous in reducing the number of pins and shortening the length and can reduce the cost.

One embodiment of the present invention is a socket. This socket is
A contact probe;
An insulating support for supporting the contact probe,
The contact probe is
First and second plungers;
A spring that biases the first and second plungers away from each other;
A conductive tube abutting against the first and second plungers;
The insulating support has a step portion that regulates the protrusion of the conductive tube,
The protrusion amount of the second plunger from the insulating support can be eliminated without compressing the spring from the state in which the tips of the first and second plungers are opened.

  The contact probe may be loaded with the spring in a state where movement of the first plunger and the second plunger in the separating direction is restricted regardless of the insulating support.

The conductive tube is provided integrally with the first plunger,
The second plunger may be provided in the conductive tube in a state in which the second plunger is prevented from coming off from the conductive tube, and the spring may be provided in the conductive tube.

  The contact probe includes a rod-shaped portion penetrating the spring in one of the first plunger or the second plunger, and engages the rod-shaped portion with the other of the first plunger or the second plunger. You may provide a latching | locking part.

  The biasing force of the spring may be 10 gf or less in a state where the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the second plunger from the insulating support is zero.

  The biasing force of the spring when the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the second plunger from the insulating support is zero is 1 / of the biasing force of the spring at the time of inspection. It may be 3 or less.

Another aspect of the present invention is a socket. This socket is
A contact probe;
An insulating support for supporting the contact probe,
The contact probe is
A first plunger;
A spring for connecting and biasing the first plunger in a direction in which a tip protrudes from the insulating support;
A conductive tube in contact with the first plunger;
The insulating support has a step portion that regulates the protrusion of the conductive tube,
A socket in which the amount of protrusion of the spring from the insulating support can be made zero without compressing the spring in a state where the tip of the first plunger is open.

  The biasing force of the spring may be 10 gf or less when the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the spring from the insulating support is zero.

  When the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the spring from the insulating support is zero, the biasing force of the spring is 1/3 or less of the biasing force of the spring at the time of inspection. There may be.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements, and those obtained by converting the expression of the present invention between methods and systems are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a socket that is advantageous for increasing the number of pins and shortening the length, and that can suppress the cost.

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 1 in a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 1 in a state where the socket 1 is attached to the inspection substrate 8 and the tip of the first plunger 10 is opened. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the socket 1 in a state where the socket 1 is attached to the inspection substrate 8 and the solder bump 9a of the device 9 to be inspected is pressed against the tip of the first plunger 10. The graph which shows the relationship between the stroke of the contact probe 70 in the socket 1, and the urging | biasing force (spring pressure) of the spring 30 with the relationship in a comparative example. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 in the socket 1 and the depth of the impression formed on the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 2 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 2 in a state in which both ends of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are opened. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 3 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 3 in a state where the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the socket 4 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 4 in a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both opened. FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 5 according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 5 in a state where both the first plunger 10 and the tip of the spring 30 are open. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 6 according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention, in which the first plunger 10 and the tip of the spring 30 are both open. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 7 according to the comparative example, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 7 in a state where both ends of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are opened. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 7 in a state where the socket 7 is attached to the inspection substrate 8 and the tip of the first plunger 10 is opened. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the socket 7 in a state where the socket 7 is attached to the inspection substrate 8 and the solder bump 9a of the device 9 to be inspected is pressed against the tip of the first plunger 10. FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same or equivalent component, member, etc. which are shown by each drawing, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted suitably. In addition, the embodiments do not limit the invention but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1A, the socket 1 of the present embodiment includes a contact probe 70 and an insulating support 50 that supports the contact probe 70. Although only one contact probe 70 is shown in FIG. 1A, the socket 1 may be a multi-pin type in which a large number of contact probes 70 are supported on a common insulating support 50. The insulating support 50 is made of, for example, a resin and has a through hole 53 that accommodates the contact probe 70. The insulating support 50 is a combination of a first insulating support 51 and a second insulating support 52 that are screwed together.

  The contact probe 70 includes a first plunger 10, a second plunger 20, a spring 30, and a conductive tube 40. Both the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are made of a metal material such as copper or a copper alloy. The first plunger 10 is for connection with the inspection object 9 such as a semiconductor integrated circuit, and the second plunger 20 is for connection with the inspection substrate 8 on the measuring instrument side. The spring 30 is a coil spring formed of a general material such as a piano wire or a stainless wire, and biases the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 in a direction away from each other.

  The 1st plunger 10 has the front end side cylindrical part 11, the flange part 12, and the base end side cylindrical part 13 in an order from the front end side. The distal end of the distal end side cylindrical portion 11 is a contact portion 11a, which is in contact with the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9 during inspection (FIG. 1C). The flange portion 12 has a diameter larger than that of the distal end side cylindrical portion 11, and engages with a stepped portion 53 a formed in the through hole 53 on the first insulating support body 51 side of the insulating support body 50, thereby insulating support body. 50 prevents the first plunger 10 from slipping out of the body 50 and regulates the protruding amount of the first plunger 10 from the insulating support 50. The flange portion 12 also comes into contact with one end of the conductive tube 40. The proximal-side cylindrical portion 13 has a smaller diameter than the flange portion 12 and is located in the conductive tube 40. The proximal cylindrical portion 13 is provided with a groove-shaped constricted portion 13a that makes a round in the circumferential direction. The first plunger 10 is fixed to the conductive tube 40 by the constricted portion 13 a engaging with the locking portion 41 of the conductive tube 40, and the conductive tube 40 is integrally formed with the first plunger 10. It is possible to move (slide) in the length direction. The proximal-side cylindrical portion 13 is in contact with one end of the spring 30.

  The 2nd plunger 20 has the front end side cylindrical part 21, the taper part 22, the intermediate | middle cylindrical part 23, and the base end side cylindrical part 24 in an order from the front end side. The distal end of the distal end side cylindrical portion 21 contacts the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 at the time of inspection (FIG. 1C). The taper portion 22 engages with a stepped portion 53b formed in the through hole 53 on the second insulating support 52 side of the insulating support 50, thereby reducing the amount of protrusion of the second plunger 20 from the insulating support 50. regulate. The intermediate cylindrical portion 23 has the same diameter as the proximal end of the tapered portion 22 and a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the locking portion 42 of the conductive tube 40. The proximal-side cylindrical portion 24 is larger in diameter than the intermediate cylindrical portion 23 and larger in diameter than the inner diameter of the locking portion 42, and is located in the conductive tube 40. The proximal end cylindrical portion 24 is engaged with the engaging portion 42 of the conductive tube 40, so that the second plunger 20 is prevented from coming off from the conductive tube 40. The proximal-side cylindrical portion 24 is in contact with the other end of the spring 30.

  One end of the spring 30 is in contact with the end surface of the base end side cylindrical portion 13 of the first plunger 10, and the other end is in contact with the end surface of the base end side cylindrical portion 24 of the second plunger 20, and FIG. When compressed as shown in C), the first plunger 10 is given a contact force with respect to the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9, and the second plunger 20 is given a contact force with respect to the electrode 8a of the substrate 8 for inspection. To do.

  The conductive tube 40 holds the proximal end side cylindrical portion 13 of the first plunger 10 and the proximal end side cylindrical portion 24 of the second plunger 20 inside. The engaging portion 41 on the first plunger 10 side of the conductive tube 40 is a portion in which a part of the conductive tube is crushed from the outside to the inside by caulking or the like, and the base end of the first plunger 10 The first plunger 10 is fixed by engaging with the constricted portion 13a of the side cylindrical portion 13, and the conductive tube 40 can be moved (slided) integrally with the first plunger 10 in its length direction. To do. One end of the conductive tube 40 abuts on the flange portion 12 of the first plunger 10. The engaging portion 42 at the other end of the conductive tube 40 is a portion in which the diameter of the opening end of the conductive tube 40 on the second plunger side is reduced by squeezing or the like, and the proximal end side of the second plunger 20 Engage with the cylindrical portion 24 to prevent the second plunger 20 from coming off. In the present embodiment, the conductive tube 40 is movable in the length direction of the conductive tube 40 within the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50.

  FIG. 1A shows a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open, and the conductive tube 40 is most closely moved upward in the through hole 53 in FIG. Indicates the state. In the present embodiment, in the state shown in FIG. 1A, the surface of the insulating support 50 on the inspection substrate 8 side and the position of the tip of the second plunger 20 coincide. That is, the second plunger from the insulating support 50 is not compressed without compressing the spring 30 in a state where the tip of the first plunger 10 is opened (a state where no external force is applied to the tip of the first plunger 10). The amount of protrusion of 20 can be eliminated. Accordingly, when the socket 1 is attached to the inspection substrate 8 as shown in FIG. 1B, the biasing force of the spring 30 is the force (load) that the tip of the second plunger 20 presses the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8. ) (The preload is 0).

The product outer diameter of the contact probe 70 is, for example, as follows.
-Total length of contact probe 70: 4.85 mm
・ Outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 11 on the tip side: 0.23 mm
-Outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 21: 0.1 mm
・ Outer diameter of conductive tube 40: 0.31 mm
-Length of conductive tube 40: 3.05 mm

  When performing an inspection using the socket 1, the socket 1 is positioned and placed on the inspection substrate 8 so that the contact probe 70 and the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 are aligned (FIG. 1A → FIG. 1). (B)) The inspection object 9 is opposed to the socket 1 so that the contact probe 70 and the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9 are aligned, and the inspection object 9 is moved toward the socket 1 side (FIG. 1). (B) → FIG. 1 (C)). As a result, the first plunger 10 is pushed by the solder bump 9a and moves to the proximal end side while compressing the spring 30, and the contact portion 11a at the distal end of the first plunger 10 comes into elastic contact with the solder bump 9a. In this state, the inspection object 9 is inspected. The state shown in FIG. 1B is referred to as “substrate mounting state”, and the state shown in FIG. 1C is referred to as “inspection state”.

  FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the stroke of the contact probe 70 (probe stroke) and the biasing force (spring pressure) of the spring 30 together with the relationship in the comparative example. In addition, the structure of a comparative example is shown by FIG. 6 (A)-FIG. 6 (C). Each state in FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C corresponds to FIG. 1A to FIG. That is, FIG. 6A shows a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open, and FIG. 6B shows the socket 7 positioned and placed on the inspection substrate 8. FIG. 6C shows the state (“inspection state”) in which the first plunger 10 is brought into elastic contact with the inspection object 9 in the state (“substrate placement state”). The socket 7 according to the comparative example is longer in the intermediate cylindrical portion 23 of the second plunger 20 than the socket 1 of the present embodiment, and the conductive tube 40 is located at the uppermost position in the through hole 53 in FIG. Even in the approached state, the tip of the second plunger 20 protrudes from the insulating support 50 and the load characteristics of the spring 30 are different, and the other points coincide. When the socket 7 according to the comparative example is attached to the inspection substrate 8 as shown in FIG. 6B, the second plunger 20 is pushed by the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 and compresses the spring 30. Since the distal end of the first plunger 10 is opened in order to move to the proximal end side, the urging force of the spring 30 is the force (load) that the distal end of the second plunger 20 presses the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8. Acts as (preload). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in the socket 7 according to the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the spring in a state in which both ends of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are opened. The urging force (initial spring pressure) 30 is 10 gf, and is attached to the inspection substrate 8 as shown in FIG. 6B, that is, the “substrate mounting state” (from the state of FIG. 6A) to the spring. The spring pressure (biasing force) of the spring 30 in a state where 30 is compressed by 0.2 mm is 20 gf, and at the time of inspection shown in FIG. 6C, that is, from the state of “inspection state” (FIG. 6B). The spring pressure of the spring 30 when the spring 30 is further compressed by 0.2 mm is 30 gf. 20 gf which is the spring pressure of the spring 30 in the “substrate mounting state” acts as a force (load) for pressing the electrode as it is, so-called preload. Further, when the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9 first contacts the first plunger 10 for inspection, the biasing force applied to the solder bump 9a is also 20 gf.

  On the other hand, in the socket 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the biasing force (initial spring pressure) of the spring 30 in a state where both ends of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are opened. ) Is 0 gf, and the biasing force (spring pressure) of the spring 30 in the state of being attached to the inspection substrate 8 as shown in FIG. 1B, that is, the “substrate mounting state” is the state of FIG. 1 is the same as the biasing force of the spring 30 in FIG. 1C, that is, in the "inspection state" (the state in which the spring 30 is compressed by 0.2 mm from the state of FIG. 1B). The spring pressure is 30 gf. Since the spring 30 is not compressed in the “substrate mounting state” (because there is no preload stroke in the comparative example), the force (load) for pressing the electrode, the so-called preload is zero. The initial spring pressure of the spring 30 is 0 gf when the spring 30 has a natural length in the state shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B). As will be described later, when the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 exceeds 0 gf and is set to 10 gf, the spring 30 is compressed more than the natural length in the state of FIGS. 1 (A) and 1 (B). Further, when the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9 first contacts the first plunger 10 for inspection, the biasing force applied to the solder bump 9a is 0 gf, which is the initial spring pressure of the spring 30. Thus, the load characteristic of the spring 30 in the comparative example is that the initial spring pressure before compression of the preload stroke is 10 gf, and the spring pressure is 20 gf when the preload stroke is compressed by 0.2 mm in the “board installation state”. Further, in the “inspection state”, the operating stroke is a load characteristic that is compressed by 0.2 mm and the spring pressure becomes 30 gf. On the other hand, the load characteristic of the spring 30 in the present embodiment is “preload 0”. The load characteristics are such that the “installed state” is 0 gf which is the initial spring pressure, and the operating stroke is compressed by 0.2 mm which is the operating stroke and the spring pressure is 30 gf. That is, the load characteristic of the spring 30 in the present embodiment is a load characteristic in which the increase amount of the load with respect to the stroke is larger than that of the spring 30 of the comparative example, as is apparent from FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 in the socket 1 and the depth of the impression formed on the electrode 8 a of the inspection substrate 8. In the present embodiment, as described above, the biasing force of the spring 30 acts as a contact force (preload) between the tip of the second plunger 20 and the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 in the state shown in FIG. Therefore, when the first plunger 10 is pressed by the solder bump 9a of the inspection object 9 and compresses the spring 30 during the inspection process, the tip of the second plunger 20 and the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 are in contact with each other. There is a concern that an impact load due to the urging force of the spring 30 is generated in the meantime, causing damage (indentation) to the electrode 8a, resulting in unstable contact performance. Against this background, the present inventor analyzed the relationship with the depth of the impression formed on the electrode 8a while varying the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 and obtained the results shown in FIG. The result of FIG. 3 shows that in each case where the initial spring pressure is 0 gf to 20 gf, the socket 1 is changed from the state of FIG. 1B to the state of FIG. The depth of indentation is shown when the operation of returning to 1 million times is repeated. From FIG. 3, if the initial spring pressure is set to 10 gf or less (1/3 or less of the spring pressure at the time of inspection), the depth of the impression formed on the electrode 8a can be suppressed to 3 μm or less. It was found that the depth of the indentation can be suppressed within an allowable range even afterwards. In FIG. 2, the load characteristic of the spring 30 when the initial spring pressure is set to 10 gf is the characteristic indicated by the alternate long and short dash line, and the stroke is compared with the characteristic of the comparative example as when the initial spring pressure is set to 0 gf. The increase in load with respect to is large. As is apparent from FIG. 2, when the initial spring pressure is 10 gf or less, the load characteristics are in the range indicated by the oblique lines, and the load characteristics of any of the springs are larger in the load increase with respect to the stroke than in the comparative example. It has become. In the socket 1 according to the present embodiment, there is a concern that the resistance value may become unstable due to the relation that the preload is set to 0. However, when the resistance value change in the process of 1 million contacts is analyzed, FIG. As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, compared to the socket 7 to which a preload is applied, there was no increase in resistance value or deterioration in stability that would be a problem in general IC inspection.

  According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

(1) Since the protrusion amount of the second plunger 20 from the insulating support 50 can be eliminated without compressing the spring 30 in the state where the tip of the first plunger 10 is opened, FIG. As shown, when the socket 1 is attached to the inspection substrate 8, the biasing force of the spring 30 does not act as a contact force (preload) between the tip of the second plunger 20 and the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8. Warping of the insulating support 50 (warping of the second insulating support 52 with respect to the first insulating support 51) due to receiving the preload can be prevented. For this reason, it is advantageous to the increase in the number of pins and the reduction in length, and the cost can be suppressed. Specifically, since there is no preload, the preload as a whole does not increase even if the number of pins is increased, and there is a problem even if the insulating support 50 is easily warped by reducing the thickness of the insulating support 50 for shortening. In addition, there is no need to use an expensive material having high strength as the material of the insulating support 50 for the countermeasure against warpage.

(2) The increase in resistance value and the deterioration of stability, which are feared by eliminating the preload, are within the allowable range in general IC inspection, and the side effects due to the elimination of the preload are limited.

(3) Since the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 is set to 10 gf or less, it is possible to suppress the indentation formed on the electrode 8a of the inspection substrate 8 from becoming a problem due to the elimination of the preload, and at the same time the solder of the inspection object 9 It is also possible to suppress damage to the bump 9a. When the preload is applied as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 6, the depth of the indentation is 2 μm. However, by setting the initial spring pressure to 3 gf or less, the depth of the indentation formed on the electrode 8a is 2 μm. Can be made smaller.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 2 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 2 in a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open. is there. Hereinafter, the difference from Embodiment 1 will be specifically described.

  In the socket 2, the first plunger 10 can move (slide) in the length direction of the first plunger 10 with respect to the conductive tube 40. The first plunger 10 is prevented from coming out of the conductive tube 40 and protruding from the insulating support 50 by the base end side cylindrical portion 13 engaging with the engaging portion 43 of the conductive tube 40. The amount is regulated. The second plunger 20 is prevented from coming out of the conductive tube 40 and protruding from the insulating support 50 by the base end side cylindrical portion 24 engaging with the engaging portion 42 of the conductive tube 40. The amount is regulated. Similar to the locking portion 42, the locking portion 43 of the conductive tube 40 is a portion whose diameter has been narrowed by squeezing or the like. The conductive tube 40 is locked to the stepped portion 53a of the through hole 53 so that the conductive tube 40 does not move in the length direction of the conductive tube 40 in the through hole 53 of the insulating support member 50, and the locked portion 42 is stepped. Locked to the portion 53b.

  FIG. 4A shows a state in which the second plunger 20 is most closely moved upward in the drawing in a range where the spring 30 is not compressed (the spring 30 has a natural length) in the conductive tube 40. . In this state, the position of the lower surface (surface on the inspection substrate side) of the insulating support 50 and the tip of the second plunger 20 coincide. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the preload becomes 0 as in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 is 0, which is a necessary condition for the preload to be 0. Other points of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The present embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 3 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 3 in a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open. is there. Hereinafter, the difference from the second embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the socket 3, the contact probe 70 is a tubeless type and does not have a member corresponding to the conductive tube 40 of the second embodiment. The first plunger 10 is prevented from coming off from the insulating support 50 by the base end side cylindrical portion 13 engaging with the stepped portion 53 a of the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50, and the insulating support 50. The amount of protrusion from is regulated. The second plunger 20 engages with the stepped portion 53 b of the through hole 53 by the base end side cylindrical portion 24, so that the second plunger 20 is prevented from coming off from the insulating support 50 and has a protruding amount from the insulating support 50. Be regulated.

  FIG. 4B shows a state in which the second plunger 20 is most closely moved upward in the drawing in a range where the spring 30 is not compressed (the spring 30 has a natural length) in the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50. Is shown. In this state, the position of the lower surface (surface on the inspection substrate side) of the insulating support 50 and the tip of the second plunger 20 coincide. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the preload becomes 0 as in the second embodiment. Other points of the present embodiment are the same as those of the second embodiment. The present embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the socket 4 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 4 in a state in which the tips of the first plunger 10 and the second plunger 20 are both open. is there. Hereinafter, the difference from the third embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the socket 4, the first plunger 10 has a rod-like portion 14 that extends further from the base end side cylindrical portion 13 to the base end side. The base end portion of the rod-shaped portion 14 is a large-diameter portion 15 for retaining. The base end side cylindrical portion 24 of the second plunger 20 has a bottomed cylindrical shape having a hole portion 25 opened to the base end side. The hole 25 has a locking portion 26 that is partially reduced in diameter by pressing or the like. The rod-like portion 14 of the first plunger 10 passes through the spring 30 and extends into the hole portion 25 of the proximal end side cylindrical portion 24 of the second plunger 20. The first plunger 10 and the second plunger 10 are formed in the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50 by the engagement of the large-diameter portion 15 for retaining the rod-shaped portion 14 with the locking portion 26 of the hole 25 and the action of the spring 30. The plunger 20 and the spring 30 can move together (integrally) in the vertical direction in FIG.

  FIG. 4C shows a state in which the second plunger 20 is most closely moved upward in the drawing within the through hole. In this state, the position of the lower surface (surface on the inspection substrate side) of the insulating support 50 and the tip of the second plunger 20 coincide. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the preload becomes 0 as in the third embodiment. In the present embodiment, the initial spring pressure of the spring 30 being 0 is not a necessary condition for the preload to be 0. The initial spring pressure of the spring 30 is set to 10 gf or less as in the first embodiment. Other points of the present embodiment are the same as those of the third embodiment. The present embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the third embodiment.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of the socket 5 according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 5 in a state where both the first plunger 10 and the tip of the spring 30 are open. Hereinafter, the difference from the third embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the socket 5, the contact probe 70 does not have a member corresponding to the second plunger 20 of the third embodiment, and the end of the spring 30 is in contact with the electrode of the inspection substrate. The spring 30 has a tightly wound small diameter portion 31, a tightly wound large diameter portion 32, and a coarsely wound portion 33 in order from the inspection substrate side (lower end side). The closely wound small diameter portion 31 and the closely wound large diameter portion 32 are provided in order to reduce the resistance value of the spring 30 as a whole. The rough winding portion 33 is provided to ensure the compressible length of the spring 30 (the stroke of the first plunger 10). The spring 30 is prevented from coming off from the insulating support 50 by the contact winding large diameter portion 32 engaging with the step portion 53 b of the through hole 53.

  FIG. 5A shows a state in which the spring 30 is most closely moved upward in the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50 without being compressed (with a natural length). In this state, the position of the lower surface of the insulating support 50 (the surface on the inspection substrate side) and the end of the spring 30 on the inspection substrate side coincide. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the preload becomes 0 as in the third embodiment. Other points of the present embodiment are the same as those of the third embodiment. The present embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the third embodiment.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the socket 6 according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the socket 6 in a state where both the first plunger 10 and the tip of the spring 30 are open. Hereinafter, the difference from the fifth embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the socket 6, the spring 30 does not have a portion corresponding to the closely wound small diameter portion 31 of the fifth embodiment. Further, the stepped portion 53 b of the fifth embodiment is not provided in the through hole 53 of the insulating support 50. For this reason, the spring 30 is not secured against the insulating support 50, but when the socket 6 is used, the inspection substrate comes into contact with the lower surface of the insulating support 50 (the surface on the inspection substrate side). There is no problem. Other points of the present embodiment are the same as those of the fifth embodiment. This embodiment can achieve the same effects as those of the fifth embodiment.

  The present invention has been described above by taking the embodiment as an example. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to each component and each processing process of the embodiment within the scope of the claims. By the way. For example, instead of the spring 30 and the second plunger 20 of the first embodiment, the spring 30 of the fifth embodiment may be applied. In this case, the coarsely wound portion 33 of the fifth embodiment functions as the spring 30 of the first embodiment, and the tightly wound small diameter portion 31 and the tightly wound large diameter portion 32 of the fifth embodiment are the second plan of the first embodiment. The jar 20 functions as a base end side cylindrical portion 24 and an intermediate cylindrical portion 23 positioned on the front end side from the base end side cylindrical portion 24.

1-7 Socket, 8 Inspection board, 8a Electrode (pad), 9 Inspection object, 9a Solder bump (electrode bump), 10 1st plunger, 11 Tip side cylinder part, 12 Flange part, 13 Base end side cylinder Part, 13a constricted part, 14 rod-like part, 15 large diameter part for retaining, 20 second plunger, 21 distal end side cylindrical part, 22 tapered part, 23 intermediate cylindrical part, 24 proximal side cylindrical part, 25 hole part, 26 Locking part, 30 Spring, 31 Closely wound small diameter part, 32 Closely wound large diameter part, 33 Coarse winding part, 40 Tube, 41 Locking part, 42 Locking part, 50 Insulating support, 51 First insulating support, 52 second insulating support, 53 through hole, 53a step, 53b step, 70 contact probe

Claims (9)

A contact probe;
An insulating support for supporting the contact probe,
The contact probe is
First and second plungers;
A spring that biases the first and second plungers away from each other;
A conductive tube abutting against the first and second plungers;
The insulating support has a step portion that regulates the protrusion of the conductive tube,
A socket capable of eliminating the amount of protrusion of the second plunger from the insulating support without compressing the spring from the state where the tips of the first and second plungers are opened.   2. The socket according to claim 1, wherein the contact probe is loaded with the spring in a state where movement of the first plunger and the second plunger in the separating direction is restricted regardless of the insulating support. 3. The conductive tube is provided integrally with the first plunger,
The socket according to claim 2, wherein the second plunger is provided in the conductive tube in a state in which the second plunger is prevented from coming off from the conductive tube, and the spring is provided in the conductive tube.   The contact probe includes a rod-shaped portion penetrating the spring in one of the first plunger or the second plunger, and engages the rod-shaped portion with the other of the first plunger or the second plunger. The socket of Claim 2 provided with a latching | locking part.   5. The biasing force of the spring is 10 gf or less when the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the second plunger from the insulating support is zero. The socket as described in any one.   The biasing force of the spring when the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the second plunger from the insulating support is zero is 1 / of the biasing force of the spring at the time of inspection. The socket according to claim 1, wherein the socket is 3 or less. A contact probe;
An insulating support for supporting the contact probe,
The contact probe is
A first plunger;
A spring for connecting and biasing the first plunger in a direction in which a tip protrudes from the insulating support;
A conductive tube in contact with the first plunger;
The insulating support has a step portion that regulates the protrusion of the conductive tube,
A socket in which the amount of protrusion of the spring from the insulating support can be made zero without compressing the spring in a state where the tip of the first plunger is open.   The socket according to claim 7, wherein the biasing force of the spring is 10 gf or less in a state in which a tip end of the first plunger is opened and a protruding amount of the spring from the insulating support is zero.   When the tip of the first plunger is opened and the amount of protrusion of the spring from the insulating support is zero, the biasing force of the spring is 1/3 or less of the biasing force of the spring at the time of inspection. The socket according to claim 7.

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