JPH10307147A - Contact pin of semiconductor-testing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure a contact resistance stably and to improving wear resistance property and machining accuracy by forming the shape of a tip contact part at first to fourth plane parts and obtaining stable continuity. SOLUTION: With a tip shape, first, second, third, and fourth plane parts 36, 37, 38, and 39 are formed, so that plating cannot be released easily, and the tip of a contact pin cannot be deformed, worn out, or oxidized, thus obtaining the contact pin of a semiconductor-testing device with stable continuity. Also, since a contact surface is flat, a large contact area can be obtained. As a result, centered resistance cannot occur easily, contact resistance is small, and continuity stability is superb. Further, the plane parts 36-39 are provided at each tip of first to fourth tip contact parts 32-35 so that the position in axial direction of the contact pin is equal and so that the plane parts can be provided while they orthogonally cross the axis of the contact pin. Therefore, the height of each tip is aligned uniformly for machining easily, thus reducing contact scattering on contacting the pad.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device capable of obtaining stable contact resistance, improving abrasion resistance, and easily obtaining processing accuracy. In particular, it relates to the tip shape of the contact pin.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a main part of a conventional example generally used in the prior art, which is used in a semiconductor tester device.
January 1995, P62-P64, date of issue: December 20, 1994
Japanese, editor: Shinji Matsushita, publishing office; Press Journal, Inc .; publisher: Koji Shinohara. FIG. 5 is FIG.
6, FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 6, and FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a test head main body. 2 is a performance board. The performance board 2 is electrically connected to the test head main body 1 by contact pins 3 for the test head. The mounted components of the performance board 2 are different for each customer.

[0004] Reference numeral 4 denotes a signal relay component having one end connected to the performance board 2 and the other end connected to the probe card 5. The signal relay component 4 is provided with contact pins 6 for the performance board 2 on the performance board 2 side and contact pins 7 for the probe card 5 on the probe card 5 side. Probe card 5
Is different for each device, so is prepared for each device.

[0005] Reference numeral 8 denotes a probe provided on the probe card 5. 11 is a prober (handler). The prober 11 is provided with a chuck top 12, on which the device A to be tested is arranged.

In the above configuration, the test head body 1
The signal flow from to the device A is as follows. As shown in FIG. 5, the signal flows from the test head body 1 to the performance board 2 via the contact pins 3.

[0007] The signal flows from the performance board 2 to the signal relay component 4 via the contact pins 6, and flows from the signal relay component 4 to the probe card 5 via the contact pins 7.
It flows from the probe card 5 to the device A via the probe 8. The output of device A will reverse the signal path described above.

[0008]

In such an apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 are made up of a contact pin case 21 and a contact pin case 21.
A contact pin body 22 having a rear end inserted therein, and a contact pin body 2 housed in a contact pin case 21.
The contact pin spring 23 presses the contact pin spring 23.

The contact pin body 22 may be silver, rhodium-plated or the like.
As shown in FIG. 7, the tip 221 of the contact with the performance board 2 or the probe card 5 is sharp.

A pad portion 24 is provided on the performance board 2 or the probe card 5 with which the contact pins 3, 6, 7 are in contact. In this case, the pad portion 24 is plated with gold. FIG. 9 shows the case of the contact pins 3, the performance board 2, and the pad section 24.

[0011] The contact pin used in the tester device has the following problems. (1) A semiconductor tester device is mainly used in a semiconductor device production line. For this reason, troubles such as stopping the line and unnecessary working time are not allowed.

In the semiconductor tester device, when a contact failure between the contact pins 3, 6, 7 and the pad portion 24 (meaning that a contact having a specified contact resistance value or less is not obtained) occurs, In the production line, contact is made again, and the pad section 24 is wiped with alcohol or the like.

The contact pins 3 and 3 of the semiconductor tester device
Since the number of used devices 6 and 7 is, for example, 600 or more, performing the above operation requires a large amount of work time and hinders the operation efficiency of the semiconductor device production line.

(2) As the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 used at present, those having a sharp tip 221 are often used. These are the contact pins 3, 6, 7
The purpose is to ensure that the tip of the pad contacts the pad portion 24, so that dust adhering to the surface of the pad portion can be contacted without being pinched, and by piercing the pad portion (gold plating) 24, it is more reliable. You are trying to get continuity.

However, by repeating the contact as described above, the nickel plating for protecting the copper portion of the base material passing through the gold plating portion of the pad portion 24 is damaged, and the base material of the pad portion 24 comes into contact with the atmosphere. I will.

When the base material of the pad portion 24 comes into contact with the atmosphere, the oxide film of the base material of the pad portion 24 covers the entire surface of the pad portion 24, which may cause a contact failure. . The above is for contact pins 3,
The same applies to the contact pins 6 and 7 itself.
Contact failure of the tip portions 221 of the base materials 6 and 7 due to the oxide film of the base material occurs.

Further, the tip portions 221 of the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 are sharpened by the number of repeated contact at an early stage, so that the tip portions 221 are deformed, worn, and oxidized, and the above-described piercing effect is obtained. Will be gone. In such a state, it is difficult to obtain reliable reliability for conduction. The present invention solves this problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device which can obtain stable contact resistance, improve abrasion resistance, and easily obtain processing accuracy.

[0019]

To achieve this object, the present invention provides: (1) a test head and a performance board, a performance board and a signal relay component, and a signal relay component and a probe card; In a contact pin, a first, second, third, and fourth distal end provided with a column-shaped contact pin main body and a contact portion at the distal end of the contact pin main body divided into four in the axial direction of the contact pin main body. The first and second contact pins are provided at the respective distal ends of the first, second, third, and fourth distal end contact portions such that the positions of the contact pin main bodies in the axial direction are equal to each other and are orthogonal to the axis. , A third, a fourth flat portion, the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions, the first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions, and the contact pin body. Plating made of predetermined material provided over A contact pin of the semiconductor tester device, comprising: (2) The contact pin of the semiconductor tester device according to claim 1, further comprising a plating portion made of gold plating. It is what constituted.

[0020]

In the above construction, the first, second, third, fourth
Is formed by dividing the tip contact portion of the columnar contact pin body into four pieces in the axial direction of the contact pin body.

The first, second, third, and fourth flat portions are provided at the respective tips of the first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions, and the axial positions of the contact pin main bodies are mutually different. They are formed equally and perpendicular to the axis of the columnar contact pin body. A plating portion is formed to cover the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions, the first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions, and the contact pin body. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given based on embodiments.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. In the figure, the configuration of the same symbol as FIG. 6 represents the same function. Hereinafter, only differences from FIG. 6 will be described.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a columnar contact pin main body. 32, 33, 34, and 35 are contact pin bodies 3
The first, second, third, and fourth first contact portions are provided by being divided into four in the axial direction of the contact pin main body 31.
This is the contact portion at the tip.

36, 37, 38, and 39 are the first, second,
First, second, third, and fourth planes provided at the distal ends of the third and fourth distal contact portions 32, 33, 34, and 35, respectively, in which the axial positions of the contact pin main bodies 31 are equal to each other. Department.

Reference numeral 41 denotes flat portions 36, 37, 38, and 39 and first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions 32, 33, and 3.
The plating portion is provided to cover the contact pins 4 and 35 and the contact pin main body 31 and is made of a predetermined material. In this case, gold plating is used.

In the above configuration, the first, second, third and third
The fourth tip contact portions 32, 33, 34, 35 are formed by dividing the tip contact portion of the columnar contact pin body 31 into four pieces in the axial direction of the contact pin body 31.

The first, second, third and fourth plane portions 36 and 3
7, 38, and 39 are provided at the distal ends of the first, second, third, and fourth distal end contact portions 32, 33, 34, and 35, respectively. The axial positions of the contact pin main bodies 31 are equal to each other, and It is formed orthogonal to the axis of the columnar contact pin main body 31.

The plating section 41 is formed of first, second, third, fourth
Are formed so as to cover the flat portions 36, 37, 38, 39, the first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions 32, 33, 34, 35, and the contact pin main body 31. In this case, gold plating is used.

As a result, (1) FIG. 6 In the tip shape of the conventional example having a sharp tip, the contact portion is repeated, so that the plated portions of the contact portions of the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 are peeled off.
The nickel plating that protects the copper portion of the base material of 6, 7 is damaged, and the base material of the contact pins 3, 6, 7 comes into contact with the atmosphere.

The oxide film of the base material due to the base material of the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 coming into contact with the atmosphere forms
It was confirmed by experiments that the entire surfaces of the contact portions 6 and 7 were covered, causing poor contact.

In the tip shape according to the present invention, the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions 36, 37, 38, and 39 are formed, so that the plating is hardly peeled off and the semiconductor has good conduction stability. The contact pins of the tester device are obtained.

(2) Since the tips of the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 are sharp due to the number of times of repeated contact at an early stage, the tips are deformed, worn, and oxidized, and the above-described piercing effect is obtained. It was also confirmed by experiments that it could not be done.

In the tip shape of the present invention, since the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions 36, 37, 38, and 39 are formed, the tip of the contact pin is not deformed, worn, or oxidized. Thus, a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device having good conduction stability can be obtained.

(3) First, second, third and fourth plane portions 3
Since 6, 37, 38, and 39 are formed, the contact surface is flat, so that a large contact area can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to obtain a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device which hardly generates concentrated resistance, has low contact resistance, and has good conduction stability.

(4) FIG.
In Nos. 6 and 7, since the tip is sharp, the pad portion 24 is fatally damaged in the initial stage, whereas the contact pin of the present invention does not cause any fatal damage to the pad portion 24. Experiments have shown that damage can be kept low. Experiments have also confirmed that the durability of the pad portion 24 is increased to four times or more the durability when the contact pins 3, 6, and 7 of the conventional example in FIG. 6 are used.

That is, the contact pin of the semiconductor tester device which can extend the durability of the pad portion 24 is obtained.

(5) FIG. 6 In the prior art contact pins 3, 6, and 7 having a sharp tip, it is very difficult to make the axial positions of the contact pins equal to each other with high precision because they are sharp. is there.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the first, second,
The third and fourth plane portions 36, 37, 38 and 39 are
Second, third, and fourth tip contact portions 32, 33, 34, 35
At the respective ends, the positions of the contact pins in the axial direction are equal to each other, and are provided orthogonal to the axis of the contact pins.

For this reason, the heights of the respective tips are uniform and processing is easy, so that the contact variation when contacting with the pad 24 can be reduced and the contact pin of the semiconductor tester device with less contact variation of the contact pin. A pin is obtained.

(6) If the plating portion 41 is made of gold plating, a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device which can obtain a more stable contact resistance can be obtained.

The effect of the contact pin of the semiconductor tester device of the present invention has been confirmed by performing a contact test more than 60,000 times.

[0042]

As described in detail above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, (1) In the case of a pointed tip like a conventional contact pin, the contact pin is repeated by repeating the contact. Then, the plated portion of the contact portion is peeled off, and the plating for protecting the base material of the contact pin is damaged, and the base material of the contact pin comes into contact with the atmosphere.

Experiments have confirmed that an oxide film of the base material of the contact pin when the base material of the contact pin comes into contact with the atmosphere covers the entire surface of the contact portion of the contact pin and causes poor contact.

Since the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions are formed in the shape of the tip of the present invention, the plating is hardly peeled off, and a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device having good conduction stability is obtained. Can be

(2) Since the tip of the contact pin of the conventional example is sharp due to the number of repetitive contacts at an early stage, the tip is deformed, worn, oxidized, and the above-mentioned piercing effect cannot be obtained. It was also confirmed by experiments.

In the tip shape of the present invention, the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions are formed, so that the tip of the contact pin does not deform, wear, or oxidize, and does not conduct. A contact pin of a semiconductor tester device having good stability can be obtained.

(3) Since the first, second, third, and fourth flat portions are formed, the contact surface is flat, so that the contact area can be increased. As a result, it is possible to obtain a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device which hardly generates concentrated resistance, has low contact resistance, and has good conduction stability.

(4) In the conventional contact pin, the tip is sharp, so that the pad portion is seriously damaged in the initial stage. On the other hand, in the contact pin of the present invention, the fatal damage is caused in the pad portion. Experiments have shown that the damage can be kept low without giving any parts. Experiments have also confirmed that the durability of the pad portion can be extended to four times or more that in the case where the conventional contact pin is used.

That is, the contact pin of the semiconductor tester device which can extend the durability of the pad portion can be obtained. (5) In the conventional contact pin having a sharp tip, the tip is sharp, and it is very difficult to make the axial positions of the contact pins equal to each other with high accuracy.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the first, second,
The third and fourth flat portions are provided at the respective tip ends of the first, second, third and fourth tip contact portions so that the axial positions of the contact pins are equal to each other and orthogonal to the axis of the contact pin. It was made to be provided.

For this reason, it is easy to work with the heights of the tips evenly uniform, so that variations in contact at the time of contact with the pad can be reduced, and the contact pin of the semiconductor tester device with less contact variation of the contact pin. Is obtained.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the plated portion is made of gold plating, it is possible to obtain a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device capable of obtaining a more stable contact resistance.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a contact pin of a semiconductor tester device in which stable contact resistance is obtained, wear resistance is improved, and processing accuracy is easily obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example, illustrating an example of use in a semiconductor tester device.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of a main part of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory diagram of FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Test head main body 2 Performance board 3 Contact pin 4 Signal relay part 5 Probe card 6 Contact pin 7 Contact pin 8 Probe 11 Prober (handler) 12 Chuck top 21 Contact pin case 23 Contact pin spring 24 Pad part 31 Contact pin main body 32 First 1 first contact section 33 second tip contact section 34 third tip contact section 35 fourth tip contact section 36 first plane section 37 second plane section 38 third plane section 39 fourth plane section 41 Plated part A Device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A contact pin used between a test head and a performance board, a performance board and a signal relay component, and a signal relay component and a probe card, comprising: a columnar contact pin main body; and a tip contact portion of the contact pin main body. A first, a second, a third, and a fourth tip contact portion provided by being divided into four in the axial direction of the contact pin main body; and the first, second, third, and fourth tip contact portions. A first, a second, a third and a fourth plane portion provided at the tip of each of the contact pin main bodies at equal axial positions and orthogonal to the axis; , A fourth plane portion and the first, second,
A contact pin for a semiconductor tester device, comprising: a third and fourth tip contact portions; and a plating portion provided over the contact pin body and made of a predetermined material. 2. The contact pin of a semiconductor tester device according to claim 1, further comprising a plating portion made of gold plating.