JPS62284385A - Probing system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a probing method for minute contact pads arranged at minute intervals.

[Prior Art] In a liquid crystal display panel used in a liquid crystal television, a pattern of aluminum or the like is arranged in a matrix on a glass substrate 1 by a vapor deposition method or the like. The ends of the wiring patterns in the X and Y directions are connected to contact pads arranged around the periphery of the glass substrate. These contact pads are extremely small and arranged at minute intervals.

In the case of a certain liquid crystal display panel, for a wiring pattern in the Y direction, there are 1280 contact pads with a width of about 100 μm and a length of about 41, with an arrangement pitch of about 200 μm (center distance between adjacent contact pads). - Arranged in columns. In addition, for the wiring pattern in the X direction, 600 contact pad nodes each having a width of approximately 160 μm and a length of approximately 4 m+s are arranged in a − row at an arrangement pitch of approximately 320 μm (center spacing between adjacent contact pads). has been done.

The wiring patterns in the X direction are each connected to the gates of thin film FETs formed on the glass substrate, and the wiring patterns in the X direction are each connected to the drain or source of the thin film FET.

Such a liquid crystal display panel is constructed with wiring pattern phase -0: between, thin film FET gate and
Short circuits are made between sources and between gates and drains. In order to perform such external inspection, temporary connection (probing) between the contact pad and an external inspection circuit is required.

Conventionally, this type of probing has been performed by hitting the contact pads with a minute contact needle similar to the probe used for probing LSI wafers, since the width and arrangement pitch of the contact pads are extremely small. There is.

In addition, if a relatively large contact pad is brought into contact with multiple contact pads at the same time and a short circuit is detected with respect to the multiple contact pads, the contact associated with the note among the multiple contact pads In order to find the pads, a two-step probing method has also been attempted in which a contact needle is sequentially brought into contact with each of the contact pads.

[Problems to be solved] However, with either probing method, the sharp tip on the contact side hits the contact pad, causing damage to the contact pad and damage to some of the contact pad material. There is a problem that it peels off and sticks to the surrounding area. If the contact pad material adheres to the surrounding area in this way,
This may cause trouble in the subsequent liquid crystal coating process.
Extremely undesirable.

In addition, the contact needle has relatively large dimensions as a whole, and
Since it is technically difficult to arrange them at such a high density, it is not possible to integrally arrange a large number of contact needles corresponding to a large number of contact pads and position them both at once. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat the operation of positioning one or a relatively small number of contact sides to the corresponding contact pads and performing probing.
There was a problem that probing efficiency was low.

[Purpose of the Invention] Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to solve such conventional problems and to provide a method for handling a large number of minute contact pads and pads arranged at minute intervals, such as the contact pads of a liquid crystal display panel. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new probing method suitable for probing.

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to achieve this object, the present invention uses a flexible/pull wiring board on which a conductor pattern is arranged on a visible base, and is mounted on the surface where the contact pads are arranged. Then, a screw shaft arranged parallel to the arrangement direction and the arrangement surface of the contact pads is rotated, and the flexible wiring board is partially sequentially pressed against the contact pad arrangement surface by the spiral protrusion formed on the surface of this screw shaft. By doing so, the contact pad, the conductor pattern and the conductive pattern are successively brought into pressure contact, and the contact pad is probed.

[Operation Since the conductor pattern of the coffrec/pull wiring board and the contact pad are pressed into contact with each other, the material of the contact pad is 211 ilt, as in the method where the contact side butts against each other.
1. Almost completely eliminates the problem of sticking to the surrounding area.
II:, I can.

In addition, since the flexible wiring board is partially pressed one after another by the spiral protrusion of the screw shaft,
Even if there is warpage of the flexible wiring board or contact pad arrangement surface, or local variations in the thickness of the flexible wiring board or contact pads, there will be problems such as insufficient pressing force between the conductor pattern and the contact pads. In this case, it is possible to bring the two into stable contact.

Further, such a flexible wiring board in which fine conductor patterns are arranged at high density can be relatively easily realized. For example, 10 conductor patterns with a width of 50 μm or more
A flexible wiring board arranged at a high density of wires/mm or more can be easily realized.

Therefore, even for minute contact pads that are arranged at high density, such as the contact pads of the liquid crystal display panel, a flexible wiring board with conductor patterns arranged in accordance with the -J゛ method and arrangement pitch of the contact pads can be used. Efficient probing is possible because it is possible to prepare without difficulty and align a large number of contact pads and conductor patterns at once.

Note that all of the contact pads are not brought into contact with the conductive pattern at the same time, but only some of the contact pads in the portion pressed by the helical protrusion of the screw shaft are brought into contact with the conductive pattern. However, since short-circuit inspections of liquid crystal display panels and the like are normally carried out while sequentially scanning the contact pads, if the screw shaft is rotated following the scanning (if the screw shaft is moved by the amount of pressure M< ), short-circuit inspections, etc. can be performed without any problems.

[Example 1] An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a simplified embodiment of a probing method according to the present invention. In this diagram,
10 is a liquid crystal display panel, and 12 is a flexible wiring board.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining the contact pad arrangement of the liquid crystal display panel 10. FIG. On the surface of a glass substrate 20, which is the base of the liquid crystal display panel 10, minute contact pads 22 are formed in a line at high density around the periphery. The contact pads 22 are arranged in both the X and Y directions as described above, but only one of them is shown in the figure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the flexible wiring board 12 viewed from the conductor pattern forming portion. This flexible wiring board 12 has an attachable base 3 such as a polyimide resin film.
0, a large number of conductor patterns 32 are arranged in a high density arrangement.

This flexible wiring board 12 has one end portion 12
a is placed on the arrangement surface of the contact pads 22 of the liquid crystal display panel 10, and in this end portion 12a, the conductor patterns 32 are arranged at a fine arrangement pitch corresponding to the arrangement pinch of the contact pads 22. Further, at the end portion 12a, the conductive pattern 32 is plated with gold or the like to improve contact with the contact pad 22. Hereinafter, this plated portion will be referred to as end '7' portion 32a. Further, the pattern width of the terminal portion 32a is also determined corresponding to the contact pad 42.

The other end portion 12b of the flexible wiring board 12 is connected to a circuit board or a connector on which a circuit for short-circuit inspection or the like is mounted, or the like, by means of fasteners or the like. In order to facilitate the connection, the arrangement pitch of the conductor patterns 32 is widened at the end portion 12b, and connection pads 32b are provided for this purpose.

11 and FIG. 1, an end portion 12a of the flexible wiring board 12 is fixed to a frame member 40. As shown in FIG.

Also, l-1 with good lubricity is provided on the L side of the end portion 12a.
f(A film 42 is placed under the frame member 40 and is also fixed to the frame member 40.

The end portion 12a of the flexible wiring board 12 is placed overlapping the arrangement surface of the contact pads and pads 22 of the liquid crystal display panel 10 as shown in the figure, and the terminal portion 32a of each conductor pattern 32 is located at the - of the corresponding contact pad 22. Thus, the liquid crystal display panel 10 and the end portion 12a are aligned. This positioning is performed by slightly moving one or both of the liquid crystal display panel 10 and the flexible wiring board 12, but the -1 stage for this purpose is not shown.

Reference numeral 44 denotes a screw shaft arranged in the westward and downward direction of the arrangement of the contact pads 22. This screw shaft 44 is a screw shaft for pressing the end portion 12 =s of the flexible wiring board 12 via the film 42, and has a spiral protrusion 46 formed on its surface.

48 is a bearing for supporting the end of the screw shaft 44, and this is attached to the frame member 40 by means of a metal fitting 50 so that it can be moved to a certain degree (1-1). . The bearing 48 is urged in the direction by a spring 52.

The other end of the screw shaft 44 is also supported in a similar bearing (not shown) which also has a 1-
The frame member 4 is attached by a mounting device 54 so that it can be moved to the
attached to 0. Further, this bearing is also urged downward by a spring (not shown).

In this way, the screw 7 shaft 44 can move to the 11th position to some extent, and is further urged downward by the spring 52 and a similar spring (not shown). This is the spiral protrusion 4 of the screw shaft 44.
This is to stabilize the pressing force exerted on the end portion 12 a of the flexible/pull wiring board 12 by the pressure applied to the end portion 12 a of the flexible/pull wiring board 12 .

56 is a motor for rotationally driving the screw shaft 44. A pulley 58 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 4.1, and a boot I is fixed to the end of the screw shaft 44 protruding from the metal fitting 54.
A belt 62 is hung on J60.

In such a configuration, when the screw shaft 44 is rotated by the motor 56, the flexible wiring board 1
The portion pressed by the spiral protrusion 46 of the end portion 12a of 2 is a contact pad.

move in the direction in which the cards 22 are arranged. The contact pad 22 corresponds only to the pressed portion of the terminal portion 3231.
The contact pad 22 is electrically connected to an external test circuit or the like.

In this way, as the screw shaft 44 rotates, the contact pads 22 are sequentially probed. Then, the terminal ffi<32a of the conductor pattern 32 of the flexible wiring board 12 and the contact pad 22
Since the probing is performed by 1J by bringing the contact pads into pressure contact with the contact pads 211 #t, problems such as scratches on the contact pads 22 and the material 211 #t adhering to the surrounding area do not occur.

In addition, since the end portion 12a of the flexible wiring board 12 is partially pressed by the spiral protrusion 46 of the screw shaft 44, the end portion 12a or the contact pad arrangement surface may warp, the end portion 12a or the contact pad, the contact pad 22
Even if there is a local variation in the thickness of the contact pad 22, it is unlikely that the pressing force between some of the terminal portions 32a and the contact pad 22 will be insufficient, and the two can be brought into stable contact.

Here, the contact pads 22 are not all brought into contact with the terminal portions 32a of the conductor pattern 32 at the same time;
A portion of the contact pad 2 in the portion pressed by the spiral protrusion 46 is also brought into contact with the injured terminal portion 32a. However, as mentioned above, short-circuit inspection of the liquid crystal display panel is generally performed while sequentially scanning the contact pads 22. If the rotation of the screw shaft 44 is controlled so that the rotation of the screw shaft 44 is controlled, it is possible to carry out an inspection without any trouble.

Furthermore, according to the flexible/pull wiring board manufacturing technology, the pattern width and arrangement pitch of the terminal portions 32a of the conductor pattern 32 can be made sufficiently small.

Therefore, even if the pattern width and arrangement pitch of the contact pads 22 become extremely small, a corresponding flexible wiring board 12 is prepared, and a large number of contact pads 22 and terminal portions 32a can be positioned at once and efficiently. Probing can be performed.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to one embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in the embodiment, flexible wiring board 1
1 in the water/V direction on the end portion 12a of 2! ! (The raccoon power is j
In order to prevent the river from collapsing, screw shaft 44
A film 42 with good lubricity is interposed between the end portion 12a and the end portion 12a. However, if the friction between the spiral protrusion 46 and the end portion 12a is sufficiently small, the film 44 can be omitted.

Further, in the embodiment, the flexible wiring board 12
The pinch of the spiral protrusion 46 is determined so as to press only one location of the end portion 12a.

However, by narrowing the pitch of the spiral protrusions 46 or by providing them multiple times, multiple locations may be pressed at the same time.

Furthermore, regarding the flexible wiring board 12, the number of terminal parts and the arrangement pinch may be determined so that the terminal parts of two or more adjacent conductor patterns contact the same contact pad. By doing this, 'IA'F
Since the state of contact between the RB and the contact pad can be confirmed, alignment between the flexible wiring board and the liquid crystal display panel becomes easy.

Alternatively, the terminal portions may be arranged in two rows by shifting the positions of the contact pads in the longitudinal direction, and opposing terminal portions may be brought into contact with the same contact pad. Even in this case, contact between the terminal portion and the contact pad can be confirmed by checking the continuity between the opposing terminal portions.

In addition, by arranging the terminal portions of the conductor pattern, which are sufficiently larger than the number of contact pads, at an arrangement pitch sufficiently smaller than the arrangement pitch of the contact pads, the contact pads are always kept at -・It may be made to contact the terminal portion of 1.

[Effects of the Invention] In this invention, a flexible wiring board on which conductive patterns are arranged on a +N conductive base is stacked on the contact pad arrangement surface, and the contact pads are arranged in the direction in which the contact pads are arranged and parallel to the arrangement surface. By rotating the provided screw shaft and sequentially pressing the flexible wiring board partially against the contact pad array surface using the spiral protrusion formed on the surface of the screw shaft, the contact pads and the conductor pattern are sequentially pressed into contact with each other. , perform probing on the tactile pad.

Since this is the probing method, the following.

As explained in detail, the contact pad material is Al
It is possible to almost completely prevent the problem of M and adhesion to the surrounding area, and even if there is warpage of the flexible wiring board or contact pad arrangement surface, or local variations in the thickness of the flexible wiring board or contact pads, it can be completely prevented. Inconveniences such as insufficient pressing force between the conductor pattern and the contact pad are unlikely to occur, and stable contact between the two can be achieved. II) Efficient and efficient probing is possible even for minute contact pads.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a simplified embodiment of a probing method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining the contact pad arrangement of a liquid crystal display panel.
FIG. 3 is a schematic V-side view of the flexible wiring board as seen before the conductor pattern is formed. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Liquid crystal display panel, 12...Flexible wiring 41i1 board N12a...End portion, 22...Contact node<'y-do, 32...Conductor pattern, 32a...
End 1 part, 40... Frame member, 42... Film, 44
...Screw shaft, 46...Spiral protrusion, 48
...bearing, 50...metal fittings, 48...springs, 54...metal fittings, 56...motor.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A probing method for arrayed contact pads, in which a flexible wiring board on which conductor patterns are arrayed on a flexible base is stacked on the array surface of the contact pads, and the array direction and array of the contact pads are By rotating a screw shaft disposed parallel to the surface and sequentially pressing the flexible wiring board partially against the contact pad array surface using a spiral protrusion formed on the surface of the screw shaft,
A probing method characterized in that the contact pad and the conductor pattern are sequentially pressed into contact with each other. (2) The probing method according to claim 1, wherein the spiral protrusion of the screw shaft presses the flexible wiring board through a film member with good lubricity.