TW201441628A - Current-diverting guide plate for probe module and probe module using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A current-diverting guide plate for use in a probe module is disclosed to include a plate body having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a plurality of through holes penetrating through the first and second surfaces. A conducting layer is provided at a periphery wall of each through hole of the plate body and electrically coupled to a probe slidably inserted through the through holes. A current-diverting circuit trace is disposed on the first surface of the plate body and electrically connected with the conducting layers for diverting the electric current flowing through probes. Thus, the current-diverting guide plate can be used to prevent the probes from possible damage due to an excessive instantaneous current.

Description

Splitter guide for probe module and probe module using the same

The invention relates to a probe module for a vertical probe card, in particular to a shunt guide for a positioning, guiding and supporting probe in a probe module and having a current dispersion path. And a probe module using the shunt guide.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a conventional probe module 10 commonly used for a vertical probe card, which mainly comprises an upper guide 11 , a lower guide 12 , and a plurality of probes 13 and probes . The needle 132 and the tip 134 of the 13 are respectively disposed in the guide hole 112 above the upper guide plate 11 and the guide hole 122 below the lower guide plate 12. Thereby, when the tip 134 of each probe 13 contacts the test point of the object to be tested, the reaction force from the object to be tested will cause the tip 134 of each probe to retreat backward and slide relative to the lower guide hole 122, thereby The needle body 136 of each probe 13 is deformed, whereby the needle tip 134 of each probe 13 can provide a stable contact force against the electrical contact of the test object to reliably transmit the test signal from the test machine, and The elastic deformation of the needle body 136 provides a buffering effect when the probe 13 touches the object to be tested to protect the object to be tested or the probe.

In order to meet the requirements of volume miniaturization and functional diversification of electronic products, the pitch between adjacent test points of the object to be tested has a tendency to become smaller and smaller, forcing the needle diameter of the probe 13 also. It is necessary to properly shrink in order to smoothly access the test points of the test object. However, after the needle diameter is thinned, the probe 13 (especially forming a portion of the needle body 136 such as a buckling or bending) is liable to break the needle due to excessive instantaneous current, which not only affects the test progress but also requires repair or The problem of replacing the probe.

It must be noted that it is not only the conventional probe module 10 shown in FIG. 1 that the needle can be burnt. In fact, as long as it is used, at least one guide for aligning, guiding and supporting the probe is used. The probe module of the board, such as the probe module disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,622,514 and 7,417, 447, may have a problem of burning the needle due to the excessive current passing through the probe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a shunt guide for a probe module that effectively dissipates current through each probe.

In order to achieve the above object, the shunt guide of the present invention comprises a plate body, a plurality of conductive layers, and a shunt wire. The plate body has a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and a plurality of through holes extending through the first and second surfaces, the through holes are for a probe to be slidably worn Each of the conductive layers is disposed on a hole wall of each of the through holes of the plate for electrically contacting the probe disposed in the through hole; the shunt wire is disposed on the first of the plate Each of the conductive layers is surface-connected and electrically connected to disperse current through each of the probes.

In an embodiment of the invention, the shunt wire has a plurality of main shunt segments, each of the main shunt segments being connected between two adjacent conductive layers for acting as a main path for dispersing current through each of the probes.

In an embodiment of the invention, the shunt wire further has a plurality of sub-split sections connected between adjacent ones of the conductive layers for use as a secondary path for dispersing current through the probes.

In an embodiment of the invention, each of the conductive layers is a composite conductive layer having a metal underlayer and a metal surface layer. The metal surface layer is disposed on the surface of the metal underlayer and is doped with a plurality of polymer particles for The coefficient of friction between the wall of the through hole and the probe is lowered. However, the structure of the foregoing conductive layer is not limited thereto.

Thereby, the shunting guide of the present invention can provide a good shunting effect on the current passing through each of the probes to avoid damage to each of the probes caused by excessive instantaneous current.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a probe module using the foregoing shunt guide, which is suitable for use in any probe module having at least one guide for guiding, aligning and supporting the probe. For example, but not limited to, the various probe modules disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,622,514 or U.S. Patent No. 7,417,447.

10‧‧‧ probe mode resistance

11‧‧‧Upper guide

12‧‧‧ lower guide

13‧‧‧ probe

132‧‧‧ needle

134‧‧‧needle

112‧‧‧Upper guide hole

122‧‧‧ lower guide hole

136‧‧‧ needle body

20‧‧‧Split deflector

22‧‧‧ probe

30‧‧‧ board

32‧‧‧ first surface

34‧‧‧second surface

36‧‧‧through holes

40‧‧‧Composite conductive layer

42‧‧‧Metal bottom layer

44‧‧‧Metal surface

46‧‧‧ polymer particles

50‧‧‧Split wire

52‧‧‧Main diversion section

P1‧‧‧ main diversion path

54‧‧‧Sub-segment

P2‧‧‧Secondary diversion path

60, 70‧‧‧ probe module

80‧‧‧Support guide

82‧‧‧ Guide hole

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the structure of a conventional probe module.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a shunt guide provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of the present invention, mainly showing the detailed structure of the composite conductive layer.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a shunting guide provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the structure of a first type of probe module using a shunting guide provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of a second type of probe module using a shunting guide provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the shunting guide 20 of the present invention includes a plate body 30, a plurality of composite conductive layers 40, and a shunt wire 50. The structural features of the respective members described above and the mutual relationship between the members will be described in detail below.

The plate body 30 has a first surface 32, a second surface 34 facing away from the first surface 32, and a plurality of through holes 36 extending through the first and second surfaces 32, 34. The cross-sectional shape of the through hole 36 may be Round or square, here is a circle. In addition, the board body 30 may be made of a non-conductor material (for example, ceramic), a semiconductor material, or a conductor material (for example, tantalum). If a semiconductor material or a conductor material is used, the surface of the board 30 needs to be After insulation treatment.

Referring to FIG. 3, each composite conductive layer 40 is disposed on the hole wall of the through hole 36 of the plate body 30, and defines a hole through which the probe can pass. Each of the composite conductive layers 40 has a metal underlayer 42 and a metal surface layer 44. The material of the metal underlayer 42 and the material of the metal surface layer 44 may be selected from gold, cobalt, nickel, nickel alloys or alloys of the foregoing metals, and the metal surface layer 44 It is disposed on the surface of the metal underlayer 42, and the inside of the metal surface layer 44 is doped with a plurality of polymer particles. 46 (for example, Teflon) to provide a lubricating effect and reduce the coefficient of friction.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4, the shunt wire 50 is disposed on the first surface 32 of the plate body 30, and has a plurality of linear main shunt segments 52 and a plurality of U-shaped sub-split segments 54. The aforementioned shunt wire 50 can be achieved by a conventional printed circuit board routing method or other suitable method. The main shunt section 52 is connected between two adjacent composite conductive layers 40 for connecting the plurality of composite conductive layers 40 in series, so that the main shunt sections 52 together form a main shunt path P1; The adjacent two sub-flow segments 54 are connected to each other side by side and respectively connect two adjacent composite conductive layers 40 such that the sub-dividing segments 54 together form a secondary shunt path P2.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 5 again. Figure 5 shows a first type of probe module 60 using the shunting guide 20 of the present invention. The probe module 60 shown in the figure is a two-way diversion guide. The second surface 34 of the plate body 30 of the two flow dividing guides 20 is opposite to each other and faces inward, and the first surface 32 of the plate body 30 of the two flow dividing guides 20 is oriented toward each other. On the outside, the shunt wire 50 disposed on the first surface 32 can be exposed to facilitate subsequent inspection of the line.

When assembled with the plurality of root probes 22, the top and bottom ends of each probe 22 are respectively disposed in the through holes 36 of the plate body 30 of the two branching guides 20 (in the holes formed by the conductive layer 40). And electrically contacting the composite conductive layer 40 of the two shunting guides 20, respectively, whereby each probe 22 can be low-friction by the composite conductive layer 40 when each probe 22 contacts the test point of the object to be tested. The coefficient is designed to smoothly slide down in each of the through holes 36, and even when the probe 22 is slipped, the probe 22 and the composite conductive layer 40 are ensured to be in electrical contact with each other. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when each probe 22 contacts the test point of the object to be tested, the current passing through each probe 22 flows first through each composite conductive layer 40 to each of the shunt wires 50, and then Further, the main shunt path P1 formed by the main shunt section 52 of each of the shunt wires 50 and the sub shunt path P2 formed by the sub-split sections 54 of the shunt wires 50 are respectively dispersed, so that even through the probes 22 It is a high-intensity current that does not easily cause pinching, so The probe 22 can appropriately reduce the needle diameter according to actual needs to achieve the best test result.

However, the splitter guide 20 does not have to be provided at the same time. As shown in FIG. 6, the second probe module 70 of the present invention has a support guide 80 and a split guide 20 opposite to each other. In a manner, the support guide 80 simply provides the functions of alignment, guiding and support, and the composite conductive layer 40 and the shunt wire 50 are not disposed.

The support guide 80 can be disposed above or below the splitter guide 20 according to actual needs (here, it is disposed above the splitter guide 20), in fact, as long as the support guide 80 can face the board of the split guide 20 The second surface 34 of the body 30 faces the first surface 32 of the body 30 of the flow dividing guide 20 for the purpose of facilitating inspection of the shunt wires 50.

When assembled with the probes 22, the tips of the probes 22 are disposed in the guide holes 82 of the support guides 80, and the bottom ends of the probes 22 are disposed through the plate 30 of the flow dividing guide 20. The composite conductive layer 40 is electrically contacted in the hole 36, whereby when the probes 22 are in contact with the test points of the test object, the current through the probes 22 can be dispersed through the shunt wires 50 of the shunt guide 20. This can also achieve the shunt effect.

It should be noted that, in the above disclosed embodiment, the conductive layer 40 disposed on the hole wall of the through hole 36 is a composite conductive material layer containing the polymer particles 46. However, the through hole 36 is electrically conductive. The structure of the layer 40 may also be a plated through hole structure which is common in a general printed circuit board and has only a single conductive metal layer. That is, the conductive layer 40 is not limited to the one disclosed in the above embodiment. a metal base layer 42 and a metal surface layer 44 and the inner surface of the metal surface layer 44 is doped with a composite conductive layer of polymer particles 46, which may have only a single layer of conductive metal or conductive material, and is doped or undoped therein. The conductive layer of the polymer particles is disposed on the hole wall of the through hole 36 of the plate body 30, is electrically conductive, and is electrically connected to the shunt wire 50, and is formed to allow the probe to slide through and The holes in which the probes are in contact and electrically connected are in accordance with the conductive layer as defined herein. However, the above composite layer of polymer particles 46 is doped to provide a lower friction The coefficient of rubbing is a preferred choice.

Secondly, in the above embodiment, the shunt wire 50 has a sub-split section 54, the main function of which is to distribute the current in the auxiliary main shunt section 52, and secondly to provide a backup function, that is, once the main shunt section 52 If the disconnection occurs due to manufacturing defects or long-term use, the secondary shunt section 54 can still ensure that the probes are in electrical communication with each other. In fact, the shunt wire 50 may not be provided with the sub-split section 54, however, the design of the sub-split section 54 can share the current (the probe can withstand a relatively large current), which is a preferred design choice.

The embodiment of the present invention is mainly used for the transmission path of the power pin. The power pin is mainly provided to the power path of the object to be tested when the probe card touches the object to be tested. According to the above description, the power supply required for the current object to be tested has an increasing trend, but the needle diameter of the power supply pin must be tapered to meet the current test conditions. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention is coordinated by the flow dividing guide 20. Each of the probes 22 (power pins) forms a shunt path, and the test machine can be sent to the power source of the object to be tested for shunting to improve the pin problem of the power pin.

Finally, it should be noted that the probe module is a probe module used on a vertical probe card (VPC), and the probes are vertical buckling probes. Or a pogo pin, wherein the needle is formed on the vertical setback needle because the vertical setback needle has a needle body segment such as a buckling or bending, because the needle is deflected or bent in it. The body is not easy because the instantaneous current is too large, causing the needle to burn.

In summary, the shunting guide 20 of the present invention utilizes the composite conductive layer 40 to reduce the friction between the probes 22 to provide good alignment, guiding and supporting functions, and also provides two currents. The different shunt paths P1 and P2 are used to effectively achieve the purpose of dispersing the current, and the phenomenon that the probe is easily broken by the instantaneous overcurrent in the prior art is avoided.

20‧‧‧Split deflector

30‧‧‧ board

32‧‧‧ first surface

34‧‧‧second surface

36‧‧‧through holes

40‧‧‧Composite conductive layer

52‧‧‧Main diversion section

Claims (17)

A shunting guide for a probe module, comprising: a plate body having a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and a plurality of through the first and second surfaces a plurality of conductive layers respectively disposed on the hole walls of the respective through holes of the plate body; and a shunt wire disposed on the first surface of the plate body and electrically connected to the plurality of conductive layers. The shunt guide for a probe module according to claim 1, wherein the shunt wire has at least one main shunt segment connected between two adjacent conductive layers. The shunting guide for a probe module according to claim 2, wherein the shunting conductor further has at least one sub-dividing section connected between two adjacent conductive layers. The shunting guide for a probe module according to claim 1, wherein each of the conductive layers is a composite conductive layer having a metal underlayer and a metal surface layer disposed on a surface of the metal underlayer. The shunting guide for a probe module according to claim 4, wherein the metal surface layer is doped with polymer particles. The shunt guide for the probe module according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each of the through holes is circular or square. A probe module comprising: at least one shunt guide as claimed in claim 1; and a plurality of probes respectively slidably disposed in the through holes of the plate of the shunt guide and electrically Sexually contacting the conductive layer of the shunting guide. The probe module of claim 7, comprising two of the flow dividing guides, wherein the two-way flow guiding plate is arranged symmetrically up and down to make the second table of the two-way flow guiding plate The two sides of the probe are respectively slidably disposed in the through hole of the plate body of the shunting guide plate and electrically contact with the composite conductive layer of the shunting guide plate. The probe module of claim 7, further comprising a supporting guide plate facing the second surface of the plate body of the shunting guide plate and having a plurality of guiding holes, one end of each of the probes The upper portion is slidably disposed in the guide hole of the support guide. The probe module of claim 9, wherein the flow dividing guide is located above the support guide. The probe module of claim 9, wherein the shunt guide is located below the support guide. The probe module of claim 7, wherein the shunt wire has at least one main shunt segment connected between two adjacent conductive layers. The probe module of claim 12, wherein the shunt wire further has at least one sub-segment segment connected between two adjacent conductive layers. The probe module of claim 7, wherein each of the conductive layers is a composite conductive layer having a metal underlayer and a metal surface layer disposed on a surface of the metal underlayer. The probe module of claim 14, wherein the metal surface layer is doped with polymer particles. The probe module of claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional shape of each of the through holes is circular or square. The probe module of claim 7, wherein each of the probes is a vertical set screw or a pogo pin.