WO1997043886A1

WO1997043886A1 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: WO1997043886A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/002289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans-Georg Meissner
Original assignee: Multitest Elektronische Systeme Gmbh
Priority date: 1996-05-09
Filing date: 1997-05-06
Publication date: 1997-11-20
Also published as: DE19618717C1; EP0858726A1

Abstract

In an electrical connector for connecting electric terminals (4) of a component (3), especially a semiconductor component, to corresponding connecting leads (5), especially on a printed circuit board (2), there is a spring device (14) with electrically conductive through components (16) between the connecting leads (5) and the movable contacts (8). One end of these through components (16) is connected under pressure to the connecting leads (5) and the other to the contacts (8). The contacts (8) take the form of an end-pivoted pressure lever for the spring device (14).

Description

Electrical connection device

The invention relates to an electrical connecting device for connecting electrical connections of a component, in particular a semiconductor component, to corresponding connecting lines, in particular arranged on a printed circuit board, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Electrical connection devices of this type are used in particular in machines for testing semiconductor components with integrated circuits in order to check the function of these electronic components on the manufacturer's side. Here, the electrical connections of the component, for example the pins of an IC chip, are contacted fully automatically via the electrical connection device with a circuit board connected to the actual test device (also called DUT board or "device under test board") .

Modern test machines work with a throughput of 3000 semiconductor components per hour and more. This means that the positioning and contacting of the Components with the corresponding connection lines of the DUT circuit board must be done very quickly. Furthermore, this process must be carried out with the highest precision, since semiconductor components can have up to several 100 pins, which are designed to be correspondingly small and have a spacing of only 0.5 to 1 mm, for example. In addition, the electrical connection must be established within this short time in an absolutely reliable manner, since otherwise an incorrect test result would be achieved and the component would be declared as a committee.

An electrical connection device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from US Pat. No. 5,069,629. The electrical connection between the pins of the component to be tested and the corresponding connecting lines of the DUT circuit board is made there by means of S-shaped contact pieces which are suspended at both ends on thin, parallel holding straps. At least one of these straps is designed as an elastomeric, resilient part. If the ends of the pins of the semiconductor component to be tested are pressed onto the ends of the contact pieces that protrude beyond the top of the receiving part, they can therefore spring downward within the slots of the receiving part until the lower end of the contact pieces on the corresponding connecting lines the DUT circuit board lies on and the electrical connection is thereby established.

A disadvantage of this known embodiment, however, that the contact pieces are necessary, whose contact force is limited by the size and the productivity characterized the Längsin ^¬, the mutual inductance (crosstalk), and the Unwanted coupling capacity increase. Furthermore, the contact pieces can only carry out a relatively small stroke. The elastomeric tapes have only a short lifespan and involve difficult assembly. Furthermore, it has been shown that the relative movement of the contact pieces on the corresponding connecting lines, ie on the electrically conductive contact surfaces of the DUT printed circuit board, leads to premature wear and early destruction of the connecting lines.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an electrical connection device according to the preamble of claim 1, which has improved electrical properties, increases the reliability of contacting and enables longer test frequencies with a denser construction of the contact pieces.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the further claims.

In the connecting device according to the invention, the spring device is provided between the connecting lines and the movable contact pieces and has electrically conductive passage elements which are in pressure contact at one end with the connecting lines and at the other end with the contact pieces. Furthermore, the contact pieces are designed as pressure levers for the spring device which are pivoted at the end.

Because of the configuration according to the invention, the contact pieces themselves no longer come into contact with the corresponding connecting lines of the DUT circuit board. Much more The electrical connection takes place via the electrically conductive spring device, ie via the electrically conductive and bendable passage elements which are provided within the spring device. This spring device rests on the connection lines of the DUT circuit board, so that at least one electrically conductive passage element is in contact with a corresponding connection line. The contact pieces rest on the opposite side of the spring device, in such a way that at least one electrically conductive passage element is connected to a contact piece. If the contact pieces at their free end, which protrudes upward beyond the slotted receiving part, are pressed downward by placing the pins of the semiconductor component, the contact piece at this end swivels downward about its end pivot axis, the The spring device is compressed at this point and the electrically conductive passage element arranged there is pressed firmly both onto the connecting line underneath and onto the contact piece. This creates a secure electrical connection. Due to such a configuration, the contact pieces can be made very small and relatively short, so that the longitudinal inductance, coupling inductance and the coupling capacitance can be reduced. This also means that the possible clock frequency can be increased significantly, for example up to 5 GHz, even with a very dense construction. Furthermore, a defined wave resistance is created.

Another important advantage is that the contact pieces no longer rub on the connecting lines of the DUT circuit board, but only a static pressure contact with the spring device is present. Remote ner the assembly of the contact pieces can be carried out in a very simple manner and defective contact pieces can optionally also be replaced individually.

Another advantage is that the spring action can be changed largely independently of the arrangement of the passage elements, for example by changing the width of the spring device only to one side.

The spring device advantageously consists of a silicone strip, in which a multiplicity of electrically conductive passage elements are embedded in a row and at a predetermined distance from one another. The silicone fulfills both the holding and the insulating function for the electrically conductive passage elements.

A simple assignment of a contact piece to a specific connecting line can be achieved by an embodiment in which the through elements extend perpendicularly through the plastic strip.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the contact pieces have a bearing leg, which is covered at least essentially upwards, ie towards the surface of the connecting device facing the component, by a cover plate which is detachably attached to the slotted receiving part and serves as an upper stop part and bearing part for the bearing legs. For example, the underside of the cover plate can be provided with a groove in the shape of a circular arc, in which the convex arcuate sections of the contact pieces slide. are stored. Instead of such a groove, however, a corresponding round bead can also be provided, in which case the contact pieces have correspondingly shaped, concave circular arc sections at the bearing end, which are supported on the round bead. The advantage of such a cover plate lies in particular in the simple assembly of the contact pieces, since these can be inserted freely from above into the corresponding slots of the receiving part when the cover plate is removed, and only the cover plate then has to be attached and screwed tight. Since the rotary bearing for the contact pieces is provided in the cover plate, different contact pieces can also be used in a very simple manner with identical other components by using different cover plates, so that the connecting device can be used universally.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In these show:

FIG. 1: a perspective, partially broken-open partial view of a first embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention,

2 shows a longitudinal section through the connecting device from FIG. 1 along the main plane of a contact piece in the non-pressed position, FIG.

3 shows a longitudinal section corresponding to FIG. 2, the contact piece being shown in the depressed position, FIG. 4: a perspective view of the contact piece of FIGS. 1 to 3 in isolation,

FIG. 5: an embodiment variant of the contact piece from FIG. 4,

6 shows a perspective, shortened representation of the spring device from FIG. 1, FIG.

7 shows a longitudinal section through the Federeinrich¬ device of Fig. 6, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the connecting device according to the invention.

1 shows a section of an electrical connection device 1 in the form of a contact base, which is placed on a DUT circuit board 2. Above the electrical connection device 1, a small part of a semiconductor component 3 with electrical connections in the form of pins 4 can be seen, which are brought into a prescribed relative position with respect to the electrical connection device 1 for testing the semiconductor component 3.

On the top of the DUT circuit board 2 there are connecting lines 5 which consist of a plurality of flat conductor tracks arranged next to one another in a row. These connecting lines 5, which are insulated from one another in a known manner, are in a manner not shown with a test machine, also not shown, for checking the electrical properties of the Semiconductor component 3 in electrical connection.

The electrical connection device 1 essentially consists of a plate-shaped receiving part 6, in which a plurality of continuous, vertical slots 7 are provided. The slots 7 are all of the same size and are arranged in a row parallel to one another in the section shown in FIG. 1. The slots 7 serve for the movable reception and guidance of electrically conductive contact pieces 8 and keep them at a mutual lateral distance which corresponds to the distance between the pins 4. Furthermore, the slots 7 are arranged such that when the receiving part 6 is placed on the printed circuit board 2 they are located above the connecting lines 5, a slot 7 being aligned with a connecting line 5 in each case. The length of the slots 7 is dimensioned such that they extend in the longitudinal direction beyond the front and rear ends of the connecting lines 5.

The slots 7 and thus the contact pieces 8 inserted into these slots 7 are partially covered at the top by a cover plate 9. This cover plate 9 is inserted into a corresponding depression 10 provided on the upper side of the receiving part 6, so that the upper side of the cover plate 9 lies in one plane with the remaining upper side of the receiving part 6. The cover plate 9 and thus the depression 10 extend in the longitudinal direction of the slots 7 from the outside over a little more than half the length of the slots 7, while the remaining part of the slots 7 not covered by the cover plate 9 is open at the top and bottom is. The cover plate 9 is screwed by means of screws 11 with a beschrie more detail later ^¬ surrounded clamping piece 12, which is below the cover plate 9 is located on the underside of the receiving part 6.

On the underside of the receiving part 6, a recess 13 is provided in the area above the connecting lines 5 and extends across all the slots 7. In this recess 13, a spring device in the form of a silicone strip 14 is inserted, which is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. The silicone strip 14 consists of a resilient silicone body 15 which is rectangular in cross section and in which a multiplicity of continuous, electrically conductive passage elements 16 are embedded. The passage elements 16 consist of fine wires which are arranged parallel to one another along the silicone body in a row and at a very small distance from one another. The passage elements 16 protrude slightly from the top and bottom of the silicone body 15, i.e. the length of the passage elements 16 is slightly greater than the height of the silicone body 15. The silicone body 15 serves on the one hand for holding and on the other hand for mutual insulation of the passage elements 16. Furthermore, the distance between the passage elements 16 is dimensioned such that that when the silicone strip 14 is placed on the connecting lines 5, at least one electrically conductive passage element 16 is in contact with one connecting line 5 each.

The silicone strip 14 lies on one side against a corresponding side wall of the recess 13 and is pressed from its opposite side by the clamping piece 12 against this side wall. The clamping piece 12 lies in a recess 17, which is also located on the underside of the receiving part 6, adjoins the recess 13 laterally and runs parallel to the latter. The clamping piece 12 serves on the one hand to fix the silicon strip 14 in the recess 13 and on the other hand to transmit the contacting forces of the contact pieces 8 to the slotted receiving part 6. This is done by connecting the clamping piece 12 to the cover plate 9 via the screws 11, a horizontal section 18 of the slotted receiving part 6 being clamped between these parts. If the contact pieces 8, as will be explained in more detail later, are pressed down by the pins 4 of the semiconductor component 3 to be tested, an upward force is generated in the bearing area of the contact pieces 8, which tries to lift the cover plate 9 upward from the receiving part 6 . This upward force is transmitted via the screws 11 to the clamping piece 12 and from there to the horizontal section 18 of the slotted receiving part 6.

As an alternative to this, it is also possible to omit the clamping piece 12 and to screw the cover plate 9 directly to the receiving part 6 or to the DUT circuit board 2. However, the clamping piece 12 offers a simple fixing possibility for the silicone strip 14 and also makes it possible to use silicone strips 14 of different widths, in which case only clamping pieces 12 of different widths have to be used.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, pass the clock Kon ^¬ 8 pieces of thin flat platelets with chen wesentli in L-shape. The contact pieces 8 have an essentially straight, somewhat longer bearing leg 19 and a somewhat shorter, upwardly projecting leg 20. The leg 20 is located in the mounted state of the contact pieces to ^¬ 8 in continuous, not from the cover plate 9 covered part of the slots 7 and is upwards over the surface of the receiving part 6, so that the pins 4 on the upper edge region of the leg

20 can be put on and depressed by a predetermined amount. The bearing leg 19 has at the opposite end of the contact piece 8 an end section 21 with an arcuate outer contour, the diameter of the end section 21 being greater than the height of the rest of the bearing leg 19. The end section

21 thus projects upward beyond the remaining bearing legs 19. This arcuate end portion 21 is used for

Rotary bearing of the contact pieces 8 within the slots 7.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the contact pieces 8 are inserted within the slots 7 in such a way that they extend transversely over the silicone strip 14, the middle region of the bearing leg 19 resting on the silicone strip 14 with its underside . The width of the contact pieces 8 is dimensioned such that at least one electrically conductive passage element 16 is in contact with the underside of the bearing leg 19. The silicon strip 14 is the only component with which the contact pieces 8 are supported downwards. Furthermore, as already stated, each contact piece is pivotally mounted in the region of the arcuate end section 21 within the receiving part 6. For this purpose, the contact pieces 8 with this end section 21 lie in a groove 22 with a corresponding circular cross-section, which is provided on the underside of the cover plate 9. Furthermore, in the state shown in FIG. 2, in which the contact pieces 8 are not pivoted downward, the contact pieces are supported upward in the region of the bearing leg 19 from the underside of the cover plate 9 and held in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2 ¬ ten, since the silicone strip 14 with the bearing leg 19 Bias presses against the cover plate 9.

If the pins 4 of the semiconductor component 3 are placed on the associated contact pieces 8, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the contact pieces 8 pivot downward about their circular-arc-shaped end section 21, the silicone strip 14 being pressed together. Here, the electrically conductive passage elements 16 are pressed downwards onto the connecting lines 5 and upwards against the contact pieces 8, so that a secure electrical connection between the contact piece 8 and the connecting line 5 is created. The contact pieces 8 thus act as a single-sided swivel and pressure lever. The upward force occurring during this pivoting movement in the region of the groove 22 is, as already stated, transmitted via the screws 11 and the clamping piece 12 to the slotted receiving part 6. In order not to hinder the pivoting movement of the contact pieces 8, the clamping piece 12 is designed somewhat lower than the silicone strip 14.

An alternative embodiment of a contact piece 8 'can be seen in FIG. The main difference between this contact piece 8 'and the contact piece 8 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is that the end section of the bearing leg 19 which causes the pivot bearing is not convexly curved, but rather a concave circular arc cutout 23, ie one Has recess with a concavely curved surface. These contact pieces 8 'may in a not shown alternative execution ^¬ form an electrically connecting means are used, wherein on the underside of the cover plate 9 no groove 22, but instead a protruding bead corresponding arcuate outer surface provided is. The contact piece 8 'has the advantage over the contact piece 8 of a smaller area, as a result of which the series inductance, coupling inductance and coupling capacitance can be further reduced.

In the embodiment variant of the connecting device according to the invention shown in FIG. 8, the receiving part 6 ′ extends to the side lying in the rear in FIG. 8 only to the end of the slots 7, while the area behind it is exposed above the DUT circuit board 2. This has the advantage that any dirt that may be present can easily fall out of the slots 7 to the rear, which could otherwise impair the smooth movement of the contact pieces 8 within the slots 7. Otherwise, this connection device is constructed in the same way as that of FIG. 1.

In Figures 1 and 8, only part of a series of slots 7 and contact pieces 8 is shown. However, it is readily possible to provide not only such a row in the electrical connection device according to the invention, but also a plurality of rows, these being arranged in accordance with the arrangement of the pins 4 of the semiconductor component 3 to be tested. For example, it is possible to provide four such rows forming a closed rectangle, each pin 4 being able to be contacted with a corresponding contact piece 8, 8 '.

Claims

Expectations:

1. Electrical connection device for connecting electrical connections (4) of a component, in particular semiconductor component (3), with corresponding connection lines (5), in particular arranged on a printed circuit board (2), with one between the electrical connections Connections (4) of the component (3) and the connecting lines (5) provided receiving part (6, 6 ¹ ) for contact pieces (8, 8 '), which is provided with slots (7), within which the Contact pieces (8, 8 ') are movably guided, the contact pieces (8, 8') being supported by a spring device (14) and by means of pressure contact with the electrical connections (4) of the component (3) into an electrical connection the connecting lines (5) creating the contact position can be brought, characterized in that the spring device (14) is provided between the connecting lines (5) and the movable contact pieces (8, 8 ') and electrically conductive passage elements elements (16), which are in pressure contact at one end with the connecting lines (5) and at their other end with the contact pieces (8, 8 '), and in that the contact pieces (8, 8') are rotatably mounted at the end bel for the spring device (14) are formed.

2. Connecting device according to claim 1, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the spring device (14) consists of an isolating plastic strip, in particular silicone strip, in which a plurality of electrically conductive passage elements (16) in a row and at a predetermined distance are embedded to each other.

3. Connecting device according to claim 2, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the passage elements (16) extend perpendicularly through the spring device (14).

4. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Kontakt¬ pieces (8, 8 ¹ ) extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of the spring device (14) and are pivotable about a pivot axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spring device (14) .

5. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rotary bearing of the contact pieces (8, 8 ') is carried out by means of an end-side convex or concave arc section.

6. Connecting device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact pieces

(8, 8 ') have a bearing leg (19) which is covered at least essentially upwards, ie towards the surface of the connecting device (1) facing the component (3), by a cover plate (9), which is slotted receiving part (6, 6 ') is releasably attachable and serves as an upper stop part and bearing part for the bearing legs (19).

7. Connecting device according to claim 6, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the cover plate (9) is provided on its underside with a circular arc-shaped groove (22) in which the convex arcuate sections of the contact pieces (8) are slidably mounted.

8. Connecting device according to claim 6, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the cover plate (9) is provided on its underside with a cross-section having an arcuate outer contour bead on which the concave circular arc cutouts (23) of the contact pieces (8 ¹ ) gleitge¬ are.

9. Connecting device according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the contact pieces (8, 8 ') by means of the spring device (14) against the underside of the cover plate (9) are biased.