Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R1/00—Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00
  • G01R1/02—General constructional details
  • G01R1/06—Measuring leads; Measuring probes
  • G01R1/067—Measuring probes
  • G01R1/06711—Probe needles; Cantilever beams; "Bump" contacts; Replaceable probe pins
  • G01R1/06733—Geometry aspects
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R1/00—Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00
  • G01R1/02—General constructional details
  • G01R1/06—Measuring leads; Measuring probes
  • G01R1/067—Measuring probes
  • G01R1/073—Multiple probes
  • G01R1/07307—Multiple probes with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card
  • G01R1/07357—Multiple probes with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card with flexible bodies, e.g. buckling beams
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R3/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of measuring instruments, e.g. of probe tips
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
  • G01R31/26—Testing of individual semiconductor devices
  • G01R31/2601—Apparatus or methods therefor

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a probe pin assembly and a method for manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a probe pin assembly for testing electrical characteristics of a test object such as a semiconductor device, a flat display or the like and a method for manufacturing the same.
• Semiconductor devices are manufactured through a variety of processes including wafer production, wafer test, die packaging and so forth.
• the wafer test refers to a so-called electrical die sorting test for testing electrical characteristics of the semiconductor devices.
• electrical die sorting test electric signals are inputted and outputted by bringing probe pins of a probe card into contact with pads of the semiconductor devices and, based on a data resulting therefrom, the semiconductor devices are sorted into acceptable products and unacceptable products.
• the probe card is used in testing data/gate lines in a cell process of flat displays such as a TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) , a PDP (Plasma Display Panel) , an OEL (Organic Electroluminescence) and the like.
• the probe card includes a probe pin assembly having a plurality of probe pins adapted to make direct contact with pads of a test object and a printed circuit board connected to the probe pins for transmitting electric signals between a test head of a tester and the probe pins .
• the probe pins have been developed in various types and structures including a straight shape and a curved shape.
• the straight probe pins provides an advantage in that the simple shape thereof makes it easy to manufacture the same and manage its accuracy but poses a drawback in that damage is caused to the probe pins or the test object due to the excessively high contact pressure applied to the test object and the repeated contact with the test object.
• U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0157350 discloses a probe pin assembly that, as shown in Fig. 1, includes curved probe pins 10 formed to have two bending points by a mechanical method such as swaging or stamping, an upper die 21 and a lower die 22 for supporting opposite ends of the curved probe pins 10, and a housing 30 for holding the upper die 21 and the lower die 22. Furthermore, the curved probe pins 10 are formed by photo-etching or photo-defined electroforming in an effort to remove residual stresses.
• the curved probe pins 10 of this type are easily- buckled by a longitudinal pressure.
• the curved probe pins 10 show a behavior like a spring, which provides an advantage of minimizing damage to the test object or the probe pins.
• the curved probe pins 10 is more complex in shape than the straight probe pins, thus suffering from problems of difficult accuracy management, a complicated manufacturing process and increased production costs.
• a probe pin assembly capable of preventing damage of probe pins by allowing the probe pins to be deformed from a straight shape into a curved shape, and a method for manufacturing the same.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a probe pin assembly having straight probe pins that show a mechanical behavior like curved probe pins, and a method for manufacturing the same.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a probe pin assembly that assures easy accuracy management, a simple manufacturing process and reduced manufacturing costs, and a method for manufacturing the same.
• a probe pin assembly including: elastically deformable probe pins of a straight shape each having a first end and a second end, each of the probe pins having a first stopper lug and a second stopper lug arranged in positions spaced apart from the first end and the second end; an upper die having upper through-holes into which the first ends of the probe pins are inserted to protrude above an upper surface of the upper die, each of the upper through-holes having a center axis, the first stopper lug engaged with a lower surface of the upper die; a lower die having lower through-holes into which the second ends of the probe pins are inserted to protrude below a lower surface of the lower die, each of the lower through-holes having a center axis, the second stopper lug engaged with an upper surface of the lower die, the center axis of each of the upper through-holes being out of alignment with the center axis of each of
• a method for manufacturing a probe pin assembly comprising the steps of: preparing elastically deformable probe pins of a straight shape each having a first end and a second end, each of the probe pins having a first stopper lug and a second stopper lug arranged in positions spaced apart from the first end and the second end; inserting the first ends of the probe pins into upper through-holes of an upper die in such a manner that the first stopper lug of each of the probe pins engages with the upper die; inserting the second ends of the probe pins into lower through-holes of a lower die in such a manner that the second stopper lug of each of the probe pins engages with the lower die; moving one of the upper die and the lower die relative to the other so that the probe pins can be bent by elastic deformation between the upper die and the lower die; and fixing the upper die and the lower die to a housing.
• Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a prior art probe pin assembly
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a probe pin assembly in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of probe pins in the probe pin assembly in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3;
• Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the present probe pin assembly in which probe pins, an upper die and a lower die are separated from one another
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the present probe pin assembly in which probe pins, an upper die and a lower die are assembled together;
• Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig . 6 ;
• Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a first panel in the present probe pin assembly;
• Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a method for manufacturing the probe pin assembly in accordance with the present invention.
• a probe pin assembly in accordance with the present invention includes probe pins 100, an upper die 210, a lower die 220 and a housing 300.
• the probe pins 100 is of a straight shape having a first end 102 and a second end 104 and exhibits elasticity so that it can be elastically deformed.
• Each of the probe pins 100 is provided with a first stopper lug 106 and a second stopper lug 108, both of which are formed at positions spaced apart by a specified distance Ll from the first end 102 and the second end 104.
• each of the probe pins 100 and the first and second stopper lugs 106 and 108 is greater than the thickness of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• Each of the probe pins 100 extends at a first distance L2 in a longitudinal direction between an upper end of the first stopper lug 106 and a lower end of the second stopper lug 108.
• the probe pins 100 may be produced belonging to cutting a thin plate. Furthermore, it is preferred that the probe pins 100 be produced into a fine size by a photo- etching or photolithography process in keeping with circuit line width miniaturization of a test object.
• the probe pins 100 may be configured by a photo-etching or photolithography process into a rectangular cross-sectional shape having a pair of long sides 110a and 110b of 60 ⁇ m in size and a pair of short sides 112a and 112b of 30 ⁇ m in size.
• the probe pins 100 may ⁇ be made of a material exhibiting good electric conductivity- such as beryllium copper (BeCu) or beryllium nickel (BeNi) .
• the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are formed in a flat plate shape and are disposed between the upper portions and the lower portions of the probe pins 100 in a parallel relationship with each other.
• the upper die 210 there is formed a plurality of upper through-holes 212 into which the first ends 102 of the probe pins 100 can be inserted.
• the lower die 220 there is formed a plurality of lower through-holes 222 into which the second ends 104 of the probe pins 100 can be inserted.
• the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through-holes 222 are formed substantially perpendicularly with respect to the planes of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 and may be formed by laser machining.
• the opposite ends of the probe pins 100 are inserted into the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through-holes 222 to protrude outside the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• the upper ends of the first stopper lugs 106 engages with the lower surface of the upper die 210 while the lower ends of the second stopper lugs 108 engage with the upper surface of the lower die 220.
• the probe pins 100 are positioned in place between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• Each of the upper through-holes 212 has a center axis 214 arranged out of alignment with a center axis 224 of each of the lower through-holes 222.
• a straight line 230 joining the centers of each upper through-hole 212 and each lower through-hole 222 is inclined relative to a vertical line 232 that joins the lower surface of the upper die 210 and the upper surface of the lower die 220 and extends to pass between the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through- holes 222.
• the centers of each upper through-hole 212 and each lower through-hole 222 have an offset value with respect to the vertical line 232.
• the lower surface of the upper die 210 is spaced apart by a second distance L3 from the upper surface of the lower die 220, the second distance L3 being shorter than the first distance L2.
• the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are fixedly secured to the housing 300.
• the probe pins 100 are kept bent in an "S" -like shape between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• the housing 300 is comprised of a first panel 310 and a second panel 320 arranged at opposite sides of the upper and lower dies 210 in a parallel relationship with each other.
• the opposite side surfaces of the upper and lower dies 210 are fixed to the lower and upper portions of the first panel 310 and the second panel 320.
• slide grooves 312 and 314 are provided in upper and lower internal surfaces of the first panel 310 with which one surfaces of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 make contact.
• a plurality of fixing holes 316 is formed in the slide grooves 312 and 314. This enables an operator to press one side ends of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 against the slide grooves 312 and 314 and to readily move either of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 along the length of the slide grooves 312 and 314.
• One side ends of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 can be firmly secured to the first panel 310 by tightening a plurality of screws to the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 through the fixing holes 316 of the first panel 310.
• the second panel 320 has a symmetrical structure with respect to the first panel 310. Therefore, no detailed description will be given to the second panel 320 and, instead, reference is made to slide grooves 322 and 324 corresponding to the slide grooves 312 and 314 of the first panel 310 and fixing holes 326 corresponding to the fixing holes 316 of the first panel 310 as shown in Fig. 2.
• one ends 102 of the probe pins 100 projecting above the upper die 210 are connected to a printed circuit board of a probe card or a test head of a tester, while the other ends 104 of the probe pins 100 projecting below the lower die 220 are connected to the test object.
• the other ends 104 of the probe pins 100 are arranged generally perpendicularly with respect to the test object.
• the probe pins 100 are caused to deform. Seeing that the probe pins 100 are kept bent in an "S"-like shape between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220, they have a greater deformation amount than straight probe pins have under the same contact pressure.
• the probe pins 100 allow an operator to easily expect the direction of deformation. This makes it possible to prevent the probe pins 100 from making contact one another even in case of using several tens or hundreds of densely arranged fine-size probe pins.
• the probe pins 100 each having the first stopper lug 106 and the second stopper lug 108 in the positions spaced apart by the specified distance L from the first and second ends 102 and 104, at which time the probe pins 100 is of a straight shape (step SlOO) .
• the probe pins 100 preferably have a rectangular cross-section taken in a direction perpendicular to length thereof.
• the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 have a flat plate shape and are provided with the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through-holes 222 through which the one ends 102 of the probe pins 100 can pass.
• the one ends 102 of the probe pins 100 are inserted into the upper through-holes 212 of the upper die 210 so that they can protrude outwardly (step SIlO) .
• the other ends 104 of the probe pins 100 are inserted into the lower through-holes 222 of the lower die 220 in such a manner that they can protrude outwardly (step S120) .
• the first stopper lugs 106 engages with the lower surface of the upper die 210 and the second stopper lugs 108 engages with the upper surface of the lower die 220, thereby positioning the probe pins 100 between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• the steps SIlO and S120 of inserting the opposite ends of the probe pins 100 into the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through-holes 222 may be performed either in a reverse order or simultaneously. Referring to Figs.
• one of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 is moved relative to the other so that the probe pins 100 can be bent by elastic deformation between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 (step S130) .
• the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 caused to come close to each other so that the probe pins 100 can be bent by elastic deformation between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220, thereby allowing the first distance L2 to become shorter than the second distance L3.
• the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are arranged in a parallel relationship with each other by moving one of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 relative to the other so that the center axes 214 of the upper through-holes 212 can be out of alignment with the center axes 224 of the lower through-holes 222.
• the probe pins 100 are bent into an "S"-like shape in two or more points as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. This is because the opposite ends of the probe pins 100 are kept inserted into the upper through-holes 212 and the lower through-holes 222 of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220.
• the probe pins 100 preferably have a rectangular cross- section taken in a direction perpendicularly to the length thereof. It is also preferred that the direction of relative parallel movement between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 be perpendicular to the long sides of the rectangular cross-section. As shown in Fig. 2, the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are fixed to the housing 300 in a state that the relative parallel movement between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 has occurred (step S140) . Thus, the probe pins 100 are fixed in place and kept in a bent shape between the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 without returning to the original straight shape by their elastic restoration forces.
• the opposite side surfaces of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are firmly secured to the first panel 310 and the second panel 320 of the housing 300.
• One of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 can be readily moved along the length of the slide grooves 312, 314, 322 and 324 in a state that the opposite side surfaces of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220 are pressed against the slide grooves 312, 314, 322 and 324 of the first panel 310 and the second panel 320.
• One side surface of the lower die 220 is first fixed to one of the first panel 310 and the second panel 320, e.g., the slide groove 314 of the first panel 310, and then the other ends 104 of the probe pins 100 are inserted into the lower die 220. Subsequently, the one ends 102 of the probe pins 100 are inserted into the upper die 210 and the upper die 210 is horizontally moved in a state that the one side surface thereof is pressed against the slide groove 312 of the first panel 310. Thereafter, the slide grooves 322 and 324 of the second panel 320 are fixed to the other surfaces of the upper die 210 and the lower die 220, whereby the probe pin assembly of the present invention can be manufactured with ease.
• the probe pin assembly and the method for manufacturing the same ensure that straight probe pins has a behavior like curved probe pins by allowing the probe pins to be deformed between upper and lower dies from a straight shape into a curved shape. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent any damage of a test object and the probe pins and to greatly improve reliability of the probe pin assembly, even if an excessive contact pressure is exerted between the test object and the probe pins. Moreover, thanks to the fact that straight probe pins are bent into a curved shape in a step of assembling upper and lower dies together, it becomes possible to assure easy accuracy management, a simple manufacturing process and reduced manufacturing costs.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Geometry (AREA)
• Measuring Leads Or Probes (AREA)
• Testing Of Individual Semiconductor Devices (AREA)
• Testing Or Measuring Of Semiconductors Or The Like (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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Publications (1)

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Cited By (15)

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Citations (4)

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• 2006
  • 2006-02-20 KR KR1020060016289A patent/KR100701498B1/ko active IP Right Grant
• 2007
  • 2007-02-20 JP JP2008556243A patent/JP2009527759A/ja active Pending
  • 2007-02-20 WO PCT/KR2007/000882 patent/WO2007097559A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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