WO2024019375A1

WO2024019375A1 - Inspection connector

Info

Publication number: WO2024019375A1
Application number: PCT/KR2023/009512
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김종원; 유은지; 김형준; 정영배
Original assignee: 주식회사 아이에스시
Priority date: 2022-07-21
Filing date: 2023-07-05
Publication date: 2024-01-25
Also published as: KR20240012895A; TW202405437A

Abstract

An inspection connector according to a disclosed embodiment is an inspection connector arranged between a device to be inspected and test equipment to electrically connect the device to be inspected to the test equipment in a vertical direction, and comprises: an insulation part made of an elastic insulation material; and a conductive part which is arranged in the insulation part and enables electrical conduction in the vertical direction, wherein at least a partial section of the conductive part in the vertical direction is formed by making a plurality of conductive particles having a pillar shape and having an uneven surface contact each other, and the plurality of conductive particles may comprise: first conductive particles each having an upper bottom surface; and second conductive particles each having a lower bottom surface in contact with the upper bottom surface of each of the first conductive particles.

Description

Connector for inspection

This disclosure relates to a connector for inspection that has a conductive portion made of conductive particles and electrically connects an inspection apparatus and a device to be inspected.

For inspection of devices to be inspected, such as semiconductor devices, inspection connectors that electrically connect an inspection device and a device to be inspected are used in the field. The test connector is disposed between the test device and the test target device. As an example of such a test connector, a conductive rubber sheet that can be elastically deformed by a pressing force applied through a device to be tested is known in the art.

The conductive rubber sheet has a conductive portion that transmits signals and an insulating portion that insulates the conductive portion. The conductive portion is formed by gathering a plurality of conductive particles so that electricity can pass through them in the vertical direction. Part of the conductive part and the insulating part are made of an elastic insulating material such as silicone rubber.

The conductive portion and the insulating portion can be molded together from a liquid molding material in which liquid silicone rubber is mixed with a plurality of metal particles. The conductive portion may be formed by applying a magnetic field to the liquid molding material to aggregate the conductive particles into the shape of the conductive portion. As examples of conductive particles, spherical conductive particles and conductive particles formed into specific character shapes are known in the art.

In the conductive portion made of spherical conductive particles, adjacent conductive particles are in point contact with each other due to the spherical shape. Since conductive particles in point contact have a small contact area, the current density of the conductive part is low.

In spherical conductive particles that are in point contact, the bonding force between the conductive particles and the elastic insulating material is weak due to the small specific surface area of the spherical conductive particles. If pressing force is repeatedly applied to the conductive part during inspection of the device being inspected, the contact points between the conductive particles in point contact can be easily separated, the bond between the conductive particles and the elastic insulating material can be easily resolved, and the conductive particles can be easily separated. You may deviate from your position. As a result, the electrical contact between conductive particles becomes unstable and the service life of the inspection connector is shortened.

Inspection connectors used for inspection of semiconductor devices must maintain performance such as electrical conductivity and elasticity even if contact with the device is repeated several times, but conventional conductive particles used in inspection connectors were insufficient to achieve this purpose.

Embodiments of the present disclosure solve the problems of the prior art described above. The purpose of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an inspection connector that maintains elastic recovery force for a long time and has high electrical conductivity even if the inspection is repeatedly performed by pressing force.

The inspection connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an inspection connector disposed between the device to be inspected and the test equipment to electrically connect the device to be inspected and the test equipment to each other in the vertical direction, and is insulated with an elastic insulating material. wealth; and a conductive part disposed within the insulating part and enabling electricity to be passed in an upward and downward direction, wherein at least a portion of the conductive part in the upward and downward direction includes a plurality of conductive particles having a pillar shape and a bumpy surface. Formed in contact, the plurality of conductive particles may include a first conductive particle having an upper base plane, and a second conductive particle having a lower base contacting the upper base plane of the first conductive particle. there is.

The inspection connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an inspection connector disposed between the device to be inspected and the test equipment to electrically connect the device to be inspected and the test equipment to each other in the vertical direction, and is insulated with an elastic insulating material. wealth; and a conductive part that extends in the vertical direction within the insulating part to enable electricity to be passed in the vertical direction; and in at least a portion of the conductive part in the vertical direction, a plurality of conductive particles having a pillar shape are in contact with each other. It is formed, and the plurality of conductive particles include: first conductive particles having an upper bottom surface in which a first groove recessed downward is formed; And it may include a second conductive particle having a lower bottom surface that contacts the upper bottom surface of the first conductive particle and is formed with a second groove recessed upward.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide a connector for inspection that maintains elastic recovery force for a long time and has high electrical conductivity even if the inspection is repeatedly performed by pressing force.

Figure 1 schematically shows a test connector and an electronic device in contact with the test connector.

Figure 2 shows a plurality of conductive particles constituting a conductive portion.

Figure 3 shows some conductive particles constituting a conductive portion in one embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows the conductive particles and elastic layer of FIG. 3 in detail.

Figure 5 shows what happens when conductive particles spread apart from each other in one embodiment.

Figure 6 shows various forms of conductive particles.

Figure 7 shows prismatic conductive particles aligned on the central axis.

Figure 8 shows a modified example when prismatic conductive particles are pressed in the vertical direction.

Figure 9 shows an example in which conductive particles are arranged to be offset from each other.

FIG. 10 shows the shape in which the conductive particles of FIG. 9 are deformed when pressed.

Figure 11 shows an example in which conductive particles are arranged to be offset from each other.

Figure 12 shows a case where some of the conductive particles do not contact neighboring conductive particles face to face.

Figure 13 shows a case in which deformation mainly occurs in one part when conductive particles are pressed.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated for the purpose of explaining the technical idea of the present disclosure. The scope of rights according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments presented below or the specific description of these embodiments.

All technical terms and scientific terms used in this disclosure, unless otherwise defined, have meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. All terms used in this disclosure are selected for the purpose of more clearly explaining this disclosure and are not selected to limit the scope of rights according to this disclosure.

Expressions such as “comprising,” “comprising,” “having,” and the like used in the present disclosure are open terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence containing the expression. It should be understood as (open-ended terms).

The singular forms described in this disclosure may include plural forms unless otherwise stated, and this also applies to the singular forms recited in the claims.

Expressions such as “first” and “second” used in the present disclosure are used to distinguish a plurality of components from each other and do not limit the order or importance of the components.

The dimensions and values described in this disclosure are not limited to only the dimensions and values described. Unless otherwise specified, these dimensions and values are to be understood to mean the stated values and equivalent ranges encompassing them. For example, a dimension '** mm' described in the present disclosure may be understood to include 'about ** mm'.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the accompanying drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Additionally, in the description of the following embodiments, overlapping descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if descriptions of components are omitted, it is not intended that such components are not included in any embodiment.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 , an inspection connector 100 according to an embodiment and an example to which the inspection connector 100 is applied will be described. FIG. 1 schematically shows a test connector and an electronic device in contact with the test connector, and the shape shown in FIG. 1 is only an example selected for understanding of the embodiment.

The inspection connector 100 according to one embodiment is a sheet-shaped structure. The inspection connector 100 is disposed between two electronic devices. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one of the two electronic devices may be the test device 200, and the other may be the test target device 300 that is tested by the test device 200.

As an example, the inspection connector 100 is replaceably fixed to the housing 400 and is positioned on the inspection device 200 by the housing 400. The housing 400 is removably mounted on the inspection device 200. The housing 400 accommodates therein the device to be inspected 300, which is transported to the inspection device 200 by hand or by a transport device, and aligns the device to be inspected 300 with the connector 100 for inspection. You can. When testing the device to be tested 300, the test connector 100 is in contact with the test device 200 and the device to be tested 300 in the vertical direction (VD), and the test device 200 and the device to be tested ( 300) are electrically connected to each other.

The device under test 300 may be a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor IC chip and a plurality of terminals are packaged in a hexahedral shape using a resin material. The device under test 300 has a plurality of terminals 310 on its lower side. The terminal 310 may be a ball-type terminal. The device under test 300 may have a land-type terminal that has a lower height than a ball-type terminal.

The test apparatus 200 can test various operating characteristics of the device being tested 300. The test apparatus 200 may have a board on which a test is performed, and the board may be provided with a test circuit 210 for testing a device to be tested. Additionally, the test circuit 210 has a plurality of terminals 220 that are in contact with the conductive portion of the test connector 100. The terminal 220 of the test device 200 can transmit an electrical test signal and receive a response signal.

When testing the device under test 300, the test connector 100 electrically connects the terminal 220 of the test device and the terminal 310 of the corresponding device under test. The test device 300 is tested by the test device 200 through the test connector 100.

At least a portion of the inspection connector 100 may be made of an elastic material. For the inspection of the device to be inspected 300, a pressing force P may be applied downward to the connector 100 for inspection through the device to be inspected 300 by a mechanical device or manually. By the pressing force (P), the terminal 310 of the test device and the test connector 100 can be brought into close contact in the vertical direction (VD), and the test connector 100 and the terminal 220 of the test device can be moved up and down. It can be closely adhered in the direction (VD). Additionally, some components of the inspection connector 100 may be elastically deformed in the downward and horizontal directions (HD) by the pressing force (P). When the pressing force P is removed, some of the components of the inspection connector 100 may be restored to their original shape.

Referring to FIG. 1, the inspection connector 100 according to one embodiment includes a conductive portion 110 and an insulating portion 120. The conductive portion 110 may be disposed within the insulating portion 120 . For example, the insulating part 120 may surround the conductive part 110. The conductive particles 130 of the conductive portion 110 may be disposed within the insulating portion 120 . For example, the insulating part 120 may surround the conductive particle 130.

The conductive portion 110 is configured to conduct electricity in the vertical direction (VD). The conductive portion 110 extends in the vertical direction (VD). Here, the meaning that the conductive portion 110 extends in the vertical direction (VD) means not only the present embodiment in which the conductive portion 110 extends in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction (HD) but also forms an acute angle with the vertical direction (VD). This meaning includes embodiments (not shown) in which the conductive portion 110 extends in the inclined direction. The insulating portion 120 surrounds the conductive portion 110 and insulates the conductive portion 110. The inspection connector 100 may include a plurality of conductive portions 110. The insulating portion 120 may space the plurality of conductive portions 110 apart in the horizontal direction (HD) and insulate them from each other. The insulating portion 120 may be formed as an elastic body.

When testing the device to be inspected 300, the conductive portion 110 is in contact with the terminal 220 of the inspection device 200 at its lower end, and is in contact with the terminal 310 of the device to be inspected 300 at its upper end. do. A conductive path in the vertical direction (VD) may be formed between the terminal 310 and the terminal 220 corresponding to one conductive portion 110 using the conductive portion 110 as a medium. The test signal of the test device 200 may be transmitted from the terminal 220 to the terminal 310 of the device under test 300 through the conductive portion 110. The response signal of the device under test 300 may be transmitted from the terminal 310 to the terminal 220 of the test apparatus 200 through the conductive part 110.

1 and 2 are formed of a separate layer constituting the top of the inspection connector 100, and there is no upper contact pad (not shown) provided to contact the terminal 310, and the inspection connector 100 is formed of a separate layer. An example is shown in which a separate layer constituting the bottom is formed and there is no bottom contact pad (not shown) provided to contact the terminal 220. However, in another embodiment not shown, the inspection connector may include the upper contact pad and/or the lower contact pad. The top contact pad may include an upper portion of the conductive portion and a portion of the insulating portion surrounding the upper portion of the conductive portion. The bottom contact pad may include a lower portion of the conductive portion and a portion of the insulating portion surrounding the lower portion of the conductive portion.

At least a portion of the conductive portion 110 in the vertical direction is formed by a plurality of conductive particles 130 contacting each other. 1 and 2 show an example in which a plurality of conductive particles contact each other to form one entire conductive portion 110. However, in another embodiment not shown, a plurality of conductive particles 130 contact each other to form one entire conductive portion 110. Only a portion of the conductive portion 110 in the vertical direction may be formed. For example, in a connector for inspection including the upper contact pad and the lower contact pad, a partial section of the conductive portion included in the upper contact pad and/or a partial section of the conductive portion included in the lower contact pad are plural. The conductive particles 130 may be formed by contacting each other, and a portion of the conductive portion included in the remaining portion of the inspection connector excluding the upper contact pad and the lower contact pad may have a plurality of conductive particles 130. They can also be formed by contacting each other.

The conductive parts 110 may be arranged at a position corresponding to the terminal 310 of the device 300, and may be arranged at a fine pitch smaller than the arrangement pitch of the terminal 310 of the device 300. It may be possible.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the conductive portion 110 includes a plurality of conductive particles 130. The plurality of conductive particles 130 are in contact with each other so as to conduct electricity, and constitute at least a partial section of the conductive portion 110 in the vertical direction VD. The plurality of conductive particles 130 includes at least two conductive particles 130 that are in contact with each other in the vertical direction (VD). A conductive path is formed along at least a portion of the conductive portion 110 by the plurality of conductive particles 130 .

Adjacent conductive particles 130 are formed in a vertical direction (VD) in a surface contact form in which a surface contacts a surface, a line contact form in which a surface contacts a line or a line in a line contact form, or a point contact form in which a surface contacts a point. It can be contacted along . Additionally, adjacent conductive particles 130 may be contacted along the horizontal direction (HD) or may be contacted in an oblique direction between the vertical direction (VD) and the horizontal direction (HD). With this exemplary contact form, the plurality of conductive particles 130 can contact each other in a densely distributed structure in the vertical direction (VD) to allow electricity to pass through, forming the conductive portion 110 .

Specific examples of the conductive particles 130 include particles made of magnetic metals such as nickel, iron, and cobalt, particles made of these alloys, or particles containing these metals, or using these particles as core particles to form the corresponding core particles. A surface plated with a conductive metal that is difficult to oxidize, such as gold, silver, palladium, or rhodium, may be used. On the other hand, it is not necessary to use a core of the conductive particles 130 that has magnetism. It can be used as particles made of inorganic materials such as non-magnetic metal particles, glass, or carbon, or polymers such as polystyrene or polystyrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene. Particles made of single fibers, elastic fibers, and glass fibers are manufactured to a certain length or less through a grinding process, and core particles are used, and the surface of the core particles is plated with a conductive magnetic material such as nickel or gold, or Of course, it is possible to use core particles coated with both a conductive magnetic material and a conductive metal that is difficult to oxidize.

The insulating portion 120 is made of an insulating elastic insulation material. The elastic insulating material is preferably an insulating polymer material with a cross-linked structure. Various curable polymer material forming materials that can be used to obtain this cross-linked polymer material can be used, and specific examples include polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber, and acrylonitrile- Conjugated diene-based rubbers such as butadiene copolymer rubber and hydrogenated products thereof, block copolymer rubbers such as styrene-butadiene-diene block copolymer rubber and styrene-isoprene block copolymer and their hydrogenated products, chloroprene, urethane rubber, poly Examples include ester rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber, and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer rubber. Among these, it is preferable to use silicone rubber from the viewpoint of moldability and electrical properties.

The elastic insulating material forming the insulating portion 120 may include silicone rubber. However, it is not limited to this. The insulating portion 120 maintains the plurality of conductive particles 130 in conductive contact in the vertical direction VD as the conductive portion 110 . Additionally, the elastic insulating material constituting the insulating portion 120 may fill the space between the conductive particles 130 of the conductive portion 110. That is, the conductive portion 110 partially includes an elastic insulating material forming the insulating portion 120, and the elastic insulating material of the conductive portion may be present from the bottom to the top of the conductive portion.

The conductive portion 110 made of an elastic insulating material and the insulating portion 120 made of an elastic insulating material have elasticity in the vertical direction (VD) and the horizontal direction (HD). As the terminal 310 of the device under test presses the top of the conductive portion 110 downward by the pressing force (P), the conductive portion 110 expands slightly in the horizontal direction (HD) and elastically deforms to be compressed downward. may be, and the insulating portion 120 may be elastically deformed to allow expansion of the conductive portion 110. When the pressing force P is released, the conductive part 110 and the insulating part 120 can be elastically restored to their original state.

As an example, the conductive portion 110 and the insulating portion 120 may be molded together from a liquid molding material in which a plurality of conductive particles 130 are mixed with a liquid elastic material. The liquid elastic material refers to a liquid material of the elastic insulating material constituting the insulating portion 120. The liquid molding material is injected into the mold, and a magnetic field may be applied in the vertical direction to each position where the conductive portion is formed. Conductive particles 130 are collected in the area of the conductive part to which a magnetic field is applied and contact each other. Thereafter, by hardening the liquid molding material, the conductive portion 110 and the insulating portion 120 are formed at the same time, so that the inspection connector 100 of one embodiment can be molded. As another example, the insulating portion 120 made of the elastic insulating material in a solid state is first formed, and through holes may be formed in the insulating portion 120 at each position of the conductive portion 110. The liquid molding material is injected into the through hole and a magnetic field is applied in the up and down directions to aggregate and contact the conductive particles 130 with each other, and the liquid molding material injected into the through hole may be hardened.

The conductive particles 130 shown in FIG. 2 are arranged in three rows in the vertical direction (VD), but this is merely an example to explain that the conductive portion 110 is composed of a plurality of conductive particles 130. , the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, the conductive particles 130 may be arranged in one row, two rows, or four or more rows. In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the conductive particles 130 are all arranged uniformly and have the same shape, but this is only an example. In other embodiments, the conductive particles 130 are arranged non-uniformly or have different shapes. You can have it. In FIG. 2, the conductive particles 130 are spaced apart from each other, but this is for convenience of explanation, and the gap between neighboring conductive particles among the conductive particles 130 constituting the conductive portion 110 may be absent or very small. You can.

Figure 3 shows some conductive particles 130 constituting a conductive portion in one embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the conductive particles and elastic layer of FIG. 3 in detail. Figure 5 shows what the conductive particles 130 look like when they are spread apart from each other in one embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , in one embodiment, the conductive particles 130 may have a bumpy surface. For example, the surface of the conductive particles 130 may include irregular irregularities. As the conductive particles 130 have a bumpy surface, a gap G may be formed between the conductive particles 130.

In one embodiment, the roughness of the surface of the conductive particles 130 may be in the range of 1.5% to 30% of the height in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the conductive particles 130. That is, the ten-point average roughness (μm) of the measurement surface of the conductive particle 130 divided by the height (μm) in the direction perpendicular to the measurement surface above the conductive particle 130 multiplied by 100 is between 1.5 and 30. There may be. The height of the conductive particle 130 in a direction perpendicular to the measurement surface may be the maximum thickness of the conductive particle 130 in the direction perpendicular to the measurement surface.

For example, referring to FIG. 4, the ten-point average roughness of the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131 is 1.5 compared to the height in the direction perpendicular to the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131. It can be between % and 30%. The ten-point average roughness of the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particles 132 may be between 1.5% and 30% of the height in a direction perpendicular to the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particles 132.

The ten-point average roughness is obtained by extracting only the standard length from the roughness curve in the direction of the average line, and then measuring the average of the absolute values of the elevations from the highest peak to the fifth measured vertically from the average line of this extracted portion, and the average value from the bottom of the lowest valley to the fifth. The sum of the absolute value of the valley bottom elevation and the average value is calculated, and this value is expressed in micrometers (μm). The conductive particles 130 are separated from the inspection connector 100, the conductive particles 130 are cut vertically based on the measurement surface using an ion beam, etc., and then the elevation of the peak and the bottom of the curve is measured on the cut surface using a scanning electron microscope, etc. The ten-point average illuminance can be calculated by measuring . When selecting the lowest curved base of the conductive particle 130, if a portion of the cross section of the conductive particle 130 penetrates in the height direction, the penetrating portion is excluded from the measurement value.

When the roughness is lower than 1.5%, the amount of elastic insulating material constituting the elastic layer 140 is small, so the elastic layer 140 interposed between the conductive particles 130 does not exert an elastic effect. When the illuminance is greater than 30%, there is a problem in that the strength of the conductive particles 130 weakens or the electrical resistance of the conductive portion 110 increases.

In one embodiment, the conductive particles 130 may be manufactured using a sintering method. For example, the conductive particles 130 can be made by applying heat and pressure to powder-type particles. The conductive particles 130 may have a bumpy surface by being manufactured using a sintering method. For example, the manufacturer adjusts the parameters of the sintering process (e.g. temperature, heating time, etc.) so that the ten-point average roughness of the surface of the conductive particles 130 is within the range of 1.5% to 30% of the height in the direction perpendicular to the surface. It can be adjusted.

In one embodiment, the surface of the conductive particle 130 may include a groove (eg, the first groove 131b of the first conductive particle 131). In the present disclosure, the groove may refer to a portion of the surface of the conductive particle 130 that is depressed lower than the surrounding area.

In one embodiment, the surface of the conductive particle 130 may include a protrusion (eg, the first protrusion 131c of the first conductive particle 131) that protrudes from the surrounding portion. In one embodiment, a plurality of grooves or a plurality of protrusions are located on the surface of the conductive particle 130, and accordingly, the conductive particle 130 may have a bumpy surface. A plurality of grooves or a plurality of protrusions may be irregularly distributed on the surface of the conductive particles 130 and may have different shapes.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the conductive portion 110 may include first conductive particles 131 and second conductive particles 132 . The embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to all the conductive particles 130 of the conductive portion 110 being aligned in the form shown in FIG. 3, and the conductive particles 130 in at least some sections of the conductive portion 110. It can be arranged in the same form as in Figure 3.

In one embodiment, the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131 may include a first groove 131b. The first groove portion 131b may have a shape that is recessed lower than the surrounding area. When the first conductive particles 131 contact the second conductive particles 132, the first groove portion 131b closes the gap G between the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 at least. Some definitions can be made.

In one embodiment, the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particle 132 may include a second groove 132b. The second groove portion 132b may have a shape that is recessed upward from the surrounding area. When the first conductive particles 131 contact the second conductive particles 132, the second groove portion 132b closes the gap G between the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 at least. Some definitions can be made.

In one embodiment, the first groove portion 131b and the second groove portion 132b may face each other in the vertical direction. When the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 are aligned in the vertical direction, the gap G formed by the first groove 131b and the second groove 132b is filled with an elastic insulating material. You can. In the illustrated embodiment, the first groove portion 131b and the second groove portion 132b face each other in the vertical direction, but this is only an example, and in another embodiment, the first groove portion 131b and the second groove portion 132b may not face each other in the vertical direction.

In one embodiment, the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 may each include a first protrusion 131c and a second protrusion 132c that protrude toward the other. The first protrusion 131c may contact the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particle 132, and the second protrusion 132c may contact the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131. In the illustrated embodiment, the first protrusion 131c and the second protrusion 132c contact each other in the vertical direction, but this is only an example, and the first protrusion 131c and the second protrusion 132c do not contact each other. Areas may also exist. For example, the protrusion of the first conductive particle 131 may contact the groove formed in the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particle 132.

In one embodiment, since the surface of the conductive particles 130 is uneven, an elastic insulating material may be filled between neighboring conductive particles 130. In the present disclosure, for convenience of explanation, the elastic insulating material filled in the gap G between the conductive particles 130 arranged up and down is referred to as the elastic layer 140. In one embodiment, the elastic layer 140 includes conductive particles disposed on one side of the elastic layer 140 (e.g., first conductive particles 131) and conductive particles disposed on the other side (e.g., second conductive particles 132). )) can be elastically connected. When pressure is applied to the conductive portion 110, the conductive particles 130 move relative to each other, and the elastic layer 140 can provide an elastic restoring force that returns the conductive particles 130 to their initial state when they move relative to each other. there is.

For example, referring to Figures 3 and 5, the elastic layer 140 is elastically deformed according to the relative motion between the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132, and is in the state of Figure 3. Even if the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to provide a restoring force to return the first conductive particles 131 to the state shown in FIG. 3.

Since the conductive particles 130 have a bumpy surface, the gap G between the conductive particles 130 contacting each other in the vertical direction is formed irregularly. The part where the gap (G) is large is filled with a large amount of elastic insulating material, and the part where the gap (G) is small is filled with a small amount of elastic insulating material. Accordingly, the elastic layer 140 may be formed to have an irregular thickness. For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the elastic layer 140 between the conductive particles 130 may include a rear portion 141 and a thin portion 142. The portion of the elastic layer 140 formed on the first protrusion 131c is the thin portion 142 and has a relatively thin or zero thickness, and the portion formed on the first groove portion 131b of the elastic layer 140 is the thin portion 142. The rear portion 141 may be relatively thick.

According to one embodiment, because the conductive particles 130 have a bumpy surface, the elastic layer 140 between the conductive particles 130 can maintain its elastic function well. The elastic layer 140 may include a relatively thick portion (e.g., the rear portion 141 in FIG. 4) due to the bumpy surface of the conductive particles 130, and the thick portion is where the conductive particles 130 are connected to each other. This is because the conductive particles 130 do not easily separate from the surface even if they are opened. That is, when relative motion occurs between the conductive particles 130, at least the thick portion of the elastic layer 140 can maintain the elastic function.

Referring to FIG. 5, the lower surface of the elastic layer 140 is attached to the first portion (131d) of the upper bottom surface (131a) of the first conductive particle 131, and the upper surface is of the second conductive particle 132. It is attached to the second part 132d of the lower bottom 132a and can be elastically stretched when the first part 131d and the second part 132d move away from each other. In FIG. 5, the first portion 131d and the second portion 132d are shown to correspond to the first groove 131b and the second groove 132b of FIG. 4, respectively. However, the first portion 131d and the second groove 132b are shown in FIG. One of the portions 132d may not correspond to the groove portion.

The second conductive particle 132 is configured to rotate based on a portion (E) of the edges of the lower bottom surface 132a of the second conductive particle 132 that contacts the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131. It can be. When the second conductive particle 132 rotates with respect to the first conductive particle, the elastic layer 140 between the lower bottom surface 132a and the upper bottom surface 131a is elastically stretched to support the second conductive particle 132. It can provide a restoring force to rotate it in the opposite direction again. The gap between the first part 131d and the second part 132d may be relatively large. The thickness of the elastic layer (i.e., rear portion 141) formed between the first portion 131d and the second portion 132d may be relatively thick. When the second conductive particle 132 rotates with respect to the first conductive particle, the rear portion 141 is elastically stretched and can more effectively provide a restoring force to rotate the second conductive particle 132 in the opposite direction again. .

Here, the part (E) that serves as a reference for rotation (hereinafter referred to as 'rotation reference part') refers to a partial section or point constituting the edge of the bottom of the conductive particle 130 that faces a neighboring conductive particle. For example, when the conductive particles 130 have a cylindrical shape, the rotation reference portion E may be provided in the form of a point. When the rotation reference portion (E) is provided in the form of a point, the point is not a point in the strict mathematical sense, but refers to a contact area that occurs when the circular bottom of the conductive particle 130 meets the bottom of the counterpart conductive particle in a non-parallel manner. do. For another example, when the conductive particles 130 have a prismatic shape, the rotation reference portion E may be provided in an overall line shape. That is, among the plurality of corners surrounding the lower bottom of the prismatic conductive particle 130, one corner (for example, the corner 132e in FIG. 8) that contacts the upper bottom of the relative conductive particle is the rotation reference portion. It can be (E).

The thin portion 142 of the elastic layer 140 may be easily destroyed due to the relative movement of the conductive particles 130. If the elastic layer 140 disposed between the conductive particles 130 is destroyed, the electrical resistance between the conductive particles 130 may be lowered. Referring to FIG. 5, the thin portion 142 of the elastic layer 140 formed between the third portion 131f of the first conductive particle 131 and the fourth portion 132f of the second conductive particle 132. The thickness can be very thin or zero. The third part 131f and the fourth part 132f may correspond to the first protrusion 131c and the second protrusion 132c of FIG. 4, respectively. When the second conductive particles 132 rotate based on the rotation reference portion E, the thin portion 142 of the elastic layer 140 may be separated or damaged from the third portion 131f and the fourth portion 132f. there is. As the thin part 142 existing between the third part 131f and the fourth part 132f is damaged, when the third part 131f and the fourth part 132f come into contact again, the electrical resistance between the two increases. It can be reduced, and electricity can pass through better.

Meanwhile, the surface of the conductive particle 130 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 (e.g., the upper bottom surface 131a of the first conductive particle 131) and the shape of the elastic layer 140 are exemplary for convenience of explanation. It is nothing more than a shape, and in an actual product, the surface of the conductive particles 130 and the shape of the elastic layer 140 may be formed in various ways.

Figure 6 shows various forms of conductive particles 130. Figure 7 shows conductive particles 130 aligned on the central axis. Figure 8 shows a modified example when the conductive particles 130 are pressed in the vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 6 , in one embodiment, the conductive particles 130 constituting at least a portion of the conductive portion 110 may have a pillar shape. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the conductive portion in the vertical direction may be composed of column-shaped conductive particles 130. The conductive particles 130 may be provided in the form of a prism, for example, a triangular prism, a rectangular prism, or a pentagonal prism (see Figures 6 (a), (b), and (c)). In this case, the bottom of the conductive particle 130 has a polygonal shape. For another example, the conductive particles 130 may be provided in a cylindrical shape (see (d) of FIG. 6). In this case, the bottom of the conductive particle 130 has a circular shape. The conductive particles 130 constituting at least a portion of the conductive portion 110 may include conductive particles in the form of pillars of various shapes. For example, conductive particles in the shape of a square pillar and conductive particles in the shape of a cylinder may constitute at least a portion of one conductive part 110.

In addition, in the present disclosure, the fact that the conductive particles 130 have a prismatic shape means that the conductive particles 130 are generally provided in a shape similar to a prism, and due to the above-mentioned roughness, the conductive particles 130 have a prismatic shape as a whole with a surface that is not flat in the strict sense. It should be understood as including what is provided in the form of. For example, the six sides that make up the conductive particles in the form of a square pillar do not have to be exactly 90 degrees or 180 degrees to each other, but can generally be 90 degrees or 180 degrees, and the surface of the prism can be adjusted according to the above-mentioned roughness. may include grooves and protrusions.

At least some of the prismatic conductive particles 130 may be relatively uniformly aligned when exposed to a magnetic field that gathers them into the conductive portion 110. For example, referring to FIG. 7, the central axes CL of the prismatic conductive particles 130 may be aligned to coincide with each other. Accordingly, the conductive particles 130 can be relatively uniformly disposed within the conductive portion, and the conductive particles 130 can be gathered at a high density in the same volume.

In one embodiment, the conductive particles 130 may preferably be provided in the form of a square pillar (more preferably in the form of a cube). When the conductive particles 130 are provided in the form of a square pillar, at least some of the conductive particles 130 may be aligned more densely or more uniformly by a magnetic field. This is because the shape of each face of the square pillar-shaped conductive particle 130 is the same as a square, and the faces facing each other are parallel to each other. The cubic conductive particles 130 can be aligned more uniformly because all surfaces have the same or substantially the same size.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , when the terminal 310 of the device under test 300 presses the conductive portion 110, the conductive particles 130 arranged in the vertical direction may be deformed into a C shape.

In one embodiment, since the conductive particles 130 have a prismatic shape, they easily come into face-to-face contact with each other, which is advantageous for conducting electricity, and are easily aligned with the central axis CL. In particular, when the conductive particles 130 have a square pillar shape (preferably a cube shape), when the conductive particles 130 are aligned by a magnetic field, they come into face-to-face contact with each other in the vertical direction with a relatively high probability. Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, 'face-to-face contact' may be understood to include a state in which surfaces are in contact with each other in some areas (or points) and are spaced apart in other areas (or points). For example, referring to FIG. 3, the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 can be seen as being in face-to-face contact with each other in the vertical direction. However, even when the conductive particles 130 have a cylindrical shape, some of them may be in face-to-face contact with each other, and the presence of these parts may provide an advantageous effect on current conduction.

As the conductive particles 130 come into face-to-face contact in the up and down direction, when pressure in the up and down direction is applied to the conductive particles 130, the conductive particles 130 adhere to the edge surrounding the bottom with respect to the neighboring conductive particles 130. It can move in a rotating form based on a part of it. The prismatic conductive particles 130 have a plurality of corners, and one of them can rotate while in contact with the other conductive particle. For example, referring to FIG. 8, the second conductive particle 132 is connected to the first conductive particle 131 (or the upper bottom) at one corner 132e of the four corners surrounding the lower bottom 132a. It can rotate while maintaining contact with (131a)). In the present disclosure, the corner portion is a concept that includes the boundary surrounding the bottom of the polygonal prism and adjacent portions when looking at the conductive particles 130 as a whole, and is not limited to the corners of the prism in the strict sense.

When the conductive portion 110 is pressed, the conductive particles 130 move while maintaining contact with the neighboring conductive particles 130 in some areas (e.g., the rotation reference portion E in FIG. 5), so the conductive particles Electrical conductivity between the fields 130 may be maintained. This can further improve the electrical conductivity of the entire conductive portion 110. In an actual product, even if some of the plurality of conductive particles 130 constituting the conductive part 110 are in face-to-face contact with each other in the vertical direction, the overall electrical conductivity of the conductive part 110 can be improved due to the above effect. there is.

Meanwhile, in one embodiment, the pillar-shaped conductive particles 130 may have an uneven surface as described in FIGS. 3 to 5. Although not shown in FIG. 8 , opposing

surfaces

131a and 132a of the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132 may be uneven as shown in FIG. 3 . Accordingly, an elastic layer (eg, elastic layer 140 in FIG. 3) may be formed between the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132. The elastic layer may provide restoring force against relative movement between the conductive particles 130 having a pillar shape. For example, when the second conductive particle 132 rotates clockwise from the first conductive particle 131 with respect to the edge portion 132e, the first conductive particle 131 and the second conductive particle 132 The elastic layer formed in between is elastically stretched, and when the pressure on the conductive portion 110 is released, the elastic layer is restored and the second conductive particles 132 can rotate counterclockwise. Because at least some of the conductive particles 130 (e.g., the first conductive particles 131 and the second conductive particles 132) contact each other face-to-face and their surfaces are uneven, the conductive particles 130 When relative motion occurs between the elastic layers, at least the rear portion (e.g., the rear portion 141 in FIG. 4) can maintain the elastic function. Accordingly, even if the conductive particles 130 are pressed in the vertical direction several times, they can be restored to their original state (or at least close to the original state) after deformation, thereby increasing the lifespan of the inspection connector 100. You can.

According to one embodiment, at least some of the prismatic conductive particles 130 may be induced to gather relatively uniformly at a high density in at least some sections of the conductive portion 110. When a pressing force in the vertical direction is applied, the contact pressure between the conductive particles 130 increases and this causes the electrical resistance between the conductive particles 130 to decrease. The prismatic conductive particles 130 may be guided to be relatively aligned with the central axis CL. In particular, when the conductive particles 130 are provided in the form of a square pillar, the surface of the conductive particles 130 is composed of square faces that are parallel to each other or cross each other at right angles, so the conductive particles 130 are more uniformly aligned. It can be guided as much as possible. The conductive particles 130 may more preferably be provided in the form of a cube, and in this case, since the areas of the square surfaces constituting the surface of the conductive particles 130 are generally the same, the conductive particles 130 are more compact. It can be induced to be aligned evenly. As the conductive particles 130 are more uniformly collected, the number of face-to-face contact areas between the conductive particles 130 increases, and thus the effect due to the above-described face-to-face contact can be more effectively exerted.

However, as will be described later, the present disclosure does not exclude embodiments in which the conductive particles 130 are arranged irregularly or inconsistently aligned with the central axis. When the conductive particles 130 are placed in a magnetic field, the aligned shape may be different from the shape shown in FIG. 7 of the present disclosure. Since numerous particles are aligned stochastically by magnetic force, the conductive portion 110 of the inspection connector 100 of the present disclosure is not limited to the conductive particles 130 being uniformly aligned as a whole.

For example, referring to FIG. 9, the conductive particles 130 may be arranged so that the central axes in the vertical direction are offset from each other. When the conductive particles 130 arranged as shown in FIG. 9 are pressed in the vertical direction, they may be deformed into the shape shown in FIG. 10. Since the conductive particles 130 are in face-to-face contact in a non-pressurized state, when pressurized, they can rotate with their edges in contact with the surfaces of neighboring conductive particles. Accordingly, electrical conductivity between the conductive particles 130 can be maintained relatively high.

For another example, referring to FIG. 11 , the conductive particles 130 may be arranged in the vertical direction in a state in which they are rotated and misaligned with each other about a central axis. As another example, referring to FIG. 12, some of the conductive particles 130 may not contact neighboring conductive particles face-to-face, but may make line contact or point contact. Even when the conductive particles 130 are arranged as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, although not shown, the conductive particles 130 may contact neighboring conductive particles face-to-face at least on some surfaces or at least in some sections. there is.

Meanwhile, when the conductive particles 130 are pressed in the vertical direction, they do not necessarily need to be deformed into the shape shown in FIG. 8. The section where deformation occurs between the conductive particles 130 may be limited to some areas. For example, referring to FIG. 13, when the conductive particles 130 arranged in the vertical direction are pressed, they are mainly deformed in the middle portion and may have a "<" shape.

The conductive particles 130 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure have a pillar shape and a bumpy surface, and these two features can be organically combined with each other to improve the quality of the inspection connector 100. For example, since the conductive particles 130 are provided in the form of pillars and have a bumpy surface, the conductive particles 130 can be easily transformed into a hinge shape, thereby increasing the electrical conductivity between the conductive particles 130. This may increase.

Although the technical idea of the present disclosure has been described through some embodiments and examples shown in the accompanying drawings, it does not go beyond the technical idea and scope of the present disclosure that can be understood by a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. It should be noted that various substitutions, modifications and changes may be made within the scope. Furthermore, such substitutions, modifications and alterations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

It is an inspection connector placed between the device to be inspected and the test equipment to electrically connect the device to be inspected and the test equipment to each other in the vertical direction.

an insulating portion made of an elastic insulating material; and

It includes a conductive part disposed within the insulating part and enabling electricity to be passed in the vertical direction,

At least a portion of the conductive portion in the vertical direction is formed by a plurality of conductive particles having a pillar shape and a bumpy surface contacting each other,

The plurality of conductive particles include first conductive particles having an upper bottom surface, and second conductive particles having a lower bottom surface contacting the upper bottom surface of the first conductive particle.

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The ten-point average roughness of the upper bottom of the first conductive particle is between 1.5% and 30% compared to the height in the direction perpendicular to the upper bottom of the first conductive particle, and the ten-point average roughness of the lower bottom of the second conductive particle is The average roughness is between 1.5% and 30% relative to the height in the direction perpendicular to the lower surface of the second conductive particle,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The bumpy surface of the plurality of conductive particles is formed by being manufactured by a sintering method,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The upper bottom or the lower bottom includes a groove, and the groove is filled with an elastic insulating material,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 4,

One of the upper bottom surface and the lower bottom surface includes a protrusion contacting the other,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

A gap is formed between the upper bottom and the lower bottom, and the gap is filled with an elastic insulating material,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 6:

The elastic layer composed of an elastic insulating material filled in the gap has an irregular thickness,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 6:

The elastic layer comprised of an elastic insulating material filled in the gap has a lower end attached to a first part of the upper bottom and an upper end attached to a second part of the lower bottom, so that the first part is moved away from the second part. When configured to elastically deform,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The plurality of conductive particles are provided in the form of a prism,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The plurality of conductive particles are provided in the form of square pillars,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

The plurality of conductive particles are provided in the form of a cube,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 1:

When a pressing force acts on the inspection connector in the vertical direction, the second conductive particle is configured to rotate with respect to the first conductive particle based on a portion of the edge of the lower bottom that contacts the upper bottom,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 9:

When a pressing force acts on the inspection connector in the vertical direction, the second conductive particle rotates with respect to the first conductive particle based on the corner portion in contact with the upper bottom surface among the plurality of corners surrounding the lower bottom surface. composed,

Connector for inspection.
It is an inspection connector placed between the device to be inspected and the test equipment to electrically connect the device to be inspected and the test equipment to each other in the vertical direction.

an insulating portion made of an elastic insulating material; and

It includes a conductive part that extends in the vertical direction within the insulating part and allows electricity to be passed in the vertical direction,

At least a portion of the conductive portion in the vertical direction is formed by a plurality of conductive particles having a pillar shape contacting each other,

The plurality of conductive particles are,

a first conductive particle having an upper bottom surface formed with a first groove recessed downward; and

Comprising a second conductive particle having a lower bottom surface in contact with the upper bottom surface of the first conductive particle and a second groove recessed upwardly.

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 14:

The first groove portion and the second groove portion are filled with an elastic insulating material,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 15:

The upper bottom surface includes a first protrusion that protrudes upward and contacts the lower bottom surface,

The lower bottom includes a second protrusion that protrudes downward and contacts the upper bottom.

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 15:

The part of the insulating part filled with the first groove or the second groove has a lower end attached to a first part of the upper bottom and an upper end attached to a second part of the lower bottom, so that the first part is attached to the upper bottom. configured to elastically deform when moved away from the second portion,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 14:

A plurality of first grooves are formed unevenly on the upper bottom,

A plurality of second grooves are formed unevenly on the lower surface,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 14:

The conductive particles are provided in the form of a prism,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 14:

When a pressing force acts on the inspection connector in the vertical direction, the second conductive particle is configured to rotate with respect to the first conductive particle based on a portion of the edge of the lower bottom that contacts the upper bottom,

Connector for inspection.
In paragraph 14:

A portion of the insulating portion is filled in the first groove portion and the second groove portion,

The part of the insulating part filled with the first groove or the second groove is attached to the upper bottom and the lower bottom and is configured to elastically deform when the second conductive particle rotates with respect to the first conductive particle. felled,

Connector for inspection.