WO2024090359A1

WO2024090359A1 - Contact pin, and electrical connection device

Info

Publication number: WO2024090359A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/038094
Authority: WO
Inventors: 正樹今; 健一澁谷
Original assignee: 株式会社日本マイクロニクス
Priority date: 2022-10-28
Filing date: 2023-10-20
Publication date: 2024-05-02

Abstract

The contact pin (10) according to the present invention comprises: a tip portion (11) which has a first contact region (111) pointing in a first direction (D1), a base region (113) which is opposite the first contact region (111), and a plurality of side surfaces; and a body portion (12) which has a first end (121) connected to the tip portion (11) and extends in a second direction (D2) intersecting the first direction (D1), wherein the body portion (12) has a second contact region (112) in a region spaced apart from the first end portion (121) in the second direction (D2), and from among the side surfaces of the tip portion (11), the outer-edge side surfaces (131, 132) forming the outer edges of the tip portion (11) as viewed from the second direction (D2) each include a linear inclined region which obliquely intersects the first contact region (111).

Description

Contact pin and electrical connection device

The present invention relates to contact pins and electrical connection devices used to test the electrical characteristics of devices.

In testing the electrical characteristics of devices that include packages that implement semiconductor integrated circuits or the like, an electrical connection device is used to electrically connect the package to a testing device. The electrical connection device includes contact pins that contact electrode pads arranged on a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) and electrode terminals of the device, respectively. The electrode terminals of the device are electrically connected to the electrode pads of the substrate that is connected to the testing device via the contact pins.

JP 2019-35660 A

The size and spacing of the electrode terminals become narrower due to the increased number of pins and reduced size of devices under inspection. The narrowing of the electrode terminals makes it easier for a contact pin to mistakenly come into contact with an electrode terminal adjacent to the one it is supposed to come into contact with (hereinafter referred to as "miscontact"). However, if the contact portion of the contact pin that comes into contact with the electrode terminal is narrowed to prevent miscontact, the mechanical strength of the contact pin (hereinafter simply referred to as "strength") may be insufficient. In other words, there is a concern that the contact pin may be damaged due to insufficient strength when it is pressed hard against the electrode terminal of a device during device inspection.

The present invention aims to provide a contact pin and an electrical connection device that can accommodate the narrowing of electrode terminals of test objects and prevent a decrease in the strength of the contact pin.

A contact pin according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a tip portion having a first contact region facing a first direction, a base end region facing the first contact region and multiple side surfaces, and a body portion having a first end portion connected to the tip portion and extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The body portion has a second contact region in a region spaced apart in the second direction from the first end portion. Of the side surfaces of the tip portion, the outer edge side surfaces that form the outer edge of the tip portion when viewed from the second direction include a linear oblique region that intersects obliquely with the first contact region.

The present invention provides a contact pin and an electrical connection device that can accommodate the narrowing of the electrode terminals of the test object and prevent a decrease in the strength of the contact pin.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a contact pin according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the contact pin according to the first embodiment as viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a contact pin of a first comparative example as viewed from the front. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a contact pin of a second comparative example as viewed from the front. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tip portion of a contact pin according to a first modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another configuration of the tip portion of the contact pin according to the first modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing still another configuration of the tip portion of the contact pin according to the first modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a contact pin according to a second modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of a contact pin according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of a contact pin according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view showing another configuration of the contact pin according to the second embodiment.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are given the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the thickness ratios of the various parts may differ from the actual ones. In addition, the drawings naturally include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios. The embodiments shown below are examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of this invention, and the embodiments of this invention do not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components as described below.

First Embodiment
A contact pin 10 according to a first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is used for testing electrical characteristics of a test object. The contact pin 10 includes a tip portion 11 and a body portion 12 having a first end portion 121 connected to the tip portion 11.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the tip portion 11 has a first contact region 111 facing the first direction D1, a base end region 113 facing the first contact region 111, and multiple side surfaces connecting the first contact region 111 and the base end region 113. As described below, the first contact region 111 of the tip portion 11 comes into contact with an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected when inspecting the object to be inspected. In a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, the first contact region 111 is curved, including a portion perpendicular to the first direction D1. When viewed from the second direction D2, the first contact region 111 is linear. The tip portion 11 is joined to the main body portion 12 at the base end region 113.

The main body 12 extends in a second direction D2 intersecting the first direction D1. The main body 12 has a second contact region 112 in a region spaced in the second direction D2 from a first end 121 connected to the tip 11. The second contact region 112 faces a third direction D3 opposite to the first direction D1. As shown in FIG. 1, the second contact region 112 is set near the second end 122 of the main body 12. The second contact region 112 comes into contact with an electrode pad arranged on a printed circuit board or the like during inspection of an object to be inspected, as described below.

Below, we will explain by way of example the case where the cross section of the tip portion 11 perpendicular to the first direction D1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "cross section") is rectangular.

When the tip 11 is viewed in the second direction D2 (hereinafter also referred to as the "front view"), the side of the tip 11 facing the front of the drawing is referred to as the "front side 133". The side opposite the front side 133 and facing the second direction D2 is referred to as the "rear side 134".

Of the multiple side surfaces of the tip portion 11, the side surfaces that form the outer edge of the tip portion 11 when viewed from the second direction D2 are also referred to below as "outer edge side surfaces." In the front view shown in Figure 2, the outer edge side surface on the left side of the drawing is referred to as the "first outer edge side surface 131," and the outer edge side surface on the right side of the drawing is referred to as the "second outer edge side surface 132." When the first outer edge side surface 131 and the second outer edge side surface 132 are not limited, they are referred to as outer edge side surfaces. When the cross section of the tip portion 11 is rectangular, the outer edge side surfaces are sides that face in directions perpendicular to each of the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.

The tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 2 includes a linear region (hereinafter referred to as an "oblique region") in which both the first outer edge side surface 131 and the second outer edge side surface 132 intersect obliquely with the first contact region 111. The oblique regions of the first outer edge side surface 131 and the second outer edge side surface 132 are linearly continuous from the first contact region 111 to the base end region 113.

Hereinafter, the angle between the first contact region 111 and the oblique region of the outer edge side surface or the extension of the oblique region is also referred to as the "taper angle." In other words, the taper angle is an obtuse angle between a plane perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the outer edge side surface. Because the outer edge side surface includes an oblique region, the tip portion 11 includes a tapered region whose cross section gradually becomes larger from the first contact region 111 toward the base end region 113.

The length perpendicular to the first direction D1 of each part of the contact pin 10 when viewed from the front is defined as the "width". The width of the first contact region 111 is also referred to as the "tip width". As shown in FIG. 2, the width of the region of the front side 133 that connects to the first contact region 111 is the tip width W. The width of the main body 12 is equal to the width of the base end region 113 of the tip 11. In other words, the tip width W of the tip 11 is narrower than the width of the main body 12. The front side 133 connects to the first contact region 111 at an arbitrary angle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear surface 134 includes an inclined portion 134a that connects to the first contact region 111, a flat portion 134b that is connected to the inclined portion 134a and extends in the second direction D2, and a connection portion 134c that is connected to the flat portion 134b and connects to the main body portion 12. The inclined portion 134a forms an obtuse angle with the first contact region 111. The connection portion 134c extends in the third direction D3.

As described above, the outer edge side of the tip 11 of the contact pin 10 intersects the first contact area 111, which comes into contact with the test object, at an angle in a straight line. Therefore, the strength of the tip 11 is higher than that of the contact pin of the comparative example described below.

The contact pin of the first comparative example shown in FIG. 3 has a constant cross section from the first contact region 111 to the base end region 113. Therefore, according to the first comparative example, damage to the contact pin caused by pressure applied to the first contact region 111 when an object to be inspected comes into contact with the first contact region 111 is suppressed. However, in the first comparative example, the tip width is wide, making it easy for the contact pin to make erroneous contact.

The contact pin of the second comparative example shown in FIG. 4 has a straight line region S1 perpendicular to the first contact region 111 from the first contact region 111 toward the base end region 113, and a curved region S2 connecting the straight line region S1 and the base end region 113. According to the second comparative example, the tip width is narrow, so erroneous contact of the contact pin is suppressed. However, the cross-sectional area of the region continuing from the first contact region 111 is small, so the strength of the second comparative example against pressure applied to the first contact region 111 is low.

In contrast, the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 2 includes a tapered shape in which the cross section gradually becomes larger at a constant taper angle from the first contact region 111 toward the base end region 113. Therefore, even if the tip width W is narrowed to prevent erroneous contact of the contact pin 10, the decrease in strength of the tip portion 11 is suppressed.

Furthermore, according to the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 2, high strength can be ensured for the tip portion 11, so the tip width W can be narrowed to increase the surface pressure of the first contact region 111. Here, the surface pressure of the first contact region 111 is defined by the formula "load applied to the first contact region 111" / "tip width W". In other words, by halving the tip width W, the surface pressure can be doubled. Therefore, by being able to press the electrode terminal of the test object firmly against the first contact region 111, good electrical connection can be achieved between the contact pin 10 and the test object.

As described above, in the contact pin 10 according to the first embodiment, the outer edge side surface of the tip portion 11 includes an oblique region that intersects obliquely with the first contact region 111, and the cross section of the tip portion 11 has a tapered shape. Therefore, according to the contact pin 10, by making the tip width W of the tip portion 11 narrower than the width of the main body portion 12, it is possible to accommodate the narrowing of the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected, and also ensure the strength of the tip portion 11.

The contact pin 10 also has a wider range along the first direction D1, which allows the cross-sectional area of the tip portion 11 to be wider than that of the second comparative example shown in FIG. 4. This makes it possible to increase the allowable value of the current flowing through the contact pin 10 and reduce the inductance of the current path. Furthermore, the back surface 134 of the tip portion 11 includes a flat portion 134b that extends in the second direction D2 and is continuous with the inclined portion 134a that connects to the first contact region 111 at an obtuse angle. This makes it possible to increase the cross-sectional area of the tip portion 11 compared to when the back surface 134 only includes the inclined portion 134a. This makes it possible to further reduce the inductance of the tip portion 11.

A nickel (Ni) alloy or the like is preferably used as the base material of the contact pin 10. For example, a beryllium-nickel (Be-Ni) alloy or the like may be used as the base material of the contact pin 10. In addition, a Ni film may be plated on the surface of the base material, or a gold (Au) film may be plated on the surface of the plated Ni film. The contact pin 10 is formed, for example, by pressing. The taper angle is set appropriately depending on the tip width W required for the first contact region 111 and the width of the main body portion 12, which depends on the spacing of the contact pins 10, etc.

<First Modification>
In the above, an example has been described in which the inclined region of the outer edge side surface is linearly continuous from the first contact region 111 to the base end region 113. However, the inclined region may be a part of the outer edge side surface.

For example, as seen from the front in FIG. 5, the outer edge side may include multiple oblique regions that have different taper angles with the first contact region 111. In the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 5, the taper angle between the oblique region connected to the base end region 113 and the first contact region 111 is smaller than the taper angle between the oblique region connected to the first contact region 111 and the first contact region 111. Thus, the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 5 has a region with a larger cross-sectional area than the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 2. This makes it possible to further increase the strength of the tip portion 11 and further reduce the inductance.

In the outer edge side shown in FIG. 5, the taper angle of the inclined region changes once, but the taper angle may change two or more times along the outer edge side. Alternatively, the area between multiple inclined regions with different taper angles may be a region parallel to the first direction D1 or a region perpendicular to the first direction D1.

Also, as seen from the front in FIG. 6, the outer edge side may include an oblique region that connects to the first contact region 111, and a straight region that connects the oblique region to the base end region 113 and is perpendicular to the first contact region 111. The tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 6 has a region with a larger cross-sectional area than the tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 2, so that the strength of the tip portion 11 can be further increased and the inductance can be further reduced.

Also, as seen from the front in FIG. 7, the outer edge side surface may include an oblique region that connects to the base end region 113, and a straight region that connects the oblique region to the first contact region 111 and is perpendicular to the first contact region 111. The tip portion 11 shown in FIG. 7 has a width that is the same as the tip width in a certain range from the first contact region 111 to the base end region 113. Therefore, even if the tip portion 11 wears from the first contact region 111 due to contact with the electrode terminal, the contact area between the electrode terminal and the tip portion 11 can be maintained constant.

<Second Modification>
In the above, a case where both the first outer edge side surface 131 and the second outer edge side surface 132 include an oblique region has been described. However, it is also possible that either one of the first outer edge side surface 131 and the second outer edge side surface 132 includes an oblique region, and the other outer edge side surface does not include an oblique region. For example, an outer edge side surface that does not include an oblique region extends perpendicularly to the first contact region 111. By providing only one outer edge side surface with an oblique region, the interval of the main body portion 12 can be narrower than when both outer edge side surfaces include an oblique region.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a contact pin 10 in which only the second outer edge side surface 132 includes an oblique region may be arranged on the side of a contact pin 10 in which only the first outer edge side surface 131 includes an oblique region, the second outer edge side surface 132 being adjacent to the contact pin 10. The pair of contact pins 10 shown in FIG. 8 may be applied to a Kelvin connection in which the pair of contact pins 10 are in contact with the same electrode terminal, for example.

The contact pin 10 according to the first embodiment is used in, for example, an electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 9. The electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 9 is used to inspect the electrical characteristics of a device 100. The device 100 is an object to be inspected that has a semiconductor integrated circuit or the like mounted in a package. The electrical connection device 1 electrically connects an electrode terminal 101 of the device 100 to an electrode pad 201 of a substrate 200. FIG. 1 exemplarily shows a case where the electrode terminal 101 is a lead electrode of the package. The electrode pad 201 is electrically connected to the inspection device via a wiring pattern (not shown) or the like formed on the substrate 200.

The electrical connection device 1 comprises a housing 20 having a first surface 21 and a second surface 22 opposing the first surface 21, a contact pin 10 supported by the housing 20, and a first elastic portion 31 and a second elastic portion 32 arranged inside the housing 20. The contact pin 10 contacts the electrode terminal 101 and the electrode pad 201, respectively. The first elastic portion 31 and the second elastic portion 32 are arranged inside the housing 20 in contact with the contact pin 10 and the housing 20. When the first elastic portion 31 and the second elastic portion 32 are not limited, they are referred to as "elastic portion 30".

To make it easier to understand the explanation of the operation of the electrical connection device 1, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined as shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, the X direction is the left-right direction on the paper, the Y direction is the depth direction on the paper, and the Z direction is the up-down direction on the paper. In addition, in the Z direction, the direction in which the device 100 is located as viewed from the electrical connection device 1 is the upward direction, and the direction in which the electrical connection device 1 is located as viewed from the device 100 is the downward direction. For example, the first contact area 111 of the contact pin 10 faces upward, and the second contact area 112 faces downward.

9, the electrical connection device 1 is disposed below the device 100 when viewed from the Z direction. The first contact area 111 of the contact pin 10 is exposed to the first surface 21 of the housing 20, and the second contact area 112 of the contact pin 10 is exposed to the second surface 22 of the housing 20. The contact pin 10 is disposed on the housing 20 so that the first contact area 111 and the electrode terminal 101 of the device 100 come into contact when the distance between the electrical connection device 1 and the device 100 narrows along the Z direction. Furthermore, the contact pin 10 is disposed on the housing 20 so that a part of the second contact area 112 comes into contact with the electrode pad 201 of the substrate 200 as a contact portion. As will be described later, during inspection of the device 100, the range of the contact portion in the second contact area 112 that comes into contact with the electrode pad 201 changes due to a change in the position of the first contact area 111 in the Z direction.

The first elastic portion 31 is disposed below the tip 11 of the contact pin 10, between the housing 20 and a recess provided in the first end 121 of the main body 12. The second elastic portion 32 is disposed above the second contact region 112, between the housing 20 and the second end 122 of the main body 12. The second elastic portion 32 is disposed inside a recess provided close to the second end 122 and with an opening facing upward.

The second contact region 112 is provided on the outer curved portion (hereinafter referred to as the "curved portion") of the contact pin 10 that faces the recess of the main body portion 12 in which the second elastic portion 32 is disposed. That is, part of the arc-shaped region on the outer edge of the curved portion is the contact portion of the second contact region 112 that comes into contact with the electrode pad 201.

The elastic portion 30 has a cylindrical shape with an axial direction extending in the Y direction. That is, the axial direction of the elastic portion 30 is perpendicular to the Z direction in which the first contact region 111 of the contact pin 10 is displaced, and perpendicular to the X direction in which the body portion 12 of the contact pin 10 extends. The elastic portion 30 is held inside the housing 20 in a state sandwiched between the surface of the contact pin 10 and the inner wall of the housing 20.

When inspecting the device 100, the device 100 is moved relative to the electrical connection device 1 along the Z direction, and the first contact area 111 of the contact pin 10 is pressed against the electrode terminal 101 of the device 100. Hereinafter, the state in which the contact pin 10 and the electrode terminal 101 are in contact is also referred to as the "contact state". On the other hand, the state in which the contact pin 10 and the electrode terminal 101 are not in contact is also referred to as the "non-contact state". When changing from the non-contact state to the contact state, the position of the first contact area 111 of the contact pin 10 is displaced in the Z direction due to the pressing force applied to the first contact area 111 between the first contact area 111 and the electrode terminal 101. In response to the change in the position of the first contact area 111, the contact pin 10 changes its posture inside the housing 20 with the second contact area 112 in contact with the surface of the electrode pad 201.

Specifically, in response to the downward displacement of the first end 121 of the contact pin 10 caused by the pressure applied to the first contact region 111, the second end 122 of the contact pin 10 is displaced upward while the second contact region 112 maintains contact with the electrode pad 201. As the attitude of the contact pin 10 changes, the range of the contact portion of the second contact region 112 that contacts the electrode pad 201 changes. Specifically, in the contact state, the contact portion of the second contact region 112 is closer to the first end 121 than in the non-contact state. In this way, the range of the contact portion changes along the outer edge of the curved portion in response to the change in the attitude of the contact pin 10, so the range of the contact portion differs between the contact state and the non-contact state. Since the contact portion of the second contact region 112 is included in the arc-shaped region of the curved portion, the range of the second contact region 112 that contacts the electrode pad 201 changes smoothly in response to the change in the attitude of the contact pin 10. Therefore, even if the position of the contact pin 10 changes, damage to the second contact area 112 and the electrode pad 201 can be suppressed.

In response to the change in the attitude of the contact pin 10 inside the housing 20 from the non-contact state to the contact state, the elastic portion 30 is compressed between the contact pin 10 and the housing 20. That is, in the contact state, the elastic portion 30 is elastically deformed. That is, the first elastic portion 31 is compressed between the first end 121 and tip portion 11 of the contact pin 10 and the housing 20. The second elastic portion 32 is compressed between the second end 122 of the contact pin 10 and the housing 20. The elastically deformed elastic portion 30 urges the contact pin 10 in a direction that returns the attitude of the contact pin 10 to the attitude of the non-contact state. In other words, the elastic portion 30 urges the contact pin 10 so as to press the first contact region 111 against the electrode terminal 101.

While the device 100 is being inspected, the elastic force of the elastic portion 30 keeps the first contact area 111 in contact with the electrode terminal 101, and the second contact area 112 in contact with the electrode pad 201. This ensures electrical connection between the electrode terminal 101 of the device 100 and the electrode pad 201 of the substrate 200 via the contact pin 10 when inspecting the device 100.

As described above, when inspecting the device 100, the posture of the contact pin 10 changes, causing the elastic portion 30 sandwiched between the contact pin 10 and the housing 20 to elastically deform. The elastic portion 30 then urges the contact pin 10 so that the first contact area 111 comes into contact with the electrode terminal 101 of the device 100 with a predetermined pressure. In other words, the elastic portion 30 urges the contact pin 10 in a direction that counteracts the displacement of the first contact area 111 when the first contact area 111 is pressed against the electrode terminal 101. While the first contact area 111 is in contact with the electrode terminal 101 and inspecting the device 100, the elastic portion 30 is in a compressed and deformed state.

After the inspection of the device 100 is completed, the relative position of the device 100 in the Z direction with respect to the electrical connection device 1 is changed so as to increase the distance between the device 100 and the electrical connection device 1. By separating the electrode terminal 101 of the device 100 and the first contact area 111 of the contact pin 10, the pressing force applied to the first contact area 111 is eliminated. As a result, the shape of the elastic portion 30 returns to a non-contact state, and the posture of the contact pin 10 returns to a non-contact state due to the elastic force of the elastic portion 30.

The elastic portion 30 may be made of an insulating material such as an elastomer. For example, a resin material such as silicone rubber or urethane rubber may be used for the elastic portion 30. The elastic portion 30 may also be cylindrical with a hollow structure. By making the elastic portion 30 cylindrical, it is easier to control the amount of displacement of the first contact region 111 due to the contact load and the contact with the electrode terminal 101 (hereinafter also referred to as the "stroke"). In other words, by increasing the thickness of the cylindrical elastic portion 30, the contact load can be increased and the stroke can be decreased. On the other hand, by decreasing the thickness of the cylindrical elastic portion 30, the contact load can be decreased and the stroke can be increased.

An insulating material is used for the housing 20. For example, insulating ceramic material is preferably used for the housing 20.

As described above, the electrical connection device 1 includes the contact pin 10 that simultaneously contacts the electrode terminal 101 and the electrode pad 201, and the elastic portion 30 that biases the contact pin 10 so as to press the tip portion 11 against the electrode terminal 101. By adjusting the elastic force of the elastic portion 30, the contact load applied to the contact pin 10 when the contact pin 10 and the electrode terminal 101 come into contact is controlled. That is, by increasing the elastic force of the elastic portion 30, the contact load increases, and by decreasing the elastic force of the elastic portion 30, the contact load decreases. Furthermore, in the electrical connection device 1, the stroke is controlled by the elastic force of the elastic portion 30. That is, by increasing the elastic force of the elastic portion 30, the stroke decreases, and by decreasing the elastic force of the elastic portion 30, the stroke increases.

By using the contact pin 10 in the electrical connection device 1, damage to the contact pin 10 caused by the pressure applied to the first contact area 111 during inspection of the device 100 can be suppressed, and the electrode terminal 101 can be made smaller. Furthermore, the allowable value of the current flowing through the contact pin 10 during inspection of the device 100 can be increased, and the inductance of the contact pin 10 can be reduced. As a result, various electrical characteristics of the device 100 can be measured with high precision.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, when the contact pin 10 is sandwiched between the first elastic portion 31 and the housing 20, the connection portion 134c of the tip portion 11 abuts against the inner wall that connects to the opening of the first surface 21 of the housing 20. This makes it difficult for the contact pin 10 to come off the housing 20. Furthermore, because the tip portion 11 is pressed against the inner wall of the housing 20, the positional accuracy of the first contact region 111 of the contact pin 10 is improved.

Although FIG. 9 shows only one contact pin 10 of the electrical connection device 1, the electrical connection device 1 may include multiple contact pins 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the electrical connection device 1 may have a configuration in which multiple contact pins 10 are arranged along the Y direction. The elastic portion 30 abuts against each of the multiple contact pins 10 and extends in the Y direction. The electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 10 is suitable for use, for example, in inspecting a device 100 in which multiple electrode terminals 101 are arranged in the Y direction.

Second Embodiment
The contact pin 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the contact pin 10 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that a region including the second contact region 112 of the body portion 12, which is shown surrounded by a dashed line S in Fig. 11, includes a tapered shape. That is, as shown in Fig. 12, the side surface of the body portion 12 that connects to the second contact region 112 when viewed from the second direction D2 includes a linear region that diagonally intersects with the second contact region 112. In other respects, the contact pin 10 according to the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment.

The contact pin 10 shown in Figures 11 and 12 includes a tapered region in which a cross section perpendicular to the third direction D3 of the region including the second contact region 112 of the main body portion 12 gradually narrows toward the second contact region 112. According to the contact pin 10 of the second embodiment, the width of the second contact region 112 can be narrowed and the strength of the contact pin 10 can be increased against a pressing force applied to the second contact region 112. By narrowing the width of the second contact region 112, for example, it is possible to prevent the contact pin 10 from protruding from the electrode pad 201.

Otherwise, the contact pin 10 according to the second embodiment is substantially similar to the contact pin 10 according to the first embodiment, and duplicated description will be omitted. For example, the second contact region 112 can be used as the top surface, and various tapered shapes described with reference to Figures 2, 5 to 7 can be adopted. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 13, only one of the side surfaces connected to the second contact region 112 when viewed from the second direction D2 may be arranged to intersect the second contact region 112 at an angle.

The contact pin 10 according to the second embodiment may also be used in the electrical connection device 1 described with reference to FIG. 9. This makes it possible to prevent the second contact region 112 of the contact pin 10 from protruding from the electrode pad 201 or coming into contact with an adjacent electrode pad 201 during testing of the device 100. In other words, the contact pin 10 according to the second embodiment makes it possible to realize an electrical connection device 1 that is compatible with the narrowing of the electrode terminal 101 and the electrode pad 201.

Other Embodiments
Although the present invention has been described above by way of the embodiment, the description and drawings forming part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It goes without saying that the present invention includes various embodiments not described herein.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...Electrical connection device 10...Contact pin 11...Tip portion 12...Main body portion 20...Housing 21...First surface 22...Second surface 30...Elastic portion 31...First elastic portion 32...Second elastic portion 100...Device 101...Electrode terminal 111...First contact region 112...Second contact region 113...Base end region 121...First end portion 122...Second end portion 131...First outer edge side 132...Second outer edge side 133...Front side 134...Rear side 200...Substrate 201...Electrode pad

Claims

A contact pin used for testing electrical characteristics of an object to be tested,
a distal end portion having a first contact region facing a first direction, a base end region facing the first contact region, and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the first contact region and the base end region;
a main body portion having a first end portion connected to the tip portion, extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and having a second contact region in a region spaced apart from the first end portion in the second direction;
Among the plurality of side surfaces, an outer edge side surface that forms an outer edge of the tip portion when viewed from the second direction includes a linear oblique region that obliquely intersects with the first contact region.
Contact pin.
The contact pin according to claim 1, wherein the tip portion includes a tapered region in which a cross section perpendicular to the first direction gradually becomes larger from the first contact region toward the base end region.
The contact pin of claim 1, wherein the inclined region is continuous in a straight line from the first contact region to the base end region.
The contact pin according to claim 1, wherein the outer edge side includes a plurality of the oblique regions that form different angles with the first contact region.
The outer edge side surface is
the oblique region connecting with the first contact region;
The contact pin of claim 1 , further comprising: a straight region perpendicular to the first contact region, the straight region connecting the oblique region and the base region.
The outer edge side surface is
the beveled region connected to the base region;
The contact pin according to claim 1 , further comprising: a straight region perpendicular to the first contact region, the straight region connecting the oblique region and the first contact region.
The contact pin of claim 1, wherein both of the two outer edge sides include the beveled region.
The contact pin according to claim 1, wherein one of the two outer edge side surfaces includes the inclined region and the other outer edge side surface does not include the inclined region.
a side surface of the main body portion connected to the second contact area when viewed from the second direction includes a linear area that obliquely intersects with the second contact area,
the body portion includes a tapered region that narrows in cross section toward the second contact region;
The contact pin according to claim 1 .
An electrical connection device that electrically connects an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected and an electrode pad connected to an inspection device,
a housing having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;
10. The contact pin according to claim 1, wherein the main body is supported by the housing such that the first contact region is exposed on the first surface and the second contact region is exposed on the second surface, and the contact pin changes its posture inside the housing such that a range of a contact portion of the second contact region that contacts the electrode pad changes in response to a displacement along the first direction of the first contact region that contacts the electrode terminal;
an elastic portion that is disposed inside the housing in contact with the contact pin and the housing, and that elastically deforms in response to a change in the attitude of the contact pin inside the housing, thereby urging the contact pin in a direction that counteracts the displacement of the tip portion.
Among the plurality of side surfaces, a side surface facing the second direction of the contact pin is
a sloped portion that connects to the first contact area at an obtuse angle;
a planar portion connected to the inclined portion and extending in the second direction;
a connection portion that connects the planar portion and the housing,
The connection portion abuts against the housing.
The electrical connection device according to claim 10.