ELECTRICAL CONNECTING APPARATUS

• US 20100134121A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Inventors: Sato, Hitoshi, Miura, Kiyotoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,843,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/538
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2889 Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence

Abstract

An electrical connecting apparatus for use in an electrical inspection of a tester and a device under test. The electrical connecting apparatus is provided with a probe assembly to be tightened by tightening screw members toward the support member and having a wiring board interposed between itself and a support member. In order to prevent deformation of the probe board of the probe assembly due to tightening of the screw members, a spacer disposed to penetrate the wiring board is between the support member and probe board and penetrated by the screw members. Both end faces of the spacer are convex spherical surface.

Claims

1. An electrical connecting apparatus for connecting a tester and an electric connection terminal of a device under test to undergo an electrical inspection by the tester, comprising:

a support member having a mounting reference surface;

a wiring board having a wiring circuit to be connected to the tester, being disposed with one surface opposed to the reference surface of the support member and having a plurality of through holes penetrating in the thickness direction;

a flat plate-like probe board having on one surface a plurality of probes capable of bringing their tip portions into contact with the connection terminal of the device under test and a plurality of threaded holes formed in correspondence to the through holes of the wiring board on the other surface, and the other surface is disposed to oppose the other surface of the wiring board;

an electric connector disposed between the probe board and the wiring board for electrically connecting the probes to a portion of the wiring circuit;

screw members whose front ends penetrate at least the through holes of the wiring board respectively so as to connect the probe board with the support member; and

a plurality of cylindrical spacers disposed to penetrate at least the wiring board between the other surface of the probe board and the reference surface of the support member, the spacers being disposed to penetrate at least the wiring board and being penetrated by the respective screw members;

wherein at least one end face of the spacer, the support member to receive the end face or the contact surface of the probe board is a spherical curved surface.

2. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein curved deformation is caused in the probe board in an unloaded free state, wherein the probes have their tips located on the same plane in a state that the probe board retains the deformation;

and

wherein the spacers act to hold the tips of the probes on the same plane by retaining the deformation of the probe board.

3. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of anchor portions each having the threaded hole to receive the front end of each screw member are formed on the other surface of the probe board, and wherein the top surface of the anchor portion is a flat plane located on the same plane with the deformation of the probe board retained.

4. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein an end face to abut the top surface of the anchor portion of the spacer is a convex spherical curved surface.

5. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein the end face to abut a reference surface of the support member of the spacer is a convex spherical curved surface.

6. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein in the spacer both the end face to abut the top surface of the anchor portion and the end face to abut the reference surface of the support member are convex spherical surfaces.

7. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein a washer permitting the screw member to penetrate is disposed between the spacer and the top surface of the anchor portion for receiving the one end face of the spacer, wherein the one surface opposing the top surface of the anchor portion of the washer is a flat plane, and wherein the other surface for receiving the end face of the spacer is a spherical curved surface.

8. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 7, wherein the one end face of the spacer is a convex spherical surface, and wherein the other surface of the washer for receiving the one end face is a concave spherical surface.

9. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 8, wherein the end face of the spacer opposing the reference surface of the support member is a flat plane.

10. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 8, wherein the end face of the spacer opposing the reference surface of the support member is a convex spherical surface.

11. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 3, wherein a washer permitting the screw member to penetrate is disposed between the spacer and the top surface of the anchor portion to receive one end face of the spacer, and wherein the washer is made of a spherical body in which a through hole permitting the screw member to penetrate is formed in the diametrical direction.

12. The electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein the probe board is provided with a ceramic plate and a multilayer interconnection board formed on one surface of the ceramic plate, wherein on the surface of the multilayer interconnection board a plurality of probe lands for the probes are formed to project in a direction to be away from the ceramic plate, wherein each probe extends from the end face of each probe land, and wherein on the end face of the probe land the end faces of the probe lands are located on the same plane with the deformation of the probe board retained.