ELECTRICAL CONNECTING APPARATUS

• US 20100194416A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
• Inventors: AKAHIRA, Akihisa, KIKUCHI, Yoshinori, HOSHI, Katsuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,508,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/754.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06727 Cantilever beams
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2886 Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks G01R31/2865 takes precedence, test connections, e.g. test sockets, or probes per se, G01R1/04 or G01R1/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes

Abstract

An embodiment of an electrical connecting apparatus comprises a probe base plate and a plurality of contacts provided with tips to be pressed against electrodes of a device under test and arranged on the underside of the probe base plate. The distance dimensions from an imaginary plane parallel to the probe base plate to the tips of the contacts are made the greater toward the center of the probe base plate.

Claims

1. An electrical connecting apparatus comprising a probe base plate, and a plurality of contacts provided with tips to be pressed against electrodes of a device under test and arranged on the underside of said probe base plate, wherein the nearer the contacts are to the center of said probe base plate, the greater are distance dimensions from an imaginary plane within said probe base plate, the imaginary plane being parallel to said probe base plate.

2. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of contacts are located in any one of a plurality of regions concentrically extending about said center, and

wherein said distance dimensions are the greater toward the contacts in the region nearer the center.

3. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of regions include a first region located the nearest to the center, and a second region outward around said first region, and

wherein, where the radius of the outermost region is R, said first and second regions include ranges of R/2 and R/2 to R, respectively, from the center.

4. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of regions include a first region located the nearest to the center, a second region outward around said first region, and a third region outward around said second region, and

wherein, where the diameter of the outermost region is R, said first, second and third regions include ranges of R/3, from R/3 to 2R/3, and 2R/3 to R, respectively, from the center.

5. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimensions of said contacts from the attachment positions thereof to the probe base plate become the greater, the nearer the center the contacts are located.

6. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said probe base plate has a plurality of probe lands on the underside, said probe lands attaching said contacts, and

wherein, the nearer the center said probe lands are, the greater the thickness dimensions of said probe lands become.

7. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein said probe base plate has on its underside a plurality of probe lands to each of which said contact is attached,

wherein, the nearer said probe lands are to the center, the greater the thickness dimensions of said probe lands become, and

wherein, the nearer to the center said probe lands are, the dimensions from the attachment positions of said contacts to said probe base plate become the greater.

8. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein the radius dimension of the outermost region is 200 mm or over.

9. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein each contact is cantilevered on said probe base plate.

10. An electrical connecting apparatus claimed in claim 1, wherein each contact includes an attachment region attached to said probe base plate in a state of extending downward from said probe base plate, an arm region extending in a direction intersecting the extending direction of said attachment region from the lower portion of said attachment region, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of said arm region,

wherein said tip is the lower end of said tip region.

11. A probe assembly, comprising:

a base plate;

a first contact protruding from a first region of the base plate and having a dimension of a first size; and

a second contact protruding from a second region of the base plate and having the dimension of a second size.

12. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a mid region;

the first region is a first distance from the mid region; and

the second region is a second distance from the mid region.

13. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a center;

the first region is a first radial distance from the center; and

the second region is a second radial distance from the center.

14. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface from which the first and second contacts protrude; and

the dimension is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate.

15. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface from which the first and second contacts protrude; and

the dimension is approximately parallel to the surface of the base plate.

16. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface and a mid region;

the first region is a first distance from the mid region;

the second region is a second distance from the mid region, the second distance greater than the first distance;

the dimension is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is greater than the second size.

17. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface and a mid region;

the first region is a first distance from the mid region;

the second region is a second distance from the mid region, the second distance greater than the first distance;

the dimension is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is smaller than the second size.

18. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface and a mid region;

the first region is a first distance from the mid region;

the second region is a second distance from the mid region, the second distance greater than the first distance;

the dimension is approximately parallel to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is greater than the second size.

19. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface and a mid region;

the first region is a first distance from the mid region;

the second region is a second distance from the mid region, the second distance greater than the first distance;

the dimension is approximately parallel to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is smaller than the second size.

20. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the first region includes a center region of the base plate; and

the second region being remote from the center region.

21. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base includes a center;

the first region includes the center and has a boundary that is a first radial distance from the center; and

the second region is concentric with the first region and has a boundary that is a second radial distance from the center, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance.

22. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface;

the first region includes a mid region of the base plate;

the second region is remote from the mid region;

the dimension is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is greater than the second size.

23. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface;

the first region includes a mid region of the base plate;

the second region is remote from the mid region;

the dimension is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is smaller than the second size.

24. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface;

the first region includes a mid region of the base plate;

the second region is remote from the mid region;

the dimension is approximately parallel to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is greater than the second size.

25. The probe assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the base plate has a surface;

the first region includes a mid region of the base plate;

the second region is remote from the mid region;

the dimension is approximately parallel to the surface of the base plate; and

the first size is smaller than the second size.

26. A test head, comprising:

a wiring board having first and second conductive paths; and

a probe assembly, comprising;

a base plate;

a first contact protruding from a first region of the base plate, having a dimension of a first size, and coupled to the first conductive path; and

a second contact protruding from a second region of the base plate, having the dimension of a second size, and coupled to the second conductive path.

27. A test system, comprising:

a test head operable to provide a signal to and receive a signal from at least one integrated circuit, the test head comprising;

a wiring board having first and second conductive paths; and

a probe assembly, comprising;

a base plate;

a first contact protruding from a first region of the base plate, having a dimension of a first size, coupled to the first conductive path, and operable to press against a first node of the at least one integrated circuit; and

a second contact protruding from a second region of the base plate, having the dimension of a second size, coupled to the second conductive path, and operable to press against a second node of the at least one integrated circuit; and

a chuck operable to hold the at least one integrated circuit for engagement with the test head.

28. A method, comprising:

applying a force against an integrated circuit with a first probe tip that protrudes from a first region of a base plate, the first region a first distance from the integrated circuit; and

applying approximately the same force against the integrated circuit with a second probe tip that protrudes from a second region of the base plate, the second region a second distance from the integrated circuit.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the first region is closer to a center of the base plate than the second region; and

the first distance is greater than the second distance.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the first region is closer to a center of the base plate than the second region; and

the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising causing the first and second regions of the base plate to be the first and second distances from the integrated circuit by bending the base plate.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

forcing a test head that includes the base plate against the integrated circuit; and

wherein forcing the test head against the integrated circuit bends the base plate such that the first and second regions of the base plate are the first and second distances from the integrated circuit.