POGO PIN AND PROBE CARD, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20150070038A1
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JOO, Sung-Ho, KIM, Yu-Kyum, KIM, Joon-Yeon
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/754.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07371 using an intermediate card or back card with apertures through which the probes pass
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07378 using an intermediate adapter, e.g. space transformers G01R1/07371 takes precedence

Abstract

A pogo pin may include a housing, a resilient connecting member and a switching unit. The housing may be arranged between a printed circuit board (PCB) and a probing head. The resilient connecting member may be arranged in the housing to electrically connect the PCB with the probing head. The switching unit may be provided in the housing to selectively cut off an electrical connection between the PCB and the probing head. Thus, because the PCB may not require additional switching substrates, the PCB may have a small size so that the probe card may also have a small size. A semiconductor device may be manufactured using the probe card.

Claims

1. A probe card comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a circuit pattern through which a test current passes;

a probing head arranged under the PCB, the probing head including circuitry through which the test current passes;

a plurality of needles provided to the probing head to supply the test current to an object; and

a plurality of pogo pins positioned between the PCB and the probing head, each pogo pin including a housing arranged between the PCB and the probing head, a resilient connecting member arranged in the housing to electrically connect the PCB with the probing head, and a switching unit provided in the housing to selectively cut off an electrical connection between the PCB and the probing head.

2. The probe card of claim 1, further comprising, for each pogo pin:

a first connecting pin at a first end of the resilient connecting member; and

a second connecting pin at a second, opposite end of the resilient connecting member,

wherein the switching unit electrically disconnects the first connecting pin from the second connecting pin.

3. The probe card of claim 2, wherein:

the switching unit includes an actuator connected to a disconnecting member, the actuator configured to move the disconnecting member so as to electrically disconnect the first connecting pin from the second connecting pin.

4. The probe card of claim 2, wherein:

the resilient connecting member includes at least a first spring; and

the switching unit is configured to electrically disconnect the first spring from one of the first connecting pin and the second connecting pin.

5. The probe card of claim 4, wherein:

the switching unit includes;

either an insulating plate that electrically disconnects the first spring from one of the first connecting pin and the second connecting pin when placed between the first spring and the first or second connecting pin,

or a bar that physically moves the first spring to separate it from one of the first connecting pin and the second connecting pin.

9. The pogo pin of claim 1, wherein the resilient connecting member comprises at least a first spring extending between the PCB and the probing head.

10. The pogo pin of claim 9, wherein the resilient connecting member comprises:

the first spring, electrically connected to the PCB; and

a second spring electrically connected to the probing head.

11. The pogo pin of claim 10, wherein the first spring and the second spring comprise a tensile spring.

12. The pogo pin of claim 11, wherein the switching unit comprises:

a switching rod connected to the first spring; and

an actuator configured to move the switching rod to disconnect the first spring from the second spring.

13. The pogo pin of claim 11, wherein the switching unit comprises:

an insulating plate selectively interposed between the first spring and the second spring; and

an actuator configured to selectively move the insulating plate between the first spring and the second spring.

14. The pogo pin of claim 10, wherein the first spring and the second spring comprise a compressive spring.

15. The pogo pin of claim 14, wherein the switching unit comprises:

a switching rod connected to the first spring; and

an actuator configured to move the switching rod to connect the first spring with the second spring.

6. A pogo pin connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) and a probing head of a probe card and positioned to pass signals between circuitry of the PCB and circuitry of the probing head, the pogo pin comprising:

a housing arranged between the PCB and the probing head;

at least a first spring arranged to electrically connect and disconnect the PCB and the probing head;

at least a first connecting pin between the first spring and the PCB;

at least a second connecting pin between the first spring and the probing head; and

an actuator and disconnecting element arranged to selectively electrically connect and disconnect one of the first pin and the second pin from the first spring.

7. The pogo pin of claim 6, wherein the disconnecting member includes one of a raising/lowering element to raise and lower the first spring, and an insulating member that electrically disconnects the first pin or second pin from the first spring.

8. A pogo pin comprising:

a housing arranged between a printed circuit board (PCB) and a probing head of a probe card;

a resilient connecting member arranged in the housing to electrically connect the PCB with the probing head; and

a switching unit provided in the housing to selectively cut off an electrical connection between the PCB and the probing head.

16. The pogo pin of claim 8, wherein the switching unit comprises:

a switching rod connected to the resilient connecting member; and

an actuator configured to move the switching rod to electrically connect and disconnect at least a portion of the resilient connecting member from the PCB.

17. The pogo pin of claim 8, further comprising:

a first connecting pin arranged between the housing and the PCB to electrically connect the resilient connecting member with the PCB; and

a second connecting pin arranged between the housing and the probing head to electrically connect the resilient connecting member with the probing head.

18. The pogo pin of claim 17, wherein the switching unit comprises:

an insulating plate selectively interposed between the first connecting pin and the PCB; and

an actuator configured to selectively move the insulating plate between the first connecting pin and the PCB.

19. The pogo pin of claim 17, wherein the switching unit comprises:

an insulating plate selectively interposed between the second connecting pin and the probing head; and

an actuator configured to selectively move the insulating plate between the second connecting pin and the probing head.

20. The pogo pin of claim 8, wherein:

the resilient connecting member comprises at least a first spring and a second spring extending between the PCB and the probing head; and

the switching unit comprises an actuator and a disconnecting member, configured to selectively electrically disconnect the first spring from the second spring, wherein the disconnecting member either vertically moves one of the first spring and the second spring, or electrically insulates the first spring from the second spring.

21. (canceled)