Multi probe unit and measuring apparatus comprising thereof

• US 6,420,889 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Terada, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): LeRoux, E P
• Application Number:
  US09/527,846
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 324/754, 324/537, 324/755, 324/765, 439/482, 439/65, 439/68, 439/700
• US Class Current: 324/750.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07342 the body of the probe being at an angle other than perpendicular to test object, e.g. probe card
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/18 Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field

Abstract

For the purpose of reducing noise entering from outside and cross talk to a practically negligible extent even when using covered conducting wire made of only conducting wires and insulators, a multi-probe unit has a plurality of probes for contact with a plurality of conductor patterns to be inspected which are aligned side by side, in which every two adjacent ones of the probes for contact with odd-numbered one and even-numbered one of the conductor patterns are positioned in upper and lower levels distant in the thickness direction, and a shield plate of a conductive material having an electrically shielding function is interposed between the upper and lower probes.

Claims

1. A multi-probe unit having conducting wires which have first end portions forming probes whose extreme ends contact with a number of densely arranged conductor patterns and second ends electrically connected to a measuring apparatus, comprising:

a substrate which can be held;

a number of covered conducting wires each made of a central conductor whose intermediate portion except opposite end portions thereof is covered by an insulating cover, each said central conductor having a first end portion which is bent to form said probes;

a conductor fixing member for holding extreme ends of said probes of said covered conducting wires in alignment at substantially the same intervals as those of said conductor patterns, then radially spreading intermediate portions of said covered conducting wires relative to said first end portions thereof, and fixing the intermediate portions of said covered conducting wires such that conducting layers are formed, the intermediate portions of said conducting layers being alternately positioned in different locations which are different in distance from said substrate; and

a shield plate interposed between said conductor layers to electromagnetically shield said conductor layers form each other, said shield plate being arranged between said conductor fixing member and the first end portions of said covered conducting wires.

2. The multi-probe unit according to claim 1, wherein, when odd or even-numbered ones of said covered conducting wires form a first conductor layer while even or odd-numbered ones thereof form a second conductor layers, and said shield plate is positioned between said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer.

3. The multi-probe unit according to claim 2 wherein said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer lie in vertically different levels, and said shield plate is positioned between said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer which lie in vertically different levels.

4. The multi-probe unit according to claim 1 further comprising:

a connector mounted on said substrate; and

a flexible substrate supported by said substrate and having a plurality of wiring layers corresponding to said conductor layers and a shield layer interposed between every adjacent ones of said wiring layers, each said wiring layer having one wiring end connected to conducting lines in corresponding one of said conduction layers and the other wiring end connected to terminals of said connector, and each said shield layer being connected to corresponding one of said shield plate interposed between said conductor layers.

5. The multi-probe unit according to claim 1 wherein said shield plate is connected to a ground potential.

6. A multi-probe unit used for electrical inspection and having a plurality of probes for contact with a plurality of conductor patterns to be inspected which are aligned side by side, in which every two adjacent ones of said probes for contact with odd-numbered one and even-numbered one of said conductor patterns are positioned in upper and lower levels distant in the thickness direction, and a shield plate of a conductive material having an electrically shielding function is interposed between the upper and lower probes.

7. A measuring apparatus having an external device having at least a built-in measuring device, and a multi-probe unit which is electrically connected to said external device, characterized in:

said multi-probe unit having conducting wires which have first end portions forming probes whose extreme ends contact with a number of densely arranged conductor patterns and second ends electrically connected to a measuring apparatus, and including;

a substrate which can be held;

a number of covered conducting wires each made of a central conductor whose intermediate portion except opposite end portions thereof is covered by an insulating cover, each said central conductor having a first end portion which is bent to form said probe;

a conductor fixing member for holding extreme ends of said probes of said covered conducting wires in alignment at substantially the same intervals as those of said conductor patterns, then radially spreading intermediate portions of said covered conducting wires relative to said first end portions thereof, and fixing the intermediate portions of said covered conducting wires such that conductor layers are formed, the intermediate portions of said conductor layers being alternately positioned in different locations which are different in distance from said substrate; and

a shield plate interposed between said conductor layers to electromagnetically shield said conductor layers from each other, said shield plate being arranged between said conductor fixing member and the other ends of said covered conducting wires.

8. The measuring apparatus according to claim 7 wherein, in said multi-probe unit, odd or even-numbered ones of said covered conducting wires form a first conductor layer while even or odd-numbered ones thereof form a second conductor layers, and said shield plate is positioned between said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer.

9. A measuring apparatus comprising:

an external device having at least a built-in measuring device; and

a multi-probe unit which is electrically connected to said external device, and has a plurality of probes for contact with a plurality of conductor patterns to be inspected which are aligned side by side, in which every two adjacent ones of said probes for contact with odd-numbered one and even-numbered one of said conductor patterns are positioned in upper and lower levels distant in the thickness direction, and a shield plate of a conductive material having an electrically shielding function is interposed between the upper and lower probes.