Electrical contact and electrical connection device

Abstract

The present invention provides an electric contact and an electric connection device, which can improve the conduction characteristics of the electric signal flowing to the electric contact, thereby improving the electrical inspection of the inspected body. The electric contact of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a mounting portion; a base end portion, which is connected to the mounting portion and extends; a plurality of arms, which extend from the base end portion in the length direction; a connecting portion, which is connected to the top end portion of each arm portion; a pedestal portion, which is connected to the connecting portion; and a contact portion, which is located at the lower end of the pedestal portion; the plurality of arms respectively elastically support the contact portion that contacts the first contact object, and a bending portion is provided on the connecting portion side or the base end side of the arm portion closest to the contact portion among the plurality of arms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric contact and an electric connection device, and can be applied to, for example, an electric contact and an electric connection device used in electrical inspection of a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer. Background Art

[0002] In electrical inspection of each semiconductor integrated circuit (object to be inspected) formed on a semiconductor wafer, an inspection device (tester) is used in which an electrical connection device such as a probe card having a plurality of probes (hereinafter also referred to as "electrical contacts") is mounted on a test head.

[0003] A plurality of probes are mounted on the probe card in such a manner that the tip of each probe protrudes from the lower surface of the probe card. When the object to be inspected is pressed against the probe card, the tip of each probe electrically contacts the corresponding electrode terminal of the object to be inspected. Then, during inspection, an electrical signal from the inspection device is supplied to each object to be inspected via each probe, and a signal from each object to be inspected is introduced to the inspection device via each probe, thereby performing electrical inspection of each object to be inspected.

[0004] In recent years, with the high density and high integration of semiconductor integrated circuits, the diameter of the electrode terminals of semiconductor integrated circuits has been reduced and the intervals between the electrode terminals have been narrowed. In response to this, cantilever probes are used to reliably make electrical contact with the electrode terminals that have been reduced in diameter and narrowed in pitch.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a contact piece, which includes: a mounting portion; two arms extending from the mounting portion in the left-right direction; and a base portion, which connects the two arm bodies at the top end side of the two arm portions, and has a contact portion that electrically contacts the electrode terminal at the lower end of the base portion. The rear end portions of the two arms are supported on the mounting portion, and when the contact portion of the probe is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected, the two arms function as portions that elastically support the contact portion in order to suppress the contact load between the contact portion and the electrode terminal. In addition, in order to reliably position the contact portion relative to the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected, the arm portion of the two arms that is closer to the contact portion (the arm portion of Patent Document 1) is Figure 1 The lower arm portion 34 is formed in a straight line.

[0006] In such a cantilever probe, the mounting portion and the contact portion are separated in the left-right direction, and when the contact portion of the probe is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal of the object to be inspected, the arm portion acts in an elastic manner as described above. Therefore, when the contact portion is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal, the position of the contact portion of the probe moves in an arc shape with the mounting portion as the center, and when overdrive is applied, the contact portion of the probe in contact with the electrode terminal will scratch the surface of the electrode terminal. Furthermore, in order to reduce defects on the surface of the electrode terminal, the needle pressure (pressure when in contact) of the contact portion on the electrode terminal must be appropriately adjusted.

[0007] Conventionally, the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, etc. of the contact portion of the probe are adjusted by finely adjusting the thickness (length in the vertical direction) and bending shape of the probe arm.

[0008] [Prior art literature]

[0009] [Patent Literature]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-229410 Summary of the invention

[0011] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In addition, in order to improve the electrical inspection of the object to be inspected and inspect the object to be inspected with high precision, it is required to improve the conduction characteristics of the electrical signal flowing through the probe. Therefore, for example, it is considered to increase the thickness of the arm of the probe (the length in the vertical direction) to reduce the resistance value. However, when the arm of the probe is thickened, the arm will be difficult to elastically deform (for example, bend), and there is a risk that the movement and scraping amount of the contact part of the probe will increase.

[0013] In addition, as the probes are becoming increasingly miniaturized, there is also a problem that the length of the arm of the probe in the left-right direction becomes shorter, making it difficult to control (adjust) the amount of movement of the contact portion of the probe.

[0014] Therefore, there is a demand for an electrical contact and an electrical connecting device that can improve the conduction characteristics of an electrical signal flowing to the electrical contact and thereby improve the electrical inspection of an object to be inspected.

[0015] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0016] In order to solve such problems, the first electrical contact of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a mounting portion; a base end portion, which extends in connection with the mounting portion; a plurality of arms, which extend from the base end portion along the length direction; a connecting portion, which is connected to the top end portion of each arm portion; a base portion, which is arranged in connection with the connecting portion; and a contact portion, which is located at the lower end of the base portion; the plurality of arms respectively elastically support the contact portion that contacts the first contact object, and a bending portion is provided on the connecting portion side or the base end side of the arm closest to the contact portion among the plurality of arms.

[0017] The electrical connection device of the second invention comprises a plurality of electrical contacts which are in electrical contact with a first contact object and a second contact object, and the first contact object is electrically connected to the second contact object via each electrical contact. The electrical connection device is characterized in that the plurality of electrical contacts are the electrical contacts of the first invention.

[0018] [Effects of the invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the conduction characteristics of the electric signal flowing to the electric contact can be improved, thereby improving the electrical inspection of the object to be inspected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electric contact according to the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a structural diagram showing the structure of a conventional electric contact having a linear arm portion.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing a state in which a contact portion of an electric contact according to an embodiment is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object under inspection.

[0024] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of a method for setting the bent portion of the first arm portion in the electric contact according to the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram (first) showing the structure of an electric contact according to a modified embodiment.

[0026] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a state in which a contact portion of an electric contact according to a modified embodiment is in electrical contact with an electrode terminal of an object under inspection.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram (part 2) showing the structure of an electric contact according to a modified embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] (A) Main implementation methods

[0029] Hereinafter, main embodiments of the electric contact and the electric connecting device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0030] (A-1) Configuration of Embodiment

[0031] (A-1-1) Electrical connection device

[0032] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electrical connecting device of this embodiment. Figure 2 The main components of the electrical connection device 1 are shown in the figure, but it is not limited to these components. Figure 2 In addition, the following focuses on Figure 2 The "up" and "down" are referred to in the up and down directions.

[0033] Figure 2 In the embodiment, the electrical connection device 1 comprises: a flat supporting member 44; a flat wiring substrate 41, which is held on the lower surface of the supporting member 44; an electrical connection unit 42, which is electrically connected to the wiring substrate 41; and a probe substrate 43, which is equipped with a plurality of electrical contacts (hereinafter also referred to as "probes") 3 which are electrically connected to the electrical connection unit 42 and to the electrode terminals 51 of the inspected body 2.

[0034] When the electrical connection device 1 is assembled with the support member 44, the wiring substrate 41, the electrical connection unit 42, the probe substrate 43, etc., a large number of fixing members (such as screw members such as bolts) are used. Figure 2 Illustration of these fixing components is omitted.

[0035] The electrical connection device 1 performs electrical inspection of the inspected object 2, for example, using a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer as the inspected object 2. Specifically, the inspected object 2 is pressed toward the probe substrate 43 so that the top end of each electrical contact 3 of the probe substrate 43 is electrically contacted with the electrode terminal 51 of the inspected object 2. Then, during the inspection, an electrical signal from an inspection device (tester) not shown is supplied to the electrode terminal 51 of the inspected object 2 via each electrical contact 3, and further, an electrical signal from the electrode terminal 51 of the inspected object 2 is applied to the inspection device via each electrical contact 3. In this way, the inspection device performs electrical inspection of the inspected object 2 by capturing the electrical characteristics of the inspected object 2.

[0036] The object to be inspected 2 is placed on the upper surface of the chuck top 5. The chuck top 5 can be adjusted in the horizontal X-axis direction, in the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction on the horizontal plane, and in the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (XY plane), and further, can be adjusted in the θ direction around the Z-axis. When the electrical inspection of the object to be inspected 2 is performed, the chuck that can be raised and lowered in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) is moved to move the lower surface of the probe substrate 43 of the electrical connection device 1 and the object to be inspected 2 on the chuck top 5 in a relatively close manner, so that the electrode terminal 51 of the object to be inspected 2 is electrically contacted with the top end of each electrical contact 3 of the probe substrate 43.

[0037] [Supporting member]

[0038] The support member 44 is used to suppress deformation (e.g., bending, etc.) of the wiring substrate 41. For example, since a large number of electrical contacts 3 are mounted on the probe substrate 43, the weight of the probe substrate 43 mounted on the wiring substrate 41 side is relatively large. In addition, when performing an electrical inspection of the object 2 to be inspected, the object 2 to be inspected on the chuck top 5 is pushed against the probe substrate 43, thereby making the top end of the probe 20 electrically contact with the electrode terminal 51 of the object 2 to be inspected. In this way, during the electrical inspection, a reaction force (contact load) pushing up from the bottom is generated, and the wiring substrate 41 also bears a large load, so the wiring substrate 41 may be deformed (e.g., bending, etc.). The support member 44 functions as a member that suppresses deformation (e.g., bending, etc.) of such a wiring substrate 14.

[0039] [Wiring board]

[0040] The wiring substrate 41 is formed of a resin material such as polyimide, for example, and is a printed circuit board formed in a substantially circular plate shape. A large number of electrode terminals (not shown) electrically connected to a test head (not shown) of an inspection device are arranged on the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wiring substrate 41. In addition, a wiring pattern (not shown) is formed on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 41, and the connection terminals of the wiring pattern are electrically connected to the upper ends of a plurality of connectors (not shown) provided on the electrical connection unit 42.

[0041] The wiring substrate 41 can have various structures, for example, the following structures can be adopted. For example, electrode terminals electrically connected to the test head are formed on the upper surface of the wiring substrate 41, and wiring patterns electrically connected to the connectors of the electrical connection unit 42 are formed on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 41, and a wiring circuit is formed inside the wiring substrate 41. The wiring pattern on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 41 and the electrode terminals on the upper surface of the wiring substrate 41 can be connected via the wiring circuit inside the wiring substrate 41. Therefore, electrical signals can be conducted between the connectors of the electrical connection unit 42 and the test head via the wiring circuit inside the wiring substrate 41. Furthermore, a plurality of electronic components required for electrical inspection of the object to be inspected 2 are also arranged on the upper surface of the wiring substrate 41.

[0042] [Electrical connection unit]

[0043] The electrical connection unit 42 has a plurality of connectors such as spring pins. In the assembled state of the electrical connection device 1, the upper end of each connector is electrically connected to the connection terminal of the wiring pattern on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 41, and the lower end of each connector is connected to the pad provided on the upper surface of the probe substrate 43. The top end of the electrical contact 3 is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal 51 of the object to be inspected 2, so that the electrode terminal 51 of the object to be inspected 2 is electrically connected to the inspection device through the electrical contact 3 and the connector, so that electrical inspection using the inspection device can be realized.

[0044] [Probe substrate]

[0045] The probe substrate 43 is a substrate having a plurality of electrical contacts 3, and is formed in a substantially circular or polygonal shape (e.g., a 16-sided shape). When the probe substrate 43 is mounted on the electrical connection device 1, the probe substrate 43 is supported at its periphery by means of the probe substrate support portion 18. The electrical contacts 3 mounted on the probe substrate 43 may be, for example, cantilever probes, but are not limited thereto. The number of electrical contacts 3 corresponding to the number of the objects to be inspected (semiconductor integrated circuits) 2, the number of electrode terminals 51 of each object to be inspected 2, etc., is mounted on the probe substrate 43.

[0046] The probe substrate 43 can have various structures. Figure 2 For example, the probe substrate 43 includes a substrate member 431 formed of, for example, a ceramic plate, and a multilayer wiring substrate 432 formed on the lower surface of the substrate member 431 .

[0047] A large number of conductive paths (not shown) penetrating in the thickness direction may also be formed inside the substrate member 431 which is a ceramic substrate. A solder pad is formed on the upper surface of the substrate member 431, and one end of the conductive path in the substrate member 431 is formed in a manner connected to a connection terminal of a corresponding wiring pattern on the upper surface of the substrate member 431. The other end of the conductive path in the substrate member 431 is formed on the lower surface of the substrate member 431 in a manner connected to a connection terminal provided on the upper surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 432.

[0048] The multilayer wiring substrate 432 is formed of a plurality of multilayer substrates formed of a synthetic resin member such as polyimide, and a wiring channel (not shown) may be formed between the plurality of multilayer substrates. One end of the wiring channel of the multilayer wiring substrate 432 is connected to the other end of the conductive channel of the substrate member 431, and the other end of the multilayer wiring substrate 432 is connected to a probe pad provided on the lower surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 432. A plurality of electrical contacts 3 are arranged on the probe pad provided on the lower surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 432, and the plurality of electrical contacts 3 of the probe substrate 43 are electrically connected to the corresponding connection terminals of the wiring substrate 41 via the electrical connection unit 42.

[0049] (A-1-2) Electrical contacts

[0050] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram showing the structure of the electric contact of this embodiment.

[0051] Figure 1 In the embodiment, the electric contact 3 includes a mounting portion 31 , a base end portion 32 , an arm portion 33 , a connecting portion 34 , a positioning portion 35 , a seat portion 36 , and a contact portion 37 .

[0052] The electric contact 3 is formed of a plate-like conductive member (for example, a metal material) and is connected between the electrode terminal 51 of the object under test 2 as a first contact object and the wiring terminal 433 (refer to Figure 4 For example, the electrical contacts 3 may be formed by plating, etc., and the electrical contacts 3 are formed with the same thickness or the same degree of thickness as a whole.

[0053] The size of the electric contact 3 is determined by the size of the electrode terminals 51 of the object 2 to be inspected, the intervals between the electrode terminals 51, etc., and is not particularly limited. For example, the left-right dimension (length) of the electric contact 3 may be approximately several millimeters.

[0054] The electric contact 3 is a cantilever type contact piece as follows: when the electrode terminal 51 of the inspected body 2 is in electrical contact with the contact portion 37, a contact load is applied from the electrode terminal 51 side to the contact portion 37 side, thereby causing the arm portion 33 connected to the base end portion 32 side to be elastically deformed, and the arm portion 33 elastically supports the contact portion 37. Thus, on the one hand, the contact load between the contact portion 37 and the electrode terminal 51 can be suppressed, and on the other hand, the contact portion 37 and the electrode terminal 51 can be reliably in electrical contact.

[0055] [Installation Department]

[0056] The mounting portion 31 is a portion mounted on the lower surface of the probe substrate 43 , and is in electrical contact with the wiring terminals 433 of the probe substrate 43 . Figure 1 The example in the figure shows that the mounting portion 31 is rectangular in shape, but the shape of the mounting portion 31 can be changed according to the mounting method of the electrical contact 3 on the probe substrate 43. For example, one or more holes can be provided on the mounting portion 31 to provide elements required for mounting to the probe substrate 43. A base end portion 32 is integrally formed below the mounting portion 31.

[0057] [Base end]

[0058] The base end portion 32 is a portion extending downward from the lower portion of the mounting portion 31. The base end portion 32 and the rear end portion ( Figure 1 The right end of the arm 33 is connected to the portion supporting the elastically deformed arm 33. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the base end portion 32 extends obliquely downward to the right from the lower portion of the mounting portion 31. The reason for this is that, as the diameter of the electrode terminal 51 of the object under inspection 2 is reduced and the pitch between the electrode terminals 51 is narrowed, the length of the elastic arm portion 33 in the left-right direction becomes shorter, making it difficult to bend the arm portion 33 and control the amount of movement of the contact portion 37. Therefore, by slightly extending the base end portion 32 obliquely downward to the right relative to the mounting portion 31, the length of the arm portion 33 in the left-right direction can be ensured to a certain extent, so that the elasticity of the arm portion 33 can be effectively exerted, thereby controlling the amount of movement of the contact portion 37.

[0059] [Arm]

[0060] The arm portion 33 is a portion that elastically supports the contact portion 37. The arm portion 33 is a portion that adjusts the movement amount and the scraping amount of the contact portion 37. Figure 1 The case where the arm portion 33 includes the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62 is exemplified. Also, the case where the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62 have the same length in the vertical direction is exemplified. In other words, the case where the arm portion 33 is composed of two arm portions is exemplified.

[0061] The first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62 are arranged with a gap in the vertical direction. Figure 1 The first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62 are integrally connected to the base end portion 32, and the top end portion ( Figure 1 The left end portion of the connector 30 is integrally connected to the connecting portion 34.

[0062] The first arm 61 is a member provided on the contact portion 37 side (that is, the side of the object 2 under inspection) among the two arms. The first arm 61 is a member provided closest to the contact portion 37 among the plurality of arms. Hereinafter, the first arm 61 is also referred to as the arm closest to the contact portion or the lowermost arm.

[0063] The first arm portion 61 extending in the left-right direction includes a straight portion 612 extending straightly from the base end portion 32 toward the left, and a bent portion 611 bent from the straight portion 612 toward the upper left oblique direction. Figure 1 In the example, the curved portion 611 is a portion that is curved convexly downward.

[0064] The straight portion 612 of the first arm portion 61 has a function of ensuring the positioning of the contact portion 37 relative to the electrode terminal 51 of the object under inspection 2. When the contact portion 37 contacts the electrode terminal 51 of the object under inspection 2, an upward load acts on the first arm portion 61, generating stress in the first arm portion 61. In particular, the straight portion 612 connected to the base end portion 32 generates a large stress because it is far away from the contact portion 37.

[0065] The bent portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 has a function of adjusting the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, etc. of the contact portion 37 when the contact portion 37 is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal 51 .

[0066] Conventionally, in a cantilever probe having a plurality of arms, the arm closest to the contact portion 37 is formed in a straight line over the entire region in the left-right direction in order to reliably position the contact portion 37. However, the first arm 61 of this embodiment has a bent portion 611 formed by bending a portion of the connection portion 34 side having the contact portion 37. Thus, the first arm 61 has a function of adjusting the movement amount, scraping amount, and needle pressure of the contact portion 37. The detailed description of the setting method of the bent portion 611 of the first arm 61 will be described later.

[0067] The second arm portion 62 is a member provided on the side of the mounting portion 31. In this embodiment, the second arm portion 62 is a member other than the first arm portion 61 closest to the contact portion 37 (the arm portion closest to the contact portion, the lowermost arm portion).

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the sake of ease of explanation, the second arm 62 is set as a straight member in the entire area in the left-right direction, but the second arm 62 may also have a curved portion. For example, the curved portion may be provided at one or more locations in various positions such as the portion where the second arm 62 is connected to the base end portion 32, the central portion of the second arm 62, the portion where the second arm 62 is connected to the connecting portion 34, etc. In this way, by having the curved portion on the second arm 62, the function of adjusting the movement amount, scraping amount, and acupressure of the contact portion 37 can also be achieved. In other words, by providing the second arm 62 with a curved portion in addition to the curved portion 611 of the first arm 61, there is a synergistic effect on the adjustment of the movement amount, scraping amount, and acupressure of the contact portion 37, and in this embodiment, for the sake of ease of explanation, the second arm 62 is set as a straight member.

[0069] [Connection]

[0070] The connection portion 34 is a portion integrally connected to the tip end of the arm portion 33 (that is, the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62). The connection portion 34 is a member extending in the up-down direction and is a portion formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

[0071] [Positioning Department]

[0072] The positioning portion 35 is a portion extending from the lower portion of the connecting portion 34 toward the base end portion 32 side (right side) in an integrally connected manner. The lower surface portion 351 of the positioning portion 35 is formed in a straight line along the left-right direction. The positioning portion 35 is a portion used for positioning the contact portion 37 relative to the electrode terminal 51 of the inspected body 2. In particular, the lower surface portion 351 of the positioning portion 35 is formed in a straight line along the left-right direction, so that the contact portion 37 can be reliably positioned. As described above, the first arm portion 61 also has a positioning function for the contact portion 37. Since the first arm portion 61 extending in the left-right direction has a bent portion 611 near the connection with the connecting portion 34, the positioning portion 35 having the lower surface portion 351 formed in a straight line along the left-right direction is provided in order to more reliably position the contact portion 37.

[0073] In addition, at the top end portion ( Figure 1 A position confirmation portion 352 formed in an arc shape is provided at the left end portion of the test object 2, and the position of the most depressed part of the arc shape corresponds to the position of the contact portion 37 provided at the lower part of the pedestal portion 36. Thus, the contact portion 37 can be electrically contacted with the electrode terminal 51 of the test object 2 while confirming the position of the contact portion 37.

[0074] [Pedestal part, contact part]

[0075] The seat portion 36 is a portion extending downward from the lower portion of the positioning portion 35. The contact portion 37 is provided at the lower portion of the seat portion 36 and is a portion that electrically contacts the electrode terminal 51 of the object 2 under inspection.

[0076] [Method for setting the bending portion of the first arm]

[0077] Next, the concept of a method of setting the bending portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0078] Figure 3 1 is a structural diagram showing the structure of a conventional electric contact 9 having a linear arm portion (an arm portion closest to a contact portion). Figure 3 The dotted line in exemplifies the state in which the electrode terminal 51 of the object under inspection 2 and the contact portion 97 of the electric contact 9 are in electrical contact with each other.

[0079] Figure 4 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a state in which the contact portion 37 of the electric contact 3 and the electrode terminal 51 of the object under inspection 2 are in electrical contact with each other.

[0080] Figure 3 The conventional electric contact 9 illustrated in the figure basically has the same components as the electric contact 3 of the embodiment, and has two arms 93 (upper arm 931 and lower arm 932). The lower arm 932 is a member extending straightly from the base end 92 to the left, and the left end of the lower arm 932 is connected to the connecting portion 94. Figure 3 The components corresponding to the positioning portion 35 of the electric contact 3 are omitted.

[0081] like Figure 3 As shown, when the contact portion 97 of the electric contact 9 is brought into electrical contact with the electrode terminal 51 of the object under test 2, a load is generated from the electrode terminal 51 toward the contact portion 97. In this way, since the straight upper arm portion 931 supports the contact portion 97 in an arc shape with the base end portion 92 as the center, the contact portion 97 moves along the direction of, for example, Figure 3 In addition, for example, when overdrive is applied, the contact portion 97 may scrape the surface of the electrode terminal 51. In this way, when the movement amount and scraping amount of the contact portion 97 increase, there is a situation where the electrical contact between the contact portion 97 and the electrode terminal 51 can no longer be ensured.

[0082] In contrast, Figure 4 As shown in the example, the first arm portion 61 of the electrical contact 3 of the embodiment has a downwardly convex curved portion 611, so that when the contact portion 37 contacts the electrode terminal 51, the contact portion 37 moves in the direction relative to the electrode terminal 51 (for example, Figure 4The load is applied in the opposite direction (left direction in the case of the load), so that the movement amount of the contact portion 37 is reduced. In other words, since the first arm portion 61 has the bent portion 611, the contact portion 37 is pulled up and moves upward, so the movement amount is reduced. Of course, the same is true when overdrive is applied, and the scraping amount of the contact portion 37 is also reduced. In addition, since the first arm portion 61 has the bent portion 611, the needle pressure on the electrode terminal 51 is suppressed.

[0083] Furthermore, even if the thickness (the length in the vertical direction, hereinafter also referred to as "arm width") of the first arm portion 61 and / or the second arm portion 62 is increased in order to improve the conduction characteristics of the electrical signal flowing through the electrical contact 3, the movement amount and the scraping amount of the contact portion 37 can be adjusted by the bent portion 611 of the first arm portion 61. In other words, by adjusting the degree of bending of the top end side of the first arm portion 61 and the thickness of the arm portion 33 (the first arm portion 61 and / or the second arm portion 62), it is possible to achieve both the adjustment of the movement amount, the scraping amount, the needle pressure, etc. of the contact portion 37 and the adjustment of the conduction characteristics of the electrical signal.

[0084] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the concept of a method for setting the bent portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 in the electric contact 3 according to the embodiment.

[0085] Figure 5 In the diagram, the midpoint (imaginary point) of the interface between the straight portion 612 and the curved portion 611 is set as "point O". In addition, the axial direction of the straight portion 612 passing through point O is set as "X axis", and the straight line passing through point O on the plate surface (plane) of the plate-shaped electrical contact 3 and in a direction perpendicular to the X axis is set as "Y axis".

[0086] When designing the electrical contact 3, it is very difficult to determine (design) the curved shape of the curved portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 by considering the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, and conduction characteristics of the electrical signal of the contact portion 37. The reason is that in order to improve the conduction characteristics of the electrical signal, it is ideal to increase the thickness of the arm portion 33 (the first arm portion 61 and / or the second arm portion 62) to reduce the resistance value, but the degree of reduction in the movement amount and scraping amount of the contact portion 37 will decrease, or when the arm portion 33 is increased, the needle pressure becomes larger than the target value, so it is difficult to find the optimal arc radius (bending degree) of the curved portion 611. Since the thickness of the arm portion 33 and the arc radius of the curved portion 611 are designed in parallel, it is difficult to optimize the thickness and arc radius.

[0087] Therefore, in this embodiment, with point O as a reference, the midpoint of the interface between the first arm portion 61 and the connecting portion 34 is set to point P, and the arc radius (degree of curvature) of the bending portion 611 is calculated by changing the distance from point O to point P in the X-axis direction (also called the x distance or x coordinate value) and the distance from point O to point P in the Y-axis direction (also called the y distance or y coordinate value), that is, (x, y).

[0088] In addition, regarding the thickness (arm width) of the first arm portion 61, the thickness (x, y) of the first arm portion 61 is changed while being appropriately designed, and the optimal value of the thickness of the first arm portion 61 and the arc radius of the curved portion 611 is derived. Furthermore, the size of the arm width of the second arm portion 62 may also affect the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, resistance value, etc. of the contact portion 37. Therefore, it is also possible to specify not only the arm width of the first arm portion 61 but also the arm width of the second arm portion 62, and then change the size of the arm width of the first arm portion 61. Here, the case where the arm width of the second arm portion 62 is a fixed value is exemplified.

[0089] More specifically, the arm width (length in the vertical direction) of the entire area of ​​the first arm portion 61 extending in the left-right direction is set to "a1". And, for example, the combination of (x, y) of point P is set to (x1, y1), and the bending portion 611 is designed based on the curved line connecting point O and point P, and the theoretical value or measured value of the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, resistance value, etc. of the contact portion 37 in this case is obtained. In addition, for the combination of (x, y) of point P, the combination of x coordinate value (x distance) and y coordinate value (y distance) is continuously changed, such as (x1, y2), (x1, y3), ... or (x2, y1), (x2, y2), (x2, y3), ... (x3, y1), (x3, y2), ..., etc., and the theoretical value or measured value of the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, resistance value, etc. of the contact portion 37 in these cases is obtained.

[0090] Next, the arm width is changed to "a2", and the combination of (x, y) of point P is changed in the same manner as the above method to obtain theoretical or measured values ​​of the movement amount, scraping amount, needle pressure, resistance value, etc. of the contact portion 37.

[0091] This sequence is continuously implemented, thereby continuously adjusting the bending degree of the bending portion 611 (that is, the combination of the x distance and the y distance from the point P) and the thickness of the first arm portion 61 .

[0092] As described above, by changing the thickness (arm width) of the first arm portion 61 while adjusting the combination of (x, y) of the point P for each thickness of the first arm portion 61, the bending portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 can be easily designed, thereby adjusting the resistance value while adjusting the movement amount, scraping amount, and needle pressure of the contact portion 37.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above example, the arm width is constant throughout the entire region of the first arm portion 61 , but the arm width may be different depending on the position of the first arm portion 61 extending in the left-right direction.

[0094] For example, when a load is applied to the first arm portion 61, it is considered that the stress reaches the maximum at a position close to the base end portion 32 in the first arm portion 61 (the rear end portion of the first arm portion 61). Therefore, it is also possible to design the arm width at the rear end portion of the first arm portion 61 to be relatively large and the arm width at the top end portion of the first arm portion 61 to be relatively small. In this way, the rear end portion of the first arm portion 61, which is subjected to a large load, can be reinforced. In particular, when the x distance of the curved portion 611 is increased, a large load is generated near the connection portion between the first arm portion 61 and the base end portion 32, so the base end portion 32 of the first arm portion 61 can be effectively reinforced.

[0095] (A-2) Modified Embodiment

[0096] In the above embodiment, the case where the arm portion 33 is composed of two arm portions is exemplified, but the arm portion 33 may be composed of three or more arm portions.

[0097] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram showing the structure of an electric contact 3A according to a modified embodiment. Figure 7 1 and 2 are diagrams showing a state in which the contact portion 37 of the electric contact 3A and the electrode terminal 51 of the inspection object 2 according to the modified embodiment are in electrical contact with each other.

[0098] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The arm portion 33A of the electric contact 3A illustrated in FIG. 1 includes the first arm portion 61 , the second arm portion 62 , and the third arm portion 63 .

[0099] Furthermore, Figure 6 In the embodiment, the second arm portion 62 and the third arm portion 63 are linear members throughout the left-right direction. However, the second arm portion 62 and the third arm portion 63 may be provided with a curved portion at any position extending in the left-right direction.

[0100] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first arm portion 61 is the arm portion closest to the contact portion. The first arm portion 61 includes a straight portion 612 integrally connected to the base end portion 32 and extending straight to the left, and a curved portion 611 curved from the straight portion 612 to convexly bend downwardly and obliquely upwardly to the left.

[0101] In this case, if Figure 7As shown, since the first arm portion 61 has a bent portion 611, when the contact portion 37 contacts the electrode terminal 51, a load is also applied in a direction opposite to the direction in which the contact portion 37 moves relative to the electrode terminal 51, so that the amount of movement of the contact portion 37 is reduced. As a result, the contact portion 37 is pulled up and moves upward, so the amount of movement is reduced. The same is true when overdrive is applied, and the amount of scraping of the contact portion 37 is also reduced. In addition, since the first arm portion 61 has a bent portion 611, the needle pressure on the electrode terminal 51 is suppressed.

[0102] In addition, the design method of the bending portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 is the same as the above-mentioned design method (refer to Figure 5 ), with point O as the reference, the midpoint of the interface between the first arm portion 61 and the connecting portion 34 is set as point P, and the arc radius (bending degree) of the curved portion 611 is obtained by changing the combination of the x distance and the y distance of point P, that is, (x, y). Thus, even when the number of arm portions 33A increases to 3 or more, the combination of (x, y) of point P can be adjusted for each thickness of the first arm portion 61. Therefore, the curved portion 611 of the first arm portion 61 can be easily designed, so that the resistance value can be adjusted while adjusting the movement amount, scraping amount, and needle pressure of the contact portion 37.

[0103] (A-3) Effects of Implementation

[0104] As described above, according to this embodiment, a plate-shaped electrical contact has a plurality of arms along the left-right direction from the base end, wherein a bending portion is provided on the arm closest to the contact portion located on the contact portion side that is in electrical contact with the electrode terminal of the inspected body, thereby adjusting (controlling) the movement amount, scraping amount, and needle pressure of the contact portion. Therefore, on the one hand, the arm width of the plurality of arms can be increased to reduce the resistance value, and on the other hand, the movement amount, scraping amount, and needle pressure of the contact portion can be adjusted.

[0105] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the arc of the curved portion can be easily designed by adjusting the x distance and the y distance from the reference point on the arm portion closest to the contact portion, with the boundary between the straight portion and the curved portion as the reference point.

[0106] (B) Other Implementation Methods

[0107] In the above-mentioned embodiment, various modified embodiments are mentioned, but the present invention can also be applied to the following modified embodiments.

[0108] (B-1) In the above embodiment, the case where the base end portion 32 side of the first arm portion 61 is provided as the straight portion 612 and the contact portion 37 side is provided as the curved portion 611 is exemplified.

[0109] But it is not limited to this, for example, it can also be like Figure 8As shown, the base end portion 32 side of the first arm portion (the arm portion closest to the contact portion) 61B is set as a curved portion 611B, and the contact portion 37 side is set as a straight portion 612B.

[0110] In this case, by providing a bending portion 611 on the side of the base end portion 32 of the first arm portion 61B, when the contact portion 37 contacts the electrode terminal 51, a load is also applied in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the contact portion 37 relative to the electrode terminal 51, thereby adjusting the movement amount of the contact portion 37, the scraping amount, and the needle pressure on the electrode terminal 51.

[0111] Explanation of symbols

[0112] 3. 3A and 3B electrical contacts

[0113] 31 Installation

[0114] 32 Base end

[0115] 33, 33A and 33B Arm

[0116] 61 and 61B 1st arm

[0117] 611 and 611B Bend

[0118] 612 and 612B Straight Section

[0119] 62 2nd arm

[0120] 34 Connection

[0121] 35 Positioning unit

[0122] 351 Lower surface

[0123] 352 Position confirmation department

[0124] 36 Pedestal part

[0125] 37 Contact Department

[0126] 1 Electrical connection device

[0127] 41 Wiring substrate

[0128] 42 Electrical connection unit

[0129] 43 Probe substrate

[0130] 431 Substrate components

[0131] 432 Multilayer wiring substrate

[0132] 44 Supporting member

[0133] 2. Subject

[0134] 51 Electrode terminal.

Claims

1. An electrical contact, characterized in that: have: a mounting portion; a base end portion extending in connection with the mounting portion; a plurality of arm portions extending from the base end portion in a length direction; a connecting portion connected to the top end portion of each of the arm portions; a pedestal portion provided in connection with the connecting portion; and a contact portion located at the lower end of the pedestal portion, The plurality of arm portions respectively elastically support the contact portion in contact with the first contact object, A bent portion is provided on the connecting portion side or the base end side of the arm portion closest to the contact portion among the plurality of arm portions, A straight portion is provided on the arm portion closest to the contact portion, the straight portion is supported on the base end portion or the connecting portion, and extends in a straight line along the length direction. The curved portion is formed integrally with the straight portion and is disposed toward the connecting portion or the base end portion to suppress the movement of the contact portion. The curved shape of the curved portion is formed based on a first distance in the length direction from a reference point at the boundary between the curved portion and the straight portion on the arm portion closest to the contact portion and a second distance in the perpendicular direction relative to the length direction from the reference point on the main body surface of the electrical contact, The curved portion is designed by adjusting a combination of the first distance and the second distance of the reference point for each arm width of the arm portion while changing the arm width of the arm portion closest to the contact portion.

2. The electrical contact according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seat portion is provided with a positioning portion of the contact portion between the contact portion and the arm portion closest to the contact portion, and the positioning portion has a surface parallel to the linear portion extending linearly.

3. The electrical contact according to claim 2, characterized in that: The base portion is provided with a position confirmation portion at a position facing the positioning portion for confirming the position of the contact portion.

4. An electrical connection device, comprising a plurality of electrical contacts electrically contacting a first contact object and a second contact object, wherein the first contact object is electrically connected to the second contact object via each of the electrical contacts, wherein: The plurality of electrical contacts are the electrical contacts according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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