Probe structure and probe card device thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a probe card device including a probe structure. A plurality of probes are respectively provided through a plurality of through holes on at least two guide plates, and the at least two guide plates are stacked and separated from each other. Each probe includes a body, a contact portion, a head portion and a neck portion. The contact portion is connected to one end of the body, and the contact portion is exposed below the bottom guide plate. The head portion is connected to the other end of the body, and the head portion is exposed above the top guide plate. The neck portion is connected between the body and the head portion, and the neck portion is exposed above the top guide plate. A portion of the neck protrudes relative to the body and the head portion to form a convex portion, the convex portion forms an angle with the body, and the convex portion abuts against the upper surface of the top guide plate, the convex portion has a thickness, and the spacing between two adjacent probes is less than twice the thickness of the convex portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe structure and a probe card device thereof, and in particular to a probe structure and a probe card device capable of shortening the distance between probes. Background Art

[0002] Electrical testing of integrated circuit chips (IC chips) is crucial during the manufacturing process. During IC testing, the test equipment uses a probe card to contact the device under test (DUT) to transmit electrical signals. The test equipment then analyzes the received signals to perform electrical testing and determine if the DUT meets manufacturing quality standards.

[0003] For probe cards, the spacing between probes affects test efficiency. A smaller spacing between probes indicates a higher probe density (i.e., more probes can be accommodated per unit area), which is beneficial for testing electronic components with high contact densities. However, in existing technologies, the probes are limited by the size of the latch structure mounted on the guide plate, making it impossible to further reduce the spacing between probes.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the spacing between probes and increase the probe density of the probe card device through structural design to overcome the above-mentioned defects has become one of the important issues to be solved in the field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a probe structure and a probe card device to address the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical issues, one of the technical solutions employed in the present invention is to provide a probe structure comprising a body, a contact portion, a head portion, and a neck portion. The contact portion is connected to one end of the body, and the head portion is connected to the other end of the body. The neck portion is connected between the body and the head portion. A portion of the neck portion protrudes relative to the body and the head portion to form a convex portion, which is asymmetrically disposed relative to the body.

[0007] Preferably, the shape of the protrusion includes triangle, square, rectangle, circle or oval.

[0008] Preferably, the body, the contact portion, the head and the neck are an integrally formed structure.

[0009] Preferably, the connection between the neck and the head has a first connection area, the connection between the neck and the body has a second connection area, and the first connection area is equal to the second connection area.

[0010] Preferably, the first connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the head section, and the second connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the body section.

[0011] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the head is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the body.

[0012] Preferably, the other portion of the neck is recessed relative to the body and the head to form a recess.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the present invention is to provide a probe card device, which includes at least one upper guide plate, at least one lower guide plate, and a plurality of probes. The at least one upper guide plate has a plurality of first through holes. The at least one lower guide plate is arranged below and parallel to the at least one upper guide plate, and the at least one lower guide plate has a plurality of second through holes, with the plurality of first through holes corresponding to the plurality of second through holes. The plurality of probes are respectively inserted into the plurality of first through holes and the plurality of second through holes. Each probe includes a body, a contact portion, a head portion, and a neck portion. The contact portion is connected to one end of the body and is exposed below the at least one lower guide plate. The head portion is connected to the other end of the body and is exposed above the at least one upper guide plate. The neck portion is connected between the body and the head portion and is exposed above the at least one upper guide plate. A portion of the neck portion protrudes relative to the body and the head portion to form a convex portion, the convex portion forming an angle with the body, and the convex portion is asymmetrically arranged relative to the body. The convex portion has a thickness, and the spacing between two adjacent probes is less than twice the thickness of the convex portion.

[0014] Preferably, the shape of the protrusion includes triangle, square, rectangle, circle or oval.

[0015] Preferably, the body, the contact portion, the head and the neck are an integrally formed structure.

[0016] Preferably, the connection between the neck and the head has a first connection area, the connection between the neck and the body has a second connection area, and the first connection area is equal to the second connection area.

[0017] Preferably, the first connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the head section, and the second connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the body section.

[0018] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the head is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the body.

[0019] Preferably, the head defines a central axis along the extension direction of the probe, the contact portion defines a tangent line along the extension direction of the probe, and the distance between two adjacent central axes is equal to the distance between two adjacent tangent lines.

[0020] Preferably, the other portion of the neck is recessed relative to the body and the head to form a recess.

[0021] One of the beneficial effects of the present invention is that the probe structure and probe card device provided by the present invention can reduce the spacing between probes and increase the probe density of the probe card device through the technical solutions of "a part of the neck protrudes relative to the body and the head to form a convex portion, and the convex portion is asymmetrically arranged relative to the body" and "the convex portion has a thickness, and the spacing between two adjacent probes is less than twice the thickness of the convex portion".

[0022] To further understand the features and technical contents of the present invention, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. However, the drawings provided are only for reference and illustration and are not intended to limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional assembly of a controller device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another implementation of the probe structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another implementation of the probe structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another embodiment of the probe structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of an implementation of a probe card device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of another implementation of the probe card device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a probe structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of an implementation of a probe card device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of another implementation of the probe card device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is an explanation of the implementation of the "probe structure and probe card device" disclosed in the present invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the concept of the present invention. In addition, the drawings of the present invention are only simple schematic illustrations and are not depicted according to actual dimensions. It is stated in advance. The following embodiments will further explain the relevant technical content of the present invention in detail, but the disclosed content is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be understood that although terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are primarily used to distinguish one component from another. In addition, the term "or" as used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items, depending on the actual situation.

[0034] First embodiment

[0035] First, see Figure 1 As shown, the first embodiment of the present invention provides a probe structure of a probe S, which includes: a body 1, a contact portion 2, a head 3 and a neck 4. Specifically, the body 1, the contact portion 2, the head 3 and the neck 4 respectively refer to different sections of the probe S. The contact portion 2 is connected to one end of the body 1, and the head 3 is connected to the other end of the body 1. The neck 4 is connected between the body 1 and the head 3, and a part of the neck 4 protrudes relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a convex portion 41. The convex portion 41 is asymmetrically arranged relative to the body 1. It should be noted that the so-called asymmetrical arrangement may, for example, be that the convex portion 41 only protrudes in a fixed direction and forms an angle with the body 1, so from the appearance (such as Figure 1 As shown, the protrusion 41 is formed only on one side of the probe S. Compared to conventional probe structures in which the latches are all symmetrically arranged, the protrusion 41 of the probe S provided by the present invention is asymmetrically arranged, that is, formed only on one side of the probe structure, thereby effectively reducing the overall volume of the probe S.

[0036] Then refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention is not limited to the shape of the protrusion 41. More specifically, the specific structure of the protrusion 41 can be adjusted and changed according to the needs of the designer. The following lists possible implementations of the protrusion 41 of this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the shape of the protrusion 41 includes a rectangle (see Figure 1 ), square (see Figure 2 ), triangle (see Figure 3 ) or arc (see Figure 4 ). It is also worth mentioning that the body 1, contact portion 2, head 3, and neck 4 are integrally formed from a metal conductor. The present invention is not limited to the molding method. For example, the body 1, contact portion 2, head 3, and neck 4 can be formed from a metal conductor by molding or laser cutting.

[0037] In addition, it should be noted that the present invention is shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 8 ) is a cross-sectional schematic diagram, so the areas mentioned in the specification (including the connection area and cross-sectional area to be mentioned below) are represented by line segments in the figure.

[0038] Continue reading Figure 1 As shown, the connection between the neck 4 and the head 3 has a first connection area A1, and the connection between the neck and the body has a second connection area A2. Preferably, in this embodiment, the first connection area A1 is equal to the second connection area A2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first connection area A1 is equal to the cross-sectional area A3 of the head, and the second connection area A2 is equal to the cross-sectional area A4 of the body. It is worth noting that the cross-sectional area A3 of the head is less than or equal to the cross-sectional area A4 of the body.

[0039] See Figure 5 As shown, the first embodiment of the present invention further provides a probe card device M, which mainly includes at least one upper guide plate P1, at least one lower guide plate P2 and a plurality of probes S. The at least one upper guide plate P1 has a plurality of first through holes C1. The at least one lower guide plate P2 is arranged below the at least one upper guide plate P1 and is parallel to the at least one upper guide plate P1. The at least one lower guide plate P2 has a plurality of second through holes C2, and the plurality of first through holes C1 respectively correspond to the plurality of second through holes C2. The specific structure of the probe S and its implementation can be found in Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the probe S includes a body 1, a contact portion 2, a head 3, and a neck 4. The contact portion 2 is connected to one end of the body 1, the head 3 is connected to the other end of the body 1, and the neck 4 is connected between the body 1 and the head 3. A portion of the neck 4 protrudes relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a protrusion 41, and the protrusion 41 is asymmetrically arranged relative to the head 3.

[0040] A plurality of probes S are respectively provided through a plurality of first through holes C1 on at least one upper guide plate P1 and a plurality of second through holes C2 on at least one lower guide plate P2. In detail, since at least one upper guide plate P1 is provided above at least one lower guide plate P2, each probe S first passes through the first through hole C1 and then through the second through hole C2 from top to bottom. The contact portion 2 of the probe S will be exposed below at least one lower guide plate P2 to contact the object to be tested T. The head 3 and the neck 4 are exposed above at least one upper guide plate P1. In this embodiment, two upper guide plates P1 and two lower guide plates P2 are taken as an example. Figure 5 As shown, after the probe S passes through the two layers of upper guide plates P1 and the two layers of lower guide plates P2, the contact portion 2 will be exposed below the lowest layer of lower guide plate P2, while the head 3 and the neck 4 will be exposed above the upper layer of upper guide plate P1, and the body 1 will be located between the upper guide plate P1 and the lower guide plate P2.

[0041] In other words, along the straight line direction of the guide plate (upper guide plate P1 and lower guide plate P2) toward the object to be measured T (such as Figure 5 (As shown, from top to bottom, the probe S is formed in the following order: head 3, neck 4, body 1, and contact portion 2. When the probe S passes through the first through-hole C1 of the upper guide plate P1 and the corresponding second through-hole C2 of the lower guide plate P2, the contact portion 2 passes through the second through-hole C2 and contacts the object under test T, which may be, for example, but not limited to, an integrated circuit (IC) chip on a wafer. The contact portion 2 directly contacts the chip's pads or bumps (not shown), allowing the probe to probe each chip on the wafer, extracting chip signals. This chip signal data is then sent to the test equipment for analysis and evaluation.

[0042] Continue reading Figure 5 As shown, the probe S rests against the upper surface of the topmost guide plate P1 via the protrusion 41 of the neck 4, securing the probe S to the guide plates (upper guide plate P1 and lower guide plate P2) and preventing the probe S from passing through the first through hole C1 and the second through hole C2 and falling off the probe card device M. The protrusion 41 has a thickness D, which is the distance between one end of the protrusion 41 and a side surface of the head 3. In addition, the head 3 defines a central axis L1 along the extension direction of the probe S, and the contact portion 2 defines a tangent line L2 along the extension direction of the probe S. The distance between two adjacent axes L1 is equal to the distance between two adjacent tangent lines L2. In other words, when the multiple probes S are secured to the guide plates (upper guide plate P1 and lower guide plate P2), they are arranged in a spaced arrangement. Adjacent probes S are separated by a spacing H, where the spacing H refers to the distance between two adjacent axes L1. Preferably, the spacing H between two adjacent probes S is less than twice the thickness D.

[0043] It is worth mentioning that, compared with the symmetrically arranged tenons on the probe structure of the probe card device in the prior art, the convex part 41 of the probe S provided by the present invention is asymmetrically arranged, that is, it is only formed on one side of the probe structure. Therefore, not only can the overall volume be reduced, but when multiple probes S are fixedly arranged at intervals between the guide plates (upper guide plate P1 and lower guide plate P2), the distance H between two adjacent probes S can be shortened significantly. Therefore, the probe density of the probe card device M can be increased. For example, the distance between two adjacent probes S on the probe card device M in the prior art is generally about 50 to 100 micrometers (μm), while the distance H between two adjacent probes S on the probe card device M of the present invention can be further shortened to 45 micrometers (μm) or less than 45 micrometers (μm).

[0044] Refer to Figure 6 as shown in Figure 6 a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the probe card device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 It can be seen that the arrangement directions of the convex parts 41 of two of the probes S of the probe card device M are different, that is, the convex parts 41 are located on different sides. That is to say, the present invention is not limited by the arrangement direction of the convex parts 41. Further, the convex parts 41 of the two probes S protrude in opposite directions, so the distance H between the two probes S is not limited by the convex parts 41, making the distance H able to be further shortened. Preferably, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6 the distance H between two adjacent probes S can be less than the thickness D of the convex part 41, that is, H < D. Thereby, the distance between two adjacent probes S is further shortened, and the probe density of the probe card device M is further increased.

[0045] Second Embodiment

[0046] Refer to Figure 7 as shown in Figure 7 a schematic diagram of the probe structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Compare Figure 7 and Figure 1It can be seen that the main difference between the probe structure of the second embodiment of the present invention and the first embodiment is that the other part of the neck 4 is recessed relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a recess 42. Specifically, the probe structure of the second embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a body 1, a contact part 2, a head 3 and a neck 4. The contact part 2 is connected to one end of the body 1, and the head 3 is connected to the other end of the body 1. The neck 4 is connected between the body 1 and the head 3. A part of the neck 4 protrudes relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a convex part 41, and the other part of the neck 4 is recessed relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a concave part 42. The convex part 41 is arranged asymmetrically relative to the head 3, that is, the convex part 41 on the probe structure is only formed on one side of the probe structure, and the concave part 42 is arranged on the opposite side of the side of the probe structure where the convex part 41 is formed. In other words, the convex part 41 and the concave part 42 are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the probe structure. The structural design of the concave part 42 is intended to appropriately reduce the volume of the neck 4 of the probe S structure, thereby reducing the material cost required to manufacture the probe S.

[0047] Continue reading Figure 7 As shown, the connection between the neck 4 and the head 3 has a first connection area A1, and the connection between the neck and the body has a second connection area A2. Preferably, in this embodiment, the first connection area A1 is equal to the second connection area A2. Preferably, in this embodiment, the first connection area A1 is smaller than the cross-sectional area A3 of the head, and the second connection area A2 is smaller than the cross-sectional area A4 of the body. It is worth noting that the cross-sectional area A3 of the head is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area A4 of the body.

[0048] Next, see Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 The second embodiment of the present invention further provides a probe card device M, which mainly includes at least one upper guide plate P1, at least one lower guide plate P2 and a plurality of probes S. The specific structure of the probe S can be found in Figure 6 As shown, its specific structure has been described in detail in the previous paragraph and will not be repeated here. At least one upper guide plate P1 has a plurality of first through holes C1. At least one lower guide plate P2 is disposed below and parallel to the at least one upper guide plate P1. The at least one lower guide plate P2 has a plurality of second through holes C2. The plurality of first through holes C1 correspond to the plurality of second through holes C2.

[0049] Continue reading Figure 8As shown, when multiple probes S are fixed to the guide plate (upper guide plate P1 and lower guide plate P2), they are arranged at intervals, and the convex portions 41 of the multiple probes S are located on the same side while the concave portions 42 are located on the other side. Thereby, the probe S can be fixed to the guide plate by the convex portion 41 of the neck 4 abutting against the upper surface of the uppermost upper guide plate P1, preventing the probe S from passing through the first through hole C1 and the second through hole C2 and falling off from the probe card device M. There is a spacing H between two adjacent probes S. Preferably, the spacing H between two adjacent probes S is less than twice the thickness D of the convex portion 41, that is, H < 2D.

[0050] As mentioned above, the present invention is not limited to the arrangement direction of the convex portion 41 (or concave portion 42). Refer to Figure 9 as shown Figure 9 which is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the probe card device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 9 , it can be seen that the arrangement directions of the convex portions 41 of two of the probes S of the probe card device M are different, that is, the convex portions 41 are located on different sides (or the concave portions 42 are located on different sides). More precisely, the two probes S face each other with the concave portions 42, so the spacing H between the two probes S is not limited by the convex portion 41 and the spacing H can be further shortened. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in Figure 9 , the spacing H between two adjacent probes S can be less than the thickness D of the convex portion 41, that is, H < D. Thereby, the spacing between two adjacent probes S is further shortened, and the probe density of the probe card device M is further increased.

[0051] Advantages of the embodiment

[0052] One of the beneficial effects of the present invention is that the probe S structure and the probe card device M provided by the present invention can reduce the spacing between probes and increase the probe density of the probe card device through the technical solutions of "a part of the neck 4 protrudes relative to the body 1 and the head 3 to form a convex portion 41, and the convex portion 41 is asymmetrically arranged relative to the head 3" and "the convex portion 41 has a thickness D, and the spacing between two adjacent probes S is less than twice the thickness D of the convex portion 41".

[0053] Furthermore, the convex portions 41 of the multiple probes S can be located on different sides, for example, the convex portions 41 of two adjacent probes S protrude in opposite directions. At this time, the spacing between two adjacent probes S can be further shortened. Preferably, the spacing H between two adjacent probes S can be less than the thickness D of the convex portion 41.

[0054] The content disclosed above is only the preferred feasible embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention are included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A probe card device, characterized in that: The probe card device comprises: At least one upper guide plate, wherein the at least one upper guide plate has a plurality of first through holes; At least one lower guide plate is disposed below the at least one upper guide plate and is parallel to the at least one upper guide plate, the at least one lower guide plate having a plurality of second through holes, the plurality of first through holes corresponding to the plurality of second through holes respectively; and A plurality of probes are respectively disposed in the plurality of first through holes and the plurality of second through holes, each of the probes comprising: ontology; a contact portion connected to one end of the body, wherein the contact portion is exposed below the at least one lower guide plate; a head connected to the other end of the body, the head being exposed above the at least one upper guide plate; and a neck portion connected between the body and the head portion, the neck portion being exposed above the at least one upper guide plate, a portion of the neck portion protruding relative to the body and the head portion to form a convex portion, the convex portion forming an angle with the body, and the convex portion being asymmetrically disposed relative to the body; wherein the convex portion has a thickness, and a distance between two adjacent probes is less than twice the thickness; wherein the distance between the two central axes of two adjacent probes is less than the thickness of the convex portion; wherein the width of the cross section of the neck is greater than the width of the first through hole; The convex portion is formed on only one side of the probe, and the concave portion is provided on an opposite side of the probe to the side where the convex portion is formed, and the convex portions of the two probes protrude in opposite directions.

2. The probe card device according to claim 1, wherein The shape of the protrusion includes triangle, square, rectangle, circle or ellipse.

3. The probe card device according to claim 1, wherein The body, the contact portion, the head portion, and the neck portion are integrally formed.

4. The probe card device according to claim 1, wherein The connection between the neck and the head has a first connection area, and the connection between the neck and the body has a second connection area, and the first connection area is equal to the second connection area.

5. The probe card device according to claim 4, wherein: The first connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the head, and the second connection area is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the body.

6. The probe card device according to claim 5, wherein: The cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the head is smaller than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross section of the body.

7. The probe card device according to claim 1, wherein The head defines the central axis along the extending direction of the probe, the contact portion defines a tangent line along the extending direction of the probe, and a distance between two adjacent central axes is equal to a distance between two adjacent tangent lines.

8. The probe card device according to claim 1, wherein Another portion of the neck is recessed relative to the body and the head to form the recess.

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