Fixtures and test methods for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components

Abstract

This invention provides a fixture and testing method for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, including a support plate; a test motherboard disposed on the upper surface of the support plate; a pin-punch test board cascaded with the test motherboard via gold strip; a limiting plate disposed on the test motherboard, with a receiving space formed in the middle of the limiting plate; a pin plate disposed within the receiving space; and a pressure application component that enters from above the receiving space and applies force to the BGA packaged component to establish a conductive connection between the BGA packaged component, the spring pins, and the test motherboard. After the pin plate is fixed to the test motherboard, the pin plate limits the spring pins to a slightly compressed state, ensuring single-point contact between the spring pins and the test motherboard. Repeated pressing tests do not produce displacement, reducing damage to the pads on the test motherboard. The limiting holes on the surface of the pin plate limit the amount of pressure applied to the component, preventing overpressure damage to the spring pins. The pin-punch test board has high flatness, allowing for automatic pin-punch testing using a probe station, resulting in high testing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of BGA packaged component testing technology, and more specifically, to a fixture and testing method for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of smaller size, more multifunctionality, and higher performance in microwave components, BGA packaging, which boasts advantages such as small package size, high integration density, numerous pins, short interconnect paths, and excellent RF performance, is increasingly being used. However, for BGA-packaged microwave components, the BGA solder balls, serving as signal input / output ports, are spherical and arranged in a non-standard array, making direct interconnection with standardized RF connectors on testing instruments impossible. Currently, the common testing method for BGA-packaged microwave components involves flexibly interconnecting the component with a test motherboard using an elastic conductor. RF connectors are then soldered onto the test motherboard, and these connectors are connected to the testing instrument to achieve the transfer of microwave signal input and output within the component, thus enabling microwave performance testing of the BGA-packaged component.

[0003] Currently, the most successfully applied elastic conductors are elastic gaskets and spring pins. However, elastic gaskets have low compression and poor microwave transmission performance, posing challenges in testing high-warpage, high-bandwidth, and high-performance microwave components. Spring pins have high compression and excellent microwave transmission performance, but during repeated pressing, the pin tip is prone to damaging the metal pads on the test motherboard, resulting in complex wiring, high manufacturing costs, and difficult replacement. Furthermore, new BGA-packaged microwave components have multiple channels, numerous specifications, and high performance. The RF connectors on the motherboard connect to the test instruments via cables, making manual switching of multiple channels time-consuming and error-prone. Repeated cable bending leads to poor accuracy and consistency in test results, failing to meet the high-efficiency, high-precision testing requirements of large-volume microwave components.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to design test fixtures to achieve non-destructive, high-efficiency, high-precision, and high-bandwidth automated testing of the microwave performance of BGA packaged components. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] Therefore, the first aspect of the present invention provides a fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components.

[0007] The second aspect of this invention provides a microwave performance testing method for BGA packaged components.

[0008] This invention provides a fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, comprising:

[0009] Support plate;

[0010] A test motherboard is disposed on the upper surface of the support plate, wherein a plurality of metal pads are formed on the test motherboard;

[0011] The needle puncture test board is connected to the test motherboard via a gold strip.

[0012] A limiting plate is disposed on the test mother plate, wherein a receiving space is formed in the middle of the limiting plate;

[0013] A pin plate is disposed within the receiving space, wherein the pin plate has a plurality of through holes for mounting spring pins, the spring pins being placed therein in a slightly compressed state, the BGA package assembly is placed above the pin plate and within the receiving space, the upper ends of the spring pins correspond one-to-one with and are in close contact with the BGA solder balls of the BGA package assembly, and the lower ends of the spring pins correspond one-to-one with and are in close contact with the metal pads on the test motherboard.

[0014] A pressure-applying component enters from above the receiving space and applies force to the BGA package assembly to establish a conductive connection between the BGA package assembly, the spring pin, and the test motherboard.

[0015] The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the above-described technical solution of the present invention may further have the following additional technical features:

[0016] In the above technical solution, the needle plate is a split structure, consisting of an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the through hole includes:

[0017] A limiting hole is formed on the end face of the upper plate;

[0018] A first contraction hole is formed below the limiting hole and communicates with the limiting hole;

[0019] Assembly holes are formed in the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper part of the assembly hole communicates with the first shrink hole;

[0020] The second shrinkage hole is formed on the end face of the lower plate, and its upper end is connected to the lower end of the assembly hole;

[0021] Wherein, the diameter of the limiting hole is greater than the diameter of the assembly hole, which is greater than the diameter of the first shrinkage hole; and the diameter of the assembly hole is greater than the diameter of the second shrinkage hole.

[0022] In the above technical solution, the test mother plate and the needle test plate form a test channel, and metal ribs are bonded between adjacent test channels.

[0023] In the above technical solution, the pressure-applying component applies force to the BGA packaging component in the form of screw compression.

[0024] In the above technical solution, the limiting plate is a metal plate, and multiple metal plates are arranged to form a central accommodating space.

[0025] In the above technical solution, the needle plate is an insulating dielectric plate, and the through hole is arranged on the insulating dielectric plate.

[0026] In the above technical solution, the test motherboard is a circuit board with multi-layer wiring to realize the power supply of microwave components and the transfer input and output of microwave signals.

[0027] In the above technical solution, the pin puncture test board is a circuit board with low warpage, and the pin puncture test board is used for automatic pin puncture testing of the probe station.

[0028] The present invention also provides a microwave performance testing method for BGA packaged components, using the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components as described in any of the above technical solutions, comprising the following steps:

[0029] Install the spring pin: After installing the spring pin into the pin plate, fix it on the test mother plate. The spring pin tube is in close contact with the bottom of the smallest diameter shrinkage hole in the upper plate, and the lower needle tip of the spring pin is in close contact with the metal pad on the test mother plate, so that the spring pin is in a slightly compressed state.

[0030] Connecting the test motherboard and the pin piercing test board: The test pads on the pin piercing test board and the test motherboard are cascaded with gold strips to form test channels, and semi-circular gold-plated metal ribs are bonded between the test channels.

[0031] Operation process: Place the BGA packaged microwave component into the receiving space of the limiting plate, apply pressure with the pressure component, and further compress the lower needle of the spring pin. When the BGA solder ball contacts the edge of the limiting hole on the upper surface of the pin plate, the pressure component stops pressing down, the spring pin stops compressing, and the BGA packaged microwave component, the spring pin and the test motherboard are connected.

[0032] Testing process: The probe station is connected to the testing instrument and the computer. The probes are inserted into the pads of the pin-punch test board according to the control instructions to perform automated testing.

[0033] The fixture and testing method for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components involved in this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0034] (1) The rotating head is easy to operate and the pressure distribution is uniform;

[0035] (2) After the needle plate is fixed to the test motherboard, the needle plate limit keeps the spring needle in a slightly compressed state. The spring needle makes single-point contact with the test motherboard. Repeated pressing tests will not produce displacement, reducing damage to the solder pads on the test motherboard.

[0036] (3) The limiting holes on the surface of the needle plate will limit the amount of pressure of the component to prevent the spring needle from being damaged by overpressure;

[0037] (4) The pin test plate has extremely high flatness and can be automatically pinned using a probe station, resulting in high testing efficiency.

[0038] (5) During the test channel switching process, the cable connecting the probe station to the test instrument hardly bends, resulting in high test accuracy;

[0039] (6) The needle test board and the test mother board are connected by gold strips, which can be disassembled and replaced at any time, and the fixture has a long service life.

[0040] (7) Add metal ribs between the test channels cascaded on the needle test board and the test mother board to improve the isolation between channels, increase the test frequency, and broaden the test bandwidth.

[0041] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description of embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The above-described additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood in conjunction with the following description of the embodiments, wherein:

[0043] Figure 1 This is a front view (with the rotating head hidden) of the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2 This is a top view of the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the present invention;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a front view (with rotating head assembly) of the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the present invention.

[0046] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the pin plate in the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the spring pin in the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to the present invention.

[0048] in, Figures 1 to 5 The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows:

[0049] 1. Rotating head; 2. Limiting plate; 3. Needle plate; 301. Through hole; 3011. Limiting hole; 3012. First contraction hole; 3013. Assembly hole; 3014. Second contraction hole; 4. Spring needle; 5. Test motherboard; 6. Needle test board; 7. Metal rib; 8. Support plate; 9. Gold strip; 10. BGA packaged microwave assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0051] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention may also be practiced in other ways different from those described herein, and therefore the scope of protection of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0052] The following reference Figures 1 to 5 This invention describes a fixture and testing method for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, provided by some embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] Some embodiments of this application provide a fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the first embodiment of the present invention proposes a fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, which consists of a rotating head 1, a limiting plate 2, a pin plate 3, a spring pin 4, a test mother plate 5, a pin-punch test plate 6, a metal rib 7, and a support plate 8.

[0055] In this embodiment, more specifically, the rotating head 1 is fixed on the limiting plate 2, the limiting plate 2 is fixed on the test mother plate 5, the accommodating space inside the limiting plate 2 is provided with the needle plate 3, and the upper end surface of the support plate 8 is provided with the test mother plate 5.

[0056] In this embodiment, more specifically, the spring pins 4 are installed in the pin plate 3, which is divided into upper and lower layers. The spring pins 4 inside the pin plate 3 correspond one-to-one with the metal pads on the test motherboard 5. The pin-punch test board 6 is fixed on the support plate 8, positioned adjacent to the test motherboard 5, and the two are connected by a gold strip 9. This allows the pin-punch test board 6 to be freely replaced after multiple pin punches, simplifying operation, reducing cost, and extending the service life of the test fixture. Metal partitions 7 are bonded between the adjacent test channels connected to the upper layer of the pin-punch test board 6 and the test motherboard 5, enhancing the isolation effect and widening the operating frequency band of the test fixture. The test motherboard 5 eliminates the RF connector and connects to the highly flat pin-punch test board 6, directly performing pin punch testing via the probe station. This automates the microwave component testing process, improving testing efficiency and accuracy.

[0057] In this test, the BGA-packaged microwave component 10 is placed in the receiving space on the limiting plate 2. The component is positioned by the side wall of the cavity, aligning the BGA solder balls with the spring pins 4 in the probe plate 3. The rotating head 1 applies pressure, compressing the spring pins 4 and establishing electrical connection between the BGA-packaged microwave component 10, the spring pins 4, and the test motherboard 5. The probe station is connected to the testing instrument and, according to control commands, inserts pins into the pin-piercing test board 6, thus achieving automated testing of the microwave performance of the BGA-packaged component.

[0058] In this embodiment, more specifically, the rotating head 1 is a pressure-applying component, and the rotating head 1 can have the following structure: The rotating head 1 is connected to the limiting plate 2 by a latch, and its interior has a threaded structure. By rotating the rotary knob, the pressure head moves downward and applies force. Preferably, a spring is added between the rotary knob and the pressure head to buffer the downward pressure.

[0059] In this embodiment, more specifically, the limiting plate 2 is a metal plate with a cavity. The microwave component is placed in the cavity, and the BGA solder balls on the microwave component are aligned one-to-one with the spring pins 4 in the pin plate 3 by the limiting effect of the cavity sidewall. Optionally, the limiting plate 2 is made of aluminum, Cavaran, aluminum silicon, or copper molybdenum.

[0060] In this embodiment, more specifically, the accommodating space is the cavity on the limiting plate 2, and the position of the microwave component is fixed by the cavity wall.

[0061] In this embodiment, more specifically, the needle plate 3 is an insulating dielectric plate with an upper through hole 301. The spring needle 4 is inserted into the through hole 301 to support, isolate, and limit the spring needle 4. The limiting effect of the needle plate 3 keeps the spring needle 4 in a slightly compressed state, and the spring needle 4 makes single-point contact with the test motherboard 5. Repeated needle insertion will not cause displacement, reducing damage to the pads on the test motherboard 5. The largest limiting hole 3011 on the surface of the upper needle plate 3 can prevent the microwave component from excessively pressing down and damaging the spring needle 4, and the smallest first contraction hole 3012 in the upper needle plate 3 prevents the spring needle 4 from running out when the fixture is inverted. Optionally, the needle plate 3 is made of PTFE or PEEK. The through hole 301 includes a limiting hole 3011, a first contraction hole 3012, an assembly hole 3013, and a second contraction hole 3014. The diameter of the limiting hole 3011 is larger than the diameter of the assembly hole 3013, which is larger than the diameter of the first contraction hole 3012; and the diameter of the assembly hole 3013 is larger than the diameter of the second contraction hole 3014. The limiting hole 3011 limits the downward pressure of the pressure-applying component, the second contraction hole 3014 prevents the spring needle 4 from falling off from the bottom, and the assembly hole 3013 houses the needle body of the spring needle 4.

[0062] In this embodiment, more specifically, the spring pin 4 is a precision connector formed by riveting three basic components: a needle tip, a needle tube, and a spring. It is mainly used for precision connections in electronic products. Optionally, the spring pin 4 can be of the upper needle tip free type, the lower needle tip free type, or the upper and lower needle tip free type.

[0063] In this embodiment, more specifically, the test motherboard 5 is a circuit board with multi-layer wiring, used to realize the power supply of microwave components and the conversion of microwave signal input and output. The multi-layer wiring in the test motherboard 5 causes significant warping of the substrate, which can easily damage the probes and prevent the use of a probe station for automatic pin insertion testing. Optionally, the test motherboard 5 is a PCB base motherboard or an LTCC base motherboard.

[0064] In this embodiment, more specifically, the pin-punch test board 6 is a circuit board with extremely low warpage, which does not damage the probe and can be used for automated pin-punch testing on a probe station. Optionally, the pin-punch test board 6 is a thin-film substrate or a silicon substrate.

[0065] In this embodiment, more specifically, the probe is a test medium on the probe station that enables contact with external signals and is an important component of the probe station. Optionally, the probe is of type GSG, GS, or SG.

[0066] In this embodiment, more specifically, the metal rib 7 is a thin cavity made of metal material, used to isolate microwave signals between adjacent test channels and broaden the operating bandwidth of the test system. Optionally, the metal material is aluminum, cavar, aluminum silicon, or copper molybdenum.

[0067] The second embodiment of the present invention proposes a microwave performance testing method for BGA packaged components, using the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components as described in the above embodiments, including the following steps:

[0068] S1: The needle plate is divided into upper and lower layers. The upper layer has limiting holes of different sizes. The holes in the upper needle plate are first large, then small, and then large again. The holes in the lower needle plate are first large and then small. The needle holes at the junction of the upper and lower needle plates have the same diameter.

[0069] S2: The upper needle head of the spring needle is fixed, while the lower needle head can extend and retract freely, with a free length of 0.55 mm. After the spring needle is installed into the needle plate, it is fixed on the test mother plate. The spring needle tube is in close contact with the bottom of the minimum diameter limiting hole in the upper needle plate, and the lower needle head of the spring needle is in close contact with the metal pad on the test mother plate. The lower end of the spring needle becomes 0.50 mm in length and is in a slightly compressed state.

[0070] S3: The test pads on the thin-film base pin test board and the test motherboard are connected by gold strips, and the semi-circular gold-plated aluminum ribs are bonded between the connected adjacent test channels.

[0071] S4: The BGA packaged microwave component is placed into the limiting cavity in the limiting plate. The locking buckle of the rotating head is fastened, the knob is turned tight, and the lower needle of the spring pin is further compressed. When the BGA solder ball contacts the edge of the limiting hole on the upper surface of the pin plate, the component stops pressing down, the spring pin is no longer compressed, and the lower end length becomes 0.23 mm. The BGA packaged microwave component, the spring pin and the test motherboard are connected.

[0072] S5: The probe station connects the testing instrument and the computer. The probes make pins on the pads of the thin film-based pin-punch test board according to the control instructions to perform automated testing.

[0073] In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the terms used do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0074] Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention shall be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, characterized in that, include: Support plate; A test motherboard is disposed on the upper surface of the support plate, wherein a plurality of metal pads are formed on the test motherboard; The pin-punch test board is connected to the test motherboard via a gold strip. A limiting plate is disposed on the test mother plate, wherein a receiving space is formed in the middle of the limiting plate; A pin plate is disposed within the receiving space, wherein the pin plate has a plurality of through holes for mounting spring pins. The spring pins are placed therein in a slightly compressed state. The BGA package assembly is placed above the pin plate and within the receiving space. The BGA package assembly is limited by the cavity sidewall of the receiving space. The upper end of the spring pin corresponds to and is in close contact with the BGA solder balls of the BGA package assembly, and the lower end of the spring pin corresponds to and is in close contact with the metal pads on the test motherboard. The spring pins make single-point contact with the test motherboard and will not displace after repeated pressing tests. A pressure-applying component enters from above the receiving space and applies force to the BGA package assembly to form a conductive connection between the BGA package assembly, the spring pin, and the test motherboard. The needle plate has a split structure, consisting of an upper plate and a lower plate, wherein the through hole includes: A limiting hole is formed on the end face of the upper plate; A first contraction hole is formed below the limiting hole and communicates with the limiting hole; Assembly holes are formed in the upper plate and the lower plate, wherein the upper part of the assembly hole communicates with the first shrink hole; The second shrinkage hole is formed on the end face of the lower plate, and its upper end is connected to the lower end of the assembly hole; Wherein, the diameter of the limiting hole is greater than the diameter of the assembly hole, which is greater than the diameter of the first shrinkage hole; and the diameter of the assembly hole is greater than the diameter of the second shrinkage hole; the limiting hole is used to limit the downward pressure of the component to prevent the spring needle from being damaged by overpressure, the first shrinkage hole is used to prevent the spring needle from running out when the fixture is reversed, the second shrinkage hole is used to prevent the spring needle from falling off from the bottom, and the assembly hole is used to place the needle body of the spring needle. The test motherboard and the pin puncture test board form a test channel, and metal ribs are bonded between adjacent test channels. The pin puncture test board is used for automatic pin puncture testing of the probe station.

2. The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure-applying component applies force to the BGA package assembly in the form of screw compression.

3. The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting plate is a metal plate, and multiple metal plates are arranged to form a central accommodating space.

4. The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle plate is an insulating dielectric plate, and the through holes are arranged on the insulating dielectric plate.

5. The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test motherboard is a circuit board with multi-layer wiring to enable power supply for microwave components and to transfer microwave signal input and output.

6. The fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The needle puncture test board is a circuit board with low warpage.

7. A method for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components, using the fixture for microwave performance testing of BGA packaged components as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Install the spring pin: After installing the spring pin into the pin plate, fix it on the test mother plate. The spring pin tube is in close contact with the bottom of the smallest diameter shrinkage hole in the upper plate, and the lower needle tip of the spring pin is in close contact with the metal pad on the test mother plate, so that the spring pin is in a slightly compressed state. Connecting the test motherboard and the pin piercing test board: The test pads on the pin piercing test board and the test motherboard are cascaded with gold strips to form test channels, and semi-circular gold-plated metal ribs are bonded between the test channels. Operation process: Place the BGA packaged microwave component into the receiving space of the limiting plate, apply pressure with the pressure component, and further compress the lower needle of the spring pin. When the BGA solder ball contacts the edge of the limiting hole on the upper surface of the pin plate, the pressure component stops pressing down, the spring pin stops compressing, and the BGA packaged microwave component, the spring pin and the test motherboard are connected. Testing process: The probe station is connected to the testing instrument and the computer. The probes are inserted into the pads of the pin-punch test board according to the control instructions to perform automated testing.

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