Test head assembly of probe card and related assembly method

Abstract

The present application relates to a test head assembly of a probe card configured to be electrically connected to a test machine, the test head assembly at least comprising: a guide plate comprising an upper guide plate and a lower guide plate and provided with a through hole to accommodate a probe; the frame plate is clamped between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate; and the fixing piece is used for fixedly connecting the guide plate to the frame plate. The frame plate comprises at least two sub-frame plates which can move relative to each other to be assembled into the frame plate. The invention further relates to an assembling method of the related testing head assembly. According to the invention, the high-efficiency and relatively excellent test head assembly can be realized at low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a test head assembly of a probe card and also to a related assembly method of such an assembly. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, especially in the semiconductor chip industry, it is well known that probe cards are widely used in wafer sorting and chip sorting. The probe card is arranged between the wafer or chip and the tester so that the probes on the probe card can electrically contact the desired electrical contacts on the wafer or chip so that a specific test loop can be formed between the probe card and the wafer or chip. The tester can then measure the current, voltage and / or digital signal in the loop through the specific contacts in the chip or wafer via the electrical connection between the probe card and the wafer or chip. Then, based on the corresponding results, qualified chips / wafers can be sorted out. As is well known in the art, the probe card generally includes components such as a motherboard, a test head assembly, and electronic components. The test head assembly is provided with or inserted with a probe head, in particular, any suitable type of probe such as a buckling beam probe. Typically, these probes are replaceable so that once the probe is damaged or deformed, the damaged probe can be replaced with a good probe. In the manufacturing and maintenance process of the test head assembly, it requires a lot of labor to arrange the probe in or more specifically insert the test head assembly.

[0003] However, as semiconductor manufacturing processes become more sophisticated, the number of probes inserted or set on probe cards, especially test head assemblies, has gradually increased. Accurately inserting these probes into the test head assemblies has become increasingly challenging. Considering that although there are machines that automatically insert probes, their cost is generally very high, in this situation, improving the efficiency of manual probe insertion remains attractive.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a test head assembly that can improve the efficiency of inserting probes during the manufacture and repair of probe cards without additional cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, a test head assembly of a probe card is provided. The probe card is configured to be electrically connected to a test machine, wherein the test head assembly comprises at least:

[0006] The guide plates include an upper guide plate located on the top side and a lower guide plate located on the bottom side, the guide plates are arranged with their plate surfaces facing each other, and each of the guide plates is provided with a through hole in a corresponding probe area for receiving the probe;

[0007] a frame plate configured to hold the guide plates so that the guide plates of each layer are spaced apart from each other by a certain distance, wherein the frame plate includes an opening area to expose corresponding probe areas in the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate; and

[0008] a fixing member configured to fixedly connect the guide plate to the frame plate;

[0009] The frame plate is constructed to include at least two sub-frame plates, and the at least two sub-frame plates are constructed to be displaceable relative to each other to be assembled into the frame plate or disassembled from the frame plate.

[0010] Optionally, the test head assembly is constructed so that at least one probe each passes through a corresponding through-hole provided in a corresponding probe area of ​​the guide plate, wherein the at least two sub-frame plates are constructed so as to be able to be displaced relative to each other and assembled into a frame plate after the at least one probe has been passed through the corresponding through-hole.

[0011] Optionally, the frame plate is sandwiched between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate so that its outer side surfaces respectively abut against the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate;

[0012] Wherein, the frame plate comprises at least one track extending along the first direction on both side surfaces of the outer side thereof;

[0013] wherein each of the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate includes at least one guide rail extending in the first direction on a side thereof facing the frame plate; and

[0014] The at least one track and the at least one guide rail are constructed so that after the at least one probe has been inserted into the corresponding through hole, the track and the guide rail can slide along each other when the at least two sub-frame plates are displaced relative to each other for assembly or disassembly.

[0015] Optionally, there are two sub-frame plates and they are assembled into or disassembled from the frame plate by moving relatively closer to or away from each other; and the first direction is parallel to the direction along which the at least two sub-frame plates are relatively displaced when assembled or disassembled.

[0016] Optionally, each of the at least one track comprises partial tracks respectively provided on at least two sub-frame panels, and the partial tracks are connected to each other to form at least one track when the at least two sub-frame panels are assembled into a frame panel.

[0017] Optionally, the frame plate includes two rails arranged parallel to each other on its two outer side surfaces and each of the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate includes two corresponding guide rails on the side facing the frame plate, and wherein the two rails of the frame plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the opening area and the corresponding two guide rails in the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the probe area.

[0018] Optionally, at least two sub-frame plates include fixing interfaces for fixing them in position with each other.

[0019] Optionally, the guide plates are all transparent guide plates.

[0020] Optionally, at least one probe is a buckled beam probe.

[0021] Optionally, the upper guide plate and / or the lower guide plate each include a multi-layer sub-guide plate.

[0022] Optionally, the test head assembly further includes a third guide plate configured to be disposed between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate and also including corresponding through-holes disposed in the probe area, and wherein the frame plate is configured as a two-layer frame plate formed via sub-frame plates fixed to each other, wherein the layer plates of the two-layer frame plates are spaced a certain distance from each other to accommodate the third guide plate therebetween.

[0023] Optionally, the third guide plate includes at least one guide rail along the first direction on at least one of its two sides and at least one layer plate in the two side frame plates includes at least one track along the first direction on the side facing the third guide plate.

[0024] Optionally, at least one track is constructed as a groove track and at least one guide rail is constructed as a protruding guide rail, wherein the protruding guide rail is constructed so that the cross-sectional width at the top is greater than the cross-sectional width at the bottom and the groove track is constructed so that the cross-sectional width at the bottom is greater than the cross-sectional width of the groove opening.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present application, the present application also relates to an assembly method for a test head assembly, wherein the test head assembly is the test head assembly as described above, wherein the assembly method comprises:

[0026] - stacking the guide plates close to each other;

[0027] - aligning the perforations in the corresponding probe areas with each other;

[0028] - inserting the probes through the aligned perforations;

[0029] - Separate the guide plates from each other by a certain distance;

[0030] - aligning the at least one rail with the at least one guide rail and moving them relative to each other in a cooperative manner to dispose the frame between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate and assemble the at least two sub-frames with each other into a frame plate; and

[0031] - Fasten the guide plate to the frame plate using the fasteners.

[0032] Optionally, the guide plate is a transparent guide plate and the assembly method includes inspecting the probe area for the presence of foreign matter before inserting the probe through the aligned through-holes.

[0033] With the application, the efficiency of manufacturing and repairing the test head assembly and the probe insertion can be significantly improved, so that a highly efficient and relatively high-quality test head assembly can be achieved at a lower cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Other notable features and advantages of the present application will be apparent from the following non-limiting description provided for illustrative purposes with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 A perspective view of a test head assembly of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 FIG2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an upper guide plate and a frame plate of a test head assembly of a probe card along line AA according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 FIG2 shows an exploded schematic diagram of a test head assembly of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic flow chart showing an assembling method of the test head assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0039] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a guide plate during insertion of a probe in an assembling method of a test head assembly according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present application, its application, or uses. It will also be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0041] The following will refer to Figure 1-3 The configuration of a test head assembly 1 for a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application is described, wherein: Figure 1 A perspective view of a test head assembly 1 of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an upper guide plate and a frame plate of a test head assembly 1 of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application along line AA is shown; and Figure 3 FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a test head assembly 1 of a probe card according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0042] like Figure 1-3As shown, in an embodiment of the present application, a test head assembly 1 for a probe card includes a guide plate 12, a frame 16, a fixture 18, and optional probes 14. These components will be described in detail below. It should be noted that although the embodiments later in this application describe an embodiment in which the test head assembly 1 includes probes 14, those skilled in the art will understand that these probes 14 are merely optional and not required. In fact, these probes 14 can be assembled into the test head assembly 1 when needed and removed from the test head assembly 1 during non-testing operations such as transportation and storage. As those skilled in the art will also understand, the probe card is configured to be electrically connected to a tester for testing and sorting wafers or chips. In short, the tester uses probes inserted into and extending through the test head assembly 1 to contact specific contacts on the wafer or chip, thereby measuring the current, voltage, and / or digital signal in the circuit flowing through the specific contacts on the chip or wafer to determine the quality of the wafer or chip. This is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be further described here.

[0043] like Figure 1-3 As shown and described above, the test head assembly 1 includes a guide plate 12, which includes at least an upper guide plate 122 located on the top side and a lower guide plate 124 located on the bottom side. Figure 1-3 , an embodiment in which the guide plate includes only an upper guide plate 122 and a lower guide plate 124 is shown, but this is merely exemplary and not restrictive. In fact, various structures and compositions of the guide plate can be envisioned. For example, the upper guide plate can be constructed as a single-layer upper guide plate or composed of multiple layers of upper sub-guide plates stacked on each other, and / or the lower guide plate can also be constructed as a single-layer lower guide plate or composed of multiple layers of lower sub-guide plates stacked on each other. In the case where the upper guide plate 122 is composed of multiple layers of upper sub-guide plates stacked on each other, it can be envisioned that the multiple layers of upper sub-guide plates are stacked with their plate surfaces abutting against each other or at least two adjacent upper sub-guide plates are stacked with a certain distance between each other (for example, there is a certain gap between two adjacent upper sub-guide plates), thereby forming the upper guide plate 122 as a whole. These similar structures are also applicable to the lower guide plate 124 and will not be further described here.

[0044] The guide plates 12 are also arranged with their plate surfaces facing each other but optionally spaced apart from each other, wherein the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 need to be ensured to be spaced apart from each other by a certain distance (especially by means of a frame).

[0045] Furthermore, a portion of each guide plate is provided with a through hole 126 for a probe (as described later) to pass through, and this portion may also be referred to as a probe area 128. Figure 1-3In the embodiment of the present invention, the probe area 128 is generally located at the center of the guide plate, but this is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can set the probe area in other positions according to the specific design of the probe card without departing from the scope of the present application. Figure 1-3 The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows only one probe region located in one portion of each guide plate. However, this is merely exemplary. It is contemplated that multiple probe regions may be provided in multiple portions of the guide plate, depending on the specific design of the probe card. The distribution of these multiple probe regions may also be freely selected based on the design requirements of the probe card without departing from the scope of this application. As previously described, each of the guide plates 12 is provided with a probe region, enabling each probe 14 to penetrate each of the guide plates 12.

[0046] like Figure 1-3 As shown and described above, the test head assembly 1 optionally includes at least one probe 14, each of which is configured to pass through a corresponding through-hole 126 provided in a corresponding probe area 128 of the guide plate 12, so as to reserve an end portion on the (top or bottom) outer side of the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 of the guide plate 12 to facilitate electrical contact.

[0047] like Figure 1-3 As shown and described above, the test head assembly 1 includes at least one frame 16 configured to support and fix each of the guide plates 12 so that each of the guide plates is maintained at a certain distance from each other. Figure 1-3 As shown and in the embodiment of the present application, the frame 16 is, for example, configured as a frame plate having a generally plate-like shape to separate at least the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124. It should be noted that although the frame 16 of the present application is described below using a frame plate as an example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that this is merely exemplary and not restrictive, and that any other form of frame may be employed without departing from the scope of the present application as long as the same or similar functions as the frame plate of the present application are achieved. As previously described, the frame plate is sandwiched between the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 so that the two side surfaces of the frame plate respectively contact the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124. That is, the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 are spaced apart from each other by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the frame plate, wherein the "two side surfaces" refers to the two plate surfaces of the frame plate in the thickness direction, and as those skilled in the art will understand, these two plate surfaces represent the plate surfaces in the outer shape of the frame plate in the geometric shape (hence referred to as the outer plate surfaces). When the upper and lower guide plates abut against the two side surfaces of the frame plate, the guide plates 12 can be fixed to the frame plate accordingly by means of the fixing members 18 described later, thereby achieving assembly.

[0048] In view of the presence of the probe areas 128, the frame plate includes an opening area to expose the corresponding probe areas 128 in the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 so as not to interfere with the probes and thus to expose the ends of the respective probes 14. In the case where there are multiple probe areas 128, it is conceivable that the opening is designed to surround and accommodate all of the probe areas 128.

[0049] As mentioned above, in order to ensure that the guide plate 12 is fixed to the frame 16 or the frame plate, Figure 1-3 As shown, the test head assembly 1 further includes fixing members 18, which are configured to fix the guide plate 12 to the frame plate or frame 16. Figure 1-3 As shown, the fasteners 18 may be screws, rivets, or any other fasteners that pass through the guide plate and frame plate without departing from the scope of the present application. In the case of fasteners such as screws, it is contemplated that the guide plate 12 and frame 16 each include perforations that can be aligned with each other and passed through by the fasteners to secure the guide plate to the frame. In the case of frame plates, it is also contemplated that the fasteners 18, such as screws, can pass through each of the guide plates 12 and the frame plate itself to secure the assembly. Alternatively, the fasteners 18 may include additional clamps, pins, snaps, etc. that can limit movement of the guide plate relative to the frame 16 or frame plate. These variations are also within the scope of the present application as long as they can maintain the guide plate 12 secured to the frame 16 or frame plate. Furthermore, it is understood that at least a portion of overlapping contact areas or aligned contact areas between the guide plate 12 and the frame 16 or frame plate are required to ensure securement between the guide plate 12 and the frame 16 or frame plate.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present application, in particular Figure 1-3 As shown, the frame plate is constructed to include at least two sub-frame plates 162, 164, which can be displaced relative to each other and assembled or spliced ​​into a frame plate or disassembled from the frame plate into the at least two sub-frame plates. Figure 1-3 As shown in the embodiment, the at least two sub-frame plates can be assembled into a complete frame plate by translating closer to each other. Optionally, the formation of the frame plate is then achieved by fixing the at least two sub-frame plates 162, 164 to each other. As mentioned above, considering that in the case of a frame plate, the frame plate is arranged between the upper and lower guide plates, it can be determined that the upper and lower guide plates in the guide plate 12 are respectively located on the two side plate surfaces of the assembled frame plate and the probe area 128 is located just in the opening of the assembled frame plate. It should be noted that for the at least two sub-frame plates 162, 164, each of them includes at least a portion of the opening, that is, each sub-frame plate includes at least a portion of the periphery of the opening and these portions form a complete opening around the probe area 128 after being assembled with each other.

[0051] With this modular frame plate structure, the frame plate can be assembled around the probe areas 128 after the probes have been inserted into the probe areas. In other words, the probes 14 can be inserted first and then the frame plate can be assembled, which obviously helps to simplify the assembly process of the test head assembly 1.

[0052] In the embodiments of the present application, in particular Figure 1-3 As shown, the frame plate includes at least one track 166 extending along the first direction on each of its two side surfaces. That is, the assembled frame plate includes at least one track on both sides. Preferably, the at least one track 166 is completely located in the overlapping contact area or aligned contact area between the frame plate and the guide plate 12 (especially the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate). Therefore, correspondingly, each of at least the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate of the guide plate includes at least one guide rail 1210 extending along the first direction on its side facing the frame plate. Obviously, preferably, the at least one guide rail 1210 is also completely located in the overlapping contact area or aligned contact area between the frame plate and the guide plate, especially the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate. Therefore, the cooperation between the track and the guide rail can achieve guidance of the guide plate and ensure the pre-positioning of the guide plate relative to the frame plate.

[0053] Therefore, one of the at least one rail 166 and the corresponding guide rail in the at least one guide rail 1210 are constructed so that after at least one probe 14 has been inserted into the corresponding perforation (or probe area), when at least two sub-frame plates are displaced relative to each other and assembled or disassembled, the rail and the guide rail can slide in cooperation with each other accordingly. In other words, since the guide rail and the track are both located in the area where the guide plate and the frame plate are aligned and in contact with each other, when the frame plate is assembled, the frame plate and the guide plate can be displaced relative to each other along the rail or the guide rail to move to the desired position. Therefore, it is obvious that the extension direction of the rail and the guide rail is completely collinear or parallel. Due to the nature of the rail-guide rail structure, the relative displacement of the frame plate and the guide plate in directions other than the extension direction of the rail and / or the guide rail is obviously limited or even eliminated. Therefore, it can be particularly helpful to pre-position the relative displacement of the guide plate 12 and the frame plate when assembling the frame plate. Since the frame plate includes at least two sub-frame plates 162, 164 and each sub-frame plate includes a portion in the opening, the sub-frame plates can be placed outside the probe area 128 without interfering with or passing through the probe 14 when the probe has been assembled into the guide plate.

[0054] Preferably and as Figure 1-3As shown, there are two sub-frame plates, namely a first sub-frame plate 162 and a second sub-frame plate 164. As mentioned above, the two sub-frame plates each include at least a portion of an opening to form an open opening area. Therefore, the two sub-frame plates can be assembled into a frame plate or disassembled from the frame plate into separate sub-frame plates by moving closer to or away from each other. It should be understood that Figure 1-3 In the embodiment, the two sub-frame panels are configured as completely split structures, but this is merely exemplary. Alternatively, the two sub-frame panels may be connected to each other on one side of the frame panel to form a hinged structure, and thus assembled into the frame panel or disassembled from the frame panel into sub-frame panels by rotating toward or away from each other about the hinged structure. In the case of the two sub-frame panels described above, the first direction is parallel to the direction along which at least the two sub-frame panels are relatively displaced when assembled or disassembled. For example, in the case of translational movement, the first direction is parallel to or colinear with the direction in which the two sub-frame panels are displaced relative to each other.

[0055] The first direction along which the track or guide rail extends is parallel to the direction in which the two sub-frame plates are displaced relative to each other when assembled or disassembled, so that when the frame plates are assembled, the guide plate 12 can be displaced along the first direction to a desired position. Considering that the probe 14 has been installed in the probe area 128 when the frame plates are assembled, the first sub-frame plate 162 of the two sub-frame plates is inserted between the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 on one side of the guide plate 12 and the upper and lower guide plates are slid along the first direction (the track and the guide rail slide in cooperation with each other), and then the second sub-frame plate is inserted between the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 on the opposite side and also slides along the first direction (as described above) until it cooperates with the first sub-frame plate to form a complete frame plate. Optionally, at least two of the sub-frame plates include a fixing interface for fixing to each other. For example, in the case of two sub-frame plates, optionally, the first sub-frame plate 162 includes a lug 1610 on its end surface opposite the second sub-frame plate 164 and a cavity 1612 on the second sub-frame plate 164 on its end surface opposite the first sub-frame plate 162 to receive the lug 1610. Of course, it is conceivable that the first sub-frame plate 162 includes a lug and a cavity on its end surface opposite the second sub-frame plate 164 and the second sub-frame plate includes a cavity and a lug on its end surface opposite the first sub-frame plate, so that the first and second sub-frame plates can be mated and connected at the end surfaces facing each other. Further, it is conceivable that perforations through the corresponding cavities and lugs enable the first and second sub-frames to be fixed to each other by means of structures such as screws, rivets, etc. Of course, any other suitable form of fixing interface such as a snap-fitting portion, a clamp (e.g., a clamp that simultaneously clamps the first and second sub-frame plates) can be considered to ensure the fixed fit between the first and second sub-frame plates.

[0056] Of course, other numbers of sub-frame plates, such as more than two, are contemplated, and such embodiments do not depart from the scope of the present application. In fact, a larger number of sub-frame plates can be considered as further separating the first and second sub-frame plates into more sub-frame plates. These sub-frame plates can each be assembled into the first and second sub-frame plates through similar steps as described above for assembling the frame plates, and then assembled into the desired frame plates according to the steps described above. Therefore, the number of sub-frame plates is not limiting, but rather exemplary.

[0057] Optionally and as Figure 1-3 As shown, each of the at least one track 166 comprises a partial track provided on at least two sub-frame panels, and these partial tracks are connected to each other to form at least one track when the at least two sub-frame panels are assembled into a frame panel. In other words, each track can be allocated to each sub-frame panel according to the relationship between the frame panel and the sub-frame panel without departing from the scope of the present application. Of course, it is conceivable that no track is provided in some of these sub-frames, and this obviously does not depart from the scope of the present application.

[0058] Optionally and as Figure 1-3 As shown, the frame plate includes two parallel rails 166 on each of its outer side surfaces, and each of the upper guide plate 122 and lower guide plate 124 in the guide plate 12 includes two corresponding guide rails 1210 on the side facing the frame plate. The number of guide rails or tracks is merely exemplary and non-restrictive. Considering the efficiency of track and guide rail alignment during installation and the stability of the guide plate relative to the frame plate, two rails 166 or guide rails 1210 can significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of the rails or guide rails while also ensuring sufficient stability of the guide plate relative to the frame plate.

[0059] Furthermore, the two rails of the frame plate can be respectively provided on both sides of the opening, and thus the corresponding two guide rails 1210 in the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 are respectively provided on both sides of the probe area 128. Preferably, the two sides are preferably two sides in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. Since the rails 1210 are provided on both sides of the opening, the stability of the guide plate 12 relative to the frame plate can be ensured.

[0060] Preferably, the guide plates are all transparent guide plates. In this case, impurities that may affect the insertion of the probe can be easily found by visual inspection during the insertion of the probe and removed in advance, which obviously increases the accuracy and efficiency of the insertion of the probe.

[0061] Preferably, in the embodiments of the present application, at least one probe is a buckled beam probe. Of course, this is merely exemplary and not restrictive. In practice, in the embodiments of the present application, the probe may be any probe of any form or configuration known in the art that can be installed and used by inserting a guide plate without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0062] Alternatively, it is contemplated that, in addition to the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124, the test head assembly 1 may further include a third guide plate (not shown), which is configured to be positioned between the upper guide plate 122 and the lower guide plate 124 and also includes corresponding perforations in the corresponding probe areas 128. In this case, the frame or frame plate may need to include additional structures for securing the third guide plate. In the case of the frame plate, it is contemplated that the frame plate may be a two-layer frame plate secured to each other. It should be understood that the term "two-layer frame plate" means that the frame plate includes two layers secured to each other, with space and location reserved between the two layers for securing the third guide plate. For example, the two layers may be spaced a certain distance apart to accommodate the third guide plate therebetween.

[0063] Optionally, the third guide plate includes at least one guide rail extending in the first direction on at least one of its two sides, and at least one of the two frame plates includes at least one track extending in the first direction on the side facing the third guide plate. That is, the third guide plate also achieves a predetermined position of the third guide plate relative to the frame plate through a track-guide rail matching structure. It should be understood that in this embodiment of the two-layer frame plate, the upper and lower guide plates are still respectively fixed to the two side plate surfaces of the two-layer frame plate. Accordingly, the area corresponding to the third guide plate and the frame plate also includes a structure capable of fixing the third guide plate to the frame plate.

[0064] Preferably, in an embodiment of the present application, at least one track 166 is constructed as a groove track and at least one guide rail 1210 is constructed as a protruding guide rail. Of course, this is merely exemplary, and it is conceivable that the track is a protruding track and the guide rail is a groove guide rail without departing from the scope of the present application, as long as the track-guide rail cooperative movement can be achieved. Further, it is conceivable that the protruding guide rail is constructed so that the cross-sectional width of the top (the side away from the guide plate) is greater than the cross-sectional width of the bottom (the side close to the guide plate) and the groove track is constructed so that the cross-sectional width of the bottom is greater than the cross-sectional width of the groove opening. This construction is similar to a traditional mortise and tenon joint. Preferably, the cross-sectional width of the groove opening is smaller than the cross-sectional width of the top of the protruding guide rail, so that the protruding guide rail cannot be directly removed through the groove opening but can only be removed by sliding relative to each other, thereby limiting the freedom of movement of the guide plate relative to the frame plate and ensuring stability and firmness between each other.

[0065] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present application, based on Figure 4-5 The following describes an assembly method of a test head assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein: Figure 4 A schematic flow chart showing an assembling method of the test head assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present application; and Figure 5 FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a method of assembling the test head assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present application during the insertion of a probe.

[0066] First, it should be understood that the assembly method described in the embodiments of the present application is for Figure 1-3 The test head assembly 1 shown in and / or described above. When assembling the test head assembly 1, the following steps may be included:

[0067] At step 400, the guide plates are stacked closely together. It should be understood that "stacked closely together" means stacking the guide plates directly on top of each other with as little spacing as possible between them. Stacking the guide plates closely together minimizes the probe's travel between the upper and lower guide plates during insertion, which is particularly helpful for inserting buckled beam probes. The shorter the probe's travel, the more accurate and efficient the insertion.

[0068] At step 402, the perforations in the corresponding probe areas in each guide plate are aligned with each other. This alignment means that the probe areas are aligned in a desired manner according to the design requirements and the desired perforations in these probe areas are aligned with each other. For example, these probe areas can be completely aligned and the perforations therein are all aligned with each other.

[0069] After the desired through-holes are aligned with each other, at step 404 , a probe is inserted through the aligned through-holes.

[0070] After the probes are inserted, the guide plates are separated from each other by a predetermined distance at step 406. In other words, at step 406, the guide plates are spaced apart by a predetermined distance. This allows at least a portion of the probes to be located within the enlarged gaps between the corresponding guide plates, thereby providing the probes with a certain amount of deformation space within the gaps. This allows the probes to withstand a certain amount of deformation force, thereby ensuring close contact between the probes and, for example, a wafer or chip.

[0071] Then, at step 408, at least one track is aligned with at least one guide rail and relatively moved in a coordinated manner to arrange at least two sub-frame plates between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate and to assemble at least two sub-frames into a frame plate. The assembly process of the frame plate will be explained in detail here. After each guide plate is spaced a certain distance apart from each other, each track on one of the at least two sub-frame plates is aligned with the guide rail that is expected to be matched on each guide plate. It should be noted that at this time, the probe still remains inserted through each guide plate. Therefore, these guide plates have a degree of freedom of movement along the extension direction of the probe itself (i.e., along the vertical direction) and a limited degree of freedom of movement in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction (assuming that there is no such degree of freedom of movement for ease of description). Therefore, when the guide plate is assembled with the sub-frame plate, it is necessary to ensure that the sub-frame plate does not interfere with the probe and that the sub-frame plate is assembled as much as possible relative to all the guide plates that need to be matched (because the guide plate cannot move horizontally, therefore, for the guide plate, it is necessary to ensure that the sub-frame plate can complete relative positioning in a relative movement along the track). Similar operations are then performed on the other sub-frame plates, so that all the sub-frame plates ultimately constitute a complete frame plate with a closed opening surrounding the probe area.

[0072] At step 410, the guide plate is fixed to the frame plate using a fixing member to ensure the stability of the guide plate. Optionally, this step also includes fixing the sub-frame plates to each other to ensure the stability of the frame plate.

[0073] As previously mentioned, in an embodiment of the present application, the guide plate may optionally be a transparent guide plate. In this case, the assembly method further includes inspecting the probe region for impurities before inserting the probes through the aligned perforations. Because the guide plate is transparent, it is possible to visually inspect the probe region for impurities that could affect probe insertion, allowing for the immediate removal of impurities upon discovery, minimizing the impact on probe insertion and ensuring efficient probe insertion.

[0074] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present application, optionally, the assembly method also includes assembling the test head assembly 1 to the motherboard. It should be noted that in this step, the probes on one side of the test head assembly 1 are accurately aligned with the corresponding electrical contacts on the motherboard to achieve good electrical connection between the probes on this side and the motherboard.

[0075] Although the assembly method of the present application is described in a certain order in the above embodiments, this is merely exemplary and not restrictive. In practice, the order of execution of one or more of the above steps can be reversed, performed in parallel, or even omitted without departing from the scope of the present application. Furthermore, multiple steps in the above assembly method can be implemented in one step, or one step in the above method can be implemented in multiple steps. Obviously, these variations are also included in the scope of the present application without departing from the protection of the present application.

[0076] Although the embodiments of the present application are described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications or substitutions to the above embodiments based on the teachings of the present application without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A test head assembly of a probe card, the probe card being configured to be electrically connected to a test machine, wherein: The test head assembly at least comprises: A guide plate, comprising an upper guide plate located on the top side and a lower guide plate located on the bottom side, the guide plates are arranged with their plate surfaces facing each other, and the guide plates are each provided with a through hole in a corresponding probe area for receiving the probe; a frame plate configured to hold the guide plates so that the guide plates of each layer are spaced apart from each other by a certain distance, wherein the frame plate includes an opening area to expose corresponding probe areas in the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate; and a fixing member configured to fixedly connect the guide plate to the frame plate; The frame plate is constructed to include at least two sub-frame plates, and the at least two sub-frame plates are constructed to be displaceable relative to each other to be assembled into the frame plate or to be disassembled from the frame plate.

2. The test head assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The test head assembly is configured such that at least one probe each passes through a corresponding through hole provided in a corresponding probe area of ​​the guide plate, wherein the at least two sub-frame plates are configured such that they can be displaced relative to each other to be assembled into the frame plate after the at least one probe has been passed through the corresponding through hole.

3. The test head assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The frame plate is sandwiched between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate, so that the two side plate surfaces thereof are respectively in contact with the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate; Wherein, the frame plate comprises at least one track extending along the first direction on both side surfaces thereof; wherein each of the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate includes at least one guide rail extending along the first direction on a side thereof facing the frame plate; and The at least one track and the at least one guide rail are constructed so that after the at least one probe has been inserted into the corresponding through hole, the track and the guide rail can slide in cooperation with each other when the at least two sub-frame plates are displaced relative to each other for assembly or disassembly.

4. The test head assembly according to claim 3, wherein: There are two sub-frame plates, which are assembled into or disassembled from the frame plate by translationally moving closer to or away from each other; and the first direction is parallel to the direction along which the at least two sub-frame plates are relatively displaced when assembled or disassembled.

5. The test head assembly according to claim 3, wherein: Each of the at least one track includes a partial track disposed on the at least two sub-frame panels, and the partial tracks are connected to each other to form the at least one track when the at least two sub-frame panels are assembled into the frame panel.

6. The test head assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The frame plate respectively includes two rails arranged parallel to each other on its outer side plate surfaces, and each of the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate includes two corresponding guide rails on the side facing the frame plate, and wherein the two rails of the frame plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the opening area, and the corresponding two guide rails in the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate are respectively arranged on both sides of the probe area.

7. The test head assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least two sub-frame plates include fixing interfaces for fixing and positioning each other.

8. The test head assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The guide plates are all transparent guide plates.

9. The test head assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein: The at least one probe is a buckled beam probe.

10. The test head assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The upper guide plate and / or the lower guide plate each include a plurality of layers of sub-guide plates.

11. The test head assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The test head assembly further includes a third guide plate configured to be disposed between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate and also including corresponding through holes disposed in a probe area, and wherein the frame plate is configured as a two-layer frame plate formed via sub-frame plates fixed to each other, wherein the layer plates of the two-layer frame plates are spaced a certain distance from each other to accommodate the third guide plate therebetween.

12. The test head assembly of claim 11, wherein: The third guide plate includes at least one guide rail along a first direction on at least one of its two sides, and at least one layer plate of the two side frame plates includes at least one track along the first direction on a side facing the third guide plate.

13. The test head assembly of claim 3, wherein: The at least one track is configured as a groove track and the at least one guide rail is configured as a protrusion guide rail, wherein the protrusion guide rail is configured with a cross-sectional width at the top greater than the cross-sectional width at the bottom and the groove track is configured with a cross-sectional width at the bottom greater than the cross-sectional width of the groove opening.

14. A method for assembling a test head assembly, the test head assembly being the test head assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein: The assembly method comprises: - stacking the guide plates close to each other; - aligning said perforations in respective probe areas with each other; - inserting said probes through said perforations aligned with each other; - making the guide plates separated from each other by a certain distance; - causing the at least one track to be aligned with the at least one guide rail and to move relatively in cooperation so as to dispose the frame between the upper guide plate and the lower guide plate and assemble the at least two sub-frames to each other into the frame plate; and - The guide plate is fixed to the frame plate by means of fixings.

15. The assembly method according to claim 14, wherein: The guide plate is a transparent guide plate and the assembly method includes detecting the presence of foreign matter in the probe area before inserting the probe through the through holes aligned with each other.

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