Socket and inspection socket

Abstract

The invention relates to a socket and a socket for inspection. This socket electrically connects a first electrical component and a second electrical component, and is provided with: a contact pin that electrically connects a ground terminal of the first electrical component and a ground terminal of the second electrical component; and a base part having a through hole through which the contact pin is inserted so as to be in contact with the inner wall, a part of the base part being configured from an insulator, and a conductive film being formed on the inner wall of the through hole in the base part configured from the insulator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a socket and a socket for inspection. Background Art

[0002] IC sockets are known as sockets for electrically connecting electrical components such as IC packages encapsulating integrated circuits (ICs) to external electrical components (such as wiring boards). IC sockets are used to inspect electrical characteristics of IC packages during factory inspections.

[0003] The IC socket has contact pins for electrical connection between the IC package and the wiring substrate on the base, the IC package is placed on the upper surface of the base, and the wiring substrate is mounted on the lower surface of the base. The contact pins are provided to penetrate the base, and the upper ends thereof are electrically connected to the terminals of the IC package, and the lower ends thereof are electrically connected to the terminals of the wiring substrate (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] The IC socket includes a contact pin having a coaxial structure. In such an IC socket, a through hole is provided in a metal base for ground connection, and a contact pin for signal transmission is inserted into the through hole via an insulating member (for example, see Patent Document 1). Thus, a coaxial line is formed between the contact pin and the inner wall surface of the through hole in the metal base.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent No. 8758066 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] At present, the coaxial type IC sockets circulating in the market are basically the structure as described above, in which a through hole is provided in a metal (especially aluminum) base and a contact pin is inserted into the through hole. In this structure, the metal base is in direct contact with a ground pin, thereby maintaining the ground potential. The ground pin is a contact pin that is connected to the ground terminal of the IC package or wiring board.

[0010] As for the contact between the ground pin and the inner wall of the through hole, for example, the ground pin may be in closer contact with the inner wall of the through hole due to the tilt of the ground pin. When the side of the ground pin (contact pin) is made of gold, for example, and the base is made of aluminum, for example, gold and aluminum are in contact at the contact point between the ground pin and the inner wall of the through hole. However, when the base is made of an easily oxidizable metal such as aluminum, an oxide film is also formed on the inner wall of the through hole, and therefore there is a problem that the resistance value at the above-mentioned contact point becomes higher.

[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a socket and a test socket capable of reducing the resistance value of a contact point between a ground pin and a base.

[0012] Solutions to the problem

[0013] The socket of the present invention electrically connects a first electrical component to a second electrical component, and comprises:

[0014] contact pins to electrically connect a ground terminal of the first electrical component with a ground terminal of the second electrical component; and

[0015] The base has a through hole, and the contact pin is inserted through the through hole in a manner of contacting the inner wall.

[0016] A portion of the base is made of an insulator,

[0017] A conductive film is formed on an inner wall of the through hole in the base portion formed of the insulator.

[0018] The inspection socket of the present invention is used for inspecting the electrical characteristics of the first electrical component.

[0019] It is provided with the above-mentioned socket.

[0020] Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, the resistance value of the contact point between the ground pin and the base can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 It is a figure which shows the socket which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is a perspective view which shows the upper surface side of a socket.

[0023] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the base of the socket is shown.

[0024] Figure 3 Yes means Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a modified example of the base of the socket is shown.

[0025] Description of Reference Numerals

[0026] 10 IC socket

[0027] 20 Frame

[0028] 21 Accommodation

[0029] 22 Guide

[0030] 30 Upper base

[0031] 31, 32, 33 through holes

[0032] 35 Upper surface

[0033] 40 lower base

[0034] 41, 42, 43 through holes

[0035] 45 lower surface

[0036] 50, 60, 70 contact pins

[0037] 51, 61, 71 upper plunger

[0038] 54, 64, 74 lower plunger

[0039] 81, 82 Insulation sleeve

[0040] B Base DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0042] In this embodiment, as an example of a socket, an inspection socket used in an inspection device for inspecting the electrical characteristics of an electrical component is exemplified. In the inspection device, various tests are performed on the electrical component to be inspected. For example, whether the electrical component operates properly is investigated in an environment that is the same as the actual use environment of the electrical component or in an environment that is more burdensome than the actual environment.

[0043] In addition, the socket of this embodiment is an IC socket that uses the IC package as the inspection object, but the electrical component that is the inspection object of the socket may be an electrical component different from the IC package. IC is an electronic circuit, for example, including transistors, resistors, capacitors, and inductors that are interconnected on a silicon substrate.

[0044] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing an IC socket 10 according to the present embodiment, and is a perspective view showing the upper surface side of the IC socket 10 . Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a base portion B of the IC socket 10 is shown. Figure 3 Yes means Figure 2 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the base portion B of the IC socket 10 shown.

[0045] (IC socket)

[0046] The IC socket 10 includes a base B on which an IC package (not shown) is placed, and a frame 20 disposed outside an upper surface 35 of an upper base 30 (a first base in the present invention) constituting the base B. The inner side of the frame 20 functions as a receiving portion 21 for receiving the IC package. In the present embodiment, the thickness direction of the base B is referred to as the up-down direction, and hereinafter, "up" and "down" refer to up and down in the up-down direction.

[0047] The IC package is an example of the first electrical component in the present invention. In the present embodiment, as the IC package, for example, a BGA (Ball Grid Array) type IC package, an LGA (Land Grid Array) type IC package, etc. can be applied.

[0048] The wiring substrate (not shown) is mounted on the lower surface 45 of the lower base 40 (the second base in the present invention) constituting the base B. The wiring substrate is an example of the second electrical component in the present invention. In this embodiment, the wiring substrate is a wiring substrate for an inspection device for performing the above-mentioned various tests.

[0049] (Frame)

[0050] The frame 20 is a frame body that is opened in the vertical direction at the center and surrounds the opening, and the frame 20 constitutes the outer periphery of the housing 21. In the present embodiment, as an example, the shape of the opening is rectangular, but the shape of the opening can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the IC package to be housed.

[0051] A guide portion 22 for guiding the IC package to the correct position of the housing portion 21 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the frame portion 20, that is, on the inner wall of the housing portion 21. Since the guide portion 22 for guiding the IC package to the correct position of the housing portion 21 can be applied to a known technique, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0052] The guide portion 22 guides the IC package to a correct position in the housing portion 21. The IC package housed in the housing portion 21 is pressed downward by a pressing member (not shown) or the like. By this pressing, the terminals such as solder balls of the IC package come into contact with the ends of upper plungers 51, 61, 71 of contact pins 50, 60, 70 described later arranged on the base B.

[0053] The wiring board is mounted on the lower surface of the base B (lower surface 45 of the lower base 40 ) so that the terminals of the wiring board abut against the lower plungers 54 , 64 , 74 of the contact pins 50 , 60 , 70 arranged on the base B.

[0054] Therefore, when IC socket 10 is used, IC socket 10 electrically connects the terminals of the IC package accommodated in accommodation portion 21 and the terminals of the wiring board mounted on the lower surface of base B by accommodating the IC package in accommodation portion 21 and pressing it downward.

[0055] (Base)

[0056] The base B has an upper base 30 on the IC package side and a lower base 40 on the wiring substrate side. The upper base 30 and the lower base 40 are planar members having a predetermined thickness. In the thickness direction of the base B, the upper base 30 is arranged on the side where the IC package is accommodated, that is, the upper side, and the lower base 40 is arranged on the side where the wiring substrate is mounted, that is, the lower side.

[0057] The upper base 30 disposed on the upper side constitutes the bottom of the accommodating portion 21 , and an upper surface 35 of the upper base 30 serves as the bottom surface of the accommodating portion 21 .

[0058] The upper base 30 has through holes 31, 32, 33 extending vertically. The upper side of a grounding contact pin (hereinafter referred to as a grounding pin) 50 is inserted into the through hole 31, and the end of the upper plunger 51 is exposed above the upper surface 35.

[0059] The upper side of the contact pin 60 for signal (hereinafter referred to as signal pin) is inserted into the through hole 32 via an insulating sleeve 81 described later, and the end of the upper plunger 61 is arranged to be exposed above the upper surface 35. Since the insulating sleeve 81 is arranged in the through hole 32, the through hole 32 is formed to have a larger diameter than the through hole 31.

[0060] The upper side of the contact pin 70 for power supply (electricity) (hereinafter referred to as power pin) is inserted into the through hole 33 via an insulating sleeve 82 to be described later, and is arranged so that the end of the upper plunger 71 is exposed above the upper surface 35. Since the insulating sleeve 82 is arranged in the through hole 33, the through hole 33 is also formed to have a larger diameter than the through hole 31.

[0061] In addition, Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the figure, the ground pin 50 and its through hole 31, the signal pin 60 and its through hole 32, and the power pin 70 and its through hole 33 are each shown one by one, but they are arranged corresponding to the number and arrangement of the terminals of the IC package.

[0062] The upper base 30 is formed of metal (e.g., aluminum, etc.). The ground pin 50 is inserted into the through hole 31 and is arranged so that the upper tube 52 described later contacts the inner wall surface of the through hole 31. Since the metal constituting the upper base 30 is exposed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 31, the ground pin 50 is electrically connected to the upper base 30, and the ground potential of the upper base 30 is maintained.

[0063] The metal constituting the upper base 30 is also exposed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 32, but the signal pin 60 is inserted into the through hole 32 via the insulating sleeve 81. With this structure, a coaxial line is formed between the upper tube 62 and the inner wall surface of the through hole 32 described later.

[0064] The metal constituting the upper base 30 is also exposed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 33, but the power pin 70 is inserted into the through hole 33 via the insulating sleeve 82. With this structure, the upper tube 72 described later does not contact the inner wall surface of the through hole 33, thereby preventing the power pin 70 and the upper base 30 from short-circuiting.

[0065] The lower base 40 also has through holes 41, 42, and 43 that penetrate in the up-down direction. The through hole 41 is paired with the through hole 31 of the upper base 30 to form a through hole that penetrates the base B (the first through hole in the present invention). Similarly, the through hole 42 is paired with the through hole 32 of the upper base 30 to form a through hole that penetrates the base B (the second through hole in the present invention). In addition, the through hole 43 is also paired with the through hole 33 of the upper base 30 to form a through hole that penetrates the base B (the second through hole in the present invention).

[0066] The through holes 41, 42, 43 are arranged corresponding to the number and arrangement of the through holes 31, 32, 33 of the upper base 30, that is, the number and arrangement of the terminals of the IC package. In addition, a ground pin 50 is arranged in the through holes 31, 41, a signal pin 60 is arranged in the through holes 32, 42, and a power pin 70 is arranged in the through holes 33, 43.

[0067] The lower side of the ground pin 50 is inserted into the through hole 41 , and is arranged so that the end of the lower plunger 54 is exposed below the lower surface 45 .

[0068] The lower side of the signal pin 60 is inserted into the through hole 42 , and is arranged so that the end of the lower plunger 64 is exposed below the lower surface 45 .

[0069] The lower side of the power pin 70 is inserted into the through hole 43 , and is arranged so that the end of the lower plunger 74 is exposed below the lower surface 45 .

[0070] The ground pin 50 is inserted into the through hole 41 and is arranged so that a lower tube 53 described later is in contact with the inner wall surface of the through hole 41 .

[0071] Conventionally, the lower base itself is also formed of metal (e.g., aluminum) like the upper base 30. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the lower base 40 is formed of an insulating resin member (insulator in the present invention), and a gold conductive film 46 is formed on the surface of the lower base 40 including the inner walls of the through holes 41, 42, 43. The conductive film 46 is formed on the surface of the lower base 40 and the inner walls of the through holes 41, 42, 43 by plating, for example.

[0072] In addition, the conductive film 46 only needs to be arranged at a position where the upper base 30, the ground pin 50 and the wiring substrate are electrically connected inside the through hole 41, and does not necessarily need to cover the entire surface inside the through hole 41. For example, it only needs to be arranged so that the upper and lower parts of the lower tube 53 are in contact with the conductive film 46 at the position where the lower tube 53 of the ground pin 50 is arranged inside the through hole 41. With such an arrangement, the conductive film 46 can be electrically connected to the ground pin 50, so the conductive film 46 does not need to be arranged in the area inside the through hole 41 corresponding to the portion between the upper and lower parts of the lower tube 53.

[0073] The conductive film 46 is preferably a metal that is less reactive to oxygen than the metal (eg, aluminum) constituting the upper base 30 and is also preferably a metal with a low resistance value. As an example, the conductive film 46 is gold, which is a noble metal, but may be other equivalent metals.

[0074] The lower tube 53 of the ground pin 50 inserted into the through hole 41 contacts the conductive film 46 formed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 41. Since the conductive film 46 in contact with the lower tube 53 is made of gold or the like which is difficult to oxidize, the contact resistance of the contact point does not increase, and the resistance value can be reduced, and the ground potential of the lower base 40 can be maintained by electrical connection at a low resistance value.

[0075] In addition, as described above, the signal pin 60 is inserted into the through hole 32 via the insulating sleeve 81, and therefore, in the through hole 42 as well, a coaxial line is formed between the lower tube 63 described later and the conductive film 46 on the inner wall surface of the through hole 42. Through this coaxial line, an impedance-matched signal path can be provided to transmit a high-frequency electrical signal, and the data transmission speed in the IC socket 10 can be increased.

[0076] As described above, the power pin 70 is inserted into the through hole 33 via the insulating sleeve 82. Therefore, in the through hole 43 as well, the lower tube 73 described later does not contact the conductive film 46 on the inner wall surface of the through hole 43. This prevents the power pin 70 and the conductive film 46 from short-circuiting.

[0077] In addition, you can also Figure 3 As shown, the conductive film 46 is not formed on the inner wall of the through hole 43. Thus, even if the lower tube 73 contacts the inner wall of the through hole 43, the power pin 70 and the conductive film 46 will not be short-circuited.

[0078] (Contact pin)

[0079] The terminals of the IC package are electrically connected to the terminals of the wiring board via ground pins 50, signal pins 60, and power pins 70 respectively arranged in through holes 31, 41, through holes 32, 42, and through holes 33, 43 of base B (upper base 30 and lower base 40).

[0080] The ground pin 50 (first contact pin in the present invention) electrically connects the ground terminal of the IC package to the ground terminal of the wiring board. The ground pin 50 includes an upper plunger 51, an upper tube 52, a lower tube 53, a lower plunger 54, a spring (not shown), and the like.

[0081] The upper tube 52 is a cylindrical member extending in the up-down direction along the through hole 31. The lower end of the upper plunger 51 is inserted into the inner side of the upper end of the upper tube 52 and fixed.

[0082] The upper end of the upper plunger 51 is formed according to the shape of the terminal of the IC package. For example, in the case where the terminal is a solder ball, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the upper end portion is formed into a crown (crown) shape, and the solder ball contacts the inner side of the crown-shaped portion.

[0083] The lower tube 53 is a cylindrical member extending in the up-down direction along the through hole 41, and is connected to the lower end of the upper tube 52. The lower tube 53 has a larger diameter than the upper tube 52, and accommodates a spring that urges the lower plunger 54 downward. The upper end of the lower plunger 54 is inserted into the inner side of the lower end of the lower tube 53 and is held in a slidable manner.

[0084] The lower end of the lower plunger 54 is formed according to the shape of the terminal of the wiring substrate. For example, when the terminal is a pad, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the lower end portion is formed into a hemispherical shape, and the pad is in contact with the front end portion of the hemispherical shape.

[0085] In the ground pin 50, the upper plunger 51, the upper barrel 52, the lower barrel 53 and the lower plunger 54 are made of conductive metal, and the terminals of the IC package and the terminals of the wiring substrate are electrically connected. For example, the upper barrel 52 and the lower barrel 53 are made of a metal base material, and a gold film is formed on their surfaces. The film is preferably a metal that is inactive to oxygen, and further, a metal with a low resistance value. As an example, the film is gold, which is a precious metal, but it can also be other equivalent metals.

[0086] Therefore, in the ground pin 50, the lower tube 53 contacts the inner wall surface of the through hole 41, and the gold coating on the surface of the lower tube 53 contacts the conductive film 46 formed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 41. The coating on the surface of the lower tube 53 and the conductive film 46 are both made of gold, which is difficult to oxidize and has a low resistance value, so the contact resistance of their contacts does not increase, and the ground potential of the lower base 40 can be maintained by being electrically connected at a low resistance value.

[0087] The signal pin 60 (the second contact pin in the present invention) electrically connects a signal terminal for signal transmission different from the ground terminal in the IC package and a signal terminal for signal transmission different from the ground terminal in the wiring substrate. The signal pin 60 also includes an upper plunger 61, an upper tube 62, a lower tube 63, a lower plunger 64, a spring (not shown), etc., similarly to the ground pin 50.

[0088] In addition, the power pin 70 (the second contact pin in the present invention) electrically connects the power terminal for power supply different from the ground terminal in the IC package and the power terminal for power supply different from the ground terminal in the wiring substrate. The power pin 70 also includes an upper plunger 71, an upper tube 72, a lower tube 73, a lower plunger 74, a spring (not shown), etc., similar to the ground pin 50.

[0089] In this embodiment, the signal pin 60 and the power pin 70 have the same structure as the ground pin 50. Therefore, detailed description of the signal pin 60 and the power pin 70 is omitted, but the signal pin 60 and the power pin 70 are arranged in the through holes 32 and 33 with insulating sleeves 81 and 82 made of insulating material arranged on the outer periphery.

[0090] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the insulating sleeve 81 is disposed at two locations on the upper and lower sides of the outer circumference of the upper tube 62 and is fitted into the through hole 32. Thus, the signal pin 60 does not contact the through holes 32, 42 (conductive film 46) and does not fall off from the through holes 32, 42.

[0091] The insulating sleeve 82 is also arranged at two locations on the upper and lower sides of the outer circumference of the upper tube 72 similarly to the insulating sleeve 81, and is fitted into the through hole 33. Thus, the power pin 70 does not contact the through holes 33, 43 (conductive film 46) and does not fall off from the through holes 33, 43.

[0092] in addition, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The ground pin 50 , signal pin 60 , and power pin 70 shown are merely examples, and their shapes, sizes, etc. may be appropriately changed according to the shape, size, etc. of the terminal of the IC package, for example.

[0093] (Summarize)

[0094] As described above, in this embodiment, the IC socket 10 includes at least the ground pin 50 and the base B (lower base 40) having the through hole 41, and the ground pin 50 is inserted into the through hole 41 in a manner of contacting the inner wall. The lower base 40 is made of an insulator, and the conductive film 46 made of a metal inactive to oxygen is formed on the inner wall of the through hole 41 in the lower base 40.

[0095] The ground pin 50 is in contact with the conductive film 46 made of a metal inactive to oxygen at the base B (through hole 41 of the lower base 40). Since the conductive film 46 in contact with the ground pin 50 is difficult to oxidize, the contact resistance of the contact point does not increase, and the resistance value can be reduced, and the ground potential of the lower base 40 can be maintained by electrical connection with a low resistance value.

[0096] In particular, when the coating or conductive film 46 on the surface of the lower tube 53 of the ground pin 50 is made of gold, the resistance value is low, so that the ground potential of the lower base 40 can be maintained by electrical connection with low contact resistance.

[0097] The above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of specific implementations of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited by these embodiments. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof.

[0098] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the base B is composed of the upper base 30 made of metal (e.g., aluminum) on the IC package side and the lower base 40 made of an insulating resin member on the wiring substrate side, but the present invention is not limited to such a structure. For example, the upper base 30 and the lower base 40 around the signal pin 60 and the power pin 70 may be formed of metal (e.g., aluminum), and the upper base 30 and the lower base 40 around the ground pin 50 may be formed of an insulating resin member (insulator).

[0099] In this case, a conductive film made of a metal inactive to oxygen may be formed not only on the inner wall of the through hole 41 of the lower base 40 but also on the through hole 31 of the upper base 30. Since the conductive film is difficult to oxidize, the contact resistance with the contact point of the ground pin 50 does not increase, and the resistance value can be reduced, and the ground potential of the upper base 30 and the lower base 40 can be maintained by making electrical connection with a low resistance value.

[0100] Industrial Applicability

[0101] The socket and the inspection socket of the present invention are suitable for use as IC sockets for accommodating electrical components such as IC packages on a wiring substrate, for example. In particular, since the data transmission speed can be increased in the IC package and the wiring substrate, it is particularly suitable for transmitting high-frequency electrical signals.

Claims

1. A socket electrically connecting a first electrical component to a second electrical component, wherein the socket is characterized by comprising: a first contact pin electrically connecting a ground terminal of the first electrical component to a ground terminal of the second electrical component; and The base has a first base on the first electrical component side and a second base on the second electrical component side, and a first through hole is provided through the first base and the second base, and the first contact pin is inserted through the first through hole in a manner of contacting the inner wall. The second base is made of an insulator, A conductive film is formed on an inner wall of the first through hole in the second base portion.

2. The socket according to claim 1, wherein: The conductive film is a conductive film composed of a metal inactive to oxygen.

3. The socket according to claim 2, wherein: The first base is made of metal, The conductive film made of a metal less reactive to oxygen than the metal constituting the first base portion is formed on the inner wall of the first through hole in the second base portion.

4. The socket according to claim 1, wherein: further comprising a second contact pin electrically connecting a terminal of the first electrical component other than the ground terminal and a terminal of the second electrical component other than the ground terminal, The base is provided with a second through hole penetrating the first base and the second base, A diameter of the second through hole is larger than a diameter of the first through hole.

5. The socket according to claim 4, wherein: The second through hole includes a through hole having an inner wall formed with a conductive film made of a metal inactive to oxygen and a through hole having no conductive film formed thereon and an inner wall exposed.

6. The socket according to claim 1, wherein: The conductive film is made of gold.

7. An inspection socket for inspecting the electrical characteristics of a first electrical component, characterized in that: A socket according to claim 1 is provided.

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