Vertical probe module and probe card

Abstract

The invention discloses a vertical probe module and a probe card, and belongs to the technical field of vertical probes. The vertical probe module comprises a probe plate assembly and a plurality of vertical probes; the needle plate assembly comprises a lower module, a supporting block and an upper module, the lower module comprises at least one first non-metal substrate and at least one second non-metal substrate which are fixedly arranged in a stacked mode, and the upper module comprises at least one third non-metal substrate and at least one fourth non-metal substrate which are fixedly arranged in a stacked mode; the supporting block is provided with a probe avoiding area. The plurality of vertical probes are arranged at intervals and inserted on the upper module and the lower module, and the probe bodies of the vertical probes are located in the probe avoiding areas. According to the vertical probe module provided by the embodiment of the invention, not only can the installation of the vertical probe on the probe plate assembly be conveniently completed to obtain the vertical probe module, but also the use of a PHOTOVELL material and ultra-precision machining are avoided, and the production cost is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of vertical probes, and in particular relates to a vertical probe module and a probe card. Background Art

[0002] Chips generally have integrated integrated circuits, and chips are the key to modern electronic products, so the quality of chips directly determines the quality of electronic products. At present, vertical probe cards are generally used for chip detection, which can detect whether the functions of the chip are complete. The probe module is an important part of the probe card, in which the probe module mainly includes a needle plate module and multiple vertical probes. The needle plate module includes an upper needle plate and a lower needle plate connected by bolts. The needle tip and needle tail of the vertical probe pass through the upper needle plate and the lower needle plate respectively.

[0003] At present, the upper and lower needle plates are usually made of PHOTOVELL material (a machinable ceramic), which not only has the characteristics of insulation and high temperature resistance, but can also be machined to form needle plates and countersunk holes of corresponding thickness, so that bolts can be inserted through the countersunk holes to realize the assembly of vertical probes on the needle plate module. However, PHOTOVELL material is expensive and requires ultra-precision machining and countersunk holes, which increases production costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above defects or improvement needs of the prior art, the present invention provides a vertical probe module and a probe card, the purpose of which is to provide support for countersunk holes and support blocks by stacking multiple non-metallic substrates, which can not only conveniently complete the installation of the vertical probe on the needle plate assembly to obtain the vertical probe module, but also avoid the use of PHOTOVELL materials and ultra-precision machining, thereby greatly reducing production costs.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned object, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a vertical probe module, the vertical probe module comprising a needle plate assembly and a plurality of vertical probes;

[0006] The needle plate assembly comprises a lower module, a support block and an upper module stacked in sequence along a first direction, the lower module comprises at least one first non-metallic substrate and at least one second non-metallic substrate stacked and fixed, the second non-metallic substrate is located between the support block and the first non-metallic substrate, the upper module comprises at least one third non-metallic substrate and at least one fourth non-metallic substrate stacked and fixed, the fourth non-metallic substrate is located between the support block and the third non-metallic substrate;

[0007] The first non-metal substrate has at least one first through hole, and the second non-metal substrate is correspondingly provided with at least one second through hole, the diameter of each first through hole is larger than the diameter of each corresponding second through hole arranged concentrically therewith, each first through hole and the corresponding second through hole form a first countersunk hole correspondingly, each first countersunk hole is inserted with a first bolt, and each first bolt is used to realize the fixed connection between the lower module and the support block;

[0008] The third non-metal substrate has at least one third through hole, and the fourth non-metal substrate is correspondingly provided with at least one fourth through hole, the diameter of each of the third through holes is larger than the diameter of each of the corresponding fourth through holes arranged concentrically therewith, each of the third through holes and the corresponding fourth through holes form a second countersunk hole correspondingly, and each of the second countersunk holes is inserted with a second bolt, and each of the second bolts is used to realize the fixed connection between the upper module and the support block;

[0009] The support block is provided with a probe avoidance area;

[0010] A plurality of vertical probes are arranged at intervals and inserted on the upper module and the lower module, and the needle body of each vertical probe is located in the probe avoidance area.

[0011] Optionally, areas on the fourth non-metallic substrate corresponding to the plurality of vertical probes passing through are configured to be hollowed out.

[0012] Optionally, a direction identification mark is provided on the first non-metallic substrate and / or the second non-metallic substrate and / or the third non-metallic substrate and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate.

[0013] Optionally, the pinhole of the inserted vertical probe has a shape of one or more of a circle, a square, a diamond, a triangle, a polygon, a racetrack, and an ellipse.

[0014] Optionally, the thickness of the first non-metal substrate, the second non-metal substrate, the third non-metal substrate and the fourth non-metal substrate is 0.12-3 mm.

[0015] Optionally, the first non-metal substrate and the second non-metal substrate are bonded together by glue; and the third non-metal substrate and the fourth non-metal substrate are bonded together by glue.

[0016] Optionally, the first non-metallic substrate and / or the second non-metallic substrate and / or the third non-metallic substrate and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate is one or more of a ceramic substrate, a stone sheet, a reinforced glass fiber board, a high-density fiberboard, an engineering plastic, sapphire glass, polyimide, and a carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

[0017] Optionally, the ceramic substrate is one or more of a silicon nitride ceramic substrate, an aluminum nitride ceramic substrate, and a silicon carbide ceramic substrate.

[0018] Optionally, the support block is made of stainless steel, zirconia ceramic or alumina ceramic.

[0019] Optionally, the pinholes of the second non-metallic substrate are 0.002-0.01 mm larger than the pinholes of the first non-metallic substrate and are arranged concentrically; the pinholes of the fourth non-metallic substrate are 0.002-0.01 mm larger than the pinholes of the third non-metallic substrate and are arranged concentrically.

[0020] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a probe card, the probe card comprising a transfer module, a PCB backplane and a vertical probe module as described in the first aspect;

[0021] The PCB back plate has a first pad area and a second pad area that are electrically connected, the first pad area has a plurality of first pads that are electrically connected to the vertical probes on the vertical probe module, and the second pad area has a plurality of second pads that are connected to the test equipment;

[0022] The transfer module is arranged between the PCB back plate and the vertical probe module, and is used to realize signal transfer between the PCB back plate and the vertical probe module.

[0023] Optionally, the switching module is a multi-layer organic circuit board or a multi-layer ceramic circuit board;

[0024] The first board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of third solder pads, the second board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of fourth solder pads, the plurality of third solder pads and the plurality of fourth solder pads are connected one-to-one, each of the vertical probes is electrically connected to the corresponding third solder pad, and each of the fourth solder pads is welded one-to-one to the plurality of first solder pads on the PCB back panel.

[0025] Optionally, it further comprises a first reinforcing plate fixedly arranged on the front side of the PCB back plate and a second reinforcing plate fixedly arranged on the back side of the PCB back plate;

[0026] The outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the first reinforcing plate on the PCB backplane, and the outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the second reinforcing plate on the PCB backplane;

[0027] The first reinforcing plate has a hollow area in the middle, the adapter module is arranged in the hollow area in the middle of the first reinforcing plate, and the adapter module has the same thickness as the first reinforcing plate;

[0028] The vertical probe module is aligned with the adapter module via a first pin disposed on the first reinforcing plate, and the vertical probe module is fixedly connected to the first reinforcing plate via a fourth bolt.

[0029] Optionally, the middle part of the PCB back plate has a hollow area, the hollow area of ​​the PCB back plate is fixedly provided with a first connector, and the first connector has a hollow portion in a probe setting area corresponding to the vertical probe module;

[0030] The adapter module includes an adapter board assembly and a plurality of wires, wherein a first end of each of the wires passes through the adapter board assembly to be electrically connected to the plurality of vertical probes, and a second end of each of the wires passes through a hollow portion of the first connector to be welded to a plurality of first pads on the PCB back plate in a one-to-one correspondence;

[0031] The vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are aligned by a second pin arranged on the first connecting member, and the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are fixedly connected to the first connecting member by a fifth bolt.

[0032] Optionally, the adapter plate assembly includes at least one fifth non-metallic substrate and at least one sixth non-metallic substrate which are stacked and fixed, the fifth non-metallic substrate having at least one fifth through hole, the sixth non-metallic substrate having at least one sixth through hole, the diameter of each fifth through hole being larger than the diameter of each corresponding sixth through hole which is concentrically arranged therewith, each fifth through hole and the corresponding sixth through hole forming a third countersunk hole corresponding to each other, each third countersunk hole having a third bolt inserted therein, and each third bolt being used to realize the fixed connection between the adapter plate assembly and the first connecting member.

[0033] Optionally, the fifth non-metallic substrate and / or the sixth non-metallic substrate is one or more of a ceramic substrate, a stone sheet, a reinforced glass fiber board, a high-density fiberboard, an engineering plastic, sapphire glass, polyimide, and a carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

[0034] The above-mentioned improved technical features can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0035] In general, compared with the prior art, the above technical solution conceived by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0036] (1) A vertical probe module provided in an embodiment of the present invention provides support for countersunk holes and support blocks by stacking multiple non-metallic substrates. This not only facilitates the installation of the vertical probe on the needle plate assembly to obtain the vertical probe module, but also avoids the use of PHOTOVELL materials and ultra-precision machining, thereby greatly reducing production costs.

[0037] (2) A vertical probe module provided in an embodiment of the present invention can make the distance between another limiting boss on the vertical probe and the upper module larger by setting a through cavity hollowing out on the fourth non-metallic substrate, so that the vertical probe has a larger movable margin between the lower module and the upper module.

[0038] (3) In a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, direction identification marks are provided on the first non-metallic substrate and / or the second non-metallic substrate and / or the third non-metallic substrate and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate, so that by observing whether the direction identification marks are connected or facing each other, it can be determined whether the two non-metallic substrates are arranged facing each other, thereby ensuring that multiple pinholes and through holes on the two opposite non-metallic substrates are facing each other.

[0039] (4) In a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the pinhole shapes on the first non-metallic substrate, the second non-metallic substrate, the third non-metallic substrate and the fourth non-metallic substrate are one or more of circular, square, diamond, triangle, polygon, racetrack, and elliptical shapes, thereby satisfying various types of vertical probes.

[0040] (5) A probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the adapter module includes an adapter plate assembly and a plurality of wires, wherein the first end of each wire passes through the adapter plate assembly and is electrically connected to a plurality of vertical probes, and the second ends of the plurality of wires pass through the hollow portion of the first connector and are welded one-to-one with a plurality of first pads on the PCB backplane. The vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are aligned by a second pin provided on the first connector, and the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are fixedly connected to the first connector by a fifth bolt, and the first connector supports the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly, and the first connector is inserted into the PCB backplane, thereby finally realizing the installation of the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly on the PCB backplane. In addition, the conduction between the vertical probe and the PCB backplane is realized by the wire. .

[0041] (6) A probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the adapter module is a multi-layer organic circuit board or a multi-layer ceramic circuit board; a first board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of third solder pads, a second board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of fourth solder pads, the plurality of third solder pads and the plurality of fourth solder pads are connected one-to-one, each vertical probe is electrically connected to the corresponding third solder pad, and each fourth solder pad is welded one-to-one to the plurality of first solder pads on the PCB back panel, that is, the vertical probe and the PCB back panel are connected through the multi-layer organic circuit board or the multi-layer ceramic circuit board.

[0042] (7) In the embodiment of the present invention, a vertical probe module and a probe card are provided, wherein the needle plate of the ceramic substrate material is processed by laser processing. Compared with mechanical processing, laser processing has greatly improved processing stability, precision and efficiency. The ceramic substrate and laser processing equipment can be domestically produced or imported, and no longer rely on exclusive imports. Therefore, the self-research and self-production of the probe card are no longer restricted by raw materials and processing equipment.

[0043] (8) An embodiment of the present invention provides a vertical probe module and a probe card. The needle plate of the ceramic substrate material is processed by laser processing. The shape of the pinhole is no longer limited to a circular hole, and various shapes can be processed according to the design. Therefore, the probe used in conjunction with the probe card is no longer limited to a circular vertical probe, but can also be used in conjunction with a new elastic linear probe with a rectangular cross-section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a lower module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a second non-metallic substrate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an upper module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth non-metallic substrate provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vertical probe provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 8 is a partial enlarged view of a non-metallic substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Fig. 9 is a partial enlarged view of another non-metallic substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Fig.10 is a schematic structural diagram of a probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of a probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of a PCB backplane provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Fig.13 is a partial enlarged view of a switching module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Fig.14 is a cross-sectional view of another probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Fig.15 It is a structural schematic diagram of another PCB backplane provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Fig.16 It is a structural schematic diagram of another switching module provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] In all the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same technical features, specifically:

[0061] 1. Needle plate assembly; 11. Lower module; 111. First non-metal substrate; 1111. First through hole; 112. Second non-metal substrate; 1121. Second through hole; 12. Support block; 121. Probe avoidance area; 13. Upper module; 131. Third non-metal substrate; 1311. Third through hole; 132. Fourth non-metal substrate; 1321. Hollowing; 1322. Fourth through hole; 141. First countersunk hole; 142. Second countersunk hole; 151. First bolt; 152. Third bolt; 16. Identification hole; 17. Notch; 18. Pinhole; 19 1. The fifth bolt; 192. The second connecting bolt; 2. The vertical probe; 21. The needle tip; 22. The needle body; 23. The needle tail; 24. The limiting boss; 3. The adapter module; 31. The third solder pad; 32. The fourth solder pad; 33. The adapter board assembly; 34. The wire; 35. The through hole; 4. The first connecting piece; 41. The outer flange; 42. The hollow part; 5. The PCB back plate; 51. The first solder pad area; 52. The second solder pad area; 53. The hollow area; 55. The first reinforcing plate; 551. The hollow area; 56. The second reinforcing plate; 61. The first pin; 62. The second pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0063] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0064] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0065] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0066] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0067] Example:

[0068] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, combined with Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the vertical probe module includes a needle board assembly 1 and a plurality of vertical probes 2. The needle board assembly 1 includes a lower module 11, a support block 12 and an upper module 13 which are sequentially stacked along a first direction (Z-axis direction).

[0069] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second non-metallic substrate provided in an embodiment of the present invention, combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the lower module 11 includes at least one first non-metallic substrate 111 and at least one second non-metallic substrate 112 which are stacked and fixedly arranged, and the second non-metallic substrate 112 is located between the support block 12 and the first non-metallic substrate 111 .

[0070] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an upper module provided in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth non-metallic substrate provided in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the upper module 13 includes at least one third non-metallic substrate 131 and at least one fourth non-metallic substrate 132 which are stacked and fixedly arranged, and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 is located between the support block 12 and the third non-metallic substrate 131 .

[0071] The first non-metallic substrate 111 has at least one first through hole 1111, and the second non-metallic substrate 112 is correspondingly provided with at least one second through hole 1121. The diameter of each first through hole 1111 is larger than the diameter of each corresponding second through hole 1121 concentrically arranged therewith. Each first through hole 1111 and the corresponding second through hole 1121 form a first countersunk hole 141 correspondingly, and each first countersunk hole 141 is inserted with a first bolt 151. Each first bolt 151 is used to realize the fixed connection between the lower module 11 and the support block 12.

[0072] The third non-metallic substrate 131 has at least one third through hole 1311, and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 has at least one fourth through hole 1322 correspondingly arranged. The diameter of each third through hole 1311 is larger than the diameter of each corresponding fourth through hole 1322 arranged concentrically therewith. Each third through hole 1311 and the corresponding fourth through hole 1322 form a second countersunk hole 142 correspondingly, and each second countersunk hole 142 is inserted with a second bolt, and each second bolt is used to realize the fixed connection between the upper module 13 and the support block 12.

[0073] The support block 12 has a probe avoidance area 121 .

[0074] A plurality of vertical probes 2 are arranged at intervals and inserted on the upper module 13 and the lower module 11 , and a needle body 22 of each vertical probe 2 is located in the probe avoidance area 121 .

[0075] For a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, with respect to the lower module 11, the lower module 11 includes at least one first non-metallic substrate 111 and at least one second non-metallic substrate 112 that are stacked and fixed, the diameter of each first through hole 1111 is greater than the diameter of each corresponding second through hole 1121 that is concentrically arranged therewith, each first through hole 1111 forms a first countersunk hole 141 corresponding to the corresponding second through hole 1121, and each first countersunk hole 141 is inserted with a first bolt 151, so that the first countersunk hole 141 is finally assembled through two through holes of different apertures on the two non-metallic substrates, and the first bolt 151 is inserted in the first countersunk hole 141, thereby realizing the fixation of the lower module 11 on the support block 12 (at this time, each first bolt 151 is not exposed outside the non-metallic substrate). Similarly, the second countersunk hole 142 can be formed on the third non-metallic substrate 131 and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 and the second bolt is inserted, thereby realizing the fixation of the upper module 13 on the support block 12. Since the needle body 22 of the vertical probe 2 is located in the probe avoidance area 121 of the support block 12, and the needle tip 21 and the needle tail 23 are correspondingly inserted in the lower module 11 and the upper module 13 (wherein the needle tip 21 is inserted in the lower module 11, and the needle tail 23 is inserted in the upper module 13), the installation of the vertical probe 2 on the needle plate assembly 1 is finally completed to obtain the vertical probe module.

[0076] Since the cost of non-metallic substrates is low, through holes and pinholes can be formed only by laser processing (such as laser), which is simple to process, highly reliable, and low cost. Countersunk holes can be formed by assembly, thereby avoiding the use of PHOTOVELL materials and ultra-precision machining, greatly reducing production costs. In addition, the support block 12 can maintain the spacing between the lower module 11 and the upper module 13, providing an installation foundation for the needle body 22 of the vertical probe 2, and providing a threaded hole, thereby ultimately achieving the accommodation of the needle body 22 and the connection between the lower module 11 and the upper module 13.

[0077] That is to say, a vertical probe module provided by an embodiment of the present invention provides support for countersunk holes and support blocks 12 by stacking multiple non-metallic substrates, which not only can conveniently complete the installation of the vertical probe 2 on the needle plate assembly 1 to obtain the vertical probe module, but also avoids the use of PHOTOVELL materials and ultra-precision machining, thereby greatly reducing production costs.

[0078] Exemplarily, the thickness of the first non-metal substrate 111 , the second non-metal substrate 112 , the third non-metal substrate 131 , and the fourth non-metal substrate 132 is 0.12 to 3 mm.

[0079] It should be noted that according to the specific size specifications of the vertical probe 2 and the protruding height requirements of the needle tip 21 and the needle tail 23, non-metallic substrates of appropriate thickness and quantity are selected for combination use, and then the corresponding non-metallic substrate shape, each through hole and pinhole feature are processed by laser according to the design, and the thickness does not require secondary processing.

[0080] In addition, the first non-metallic substrate 111 and / or the second non-metallic substrate 112 and / or the third non-metallic substrate 131 and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 are one or more of ceramic substrates, stone sheets, reinforced glass fiber boards, high-density fiberboards, engineering plastics, sapphire glass, polyimide, and carbon fiber reinforced plastics. These materials are low in cost and easy to laser process.

[0081] Exemplarily, the ceramic substrate is one or more of a silicon nitride ceramic substrate, an aluminum nitride ceramic substrate, and a silicon carbide ceramic substrate. The non-metallic substrate of the vertical probe module is preferably a silicon nitride ceramic substrate.

[0082] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vertical probe provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 7 As shown, two spaced-apart limit bosses 24 are provided on the vertical probe 2, one limit boss 24 abuts against the second non-metallic substrate 112, and the other limit boss 24 is spaced from the fourth non-metallic substrate 132, thereby not only preventing the vertical probe 2 from detaching from the lower module 11 (during crimping, the lower module 11 moves downward for crimping), but also allowing the vertical probe 2 to have a certain amount of up and down movement between the lower module 11 and the upper module 13, which is convenient for deformation during subsequent crimping.

[0083] In this embodiment, the area on the fourth non-metal substrate 132 corresponding to the plurality of vertical probes 2 passing through is set as a hollow 1321 .

[0084] It is easy to understand that by providing the hollow 1321 on the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 , the distance between the other limiting boss 24 and the upper module 13 can be increased, so that the vertical probe 2 has a larger movable margin between the lower module 11 and the upper module 13 .

[0085] In one implementation of the invention, a direction identification mark is provided on the first non-metallic substrate 111 and / or the second non-metallic substrate 112 and / or the third non-metallic substrate 131 and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 .

[0086] Specifically, the direction identification mark may be an identification hole 16 or an identification notch 17 .

[0087] It should be noted that the multiple pinholes 18 on the first non-metallic substrate 111, the second non-metallic substrate 112, the third non-metallic substrate 131 and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 are not located in the center of the non-metallic substrate and are not evenly arranged. Therefore, the identification holes 16 and the identification notches 17 can ensure that the through holes and pinholes on the first non-metallic substrate 111 and the pinholes 18 and through holes on the second non-metallic substrate 112 are facing each other, and the through holes and pinholes on the third non-metallic substrate 131 and the pinholes 18 and through holes on the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 are facing each other, so as to avoid the situation where the two opposite non-metallic substrates are misaligned during assembly. Therefore, by observing whether the two oppositely arranged identification holes 16 or identification notches 17 are connected or facing each other, it can be determined whether the two non-metallic substrates are facing each other, thereby ensuring that the multiple pinholes and through holes on the two opposite non-metallic substrates are facing each other.

[0088] In the lower module 11 and the upper module 13, the pinhole 18 for inserting the vertical probe 2 (i.e., for inserting the needle tip 21 or the needle tail 23) is circular in shape (see Figure 8 ), square (see Fig. 9 ), one or more of rhombus, triangle, polygon, runway, and ellipse.

[0089] It should be noted that the PHOTOVELL material can only form circular pinholes through mechanical processing, while when the non-metal substrate is processed by laser to form the pinhole 18, the shape of the pinhole is not limited, thereby satisfying various types of vertical probes 2.

[0090] For example, the smallest diameter of the circular pinhole 18 on each non-metallic substrate can be 0.015 mm; the smallest diameter of the rectangular pinhole 18 on each non-metallic substrate can be 0.03*0.03 mm. The specific pinhole size is designed according to the size specifications of the vertical probe 2 used.

[0091] In this embodiment, the first non-metal substrate 111 and the second non-metal substrate 112 are bonded together by glue; and the third non-metal substrate 131 and the fourth non-metal substrate 132 are bonded together by glue.

[0092] It is easy to understand that the first non-metallic substrate 111 and the second non-metallic substrate 112 are glued together, and the third non-metallic substrate 131 and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 are glued together, which can ensure that the corresponding through holes of the two non-metallic substrates are concentric when glued together, which is convenient for the subsequent insertion of bolts.

[0093] Exemplarily, the support block 12 is made of stainless steel, zirconium oxide ceramic or aluminum oxide ceramic.

[0094] In this embodiment, the pinhole of the second non-metallic substrate 112 is larger than the pinhole of the first non-metallic substrate 111 by 0.002 to 0.01 mm, and is arranged concentrically; the pinhole of the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 is larger than the pinhole of the third non-metallic substrate 131 by 0.002 to 0.01 mm, and is arranged concentrically, thereby not only avoiding the problem of misalignment of the two corresponding pinholes, but also facilitating the needle tip 21 to penetrate the pinhole on the second non-metallic substrate 112, and facilitating the needle tail 23 to penetrate the pinhole of the fourth non-metallic substrate 132.

[0095] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.11 is a cross-sectional view of a probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention, combined with Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, the probe card includes a transfer module 3, a PCB back plate 5 and the above-mentioned vertical probe module.

[0096] In one implementation of the present invention, the PCB back plate 5 has a first pad area 51 and a second pad area 52 that are electrically connected (see Fig.12 and Fig.15 ), the first pad area 51 has a plurality of first pads electrically connected to the vertical probes 2 on the vertical probe module, and the second pad area 52 has a plurality of second pads connected to the test equipment.

[0097] The adapter module 3 is disposed between the PCB back plate 5 and the vertical probe module, and is used to implement signal adapter between the PCB back plate and the vertical probe module.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the adapter module 3 serves to connect the vertical probe 2 and the PCB back plate 5, and the second pad on the PCB back plate 5 can ultimately realize the connection between the vertical probe and the test equipment.

[0099] Continue to see Fig.11 In one implementation of the present invention, the middle portion of the PCB back plate 5 has a hollow area 53 (see Fig.12 ), a first connector 4 is fixedly disposed in the hollow area 53 of the PCB back plate 5, and the first connector 4 has a hollow portion 42 in the probe setting area corresponding to the vertical probe module.

[0100] The adapter module 3 includes an adapter board assembly 33 and multiple wires 34. The first end of each wire 34 passes through the adapter board assembly 33 to be electrically connected to the multiple vertical probes 2, and the second end of the multiple wires 34 passes through the hollow portion 42 of the first connector 4 and is welded one-to-one with the multiple first pads on the PCB backplane 5.

[0101] The vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly 33 are aligned by a second pin 62 disposed on the first connecting member 4 , and the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly 33 are fixedly connected to the first connecting member 4 by a fifth bolt 191 .

[0102] In the above embodiment, the first connector 4 supports the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly 33, and the first connector 4 is inserted into the PCB back plate 5, thereby finally realizing the installation of the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly on the PCB back plate 5. In addition, the vertical probe 2 and the PCB back plate 5 are connected by the wire 34.

[0103] Exemplarily, the bottom of the first connecting member 4 has an outer flange 41 , and a plurality of second connecting bolts 192 are inserted on the PCB back plate 5 to connect the outer flange 41 , thereby achieving a reliable connection between the first connecting member 4 and the PCB back plate 5 .

[0104] It should be noted that the adapter plate assembly 33 is provided with a plurality of spaced through holes 35, and the other end of each wire 34 is inserted into the corresponding through hole 35, and the wire 34 is fixed in the through hole 35 by applying glue from the back. At this time, the wire 34 and the adapter plate assembly 33 become a whole and can be regarded as a part. The glue that has penetrated to the front and solidified and the wire 34 that has passed through the front side of the adapter plate assembly 33 are cut off, and then polished flat, and the front side will reveal a circular wire cross section (see Fig.13 ). Similarly, the part of the needle tail 23 on the vertical probe module that extends out of the non-metallic substrate will also be cut off. When assembling the probe card, the front of the adapter board assembly 33 will be attached to the needle board assembly 1, and the needle tail end surface of the vertical probe 2 on the needle board assembly 1 will correspond to and contact the wire cross section exposed on the front of the adapter board assembly 33.

[0105] In addition, the adapter plate assembly includes at least one fifth non-metallic substrate and at least one sixth non-metallic substrate that are stacked and fixed. The fifth non-metallic substrate has at least one fifth through hole, and the sixth non-metallic substrate has at least one sixth through hole. The diameter of each fifth through hole is larger than the diameter of each corresponding sixth through hole that is concentrically arranged therewith. Each fifth through hole and the corresponding sixth through hole form a third countersunk hole corresponding to each other. A third bolt is inserted in each third countersunk hole. Each third bolt is used to achieve a fixed connection between the adapter plate assembly and the first connecting member.

[0106] Similarly, the adapter plate assembly 33 can also realize the arrangement of the third countersunk hole by being arranged as two parallel and spaced non-metallic substrates, thereby facilitating its fixation on the first connecting member 4, and also facilitating the installation of the wire 34. At the same time, the third bolt 152 is also not exposed to affect the installation of the needle plate assembly 1.

[0107] In addition, the fifth non-metallic substrate and the sixth non-metallic substrate are both provided with a plurality of through holes 35 in which the wires 34 are inserted. The through holes 35 on the fifth non-metallic substrate and the sixth non-metallic substrate are designed concentrically. Generally, the through holes 35 on the fifth non-metallic substrate are designed according to the outer diameter specifications of the wires 34 used. The through holes on the sixth non-metallic substrate are 0.002 to 0.01 mm larger in diameter than the through holes on the fifth non-metallic substrate. The specific selection and design is made according to the actual situation. In addition, the pinholes of the third non-metallic substrate 131 and the fourth non-metallic substrate 132 are arranged concentrically with the through holes 35 on the fifth non-metallic substrate and the sixth non-metallic substrate.

[0108] It should be noted that the through holes, pinholes, identification holes 16, notches 17 and positioning holes on the non-metal substrate can all be formed by laser processing.

[0109] Exemplarily, the fifth non-metallic substrate and / or the sixth non-metallic substrate is one or more of a ceramic substrate, a stone sheet, a reinforced glass fiber board, a high-density fiberboard, an engineering plastic, sapphire glass, polyimide, and a carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

[0110] It should be noted that the number of non-metallic substrates in the lower module 11, the upper module 13 and the adapter plate assembly 33 is not limited to 2. The thickness and number of the single non-metallic substrates are selected for combined design and use according to the size specifications of the vertical probe 2 used, the thickness of the raw materials used and the use requirements. In addition, the shape of each non-metallic substrate is not limited to a circle, and can also be designed to be rectangular, polygonal, etc.; the diameter of the shape of a single non-metallic substrate is not limited to the same size. The shape of the single non-metallic substrates in the lower module 11, the upper module 13 and the adapter plate assembly 33 can be designed to be inconsistent in size. These can be selected and designed according to actual conditions.

[0111] It is easy to understand that the needle plate processing method of ceramic substrate material is laser processing. Compared with mechanical processing, laser processing has greatly improved processing stability, precision and efficiency. Ceramic substrates and laser processing equipment can be selected from domestic and imported, and no longer rely on exclusive imports. Therefore, the self-research and self-production of probe cards will no longer be restricted by raw materials and processing equipment.

[0112] In addition, the needle plate of the ceramic substrate material is processed by laser processing, and the shape of the pinhole is no longer limited to a circular hole, and can be processed into various shapes according to the design. Therefore, the probes used in conjunction with the probe card are no longer limited to circular vertical probes, but can also be matched with new elastic linear probes with a rectangular cross-section.

[0113] In another implementation of the present invention, Fig.14 is a cross-sectional view of another probe card provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Fig.14 As shown, the adapter module 3 is a multi-layer organic circuit board or a multi-layer ceramic circuit board.

[0114] The first board surface of the adapter module 3 has a plurality of third pads 31, and the second board surface of the adapter module 3 has a plurality of fourth pads 32. The plurality of third pads and the plurality of fourth pads are connected one by one, each vertical probe 2 is electrically connected to the corresponding third pad, and each fourth pad is welded one by one to the plurality of first pads on the PCB back plate 5 (see FIG. Fig.15 ).

[0115] Exemplarily, the distance between two adjacent third pads 31 is smaller than the distance between two adjacent fourth pads 32, thereby facilitating the welding of the fourth pads and the PCB back plate (see Fig.16 ).

[0116] Furthermore, the probe card further includes a first reinforcing plate 55 fixedly disposed on the front side of the PCB back plate 5 and a second reinforcing plate 56 fixedly disposed on the back side of the PCB back plate.

[0117] The outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the first reinforcement plate on the PCB backplane, and the outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the second reinforcement plate on the PCB backplane.

[0118] The first reinforcing plate 55 has a hollow area 551 in the middle, the adapter module 3 is disposed in the hollow area 551 in the middle of the first reinforcing plate 55 , and the adapter module 3 has the same thickness as the first reinforcing plate 55 .

[0119] The vertical probe module is aligned with the adapter module via a first pin 61 disposed on the first reinforcing plate 55 , and the vertical probe module is fixedly connected to the first reinforcing plate 55 via a fourth bolt.

[0120] In the above embodiment, the first reinforcing plate 55 plays a role in positioning the adapter module 3, while the second reinforcing plate 56 plays a role in leveling and supporting the PCB back plate.

[0121] Furthermore, bolts are provided on the first reinforcing plate 55 , and the bolts penetrate through the PCB back plate 5 and are connected to the second reinforcing plate 56 , so that the PCB back plate 5 can be clamped between the first reinforcing plate 55 and the second reinforcing plate 56 .

[0122] Exemplarily, the first connecting member 4, the first reinforcing plate 55 and the second reinforcing plate 56 can all be made of stainless steel or ceramic material. For example, the first connecting member 4, the first reinforcing plate 55 and the second reinforcing plate 56 are generally made of non-magnetic metal (commonly used stainless steel), and ceramic materials (alumina ceramics, zirconia ceramics, etc.) are selected under special temperatures.

[0123] It will be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vertical probe module, characterized in that: The vertical probe module includes a needle plate assembly and a plurality of vertical probes; The needle plate assembly comprises a lower module, a support block and an upper module stacked in sequence along a first direction, the lower module comprises at least one first non-metallic substrate and at least one second non-metallic substrate stacked and fixed, the second non-metallic substrate is located between the support block and the first non-metallic substrate, the upper module comprises at least one third non-metallic substrate and at least one fourth non-metallic substrate stacked and fixed, the fourth non-metallic substrate is located between the support block and the third non-metallic substrate; The first non-metal substrate has at least one first through hole, and the second non-metal substrate is correspondingly provided with at least one second through hole, the diameter of each first through hole is larger than the diameter of each corresponding second through hole arranged concentrically therewith, each first through hole and the corresponding second through hole form a first countersunk hole correspondingly, each first countersunk hole is inserted with a first bolt, and each first bolt is used to realize the fixed connection between the lower module and the support block; The third non-metal substrate has at least one third through hole, and the fourth non-metal substrate is correspondingly provided with at least one fourth through hole, the diameter of each of the third through holes is larger than the diameter of each of the corresponding fourth through holes arranged concentrically therewith, each of the third through holes and the corresponding fourth through holes form a second countersunk hole correspondingly, and each of the second countersunk holes is inserted with a second bolt, and each of the second bolts is used to realize the fixed connection between the upper module and the support block; The support block is provided with a probe avoidance area; A plurality of vertical probes are arranged at intervals and inserted on the upper module and the lower module, and the needle body of each vertical probe is located in the probe avoidance area.

2. A vertical probe module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The areas on the fourth non-metal substrate corresponding to the plurality of vertical probes passing through are configured to be hollowed out.

3. A vertical probe module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first non-metal substrate and / or the second non-metal substrate and / or the third non-metal substrate and / or the fourth non-metal substrate are provided with direction identification marks.

4. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The pinhole shape of the inserted vertical probe is one or more of circular, square, diamond, triangle, polygon, racetrack, and elliptical.

5. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The thickness of the first non-metal substrate, the second non-metal substrate, the third non-metal substrate and the fourth non-metal substrate is 0.12-3 mm.

6. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first non-metal substrate and the second non-metal substrate are bonded together by glue; the third non-metal substrate and the fourth non-metal substrate are bonded together by glue.

7. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first non-metallic substrate and / or the second non-metallic substrate and / or the third non-metallic substrate and / or the fourth non-metallic substrate is one or more of a ceramic substrate, a stone sheet, a reinforced glass fiber board, a high-density fiberboard, an engineering plastic, sapphire glass, polyimide, and a carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

8. A vertical probe module according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ceramic substrate is one or more of a silicon nitride ceramic substrate, an aluminum nitride ceramic substrate, and a silicon carbide ceramic substrate.

9. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The support block is made of stainless steel, zirconium oxide ceramic or aluminum oxide ceramic.

10. A vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The pinholes of the second non-metal substrate are 0.002-0.01 mm larger than the pinholes of the first non-metal substrate and are arranged concentrically; the pinholes of the fourth non-metal substrate are 0.002-0.01 mm larger than the pinholes of the third non-metal substrate and are arranged concentrically.

11. A probe card, characterized in that: The probe card comprises a transfer module, a PCB backplane and a vertical probe module according to any one of claims 1 to 10; The PCB back plate has a first pad area and a second pad area that are electrically connected, the first pad area has a plurality of first pads that are electrically connected to the vertical probes on the vertical probe module, and the second pad area has a plurality of second pads that are connected to the test equipment; The transfer module is arranged between the PCB back plate and the vertical probe module, and is used to realize signal transfer between the PCB back plate and the vertical probe module.

12. The probe card according to claim 11, characterized in that: The switching module is a multi-layer organic circuit board or a multi-layer ceramic circuit board; The first board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of third solder pads, the second board surface of the adapter module has a plurality of fourth solder pads, the plurality of third solder pads and the plurality of fourth solder pads are connected one-to-one, each of the vertical probes is electrically connected to the corresponding third solder pad, and each of the fourth solder pads is welded one-to-one to the plurality of first solder pads on the PCB back panel.

13. The probe card according to claim 12, characterized in that: It also includes a first reinforcing plate fixedly arranged on the front side of the PCB back plate and a second reinforcing plate fixedly arranged on the back side of the PCB back plate; The outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the first reinforcing plate on the PCB backplane, and the outer contour of the projection of the vertical probe module on the PCB backplane is within the outer contour range of the projection of the second reinforcing plate on the PCB backplane; The first reinforcing plate has a hollow area in the middle, the adapter module is arranged in the hollow area in the middle of the first reinforcing plate, and the adapter module has the same thickness as the first reinforcing plate; The vertical probe module is aligned with the adapter module via a first pin disposed on the first reinforcing plate, and the vertical probe module is fixedly connected to the first reinforcing plate via a fourth bolt.

14. The probe card according to claim 11, characterized in that: The middle part of the PCB back plate has a hollow area, the hollow area of ​​the PCB back plate is fixedly provided with a first connector, and the first connector has a hollow portion in a probe setting area corresponding to the vertical probe module; The adapter module includes an adapter board assembly and a plurality of wires, wherein a first end of each of the wires passes through the adapter board assembly to be electrically connected to the plurality of vertical probes, and a second end of each of the wires passes through a hollow portion of the first connector to be welded to a plurality of first pads on the PCB back plate in a one-to-one correspondence; The vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are aligned by a second pin arranged on the first connecting member, and the vertical probe module and the adapter plate assembly are fixedly connected to the first connecting member by a fifth bolt.

15. The probe card according to claim 14, characterized in that: The adapter plate assembly includes at least one fifth non-metallic substrate and at least one sixth non-metallic substrate which are stacked and fixed. The fifth non-metallic substrate has at least one fifth through hole, and the sixth non-metallic substrate has at least one sixth through hole. The diameter of each of the fifth through holes is larger than the diameter of each corresponding sixth through hole which is concentrically arranged therewith. Each of the fifth through holes and the corresponding sixth through hole form a third countersunk hole corresponding to each other. A third bolt is inserted in each of the third countersunk holes. Each of the third bolts is used to realize the fixed connection between the adapter plate assembly and the first connecting member.

16. The probe card according to claim 15, characterized in that: The fifth non-metallic substrate and / or the sixth non-metallic substrate are one or more of ceramic substrates, stone sheets, reinforced glass fiber boards, high-density fiberboards, engineering plastics, sapphire glass, polyimide, and carbon fiber reinforced plastics.

Images