A test apparatus and method for the combined use of a probe and a special-shaped test sheet

Abstract

The present application relates to chip testing technical field, specifically, it relates to a kind of test device and method of probe and special-shaped test piece combination use.Test device includes mainboard and electrically connected first contact, second contact and third contact on mainboard, first contact, second contact and third contact are contacted pin, for sharing current;The test device and method of probe and special-shaped test piece combination use in this application, by increasing third contact on the basis of original test piece, test piece is in non-contact state with pin in normal state, only when pin presses third contact and contracts, through the contraction of third contact as the basis for driving test piece to clamp pin, so that pin does not rub with test piece.And, third contact and pin exist contact, pin can also share the current of test piece, improve the carrying capacity, realize the various kinds of test to chip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chip testing technology, and more specifically, to a testing apparatus and method that uses a combination of probes and irregularly shaped test pieces. Background Technology

[0002] Testing chips by their pins is an indispensable and crucial step in integrated circuit design, manufacturing, and application. It ensures the reliability, functionality, and performance of chips leaving the factory, serving as the last and most important line of defense for product quality. There are many types of tests, such as short-circuit testing: applying voltage to one pin and checking if current flows into all other pins. If so, it indicates a short circuit between those two pins. Another example is open-circuit testing: typically using the pin's ESD protection diode. A small current is applied to the output pin, and its voltage drop is measured. If the voltage drop is abnormally high, it indicates a possible open circuit in the pin's internal connections.

[0003] Therefore, it is evident that the testing equipment needs to connect to the chip pins when testing chips. Currently, the most stable connection method is through test pads contacting the chip pins. These test pads are located on both sides of the chip pins, with a gap between the two test pads smaller than the diameter of the chip tube, and the test pads can deform. In this case, when the chip pins are inserted into the gap between the two test pads, the test pads can provide stable contact. However, after prolonged use, the inventors discovered the following problems with using test pads:

[0004] First, the chip pins will rub against the test piece when inserted into the reserved gap, which will accelerate the wear of the test piece and reduce its lifespan. Second, the test piece has limited current carrying capacity and cannot withstand the large current generated during multi-channel testing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a testing device and method that uses a combination of probe and irregularly shaped test piece. It uses the contraction of the third contact as the basis for driving the test piece to clamp the pins, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art, namely, the problem of reduced test piece life and limited current carrying capacity of the test piece caused by friction between the pins and the test piece.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one objective of the present invention is to provide a testing device that uses a combination of probes and irregularly shaped test pieces, including a motherboard and a first contact, a second contact, and a third contact electrically connected to the motherboard, wherein the first contact, the second contact, and the third contact share a common contact pin for distributing current.

[0007] Both the first and second contact pieces are sheet-like test pieces, which are symmetrically arranged. The top of each test piece is a contact end, and a channel for the pin to enter is reserved between the two contact ends. The width of the channel is greater than the width of the pin.

[0008] The third contact is an elastic telescopic structure located between the two test pieces. The top of the third contact extends to the bottom of the channel for contacting the pin. The distance from the top of the third contact to the top of the test piece is less than the length of the pin.

[0009] It also includes a displacement monitoring system and a drive mechanism. The displacement monitoring system sends a signal to the drive mechanism when the pin presses the third contact to retract. After receiving the signal, the drive mechanism drives the contact end of the test piece to clamp the pin.

[0010] In the above technical solution, the width of the channel between the two test pieces is greater than the width of the pin. Therefore, the pin will not contact or rub against the test piece when it enters the channel. Only when the pin presses the third contact to contract, the test piece is driven to deform by the drive mechanism. At this time, the width of the channel between the two test pieces decreases, thereby contacting the pin.

[0011] Based on this, the third contact member includes a needle tube, with an upper needle slidably disposed at the top end and a lower needle fixedly disposed at the bottom end, and a spring disposed between the upper and lower needles; the top end of the upper needle is located below the channel, wherein:

[0012] The needle tube is made of copper alloy, the upper and lower needle tips are made of tool steel, and the spring is made of piano wire; the surfaces of the needle tube, upper needle tip, lower needle tip, and spring are all plated with gold.

[0013] Based on this, the displacement monitoring system includes a miniature proximity sensor and a sensing plate;

[0014] The miniature proximity sensor is located on one side of the third contact element;

[0015] The sensing plate is positioned above the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor and fixed to one side of the outer ring of the upper needle, for synchronous movement with the upper needle; when the sensing plate passes through the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor, it sends a signal to the drive mechanism.

[0016] The second objective of this invention is to provide a method for a testing device that combines a probe and an irregularly shaped test piece, comprising the following steps:

[0017] S1. The pins of the driver chip pass through the channel between the two contact ends and press the upper pin down;

[0018] S2. The upper needle moves the sensing plate down to the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor, and the miniature proximity sensor sends a signal to the driving component.

[0019] S3. The driving component drives the ceramic pin to move downward, and the ceramic pin squeezes the inclined surface to force the test piece to contact the pin.

[0020] S4. During the test, the test piece and the third contact share the current.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] 1. In this testing device and method using a combination of probe and irregularly shaped test piece, a third contact is added to the original test piece. Under normal conditions, the test piece is in a non-contact state with the pin. Only when the pin presses down on the third contact does the third contact retract, and this retraction serves as the basis for the test piece to clamp the pin, preventing friction between the pin and the test piece. Furthermore, the contact between the third contact and the pin allows the pin to share the current of the test piece, improving its carrying capacity and enabling multi-type testing of the chip.

[0023] 2. In the testing device and method using this probe and irregularly shaped test piece combination, because the height of the third contact element is lower than the height of the contact end, the pin needs to pass through the channel between the two contact ends to press the third contact element. Only then will the drive mechanism drive the test piece to clamp the pin. Therefore, this structural design ensures that when the test piece clamps the pin, the pin is always located within the channel, and there will be no phenomenon of the pin not being in contact. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first contact element of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third contact element of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving component of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the upper needle of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the ceramic pin of the present invention.

[0031] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0032] 100. Main board; 110. First contact; 111. Deformable part; 112. Contact end; 113. Protrusion; 114. Inclined surface; 120. Second contact; 130. Third contact; 131. Needle tube; 132. Upper needle; 133. Lower needle; 134. Spring; 135. Sensing plate; 140. Miniature proximity sensor; 141. Bracket; 150. Ceramic pin; 160. Drive component; 161. Cylinder; 162. Connecting rod; 200. Pin. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] To address the problems of reduced test piece lifespan and limited current carrying capacity caused by friction between pin 200 and the test piece, one objective of this invention is to provide a testing device that combines a probe and an irregularly shaped test piece. For example... Figure 1As shown, the test apparatus includes a motherboard 100 and first contact 110, second contact 120, and third contact 130 electrically connected to the motherboard 100. The motherboard 100 is responsible for physical connection, ensuring high-speed signal quality, providing stable power, and calibrating the test system itself, i.e., testing the chip through the first contact 110, second contact 120, and third contact 130. The first contact 110, second contact 120, and third contact 130 share a common contact pin 200 for joint testing and current sharing, improving current carrying capacity.

[0037] Figure 1 The first contact 110, the second contact 120, and the third contact 130 shown are grouped together to enable simultaneous testing of multiple pins 200. Figure 2 Multiple sets of structures for the first contact 110, the second contact 120, and the third contact 130 are shown. That is, the first contact 110, the second contact 120, and the third contact 130 are arranged in multiple sets according to the distribution state of multiple pins 200, thereby improving testing efficiency.

[0038] Combination Figure 3 The first contact 110 and the second contact 120 are both sheet-like test pieces, symmetrically arranged. The top of each test piece is a contact end 112, and a channel D is provided between the two contact ends 112 for the pin 200 to enter. The width of channel D is greater than the width of the pin 200, so the pin 200 will not contact the test piece when entering channel D. The third contact 130 is an elastic telescopic structure located between the two test pieces. The top of the third contact 130 extends below channel D to contact the pin 200. The distance L1 from the top of the third contact 130 to the top of the test piece is less than the length L2 of the pin 200, ensuring that the pin 200 has sufficient length to drive the third contact 130 to retract during downward movement.

[0039] The testing device also includes a displacement monitoring system and a drive mechanism. When the third contact 130 retracts, the displacement monitoring system sends a signal to the drive mechanism. After receiving the signal, the drive mechanism drives the contact end 112 of the test piece to move toward the pin 200, thereby clamping the pin 200.

[0040] Specifically, deformation is inevitable during the clamping process of the test piece with pin 200. To address this, the present invention provides a deformable portion 111 on the test piece. Specifically, this is achieved by reducing the width of the upper part of the test piece. With a reduced width, the geometric constraints on the lateral (width direction) deformation of the test piece are reduced, making it easier to deform towards pin 200.

[0041] Figure 3The specific structure of the third contact 130 is also shown. As shown, the third contact 130 includes four parts: a needle tube 131, an upper needle 132, a lower needle 133, and a spring 134. The needle tube 131 is primarily made of copper alloy and gold-plated. The upper and lower needles 132 and 133 are made of tool steel (SK) and nickel-plated or gold-plated. The spring 134 is made of piano wire and spring steel and gold-plated. Specifically, the needle tube 131 is perpendicular to the main board 100. The needle tube 131 can be fixed to the main board 100, or an additional fixing seat can be provided to fix the needle tube 131. The top end of the upper needle 132 is below the channel D, and the bottom end slides into the needle tube 131. The top end of the lower needle 133 is fixedly connected to the needle tube 131, and the bottom end is electrically connected to the main board 100. The spring 134 is located between the upper and lower needles 132 to provide elasticity to the needle tube 131.

[0042] It should be noted that the structure and function of the third contact 130 can be referred to the PCB probe, and will not be elaborated here.

[0043] During implementation, the portion of the test piece near the contact end 112 is bent downwards, with the bending direction facing the pin 200. This creates a downward-facing "U"-shaped structure at the top of the test piece. This increases the distance between the contact end 112 and the non-bent portion, and expands the space between the two test pieces. This facilitates the installation of the third contact element 130 and also allows the displacement monitoring system to monitor the third contact element 130 (details will be provided below).

[0044] Because ordinary sensors are large and difficult to monitor small displacements of the upper needle 132, the displacement monitoring system of this invention employs a miniature proximity sensor 140 and a sensing plate 135. First, the miniature proximity sensor 140 is positioned on one side of the third contact 130, facing the blank area between the upper needle 132 and the test piece. Then, the sensing plate 135 is placed above the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140 and fixed to one side of the outer ring of the upper needle 132, allowing it to move synchronously with the upper needle 132. Simultaneously, the distance between the sensing plate 135 and the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140 is equal to the distance the pin 200 drives the upper needle 132 to slide. With this design, when the upper needle 132 is pressed by the pin 200 and slides into the needle tube 131, the upper needle 132 drives the sensing plate 135 to pass through the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140. At this time, the miniature proximity sensor 140 detects that the sensing plate 135 is approaching, indicating that the third contact 130 retracts and sends a signal to the drive 160.

[0045] As described above, the miniature proximity sensor 140 can be fixed in an external structure, or it can be... Figure 4As shown, it is fixed to one side of the needle tube 131 by the bracket 141. Figure 4 The dashed line in the image represents the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140.

[0046] Figure 3 The specific structure of the drive mechanism is also shown. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the drive mechanism includes a ceramic pin 150 and a protrusion 113 fixedly disposed on the deformable portion 111 on the side away from the third contact member 130. The top of the protrusion 113 has a slope 114, with one end of the slope 114 closer to the deformable portion 111 being higher and the other end lower. The ceramic pin 150 rests on the surface of the slope 114. Then, it is combined... Figure 1 The ceramic pin 150 is connected to the drive component 160. After receiving the signal from the miniature proximity sensor 140, the drive component 160 drives the ceramic pin 150 to move downward.

[0047] The drive component 160 can be an electric actuator, a telescopic motor, or a cylinder 161, etc., and this invention does not limit the specific device used. Taking cylinder 161 as an example... Figure 5 As shown, cylinder 161 is fixed in the external structure, and its movable end is fixedly connected to ceramic pin 150 through connecting rod 162. When it receives a signal from miniature proximity sensor 140, the movable end of cylinder 161 drives ceramic pin 150 to move down.

[0048] The specific principles of the testing device will be explained in detail below:

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown in the left half, during testing, pin 200 of the driver chip moves down and passes through channel D. Then, pin 200 continues to move down until it contacts the tip of the upper needle 132, pressing the upper needle 132 down. At this time, as... Figure 6 As shown in the right half, the upper needle 132 moves the sensing plate 135 down into the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140, and the miniature proximity sensor 140 sends a signal to the drive unit 160. Then, as... Figure 7 As shown, the driving component 160 drives the ceramic pin 150 to move downward, and the ceramic pin 150 presses the inclined surface 114, thereby forcing the test piece to deform towards the third contact 130 through the deformable part 111. At this time, the contact end 112 of the test piece contacts the pin 200.

[0050] In other words, this invention adds a third contact 130 to the original test piece. Under normal conditions, the test piece is not in contact with the pin 200. Only when the pin 200 presses down on the third contact 130 does the third contact 130 retract, and this retraction serves as the basis for the test piece to clamp the pin 200, preventing friction between the pin 200 and the test piece. Furthermore, the contact between the third contact 130 and the pin 200 allows the pin 200 to share the current of the test piece, improving its carrying capacity and enabling various types of chip testing.

[0051] It is worth noting that, since the height of the third contact 130 is lower than the height of the contact end 112, the pin 200 needs to pass through the channel D between the two contact ends 112 to press the third contact 130. Only then will the drive mechanism drive the test piece to clamp the pin 200. Therefore, this structural design of the present invention ensures that when the test piece clamps the pin 200, the pin 200 is always located within the channel D, and there will be no phenomenon of the pin 200 not being in contact.

[0052] The second objective of this invention is to provide a method for a testing device that combines a probe and an irregularly shaped test piece, comprising the following steps:

[0053] S1. The pin 200 of the driver chip passes through the channel D between the two contact terminals 112 and presses the upper needle 132 down;

[0054] S2, the upper needle 132 drives the sensing plate 135 to move down into the monitoring area of ​​the miniature proximity sensor 140, and the miniature proximity sensor 140 sends a signal to the driving component 160;

[0055] S3, the driving component 160 drives the ceramic pin 150 to move down, and the ceramic pin 150 presses the inclined surface 114 to force the test piece to contact the pin 200.

[0056] S4. During the test, the test piece and the third contact 130 share the current.

[0057] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A test apparatus for use in combination with a probe and a shaped test piece, characterized by: The main board (100) and the first contact piece (110), the second contact piece (120) and the third contact piece (130) electrically connected to the main board (100), the first contact piece (110), the second contact piece (120) and the third contact piece (130) together contact the pin (200) for sharing current; The first contact piece (110) and the second contact piece (120) are both test pieces with sheet structure, and the two test pieces are symmetrically arranged, the top end of the test piece is a contact end (112), a channel for the pin (200) to enter is reserved between the two contact ends (112), and the width of the channel is greater than the width of the pin (200); The third contact piece (130) is a flexible structure and is located between the two test pieces, the top end of the third contact piece (130) extends to below the channel for contacting the pin (200), and the distance from the top end of the third contact piece (130) to the top of the test piece is less than the length of the pin (200); Further comprising a displacement monitoring system and a driving mechanism, the displacement monitoring system sends a signal to the driving mechanism when the pin (200) drives the third contact piece (130) to contract, and the driving mechanism drives the contact end (112) of the test piece to clamp the pin (200) after receiving the signal; The third contact piece (130) comprises a needle tube (131), the top end of the needle tube (131) is slidably provided with an upper needle head (132), and the bottom end of the needle tube (131) is fixedly provided with a lower needle head (133), and a spring (134) is arranged between the upper needle head (132) and the lower needle head (133); and the top end of the upper needle head (132) is below the channel; The displacement monitoring system comprises a micro proximity sensor (140) and an induction plate (135); The micro proximity sensor (140) is located on one side of the third contact piece (130); The induction plate (135) is arranged above the monitoring area of the micro proximity sensor (140) and is fixed on one side of the outer circle of the upper needle head (132) to follow the synchronous movement of the upper needle head (132); when the induction plate (135) passes through the monitoring area of the micro proximity sensor (140), a signal is sent to the driving mechanism.

2. The test device for use with a probe and a shaped test strip combination according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the upper part of the test piece is less than the width of other parts, so that the upper part of the test piece has the ability to elastically deform towards the pin (200).

3. The test device for use with a probe and a shaped test strip according to claim 1, wherein: The needle tube (131) is made of copper alloy, the upper needle head (132) and the lower needle head (133) are made of tool steel, and the spring (134) is made of piano wire; Gold plating layers are arranged on the surfaces of the needle tube (131), the upper needle head (132), the lower needle head (133) and the spring (134).

4. The test device for use with the probe and shaped test piece combination of claim 1, wherein: The distance between the induction plate (135) and the monitoring area of the micro proximity sensor (140) is equal to the distance at which the pin (200) drives the upper needle head (132) to slide.

5. The test device for use with the probe and shaped test piece combination of claim 1, wherein: The driving mechanism comprises a ceramic pin (150) and a protruding part (113) arranged on one side of the test piece; The top of the protruding part (113) is provided with an inclined surface (114); The ceramic pin (150) is located on the surface of the inclined surface (114); The ceramic pin (150) is connected with a driving member (160), which drives the ceramic pin (150) to move downward after receiving a signal sent by a displacement monitoring system.

6. A test device for use with a probe and a shaped test strip combination according to claim 5, wherein: The slope (114) is high near one end of the test sheet and low near the other end.

7. The test device for use with the probe and shaped test piece combination of claim 5, wherein: The driving member (160) comprises a cylinder (161), and a movable end of the cylinder (161) is fixedly connected with the ceramic pin (150).

8. A method for use with a test device for use with a probe and a profiled test strip combination as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterised by: The method comprises the following steps: S1, a pin (200) of a driving chip passes through a passage between two contact ends (112) and presses a upper needle (132) to move downward; S2, the upper needle (132) drives an inductive plate (135) to move downward to a monitoring area of a micro proximity sensor (140), and the micro proximity sensor (140) sends a signal to the driving member (160); S3, the driving member (160) drives the ceramic pin (150) to move downward, and the ceramic pin (150) extrudes the slope (114) to force the test sheet to contact with the pin (200); S4, during the test, the test sheet and a third contact member (130) jointly share current.

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