Electrical contact and method for manufacturing electrical contact

Abstract

Provided is a method for manufacturing an electrical contact in which a bamboo shoot-shaped spring structure in the vertical direction is integrally formed from a single material, the electrical contact is mechanically simple and has excellent functionality, and the electrical contact can be connected without loss as a circuit. The present invention is a method for manufacturing an electrical contact formed from a single rod-like member having a conductive circular cross-section, the method comprising: a first step of forming a spiral slit in a cylindrical upper portion and / or lower portion formed in the rod-like member; a second step for winding the upper part and / or the lower part of the rod-shaped member, which has been slit-processed in the first step, into a conical shape; and a third step for forming an electrical contact having an elastic portion having a helical structure by compressing the helical structure of each layer of the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member wound in the helical shape in the second step so as to overlap, and then performing a hardening heat treatment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an electrical contact and a manufacturing method of an electrical contact, for example, which can be applied to an electrical contact used in a power test of an integrated circuit on a semiconductor wafer, an object to be inspected, and a manufacturing method of an electrical contact. BACKGROUND

[0002] An object to be inspected, such as an integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer, a packaged integrated circuit, or the like, is subjected to an electrical characteristic inspection at each manufacturing stage. In the electrical inspection of an integrated circuit on a semiconductor wafer, an electrical connection device such as a probe card is used, and in the electrical inspection of a packaged integrated circuit, an electrical connection device such as a socket is used. In such an electrical connection device, an electrical contact that contacts a first contact object and a second contact object is used, and electrical signals are conducted between the first contact object and the second contact object via the electrical contact.

[0003] Conventionally, there are various kinds of electrical contacts, but there are also electrical contacts formed by combining a plurality of constituent members. In a case where electrical signals are conducted between a first contact object and a second contact object using an electrical contact formed by such a plurality of constituent members, the electrical resistance at the contact portions of the constituent members with each other becomes large, and it can have an influence on the electrical conductivity.

[0004] In Patent Literature 1, a spring probe that is subjected to bending processing for a thin-walled belt-shaped substrate, integrally formed with a spiral-shaped cylindrical sleeve, a first terminal formed at one end of the cylindrical sleeve, and a second terminal formed at the other end of the cylindrical sleeve is disclosed. Such a spring probe is integrally formed from a thin-walled belt-shaped substrate, and thus has good electrical conductivity. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-12992 Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-188984 SUMMARY PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] However, in a case where electrical signals are conducted between a first contact object and a second contact object using the spring probe described in Patent Literature 1, the electrical conduction path in the spring probe passes through a pair of spiral springs wound in a spiral shape, and thus the path length becomes long, and it is required to improve the electrical conductivity.

[0007] Here, for example, a bamboo joint spring in which a portion of an inner member that spirally winds a plate-shaped member is covered by an outer member is considered to be directly used as an electrical contact.

[0008] Since the electrical contact of the bamboo joint spring structure is formed by winding a plate-shaped member (single member), the contact site between the constituent members can be eliminated. Therefore, the resistance value on the conduction path of the electrical contact of the bamboo joint spring structure can be reduced. Furthermore, the path length of the conduction path of the electrical contact of the bamboo joint spring structure can also be shortened, and the electrical conduction property can also be good.

[0009] However, the processing method of forming the electrical contact of the bamboo joint spring structure by winding (spiral winding) the single member has the problem of unstable production.

[0010] Therefore, the present application is proposed in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an electrical contact and a manufacturing method of the electrical contact, which are integrally formed in the up-down direction by a single material, simple in mechanism and excellent in function, and can be connected without loss as an electrical circuit. Technical means for solving the problem

[0011] The first application is a manufacturing method of an electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section with electrical conductivity, characterized by comprising: (2) a first step of forming a spiral slit in an upper portion and / or a lower portion of the rod-shaped member formed in a cylindrical shape; (3) a second step of winding the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member on which the slit processing is performed by the first step to form a conical shape; and (4) a third step of performing a hardening heat treatment after the spiral structures of the layers of the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member wound by the second step are compressed to overlap, thereby forming an electrical contact having an elastic portion with a spiral structure.

[0012] The second application is an electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section with electrical conductivity, characterized by having: (1) one or two elastic portions formed by performing a slit processing to form a spiral slit in an upper portion and / or a lower portion of the rod-shaped member formed in a cylindrical shape, winding the upper portion and / or the lower portion on which the slit processing is performed to form a conical shape, and performing a hardening heat treatment after the spiral structures of the layers are compressed to overlap; and (2) a central portion as the rod-shaped member itself.

[0013] The third application is an electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section with electrical conductivity, characterized by having: (1) one or two elastic portions with spiral structures formed in an upper portion and / or a lower portion; and (2) a central portion as the rod-shaped member itself, (3) the layers of the spiral structures of the elastic portions are formed to overlap, and one end portion has a contact portion that contacts a contact object. Effects of the application

[0014] According to the present application, it is possible to provide an electric contact and a manufacturing method thereof, which are mechanically simple and functionally excellent, and which are integrally formed in a single material in a mushroom spring structure in the vertical direction, and which are connected without loss as an electric circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the embodiment. Figure 2 is a structural view showing the structure of the electric connection device of the embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing the formation process of the connector of the embodiment. Figure 4 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the connector of the formation process of the embodiment. Figure 5 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (one). Figure 6 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (two). Figure 7 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (three). Figure 8 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (four). Figure 9 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (five). Figure 10 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the modified embodiment (six). Figure 11 is an explanatory view showing the installed state of the connector of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] (A) Main Embodiment Hereinafter, this embodiment of the electric contact and the manufacturing method thereof of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] In this embodiment, as described later, a case where the electric contact of the present application is applied to a connector mounted on a constituent member of an electric connection device, i.e., an electric connection unit, is exemplified. The electric contact of the present application can be applied to an electric contact which is electrically contacted with a first contact object and a second contact object and which can conduct an electric signal between the first contact object and the second contact object. Further, in this embodiment, a case where the electric contact of the present application is applied to a connector of an electric connection unit is exemplified, but the present application can also be applied to a probe or the like which is connected to an electrode terminal of an object to be inspected.

[0018] In addition, in the present embodiment, a case is exemplified in which the electrical connection device of the present application is an electrical connection device for electrical inspection of an integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer as an object to be inspected. Furthermore, the electrical connection device of the present application can be applied to a device that uses the electrical contact of the present application to electrically connect by conducting an electrical signal between a first contact object and a second contact object.

[0019] (A-1) Configuration of Embodiment (A-1-1) Electrical Connection Device Figure 2 is a structural view that shows the structure of the electrical connection device of the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 The electrical connection device 10 of Figure 2 is shown in FIG. 1, but is not limited to these constituent members, and actually has constituent members not shown in Figure 2 . In the following, "upper" and "lower" are referred to with respect to the vertical direction in

[0021] In Figure 2 , the electrical connection device 10 of the present embodiment has a support member 12 that is flat, a wiring board 14 that is flat and is held on a lower surface 12a of the support member 12, an electrical connection unit 15 that is electrically connected to the wiring board 14, and a probe board 16 that is electrically connected to the electrical connection unit 15 and has a plurality of probes 20.

[0022] The electrical connection device 10 uses a plurality of fixing members (such as screw members and the like) when assembling the support member 12, the wiring board 14, the electrical connection unit 15, and the probe board 16, but these fixing members are not shown in Figure 2

[0023] The electrical connection device 10 performs electrical inspection of an object to be inspected 2 such as a semiconductor integrated circuit formed on a semiconductor wafer, for example. Specifically, the object to be inspected 2 is pressed against the probe board 16, the tip end portions of the respective probes 20 of the probe board 16 are brought into electrical contact with electrode terminals 2a of the object to be inspected 2, an electrical signal is supplied from an unillustrated tester (inspection device) to the electrode terminals 2a of the object to be inspected 2, and furthermore, the electrical signal from the electrode terminals 2a of the object to be inspected 2 is supplied to the tester side, whereby electrical inspection of the object to be inspected 2 is performed.

[0024] ​The object to be inspected 2 as an inspection object is placed on the upper surface of the chuck top 3. The chuck top 3 is capable of position adjustment in the X-axis direction in the horizontal direction, the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction in the horizontal plane, the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (X-Y plane), and further, is capable of adjustment of a rotational posture in the θ direction around the Z-axis. When performing electrical inspection of the object to be inspected 2, the chuck which is capable of ascending and descending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is moved so that the electrode terminal 2a of the object to be inspected 2 is brought into electrical contact with the tip end portion of each probe 20 of the probe substrate 16. Therefore, the probe substrate 16 of the electrical connection device 10 is moved in close proximity to the object to be inspected 2 on the upper surface of the chuck top 3 with respect to the lower surface of the probe substrate 16.

[0025] [Support member] The support member 12 suppresses deformation (for example, flexure, etc.) of the wiring substrate 14. For example, since the probe substrate 16 has a plurality of probes 20, the weight of the probe substrate 16 mounted on the wiring substrate 14 side becomes large. Further, when performing electrical inspection of the object to be inspected 2, the probe substrate 16 is pressed by the object to be inspected 2 on the chuck top 3, whereby the tip end portion of the probe 20 protruding from the lower surface of the probe substrate 16 comes into electrical contact with the electrode terminal 2a of the object to be inspected 2. As such, during electrical inspection, a reaction force (contact load) which lifts up from the lower surface to the upper surface is generated, and a large load is applied to the wiring substrate 14. The support member 12 functions as a member which suppresses deformation (for example, flexure, etc.) of the wiring substrate 14.

[0026] Further, a plurality of through holes 121 which pass through the upper surface and the lower surface are provided in the support member 12. The plurality of through holes 121 are respectively provided at positions corresponding to each of the positions of the plurality of fixtures 50 arranged on the upper surface of the probe substrate 16 described later, and are provided at positions corresponding to each of the positions of the plurality of through holes 141 provided in the wiring substrate 14.

[0027] In each of the through holes 121 of the support member 12, a spacer (hereinafter also referred to as "support portion") 51 is inserted from the upper surface of the support member 12 to the lower surface, and constitutes a structure capable of fixing the lower end portion of the spacer (support portion) 51 and the corresponding fixture 50. For example, the lower end portion of the spacer (support portion) 51 is an external thread portion, and further, the substantially central portion of the fixture 50 arranged on the upper surface of the probe substrate 16 is an internal thread portion 501, and by screwing the lower end portion (external thread portion) of the spacer (support portion) 51 and the internal thread portion of the fixture 50, it is possible to fix. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the distance between the upper surface of the probe substrate 16 and the upper surface of the support member 12 at a predetermined distance length.

[0028] [Wiring substrate] The wiring substrate 14 is formed of a resin material such as polyimide, for example, and is a printed substrate or the like formed in a substantially circular plate shape, for example. A plurality of electrode terminals (not shown) for electrically connecting to a test head (not shown) of a tester (inspection device) are arranged on the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the wiring substrate 14. In addition, a wiring pattern is formed on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 14, and the connection terminals 14a of the wiring pattern are electrically connected to the upper end portions of the connectors 30 provided on the electrical connection unit 15.

[0029] Further, a wiring circuit (not shown) is formed inside the wiring substrate 14, and the wiring pattern on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 14 and the electrode terminals on the upper surface of the wiring substrate 14 can be connected via the wiring circuit inside the wiring substrate 14. Therefore, via the wiring circuit inside the wiring substrate 14, electrical signals can be conducted between each of the connectors 30 of the electrical connection unit 15 electrically connected to the connection terminals 14a of the wiring pattern on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 14 and the test head connected to the electrode terminals on the upper surface of the wiring substrate 14. On the upper surface of the wiring substrate 14, a plurality of electronic components necessary for electrical inspection of the object 2 are also arranged.

[0030] In addition, a plurality of through-holes 141 that pass through the upper surface and the lower surface of the wiring substrate 14 are provided on the wiring substrate 14. The plurality of through-holes 141 are arranged at positions corresponding to each of the positions of the plurality of holders 50 arranged on the upper surface of the probe substrate 16, and at positions corresponding to each of the positions of the plurality of through-holes 121 of the support member 12.

[0031] Further, the opening shape of each of the through-holes 141 can be a shape corresponding to the shape of the support portion 51 inserted therethrough. In addition, in order to be able to insert the support portion 51 through each of the through-holes 141, the inner diameter of each of the through-holes 141 is the same degree or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the support portion 51.

[0032] In this embodiment, since the case where the support portion 51 is a cylindrical member is exemplified, the case where the opening shape of the through-hole 141 is a substantially circular shape is exemplified, but is not limited thereto. For example, it can be a member in which the cross-sectional shape of the support portion 51 is a substantially square or the like straight prism, or a member in which the cross-sectional shape is a polygonal multi-prism, and in the case of such an example, the opening shape of the through-hole 141 can also be a shape through which the support portion 51 can be inserted.

[0033] [Electrical Connection Unit] The electrical connection unit 15 has a plurality of connection pieces 30. In the assembled state of the electrical connection device 10, the upper end portions of the connection pieces 30 are electrically connected to the connection terminals 14a of the wiring pattern on the lower surface of the wiring substrate 14, and the lower end portions of the connection pieces 30 are connected to the pads provided on the upper surface of the probe substrate 16. Since the tip end portions of the probes 20 are in electrical contact with the electrode terminals of the object 2, the electrode terminals of the object 2 are electrically connected to the tester (inspection device) through the probes 20 and the connection pieces 30, and thus the object 2 can be electrically inspected by the tester (inspection device).

[0034] For example, the electrical connection unit 15 has a plurality of through holes for the connection pieces 30 to pass through, and the upper end portions and the lower end portions of the connection pieces 30 protrude by passing through the through holes. In addition, in the electrical connection unit 15, the structure in which the plurality of connection pieces 30 are installed is not limited to the structure in which the through holes are provided, and various structures can be widely applied. A flange portion 151 is provided around the electrical connection unit 15.

[0035] [Probe Substrate] The probe substrate 16 is a substrate having a plurality of probes 20, and is formed in a substantially circular shape or a polygonal shape (for example, a hexadecagonal shape, etc.). The probes 20 can be, for example, cantilever type probes, but are not limited thereto. In addition, the probe substrate 16 has, for example, a substrate member 161 formed of a ceramic plate and a multilayer wiring substrate 162 formed on the lower surface of the substrate member 161.

[0036] In the inside of the substrate member 161 which is a ceramic substrate, a plurality of conductive paths (not shown) are formed which pass through in the plate thickness direction, and pads 161a are formed on the upper surface of the substrate member 161, and one end of the conductive paths in the substrate member 161 is formed to be connected to the pads 161a on the upper surface of the substrate member 161. Further, on the lower surface of the substrate member 161, the other end of the conductive paths in the substrate member 161 is formed to be connected to the connection terminals provided on the upper surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 162.

[0037] The multilayer wiring substrate 162 is formed of, for example, a plurality of multilayer substrates formed of a synthetic resin member such as polyimide, and wiring paths (not shown) are formed between the plurality of multilayer substrates. One end of the wiring paths of the multilayer wiring substrate 162 is connected to the other end of the conductive paths on the side of the substrate member 161 which is a ceramic substrate, and the other end of the multilayer wiring substrate 162 is connected to the probe pads provided on the lower surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 162. A plurality of probes 20 are arranged on the probe pads provided on the lower surface of the multilayer wiring substrate 162, and the plurality of probes 20 of the probe substrate 16 are electrically connected to the corresponding connection terminals 14a of the wiring substrate 14 via the electrical connection unit 15.

[0038] (A-1-2) Connection Piece (Electrical Contact) Figure 1 is a structural view showing the structure of the connector of the embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing the formation process of the connector of the embodiment. In addition, Figure 11 is an explanatory view illustrating the installed state of the connector of the embodiment.

[0039] As Figure 1 shown, the connector 30, which is an example of an electrical contact, has a first contact portion 31 that contacts a connection terminal 14a of a wiring board 14 that is a first contact object, an upper elastic portion 32 that has a bamboo joint spring structure in an upward direction that elastically exerts force in the upward direction when the first contact portion 31 contacts the connection terminal 14a and receives a load, a second contact portion 33 that contacts a pad 161a of a board member 161 that is a second contact object, a lower elastic portion 34 that has a bamboo joint spring structure in a downward direction that elastically exerts force in the downward direction when the second contact portion 33 contacts the pad 161a and receives a load, and a central portion 35 that connects the upper elastic portion 32 and the lower elastic portion 34.

[0040] In Figure 11 the example, a through-hole 70 for inserting the connector 30 is provided on the electrical connection unit 15, and the connector 30 is inserted into the through-hole 70. The inner diameter of the lower portion of the through-hole 70 is slightly larger or substantially the same as the outer diameter of the central portion 35. In addition, the upper portion of the through-hole 70 is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion of the through-hole 70, and a step 71 is provided on the inner surface of the through-hole 70. The upper portion of the central portion 35 of the inserted connector 30 is caught on the step 71 of the inner surface of the through-hole 70. That is, the central portion 35 also functions to prevent the spring from falling off during the contact operation. Furthermore, the step 71 can be formed so as to catch the lower portion of the central portion 35. In any case, since the outer diameter of the central portion 35 is larger than the outer diameters of the upper elastic portion 32 and the lower elastic portion 34, the connector 30 can be utilized as a spring that prevents falling off by the shape (step) of the through-hole 70 even during the contact operation.

[0041] The first contact portion 31 has a tip end surface that contacts the first contact object, and the tip end surface extends upward. In addition, the second contact portion 33 has a tip end surface that contacts the second contact object, and the tip end surface extends downward. The shapes of the first contact portion 31 and the second contact portion 33 are not particularly limited, and various processing treatments can be performed.

[0042] As Figure 1 a manufacturing method of the connector 30, a general outline of each process is shown in (A) of Figure 3 , a portion of a cylindrical pipe material M is subjected to a forming process (slit processing) to form Figure 3 the connector 30P1 shown in (B) of , and then the slit-processed portion is rolled into a conical shape to formFigure 3 After the connection member 30P2 shown in (C) is formed, a compression, hardening treatment described later is used to form Figure 3 the connection member 30 shown in (D) in a target shape (bamboo shoot shape structure in the up-down direction).

[0043] Figure 3 The pipe material M is Figure 1 The connection member 30 (connection member 30P1, connection member 30P2) before the molding process of the connection member 30 is a member in which a full-length rod-shaped member (cylindrical member) formed of an electrically conductive material is cylindrical. That is, the connection member 30 is formed from a single cylindrical member through a plurality of processes to form a structure in which a plurality of members are overlapped and spirally wound like a bamboo shoot (bamboo shoot shape structure in the up-down direction), and thus the conductivity of an electric signal can be stabilized. In other words, an electric contact formed by combining a plurality of members is electrically conductive because the plurality of members are in contact with each other, and thus the resistance at the contact site between the plurality of members becomes large, and the conductivity becomes unstable. In contrast, the connection member 30 formed by molding a single cylindrical member does not have a contact site between members, and thus the resistance value can be reduced, and the conductivity of an electric signal can be stabilized.

[0044] In addition, because the connection member 30 has an elastic body like a bamboo shoot in the up-down direction, the contact between the first contact object and the second contact object can be reliably performed. Thus, the connection member 30 of the present embodiment has a more excellent effect than a connection member having an elastic body like a bamboo shoot in only one direction.

[0045] Figure 3 The pipe material M shown in (A) can use various cylindrical members such as a cylindrical member formed of a noble metal or a metal having electrical conductivity, and for example, a precipitation hardening type copper alloy such as a Cu-Be alloy (beryllium copper) is suitable as a material having high elasticity. In the precipitation hardening type copper alloy, by performing aging treatment on a supersaturated solid solution after solid solution treatment, fine precipitates are uniformly dispersed, the content of a solid solution element in copper is reduced while the strength of the alloy is increased, and the electrical conductivity can be improved. In addition, similarly to the precipitation hardening type copper alloy, a palladium alloy is also suitable as the pipe material M.

[0046] Figure 3 The connection member 30P1 shown in (B) is a connection member formed by slit processing a part of the pipe material M. The connection member 30P1 has a configuration corresponding to each of the constituent parts of the connection member 30 described above. That is, as shown in (B), the connection member 30P1 has a first contact part 31P, an upper elastic part 32P1, a second contact part 33P, a lower elastic part 34P1, and a central part 35P connecting the upper elastic part 32P1 and the lower elastic part 34P1. Figure 3

[0047] In addition, the connection member 30P2 shown in (C) is a connection member formed by slit processing a part of the pipe material M. The connection member 30P2 has a configuration corresponding to each of the constituent parts of the connection member 30 described above. That is, as shown in (C), the connection member 30P2 has a first contact part 31P2, an upper elastic part 32P2, a second contact part 33P2, a lower elastic part 34P2, and a central part 35P2 connecting the upper elastic part 32P2 and the lower elastic part 34P2. Figure 3 ​The connecting member 30P2 shown in (C) is a connecting member in which the slit-processed portions (upper elastic portion 32P1, lower elastic portion 34P1) of the connecting member 30P1 are wound to form a conical shape. The connecting member 30P2 also has a configuration corresponding to each of the components of the above-described connecting members 30, 30P1. That is, as shown in Figure 3 (C), the connecting member 30P2 has a first contact portion 31P, an upper elastic portion 32P2, a second contact portion 33P, a lower elastic portion 34P2, and a central portion 35P connecting the upper elastic portion 32P2 and the lower elastic portion 34P2.

[0048] The connecting member 30 and the connecting member 30P2 differ in that the connecting member 30P1 is a bamboo shoot structure in which a portion of the pipe material M (upper elastic portion 32, lower elastic portion 34) is wound in a spiral shape, and a portion of the inner member after the winding is covered by the outer member, whereas the connecting member 30P2 is a cylindrical structure in which the pipe material M is wound in a spiral shape without overlapping.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to form the connecting member 30 in the target shape (bamboo shoot structure in the vertical direction), first, a portion of the pipe material M shown in (A) is slit-processed to form the connecting member 30P1, and then the slit-processed portion is wound to form the connecting member 30P2, and the connecting member 30 shown in (D) is produced through the compression and hardening processes described later. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the connecting member 30 will be described. Figure 3 Figure 3 (C) shown in (B) is slit-processed to form the connecting member 30P1, and then the slit-processed portion is wound to form the connecting member 30P2, and the connecting member 30 shown in (D) is produced through the compression and hardening processes described later. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the connecting member 30 will be described.

[0050] [Manufacturing method of connecting member] [Slit processing] First, as a step of manufacturing the connecting member 30, a portion of the rod-shaped pipe material M is slit-processed using a prior art such as laser processing to form the connecting member 30P1.

[0051] By slit-processing the pipe material M (upper and lower portions of the pipe material M), as shown in Figure 4 (B), the slit S1 to the slit S6 in a spiral shape are formed on the connecting member 30P1. In Figure 4 the drawings, an example in which the slit is formed somewhat exaggerated in order to be able to recognize the slit (gap) width is shown, but the structure of how to form the slit in a spiral shape by laser processing or the like is not particularly limited.

[0052] Further, since the central portion 35P of the connecting member 30P1 is not slit-processed, it remains the pipe material M. That is, the central portion 35P of the connecting member 30P1 is high in rigidity.

[0053] [Reduced diameter winding processing] ​Next, with the fixed connector 30P1 in place, the first contact portion 31P (top portion) is wound and contracted along the axial diameter reduction of the pipe M to form the upper elastic portion. Similarly, the second contact portion 33P (top portion) is wound and contracted along the axial diameter reduction of the pipe M to form the lower elastic portion.

[0054] exist Figure 3 In connector 30P2 of (C), the upper elastic portion 32P2 and the lower elastic portion 34P2 are shown as elastic portions in a state where a diameter reduction winding process has been performed. In this state, each elastic portion is in a relaxed state without overlapping.

[0055] In this embodiment, the connector 30P2 (upper elastic part 32P2 and lower elastic part 34P2) forms a vertically symmetrical spiral structure through the central part 35P, but the upper elastic part 32P2 and the lower elastic part 34P2 do not necessarily have to form a vertically symmetrical spiral structure (that is, they can also be asymmetrical spiral structures).

[0056] <Compression and Hardening Heat Treatment> Next, as Figure 3 As shown in (D), the upper elastic portion 32P2 and the lower elastic portion 34P2 of the connector 30P2 are compressed in an overlapping manner (i.e., compressed to a bamboo shoot structure), and then subjected to a hardening heat treatment. The specific method for compression hardening heat treatment can, for example, be the technique described in Patent Document 2.

[0057] (A-2) Effects of the implementation method As described above, according to this embodiment, the processing constraints of overlapping and spirally wound bamboo shoot-shaped spring structures can be resolved. That is, after processing a portion of the slit in the tube into a spiral shape, the slit processing portion is wound with a reduced diameter, and then the target shape (bamboo shoot structure) can be stably manufactured through compression and hardening.

[0058] The electrical contact (connector) of this embodiment, manufactured by the above manufacturing method, is mechanically simple and functionally excellent (sliding performance is improved by a single component) because the vertically oriented bamboo shoot spring structure is integrally formed from a single material, and it can be used as a circuit for lossless connection.

[0059] Furthermore, the connector 30 manufactured using the pipe seam machining method of this method has high rigidity because the main body (central part 35) retains the state of the pipe material M. In addition, the pipe seam machining method of this manufacturing method also has the advantage of making it easy to set the full length of the spring.

[0060] (B) Other implementation methods The above embodiments also mention modified embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention can also be applied to the following embodiments.

[0061] The winding direction of the spiral of the slit-processed portion of the above-described tube slit processing method (one-side winding direction) is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 5 , the winding direction of the spiral of (A) of the above-described embodiment can be formed in the opposite direction to the above-described embodiment, and the connecting member 30 of (B) can be manufactured by compression, hardening treatment. Figure 5 Figure 5

[0062] (B-2) In the above-described embodiment, the main body portion (central portion 35) of the connecting member 30 is not particularly slit-processed, but can be slit-processed as shown in Figure 6 Figure 6 The connecting member 30A of (A) can control the stroke and load together with the upper and lower spiral-wound springs (upper elastic portion 32, lower elastic portion 34) by forming a slit (for example, an independent spiral-shaped slit that is discontinuous from the slit of the upper portion or the lower portion) in the central portion 35A.

[0063] (B-3) In the above-described embodiment, the upper elastic portion 32 and the lower elastic portion 34 of the connecting member 30 are spiral-wound structures (bamboo shoot structures), but either one can be provided in other shapes. For example, in the connecting member 30B shown in Figure 7 (A) is a view of the connecting member 30B as viewed from the front side, Figure 7 (B) is a view of the connecting member 30B as viewed from the top. The crown type is excellent in contactability with the electrode pad because of the presence of four apex portions (first contact portions 31B). Figure 7

[0064] In addition, as shown in Figure 8 , in the crown portion (upper elastic portion 32) of the connecting member 30B, a slit can be formed directly below each base portion (all four or less than four). By forming the slit, each configuration (polygon) including the first contact portion 31 can be contacted while being laterally spread at the time of contact. Depending on the specifications of the electrode pad, it is sometimes better to deform the crown portion like this. In any case, the shape of the upper elastic portion 32 (or the lower elastic portion 34) is not particularly limited.

[0065] (B-4) In the above-described embodiment, the connecting member 30 is manufactured from a rod-shaped pipe material M that is entirely cylindrical, but as shown in Figure 9 ​​​​As shown, from the rod-shaped member N in which the counterbore processing is performed on both end portions of the cylindrical rod-shaped pipe material, the connector 30C can be manufactured by performing the slit processing on the upper and lower portions which become cylindrical by the counterbore processing, performing the compression, and performing the hardening heat treatment, in the same order as the above-described embodiment. Although the appearance of the connector 30C is the same as that of the connector 30, since the inside of the central portion 35 (central portion Zl) is a solid structure, the electrical performance is more advantageous than that of the connector 30 manufactured from the pipe material M. Also, the rigidity of the central portion 35 of the connector 30C is higher than that of the connector 30.

[0066] (B-5) In addition, as shown in Figure 10 , the connector 30D can be manufactured from the rod-shaped member O in which the outer peripheral surface of the central portion Z2 is convex, in the same order as the above-described embodiment, in addition to the counterbore processing. The connector 30D has the effect of preventing the spring from falling off even at the time of the contact operation, in addition to the improvement of the electrical advantage and the rigidity described in the above-described connector 30C, since the central portion 35 (central portion Z2) is convex.

[0067] (B-6) In the above-described embodiment, the slit processing is used in order to realize the spiral structure of the upper elastic portion 32 and the lower elastic portion 34 of the connector 30, but is not limited thereto. For example, the etching technology used for the MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) manufacturing can be applied.

[0068] (B-7) In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the spiral structure spring is manufactured from the pipe material M (rod-shaped member) which is cylindrical or cylindrical is shown, but the material is not limited to these rod-shaped metal members, and various shapes (for example, square) of metal can be used. Explanation of symbols

[0069] 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30P1, 30P2... connector, 31, 31B, 31P... first contact portion, 32, 32B, 32P1, 32P2... upper elastic portion, 33, 33P... second contact portion, 34, 34P1, 34P2... lower elastic portion, 35, 35A, 35P... central portion, 70... through hole, 71... step, M... pipe material, N, O... rod-shaped member, S1-S6... slit.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section of electrical conductivity, the method of manufacturing an electrical contact characterized by comprising: a first step of forming a spiral slit in an upper portion and / or a lower portion of the rod-shaped member formed in a cylindrical shape; a second step of winding the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member subjected to the slit processing by the first step to form a conical shape; and a third step of, after compressing the spiral structures of the layers of the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member wound by the second step to overlap, performing a hardening heat treatment, thereby forming an electrical contact provided with a spiral-structured elastic portion.

2. The method of manufacturing an electrical contact according to claim 1, characterized in that the first step forms a spiral slit by laser processing.

3. The method of manufacturing an electrical contact according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an end surface of the upper portion or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member is a crown shape.

4. The method of manufacturing an electrical contact according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that another slit independent of the slit is also formed in a central portion of the rod-shaped member.

5. An electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section of electrical conductivity, the electrical contact characterized by having: one or two elastic portions formed by performing a spiral-slit processing on an upper portion and / or a lower portion of the rod-shaped member formed in a cylindrical shape, winding the upper portion and / or the lower portion of the rod-shaped member subjected to the slit processing to form a conical shape, compressing the spiral structures of the layers to overlap, and performing a hardening heat treatment; and a central portion as the rod-shaped member itself.

6. An electrical contact formed of a single rod-shaped member having a circular cross section of electrical conductivity, the electrical contact characterized by having: one or two spiral-structured elastic portions formed in an upper portion and / or a lower portion of the rod-shaped member; and a central portion as the rod-shaped member itself, the elastic portion formed by overlapping the layers of the spiral structure, one end portion having a contact portion that contacts a contact object. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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