Contact pins for test devices for semiconductor devices and test devices

Abstract

The utility model provides a contact pin and testing device for testing device of semiconductor device, and the contact pin includes: upper cantilever body, with the upper cantile arm body connection intermediate locking main body, and with the intermediate locking main body connection lower cantilever body, wherein, be provided with two locking arms apart on the intermediate locking main body. The utility model can ensure that the protruding upper end of two contact pins connecting semiconductor device is consistent, improves test stability, and reduces component wear and deformation, increases the service life of contact pin and testing device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to contact pins and a testing device for semiconductor devices. Background Technology

[0002] As part of the semiconductor device manufacturing process, test equipment is required to test semiconductor devices to evaluate their performance. During testing, the device pins or pads of the semiconductor device (such as an integrated circuit, IC) must be electrically connected to the contact pins of the test equipment.

[0003] A pair of contact pins can form a Kelvin connection, enabling Kelvin testing. There are two main reasons for using Kelvin testing in IC testing: accurate resistance measurement and precise voltage drop measurement. Kelvin testing ensures accurate resistance measurement by eliminating errors caused by contact resistance and lead resistance.

[0004] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a pair of contact pins mounted in a prior art test apparatus 13 is shown. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 As shown, a pair of contact pins includes a first contact pin 11 and a second contact pin 12. The first contact pin 11 includes an upper cantilever body 111, a middle locking body 112, and a lower cantilever body 113. A monolithic locking flange 114 is provided on the middle locking body 112. When the first contact pin 11 is installed into the test device 13, the monolithic locking flange 114 is inserted into the corresponding cavity 131 in the test device 13 to ensure the fixation and balance of the first contact pin 11. The structures of the first contact pin 11 and the second contact pin 12 are similar.

[0005] The cavity 131 of the test device 13 is typically made of plastic, while the monolithic locking flange 114 is typically a rigid monolithic locking element. Their mutual fixation relies on the deformation and friction of the plastic components. Therefore, the cavity 131 in existing test devices cannot be made of metal. However, the rigid monolithic locking element causes wear and permanent deformation of the plastic cavity during repeated insertion and removal, leading to loosening of the connection between the locking element and the cavity. This results in a "seesaw effect" movement of the contact pins around the locking element, causing unevenness at the upper protruding ends of the two contact pins. This directly reduces Kelvin contact accuracy and increases contact resistance fluctuations. Furthermore, since the cavity of the test device 13 cannot use metal, it limits the heat dissipation efficiency and conductivity of the contact pins and the test device. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a contact pin for a testing device for semiconductor devices, the contact pin comprising:

[0007] Upper cantilever body;

[0008] The intermediate locking body connected to the upper cantilever body; and

[0009] The lower cantilever body is connected to the intermediate locking body;

[0010] The intermediate locking body is provided with two locking arms spaced apart.

[0011] Preferably, the two locking arms form laterally protruding forks and are elastic, wherein the two locking arms undergo elastic deformation when the contact pin is inserted into the test device.

[0012] Preferably, a recess is formed between the two locking arms, wherein when the contact pin is inserted into the test device, the recess engages with a corresponding fixing flange on the test device to further fix the contact pin in the test device.

[0013] Preferably, the upper cantilever has an upper end portion for contacting the semiconductor device, and the lower cantilever has an extension connected to the load plate of the test apparatus.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a testing apparatus for semiconductor devices, the testing apparatus comprising: at least one pair of contact pins as described in the first aspect.

[0015] Preferably, the testing device includes at least one pair of cavities and at least one pair of fixing flanges. Each pair of cavities includes a first cavity and a second cavity, and each pair of fixing flanges includes a first fixing flange and a second fixing flange. A pair of contact pins are respectively inserted into the corresponding cavities. A first recess is formed between the two locking arms on one of the contact pins, and a second recess is formed between the two locking arms on the other contact pin.

[0016] When the pair of contact pins are respectively inserted into the corresponding cavities, the first fixing flange is inserted into the first recess, and the second fixing flange is inserted into the second recess.

[0017] Preferably, the first fixing flange matches the shape of the first recess, and the second fixing flange matches the shape of the second recess.

[0018] Preferably, when the pair of contact pins are inserted into the pair of cavities, the cavities press the pair of locking arms from the upper and lower sides respectively, causing them to deflect towards the center.

[0019] In this invention, two laterally protruding, spaced-apart elastic locking arms are provided on the central locking body of the contact pin. During the insertion (installation) of the contact pin into the cavity of the testing device, the outer sides of the two locking arms are deflected towards the center by the pressure from the upper and lower sides of the cavity, thereby fixing the contact pin. Thus, compared to existing rigid single-piece locking components, the two locking arms of this invention can distribute the holding force to multiple surfaces (including the surface of the cavity, the surface of the fixing flange, etc.), reducing localized stress on the plastic cavity. This reduces wear and deformation of components such as the contact pin, plastic cavity, and fixing flange during repeated insertion and removal of the locking arms, increasing the service life of the contact pin and the testing device. This ensures a fixed connection between the contact pin and the cavity, and further ensures that the upper protruding ends of the two contact pins are aligned, avoiding the "seesaw effect." Therefore, it improves Kelvin contact accuracy and reduces contact resistance fluctuations, thereby improving test stability.

[0020] In this invention, the two spaced elastic locking arms in each contact pin provide symmetrical support, thereby further preventing the two contact pins from swinging like a seesaw.

[0021] In this invention, since the contact pin adopts a forked locking arm, which is elastic and can support locking with a metal part, the cavity component used to fix the locking arm in the test device can be made of metal. This helps to improve the heat dissipation efficiency and electrical conductivity of the contact pin and the overall test device.

[0022] Comparative experiments show that the contact pins of this invention can achieve more than 300,000 insertion and removal cycles while maintaining Kelvin connection stability and mechanical reliability, which is far less than that of contact pins with existing structures.

[0023] Other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent from the following disclosure and the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a pair of contact pins mounted in a test apparatus in the prior art is shown.

[0025] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a test apparatus for mounting a pair of contact pins according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 3 A perspective view of a test apparatus for mounting a pair of contact pins according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 4A schematic diagram of the first contact pin and the second contact pin according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure Labels

[0029] Test device 13

[0030] First contact pin 11

[0031] Second contact pin 12

[0032] Upper cantilever body 111

[0033] Locking the main body 112 in the middle

[0034] Lower cantilever body 113

[0035] Single-piece locking flange 114

[0036] Cavity 131

[0037] Test device 200

[0038] Semiconductor device 110

[0039] First contact pin 206

[0040] Second contact pin 207

[0041] First upper cantilever body 51

[0042] First intermediate locking main body 52

[0043] First lower cantilever body 53

[0044] Second upper cantilever body 61

[0045] Second intermediate locking body 62

[0046] Second lower cantilever body 63

[0047] First locking arm 521

[0048] Second locking arm 522

[0049] first recess 523

[0050] First fixed flange 201

[0051] First upper part 511

[0052] First extension 531

[0053] Third locking arm 621

[0054] Fourth locking arm 622

[0055] Second recess 623

[0056] Second fixing flange 202

[0057] Second upper part 611

[0058] Second extension 631

[0059] First cavity 211

[0060] Second cavity 212 Detailed Implementation

[0061] The embodiments of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0063] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Words such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the elements or objects preceding “comprising” or “including” encompass the elements or objects listed following “comprising” or “including” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0064] It should be noted that the following detailed description is for the contact pins of the test apparatus for semiconductor devices and the test apparatus itself, and is not limited to any particular size or configuration, but rather includes a variety of sizes and configurations within the general range described below.

[0065] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a test apparatus 200 with a pair of contact pins mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A perspective view of a test apparatus 200 with a pair of contact pins mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The test apparatus 200 is used to test a semiconductor device 110.

[0066] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a first contact pin 206 and a second contact pin 207 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The first contact pin 206 and the second contact pin 207 have substantially the same structure.

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, the first contact pin 206 includes a first upper cantilever body 51, a first intermediate locking body 52 connected to the first upper cantilever body 51, and a first lower cantilever body 53 connected to the first intermediate locking body 52. ​​The first upper cantilever body 51 and the first lower cantilever body 53 are cantilevered, so by means of the elasticity (or flexibility) of the cantilever, the first upper cantilever body 51 and the first lower cantilever body 53 can be bent without breaking or deforming.

[0068] Two locking arms, namely a first locking arm 521 and a second locking arm 522, are provided on the first intermediate locking body 52. ​​The first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522 form a transversely protruding fork, that is, the first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522 protrude in a forked manner in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinally extending first intermediate locking body 52.

[0069] A first recess 523 is formed between the first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522. In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the top end of the first fixing flange 201 can be made to match the shape of the first recess 523. When the first contact pin 206 is inserted into the first cavity 211 of the test device 200, the first recess 523 engages with the corresponding first fixing flange 201, thereby fixing the first contact pin 206 in the test device 200, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown.

[0070] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522 are elastic. When the first contact pin 206 is inserted into the first cavity 211 of the test device 200, the first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522 are respectively squeezed by the upper and lower sides of the first cavity 211, deflected towards the center, and provided symmetrical locking force, thereby preventing the "seesaw" swing and reducing the wear of the test device 200.

[0071] like Figure 2 , 4 As shown, the first upper cantilever 51 has a first upper end portion 511 for contacting the semiconductor device 110, and the first lower cantilever 53 has a first extension 531 connected to the load plate (not shown) of the test apparatus 200 for establishing a connection between the first contact pin 206 and the load plate.

[0072] like Figure 4As shown, similar to the structure of the first contact pin 206, the second contact pin 207 includes a second upper cantilever body 61, a second intermediate locking body 62 connected to the second upper cantilever body 61, and a second lower cantilever body 63 connected to the second intermediate locking body 62. The second upper cantilever body 61 and the second lower cantilever body 63 are cantilevered, so by means of the elasticity (or flexibility) of the cantilever, the second upper cantilever body 61 and the second lower cantilever body 63 can be bent without breaking or deforming.

[0073] Two locking arms, namely a third locking arm 621 and a fourth locking arm 622, are provided on the second intermediate locking body 62. The third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622 form a transversely protruding fork, that is, the third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622 protrude in a forked manner in the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinally extending second intermediate locking body 62.

[0074] A second recess 623 is formed between the third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622. In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the top end of the second fixing flange 202 can be made to match the shape of the second recess 623. When the second contact pin 207 is inserted into the second cavity 212 of the test device 200, the second recess 623 and the corresponding second fixing flange 202 on the test device 200 form a mating fit. Figure 2 As shown.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, the third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622 are elastic. When the second contact pin 207 is inserted into the test device 200, the third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622 are respectively squeezed by the upper and lower sides of the second cavity 212, deflecting towards the center, providing symmetrical locking force, thereby preventing the "seesaw" swing and reducing the wear of related components.

[0076] like Figure 2 , 4 As shown, the second upper cantilever 61 has a second upper end portion 611 for contacting the semiconductor device 110, and the second lower cantilever 63 has a second extension 631 connected to the load plate (not shown) of the test apparatus 200 for establishing a connection between the second contact pin 207 and the load plate.

[0077] like Figure 2As shown, the testing device 200 has a first cavity 211 and a second cavity 212. A first fixing flange 201 is disposed in the first cavity 211, and a second fixing flange 202 is disposed in the second cavity 212. When the first contact pin 206 is installed on the testing device 200, the first locking arm 521 and the second locking arm 522 enter the first cavity 211, and the first fixing flange 201 enters the first recess 523. Similarly, when the second contact pin 207 is installed on the testing device 200, the third locking arm 621 and the fourth locking arm 622 enter the second cavity 212, and the second fixing flange 202 enters the second recess 623.

[0078] It is understood that in some embodiments of this utility model, the first recess 523 is made to match the shape of the first fixing flange 201 as a whole or only at its top end, and the second recess 623 is made to match the shape of the second fixing flange 202 as a whole or only at its top end, thereby fixing the first contact pin 206 and the second contact pin 207 in the test device 200.

[0079] In the embodiments of this application, the contact pins may be made of beryllium copper (BeCu), beryllium nickel (BeNi), or tungsten copper (WCu) material, and be plated according to the current level (such as gold plating, palladium plating, nickel-palladium alloy plating, etc.).

[0080] It is understood that in some configurations of the test apparatus 200, two separate electrical connections, also known as Kelvin connections, need to be established between the test apparatus 200 and the semiconductor device 110 under test. A Kelvin connection includes a force pin and a sense pin. The force pin is used to deliver a high current (or voltage) to the semiconductor device 110, and the sense pin measures the feedback current (or voltage) from the semiconductor device. It is understood that the force pin and the sense pin can be implemented by a pair of contact pins as described in this invention. For example, the force pin is implemented by a first contact pin 206, and the sense pin is implemented by a second contact pin 207.

[0081] In this invention, two laterally protruding, spaced-apart elastic locking arms are provided on the central locking body of the contact pin. During the insertion (installation) of the contact pin into the cavity of the testing device, the outer sides of the two locking arms are compressed by the upper and lower sides of the cavity, causing them to deflect towards the center and thus fixing the contact pin. Compared to existing rigid, single-piece locking components, the two locking arms of this invention can distribute the holding force to multiple surfaces (e.g., the inner surface of the cavity and the outer surface of the fixing flange), reducing localized stress on the plastic cavity. This reduces wear and deformation of components such as the contact pin, plastic cavity, and fixing flange during repeated insertion and removal of the locking arms, increasing the service life of the contact pin and the testing device. This ensures a fixed connection between the contact pin and the testing device, and further ensures that the protruding upper ends of the two contact pins are aligned, avoiding the "seesaw effect." Therefore, it improves Kelvin contact accuracy and reduces contact resistance fluctuations, thereby improving test stability.

[0082] In this invention, the two spaced elastic locking arms in each contact pin provide symmetrical support, thereby further preventing the two contact pins from swinging like a seesaw.

[0083] In this invention, since the contact pin adopts a forked locking arm, which is elastic and can support locking with a metal part, the cavity component used to fix the locking arm in the test device can be made of metal. This helps to improve the heat dissipation efficiency and electrical conductivity of the contact pin and the overall test device.

[0084] Comparative experiments show that the contact pins of this invention can achieve more than 300,000 insertion and removal cycles while maintaining Kelvin connection stability and mechanical reliability, which is far less than that of contact pins with existing structures.

[0085] While several particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following claims are intended to cover such changes, modifications, and applications within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A contact pin for a testing apparatus for semiconductor devices, characterized in that, The contact pins include: Upper cantilever body; The intermediate locking body connected to the upper cantilever body; and The lower cantilever body is connected to the intermediate locking body; The intermediate locking body is provided with two locking arms spaced apart.

2. The contact pin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two locking arms form laterally protruding forks and are elastic, wherein the two locking arms undergo elastic deformation when the contact pin is inserted into the test device.

3. The contact pin according to claim 1, characterized in that, A recess is formed between the two locking arms, wherein when the contact pin is inserted into the test device, the recess engages with the corresponding fixing flange on the test device.

4. The contact pin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cantilever has an upper end for contacting the semiconductor device, and the lower cantilever has an extension connected to the load plate of the test apparatus.

5. A testing apparatus for semiconductor devices, characterized in that, The testing apparatus includes: At least one pair of contact pins according to any one of claims 1-4.

6. The testing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The testing device includes at least one pair of cavities and one pair of fixed flanges. Each pair of cavities includes a first cavity and a second cavity, and each pair of fixed flanges includes a first fixed flange and a second fixed flange. The pair of contact pins are respectively inserted into the corresponding cavities. A first recess is formed between the two locking arms on one of the pair of contact pins, and a second recess is formed between the two locking arms on the other contact pin. When the pair of contact pins are respectively inserted into the corresponding cavities, the first fixing flange is inserted into the first recess, and the second fixing flange is inserted into the second recess.

7. The testing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first fixing flange matches the shape of the first recess, and the second fixing flange matches the shape of the second recess.

8. The testing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the pair of contact pins are inserted into the pair of cavities, the cavities press the pair of locking arms from the top and bottom sides respectively, causing them to deflect towards the center.

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