Probe for electrical connection device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NIHON MICRONICS KK
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-27
AI Technical Summary
Conventional probes face challenges in achieving both increased connection strength between the foot and arm parts and suppressing heat radiation during laser irradiation, as increasing the cross-sectional area of the support member for strength leads to decreased laser soldering efficiency.
The probe design incorporates a support member with a hypotenuse member connecting an arbitrary point of the support member to the center of the foot section, along with a cantilever arm structure, to enhance connection strength while minimizing heat dissipation during laser soldering.
This design effectively increases the connection strength between the foot and arm parts while suppressing heat radiation during laser irradiation, ensuring robust contact and efficient soldering.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a probe mounted on an electrical connecting device. [Background technology]
[0002] In order to inspect an object to be inspected, such as an integrated circuit, an electrical connection device is used that includes a probe that is brought into contact with the object to be inspected. In an inspection using the electrical connection device, a contact portion formed at one end of the probe is brought into contact with an electrode terminal of the object to be inspected. The other end of the probe is connected to an inspection device, such as a tester, via a wiring pattern. In an inspection using the inspection device, electrical signals are transmitted and received between the object to be inspected and the inspection device via the probe, thereby making it possible to determine whether the object to be inspected is good or bad.
[0003] In the manufacture of electrical connection devices, in order to align a plurality of probes, the joints formed on the foot parts of each probe are pressed against a plurality of joint pads provided on a probe board to join them. Soldering using heat from a laser is used to join the joint pads and the probes (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0004] The probe has an elongated foot and an arm elastically connected to one end of the foot. More specifically, the arm is connected to a support member extending in a direction perpendicular to the one end of the foot. The arm is provided with a contact portion that contacts an electrode terminal of the test object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-246133 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] As described above, in conventional probes, the arm is elastically connected to the foot via the support member. Therefore, when the contact portion comes into contact with the terminal, a moment due to pressure acts on the support member, and if the support member is weak in strength, the arm may be damaged. Therefore, it is desirable to increase the cross-sectional area of the support member to increase its strength.
[0007] In recent years, as the number of DUTs (Devices Under Test) increases, the probes are required to be more densely packed, and the probes tend to be smaller in size, resulting in shorter arms than before. In this case, the moment caused by the pressure when the contact part comes into contact with the terminal becomes larger than before, and it may be desirable to increase the cross-sectional area of the support member to increase its strength.
[0008] On the other hand, when soldering the probe, a laser is irradiated from the support member side of the probe toward the joint. If the cross-sectional area of the support member is increased, most of the heat generated during laser irradiation is dissipated through the support member, resulting in a problem of reduced efficiency of soldering by laser. In other words, there is a trade-off between increasing the strength of the support member and avoiding heat dissipation during laser irradiation, and there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve both.
[0009] The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and its object is to provide a probe for an electrical connection device that increases the connection strength between the foot portion and the arm portion and is capable of suppressing heat dissipation during laser irradiation. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] A probe for an electrical connection device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a probe used in an electrical connection device, and comprises: a foot portion having an elongated shape extending in a first direction and having a joint portion to be joined to a probe substrate; an arm support portion including a support member extending in a direction intersecting the first direction near one end of the foot portion and a hypotenuse member connecting an arbitrary point on the support member to a point between the other end or the center of the foot portion; and an arm portion of a cantilever structure having a fixed end and a free end, a contact portion formed at the tip of the free end for contacting an object to be tested, and the fixed end connected to the arm support portion. Effect of the Invention
[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the connection strength between the foot portion and the arm portion and suppress heat dissipation during laser irradiation. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a probe according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a modification of the probe shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the probe according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the probe according to the third embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of a probe according to a first comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view of a probe according to a second comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The embodiment shown below is an example of an apparatus for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the material, shape, structure, arrangement, etc. of the components of the embodiment of the present invention are not limited to those described below.
[0014] [First Example] FIG. 1 is a side view of a probe 1 for an electrical connecting device (hereinafter, abbreviated as "probe 1") according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the probe 1 includes a foot portion 11, an arm support portion 12, and an arm portion 13. The probe 1 has a flat plate shape with a desired thickness in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. The probe 1 is mounted on an electrical connecting device and is formed of a conductive material. As described below, the probe 1 electrically connects the electrode terminal of the test object to the probe substrate by connecting the joint portion 11a to a probe substrate and bringing the contact portion 13c into contact with the electrode terminal of the test object.
[0015] The foot portion 11 has an elongated shape. In the following, the direction in which the foot portion 11 extends (the left-right direction in the drawing) is referred to as a first direction. The tip direction of the contact portion 13c is referred to as a downward direction, and the opposite side is referred to as an upward direction. That is, the up-down direction in the drawing is referred to as the upward and downward directions of the probe 1, respectively.
[0016] A joint portion 11a is formed along one side of the foot portion 11. By joining the joint portion 11a to a joining pad provided on a probe substrate (not shown), the probe 1 and the probe substrate can be electrically connected.
[0017] The joint 11a is formed in a convex shape protruding upward from the upper side of the foot 11, and is located, for example, above the upper end of the oblique side member 12b. Note that the joint 11a is not limited to being located above the upper end of the oblique side member 12b. Also, a plurality of joints 11a may be formed.
[0018] The foot portion 11 and the bonding pad are electrically connected to each other by soldering by irradiating a laser from the direction of the arrow Y1 in the figure. Note that the direction of laser irradiation is not limited to the Y1 direction.
[0019] The arm support portion 12 supports the arm by connecting the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13. The arm support portion 12 has a support member 12a, an oblique side member 12b, a connection member 12c, and a base member 12d.
[0020] The support member 12a has an elongated shape, and its upper end is connected in a direction substantially perpendicular (a direction intersecting with the first direction) to one end p1 (near the one end) of the foot portion 11. The lower end of the support member 12a is connected to one end of a base member 12d extending in a direction perpendicular to the support member 12a (i.e., a direction along the first direction).
[0021] The oblique side member 12b connects an arbitrary point p2 on the lower side of the support member 12a to the center point p3 of the foot part 11. That is, one end of the oblique side member 12b is connected to an arbitrary point of the support member 12a, and the other end is connected to the center of the foot part 11. The oblique side member 12b has a narrow width near the point p4 near its center, and the width gradually increases from the point p4 toward the connection point p3 of the foot part 11. Furthermore, the width gradually increases from the point p4 toward the connection point p2. The point p4 and the other end of the base member 12d are connected by the connection member 12c.
[0022] The arm portion 13 includes a plurality of arms 13a (three in the figure), a tip member 13b connected to the end of each arm 13a, and a contact portion 13c formed at the lower end of the tip member 13b and projecting downward. Each arm 13a has a narrow, elongated shape extending along a first direction. Each arm 13a is disposed approximately parallel to each other, and the right end of each arm 13a is connected to the connection member 12c. Note that each arm 13a is not limited to being disposed parallel to each other.
[0023] The right end of each arm 13a is a fixed end where the arm portion 13 is connected to the arm support portion 12. The left end of the arm portion 13 is a free end where the contact portion 13c is formed. That is, the arm portion 13 has a fixed end and a free end, and the contact portion 13c that contacts the object to be inspected is formed at the tip of the free end, and the fixed end has a cantilever structure connected to the arm support portion 12.
[0024] Furthermore, the length in the first direction from the contact portion 13c to the support member 12a (hereinafter, may be referred to as the arm length) is substantially the same as the length in the first direction of the foot portion 11 (hereinafter, may be referred to as the foot length). Note that the arm length is not limited to being substantially the same as the foot length, and there may be cases where the arm length is longer than the foot length, or where the arm length is shorter than the foot length.
[0025] In the probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the oblique side member 12b connects the lower point p2 of the support member 12a to the center point p3 of the foot portion 11. Therefore, even if the contact portion 13c of the arm portion 13 is displaced in the vertical direction and a moment is generated in the support member 12a, the arm portion 13 is firmly fixed by the arm support portion 12, and thus the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 can be increased.
[0026] In addition, the width (corresponding to the cross-sectional area) of the support member 12a is set to be approximately the same as that of a conventional probe. Therefore, when a laser is irradiated from the direction of the arrow Y1 in Fig. 1 for soldering, it is possible to suppress the heat generated by the laser irradiation from being dissipated via the support member 12a, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of soldering by the laser. In other words, it is possible to increase the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 and suppress the heat dissipation during the laser irradiation.
[0027] The oblique side member 12b is formed so that the width increases from the center (point p4) of the oblique side member 12b toward both ends. That is, the width of the oblique side member 12b gradually increases from the center toward the connection point p3. This makes it possible to disperse the stress applied to both ends of the oblique side member 12b that occurs when the probe 1 is brought into contact with the DUT. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the probe 1.
[0028] By forming the joint 11a in a convex shape, the joining area can be made smaller than that of the foot portion 11, so that joining can be performed with a relatively small amount of solder. Therefore, even if the heat of the laser irradiation is dissipated, the solder can be sufficiently melted without increasing the laser output. Furthermore, by positioning the joint 11a above the oblique side member 12b, the stress applied to the oblique side member 12b during inspection can be efficiently transmitted to the joint 11a.
[0029] In the probe 1 according to the first embodiment, an example has been shown in which the arm unit 13 includes three arms 13a, but the number of arms 13a is not limited to three. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, a configuration in which five arms 13a are provided may be used.
[0030] [Second Example] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of a probe 2 according to the second embodiment. The probe 2 according to the second embodiment differs from the probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above in that the support member 12a is composed of a first support member 12a1 and a second support member 12a2.
[0031] The first support member 12a1 is connected in an oblique direction (a direction intersecting with the first direction) near the right end (near one end) of the foot portion 11, and the second support member 12a2 is connected at a certain angle to the first support member 12a1. Other than that, it is the same as the probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above. In the probe 2 according to the second embodiment, as in the probe 1 according to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to increase the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 and suppress heat dissipation during laser irradiation.
[0032] [Third Example] Next, a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of a probe 3 according to the third embodiment. The probe 3 according to the third embodiment differs from the probe 1 according to the first embodiment in that one end of the oblique side member 12b is connected to a point p5 at the left end of the foot portion 11. In other words, the oblique side member 12b is connected to the other end of the foot portion 11.
[0033] In the probe 3 of the third embodiment, as in the probe 1 of the first embodiment described above, it is possible to increase the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 and suppress heat dissipation during laser irradiation.
[0034] 5 and 6 are side views showing the configurations of the probes according to the first and second comparative examples, and the above-mentioned first to third embodiments will be described below in comparison with the first and second comparative examples.
[0035] 5, the probe 101 according to the first comparative example includes a coupling member 18 that couples an end of a connection member 12c provided on the arm support portion 12 to the foot portion 11. However, the coupling member 18 is not coupled at any point between the left end (the other end) of the foot portion 11 and the center thereof.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, the probe 102 of the second comparative example differs from the probe 1 of the first embodiment described above in that it does not include the oblique side member 12b connecting the arm support portion 12 and the foot portion 11.
[0037] Heat caused by laser irradiation moves from the support member 12a to the joint portion 11a via the foot portion 11. That is, in order to suppress the dissipation of heat caused by laser irradiation, it is necessary to sufficiently separate the connecting portion between the connecting member 18 and the foot portion 11 from the support member 12a. Meanwhile, since the connecting member 18 extends in the vertical direction, the arm length of the arm portion 13 becomes shorter as the connecting member 18 is separated from the support member 12a. In recent years, there has been a demand for miniaturizing probes, and when the probe size is limited, it is difficult to ensure an arm length to ensure sufficient needle pressure when the connecting member 18 is used.
[0038] Furthermore, in the first and second comparative examples shown in Figures 5 and 6, since the oblique side member 12b is not provided, the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 cannot be increased, and a moment due to the pressure when the contact portion 13c comes into contact with the terminal acts on the support member 12a, causing problems such as damage to the connection portion between the support member 12a and the arm portion 13.
[0039] By using the probes 1, 2, and 3 of the first to third embodiments, it is possible to achieve both a sufficient separation of the connecting portion between the connecting member 18 and the foot portion 11 from the support member 12a and a sufficient arm length.
[0040] That is, in the first to third embodiments of the present application, an arm support portion 12 is provided with a support member 12a extending in a direction intersecting the first direction near one end portion (p1 in FIG. 1) of the foot portion 11, and a hypotenuse member 12b connecting an arbitrary point (p2 in FIG. 1) of the support member 12a to a connection point (p3 in FIG. 1) between the other end portion and one end portion of the foot portion 11. This makes it possible to increase the connection strength between the foot portion 11 and the arm portion 13 and suppress heat dissipation during laser irradiation.
[0041] Although the present invention has been described by the above embodiment, the description and drawings forming a part of this invention should not be understood as limiting the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]
[0042] 1, 2, 3 Probes (Probes for Electrical Connection Devices) 11 Foot section 11a Joint 12 Arm support 12a Support member 12a1 First support member 12a2 Second support member 12b Oblique member 12c Connection parts 12d Bottom member 13 Arm section 13a Arm 13b Tip member 13c Contact part
Claims
1. A probe for use in an electrical connecting device, comprising: a foot portion having an elongated shape extending in a first direction and having a joint portion to be joined to a probe substrate; an arm support portion including a support member extending in a direction intersecting the first direction in the vicinity of one end of the foot portion, and a hypotenuse member connecting an arbitrary point of the support member to a point between the other end and a center of the foot portion; an arm portion having a cantilever structure, the arm portion having a fixed end and a free end, the free end having a contact portion formed at a tip thereof for contacting an object to be inspected, the fixed end being connected to the arm support portion; A probe for an electrical connecting device comprising:
2. The oblique side member is connected to the center of the foot portion. The probe for an electrical connecting device according to claim 1 .
3. The oblique side member is connected to the other end of the foot portion. The probe for an electrical connecting device according to claim 1 .
4. The width of the oblique side member gradually increases from the center portion toward the connection point of the foot portion. The probe for an electrical connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.