Electrical connection device

Abstract

To provide an electrical connection device that stabilizes electrical connection between substrates.SOLUTION: An electrical connection device 1 comprises: a probe 10; a wiring substrate 20 including a first electrode 21 electrically connected to the probe 10, internal wiring 200, and a second electrode 22 electrically connected to the first electrode 21 via the internal wiring 200; and a flexible wiring sheet 30 including a first connection part 31 disposed on a first sheet surface 311, a second connection part 32 disposed on a second sheet surface 312 facing in the opposite direction of the first sheet surface 311, and an internal circuit electrically connected to at least one of the first connection part 31 and the second connection part 32. At least one of the first connection part 31 and the second connection part 32 is provided with a claw portion 300 having conductivity and protruding obliquely relative to a plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wiring sheet 30. The internal wiring 200 of the wiring substrate 20 and the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 are electrically connected via the claw portion 300.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connecting device used for testing electrical characteristics of an object to be tested. [Background technology]

[0002] To measure the electrical characteristics of an object under test, such as an integrated circuit, an electrical connection device having testing terminals that come into contact with the object under test is used. In measurements using the electrical connection device, the object under test is electrically connected to a testing device such as a tester via the testing terminals. To measure various characteristics of the object under test, the electrical connection device is configured by stacking multiple substrates, such as printed circuit boards and space transformers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-178901 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the flatness of the multiple substrates that make up the electrical connection device differs, gaps will occur between the substrates, reducing the stability of the electrical connections between the substrates. An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connection device that stabilizes the electrical connections between the substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An electrical connection device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a wiring board including a terminal for inspection, a first electrode electrically connected to the terminal for inspection, internal wiring, and a second electrode, and a flexible wiring sheet including a first connection portion disposed on a first sheet surface, a second connection portion disposed on a second sheet surface, and an internal circuit electrically connected to at least one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion. At least one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion has a conductive claw portion disposed on the wiring board that protrudes obliquely with respect to a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wiring sheet. The internal wiring of the wiring board and the internal circuit of the wiring sheet are electrically connected via the claw portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electrical connecting device that stabilizes electrical connections between substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of the claw portion of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the claw portions of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the extending direction of the claw portions of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the structure of the claw portion of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing still another example of the structure of the claw portions of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an internal circuit of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the internal circuit of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the internal circuit of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a loopback circuit using the wiring sheet shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the internal circuit of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the internal circuit of the wiring sheet of the electrical connecting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the electrical connecting device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are designated by identical or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the thickness ratios of the various parts may differ from those in reality. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the dimensional relationships and ratios of parts included in the drawings may differ from one another. The embodiments shown below exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of the components of the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described below.

[0009] (First embodiment) An electrical connection device 1 according to a first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is used to inspect an object under test 2. The electrical connection device 1 includes a plurality of probes 10 that contact the object under test 2 during inspection, a wiring board 20 connected to the probes 10, a wiring sheet 30 laminated on the wiring board 20, and a printed circuit board 40 laminated on the wiring sheet 30. The electrical connection device 1 further includes a stiffener 50 laminated on the printed circuit board 40. In the following description, the direction in which the electrical connection device 1 is located as viewed from the object under test 2 is referred to as the upward direction, and the direction in which the object under test 2 is located as viewed from the electrical connection device 1 is referred to as the downward direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the direction from bottom to top is referred to as the Z direction, and the plane perpendicular to the Z direction is referred to as the XY plane. In FIG. 1, the left-right direction of the drawing is the X direction, and the depth direction is the Y direction. Furthermore, for each component of the electrical connection device 1, the surface facing upward is also referred to as the upper surface, and the surface facing downward is also referred to as the lower surface.

[0010] The probe 10 functions as an inspection terminal that electrically connects the inspection object 2 and the inspection device. The probe 10 has a tip end that is arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the inspection object 2, and a base end that is connected to the tip end. As shown in FIG. 1 , the probe 10 may be supported by a probe head 60 through which the probe 10 penetrates. For example, the probe 10 is held in a state in which it passes through a through-hole formed in the probe head 60. The probe head 60 is fixed to, for example, a wiring board 20. The base end of the probe 10 is connected to the wiring board 20.

[0011] The object under test 2 is mounted on a stage 3. The electrical connecting device 1 and the stage 3 are relatively movable in the vertical direction. When inspecting the object under test 2, the distance between the electrical connecting device 1 and the stage 3 is narrowed so that the tip of the probe 10 comes into contact with a signal terminal (not shown) of the object under test 2. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the probe 10 and the object under test 2 are spaced apart.

[0012] The wiring board 20 includes a first electrode 21 electrically connected to the probe 10, internal wiring 200, and a second electrode 22. The first electrode 21 is connected to the base end of any one of the multiple probes 10 included in the electrical connection device 1. The second electrode 22 is electrically connected to the first electrode 21 via the internal wiring 200. A multilayer wiring board such as MLO (Multi-Layer Organic) or MLC (Multi-Layer Ceramic) may be used for the wiring board 20.

[0013] The wiring sheet 30 includes a first sheet surface 311 facing the wiring board 20 and a second sheet surface 312 facing the opposite direction of the first sheet surface 311 and facing the printed circuit board 40. The first connection portion 31 is arranged on the first sheet surface 311, and the second connection portion 32 is arranged on the second sheet surface 312. Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the wiring sheet 30 also has an internal circuit that is electrically connected to at least one of the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32. The wiring sheet 30 is flexible and elastically deforms in the film thickness direction.

[0014] At least one of the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32 of the wiring sheet 30 has a conductive claw portion 300 arranged thereon, which protrudes obliquely relative to the first sheet surface 311 and the second sheet surface 312 that are perpendicular to the thickness direction of the wiring sheet 30.

[0015] The printed circuit board 40 is disposed opposite the wiring board 20 with the wiring sheet 30 sandwiched therebetween. The printed circuit board 40 includes a first end 41 disposed on the lower surface facing the wiring sheet 30, a second end 42 disposed on the upper surface facing the opposite direction from the first main surface, and a wiring pattern 400 that electrically connects the first end 41 and the second end 42. The second end 42 of the wiring pattern 400 is electrically connected to an inspection device (not shown).

[0016] The first sheet surface 311 is the bottom surface of the wiring sheet 30 that faces the wiring board 20. The second sheet surface 312 is the top surface of the wiring sheet 30 that faces the printed circuit board 40. In the wiring sheet 30 that is disposed between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40, the claw portions 300 are disposed at both the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32. The first connection portion 31 of the wiring sheet 30 is connected to the second electrode 22 of the wiring board 20 via the claw portion 300, and the second connection portion 32 is connected to the first end portion 41 of the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40 via the claw portion 300. This electrically connects the internal wiring 200 of the wiring board 20 to the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30, and electrically connects the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40 to the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30.

[0017] As described above, first connection portion 31 of wiring sheet 30 is electrically connected to second electrode 22 of wiring board 20, and second connection portion 32 is electrically connected to wiring pattern 400 of printed circuit board 40. In other words, wiring sheet 30 functions as an interposer between wiring board 20 and printed circuit board 40.

[0018] The wiring board 20 may be, for example, a space transformer that expands the spacing between the base ends of the probes 10 to the spacing between first ends 41 of the printed circuit board 40 when viewed from the normal direction of the main surface of the wiring board 20. By using the wiring board 20 as a space transformer, the base ends of the probes 10, which correspond to the spacing between the signal terminals arranged on the test object 2, can be electrically connected to the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40, which is arranged at a wider spacing than the spacing between the base ends. The wider spacing between the second ends 42 of the wiring pattern 400 facilitates electrical connection between the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40 and the testing device.

[0019] 1, a stiffener 50 may be laminated on the printed circuit board 40. The stiffener 50 has a higher rigidity than the printed circuit board 40, and prevents the printed circuit board 40 from bending, thereby ensuring the mechanical strength of the electrical connection device 1. Furthermore, the stiffener 50 may be used as a support for fixing each of the components of the electrical connection device 1. The stiffener 50 may be fixed to the printed circuit board 40 by, for example, a screw.

[0020] 2A is a plan view (hereinafter also referred to as "plan view") of a laminated structure of wiring board 20, wiring sheet 30, printed circuit board 40, and stiffener 50, as viewed from the Z direction. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a side surface as viewed from the Y direction of an XY plane perpendicular to the Z direction. FIG. 2B does not illustrate first electrode 21 and second electrode 22 of wiring board 20, first connection portion 31 and second connection portion 32 of wiring sheet 30, wiring pattern 400 of printed circuit board 40, etc.

[0021] A stiffener 50 is disposed on the upper surface of a printed circuit board 40 that is circular in plan view. As shown in FIG. 2A, for example, the stiffener 50 has a shape in which an outer circular ring and an inner rectangular ring are connected by spokes. A wiring board 20 and a wiring sheet 30 are disposed near the center of the lower surface of the printed circuit board 40. The wiring board 20, the wiring sheet 30, the printed circuit board 40, and the stiffener 50 are fixed together with screws, for example. FIG. 2B shows an example in which the wiring board 20, the wiring sheet 30, and the printed circuit board 40 are joined together with screws 70.

[0022] The wiring sheet 30 may have a structure in which a conductive film and an insulating film are laminated together. For example, an internal circuit may be formed by a conductive pattern formed on the conductive film. FIG. 3 shows an example of the structure of the wiring sheet 30. In FIG. 3, the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32 are not shown.

[0023] The wiring sheet 30 shown in FIG. 3 has a structure in which a laminate of a conductive film 302 and an insulating film 303 is sandwiched between a pair of cover films 301 made of an insulating material. The number of laminates of conductive films 302 and insulating films 303 can be set as desired. The conductive film 302 may be made of a metal material such as copper foil. The insulating film 303 may be made of an insulating material such as a polyimide sheet. The cover film 301 may be made of an insulating material such as solder resist. An adhesive may be used to bond the conductive film 302, the insulating film 303, and the cover film 301 to each other. The wiring sheet 30 may also have a structure in which an insulating film (also referred to as a "base film") is further sandwiched between the laminates including the conductive film 302 and the insulating film 303.

[0024] Because wiring sheet 30 is flexible, irregularities on the upper surface of wiring board 20 and the lower surface of printed circuit board 40 are absorbed by wiring sheet 30. Furthermore, even if there is distortion in the external shape of wiring board 20 or printed circuit board 40, the distortion is absorbed by wiring sheet 30, stabilizing the structure of electrical connection device 1. Therefore, a decrease in the accuracy of inspection of object 2 to be inspected by electrical connection device 1 can be suppressed.

[0025] Furthermore, the claw portions 300 of the wiring sheet 30 are formed on the surface of the cover film 301 so as to be elastically deformable. That is, the claw portions 300 approach the surface of the wiring sheet 30 in response to an external force generated by contact between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40 and the wiring sheet 30. After the external force is removed, the claw portions 300 return to their original state. In this way, the claw portions 300 are elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the wiring sheet 30.

[0026] When the wiring sheet 30 is sandwiched between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40, the claw portions 300 elastically deform. This ensures connection between the first connection portions 31 of the wiring sheet 30 and the second electrodes 22 of the wiring board 20. For example, even if the flatness of the first sheet surface 311 of the wiring sheet 30 and the upper surface of the wiring board 20 differs, the stability of the electrical connection between the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 and the internal wiring 200 of the wiring board 20 is maintained. At the same time, the connection between the second connection portions 32 of the wiring sheet 30 and the first ends 41 of the wiring patterns 400 of the printed circuit board 40 is ensured. For example, even if the flatness of the second sheet surface 312 of the wiring sheet 30 and the lower surface of the printed circuit board 40 differs, the stability of the electrical connection between the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 and the wiring patterns 400 of the printed circuit board 40 is maintained.

[0027] The conductive claw portion 300, which is elastically deformable in the thickness direction of the wiring sheet 30, may be formed, for example, as follows. First, a portion of the insulating film on the surface of the wiring sheet 30 is lifted to form a protruding portion that protrudes obliquely from the surface. Then, the protruding portion and its surrounding area are plated with a conductive material. This results in the protruding portion becoming the conductive claw portion 300. As shown in FIG. 4, the area surrounding the claw portion 300 forms a support portion 310 that supports the claw portion 300. The claw portion 300 has a cantilever structure having a fixed end connected to the support portion 310 and a free end spaced apart from the wiring sheet 30. The conductive support portion 310 is electrically connected to the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30. The internal circuit illustrated in FIG. 4 is a short-circuit wiring 331 that electrically connects the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32. For example, the claw portion 300 and the support portion 310 may be formed by copper plating.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of claw portions 300 may be arranged in a matrix in a plan view seen from the normal direction (Z direction) to the thickness direction. The protruding direction of the claw portions 300 can be set arbitrarily. For example, in the arrangement of the claw portions 300 shown in FIG. 5, the protruding directions of the claw portions 300 arranged along the X direction are the same. On the other hand, in the arrangement of the claw portions 300 arranged along the Y direction, the protruding directions of adjacent claw portions 300 are opposite to each other. For example, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the X direction. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, in a plurality of claw portions 300 arranged in the same direction, the protruding directions of adjacent claw portions 300 may be staggered.

[0029] 6, by alternating the protruding directions of the claw portions 300, the directions of the forces applied to the wiring sheet 30 from the wiring board 20 and the printed board 40 are dispersed. This makes it possible to prevent the wiring board 20 or the printed board 40 from being misaligned with respect to the wiring sheet 30 in the XY plane.

[0030] Although the above description exemplifies a case in which one claw portion 300 is connected to one support portion 310, a plurality of claw portions 300 may be connected to one support portion 310. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, two claw portions 300 having different protruding directions may be connected to one support portion 310. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 8, two claw portions 300 having the same protruding direction may be connected to one support portion 310.

[0031] 7, the claws 300 contact the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40 from different directions, thereby making it possible to further strengthen the electrical connection between the wiring sheet 30 and the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the length of the claws 300 can be shortened. If the claws 300 are short, the high-frequency characteristics of the object under test 2 can be measured well. However, the length of the claws 300 is set so that shortening the claws 300 does not reduce the pressing force of the claws 300.

[0032] As described above, in the electrical connection device 1 according to the first embodiment, conductive claws 300 that protrude obliquely are arranged on the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32 of the wiring sheet 30. Therefore, according to the electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 1, even if there is a difference in flatness between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40, it is possible to stabilize the electrical connection between the internal wiring 200 of the wiring board 20 and the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40.

[0033] The wiring sheet 30 may be selected from a plurality of wiring sheet candidates. Each of the wiring sheet candidates has a first connection portion 31 arranged on a first sheet surface 311, a second connection portion 32 arranged on a second sheet surface 312, and an internal circuit. Each of the wiring sheet candidates may include an internal circuit having a configuration different from that of the other wiring sheet candidates. One wiring sheet 30 selected from the plurality of wiring sheet candidates is stacked on the wiring board 20 so that the first connection portion 31 is connected to the second electrode 22 of the wiring board 20. The electrical connection device 1 may be configured so that the wiring sheet 30 is detachable between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40. For example, in order to replace the wiring sheet 30 stacked on the wiring board 20 with another wiring sheet candidate, the wiring sheet 30 is detachable between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40.

[0034] An example of the configuration of the wiring sheet candidates included in the wiring sheet group will be described below. In the following, when each of the wiring sheet candidates is not limited, it will be referred to as the wiring sheet 30.

[0035] An internal circuit of any of the wiring sheets 30 included in the wiring sheet group may include a circuit (hereinafter also referred to as an "interposer circuit") that electrically connects first connection portion 31 and second connection portion 32. For example, when an interposer circuit is formed on wiring sheet 30 having the structure shown in Fig. 3, wiring is formed that penetrates cover film 301, conductive film 302, and insulating film 303 from first sheet surface 311 to second sheet surface 312 of wiring sheet 30.

[0036] When the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 includes an interposer circuit, the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 may include a circuit that short-circuits first connection portion 31 and second connection portion 32, as shown in Fig. 9. In the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 shown in Fig. 9, first connection portion 31 and second connection portion 32 are electrically short-circuited by short-circuiting wiring 331.

[0037] By attaching the wiring sheet 30 shown in FIG. 9 to the electrical connecting device 1, the probes 10 and the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40 are short-circuited via the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30. As a result, the DUT 2 and the testing device are electrically connected. This allows an electrical signal to be transmitted between the testing device, such as an IC tester, and the DUT 2, thereby measuring the characteristics of the DUT 2. For example, the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 connects the first connecting portions 31 and the second connecting portions 32 one-to-one. Alternatively, the internal circuit may connect one first connecting portion 31 to multiple second connecting portions 32, or multiple first connecting portions 31 to one second connecting portion 32.

[0038] When the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 includes an interposer circuit, the internal circuit may include a matching circuit 332 having a first terminal connected to first connection portion 31 and a second terminal connected to second connection portion 32, as shown in Fig. 10. Matching circuit 332 may be a circuit that matches impedance between first connection portion 31 and second connection portion 32. For example, matching circuit 332 may include a π-type filter.

[0039] The internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 may include a circuit that electrically connects one of first connection portions 31 to another of first connection portions 31. In other words, the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 may include a circuit (hereinafter also referred to as a "loopback circuit") that electrically connects the output terminal and input terminal of device under test 2. The loopback circuit electrically connects two signal terminals of device under test 2.

[0040] For example, as shown in Fig. 11 , the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 may include a circuit that short-circuits one of the first connection portions 31 and another one of the first connection portions 31. In the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 shown in Fig. 11 , one first connection portion 31 and another one of the first connection portions 31 are electrically short-circuited by a loopback wiring 333. By attaching the wiring sheet 30 shown in Fig. 11 to the electrical connection device 1, one of the probes 10 and another one of the probes 10 are short-circuited via the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30. As a result, one signal terminal of the test object 2 and another one of the signal terminals are electrically connected.

[0041] FIG. 12 shows a configuration in which a first signal terminal 2A of the DUT 2, which one of the probes 10 contacts, and a second signal terminal 2B of the DUT 2, which another of the probes 10 contacts, are electrically connected via a loopback wiring 333 on the wiring sheet 30. For example, if the DUT 2 is a receiving circuit, the first signal terminal 2A is the output terminal of the DUT 2, and the second signal terminal 2B is the input terminal of the DUT 2, a transmission test can be performed by returning the output from the DUT 2 to the input. In other words, it is possible to test whether the output and input sections of the DUT 2 are functioning normally, even without the presence of a device to transmit to. For example, as a test similar to a jitter tolerance test performed on a receiving circuit, an output signal output from the first signal terminal 2A (output terminal) can be input as an input signal to the second signal terminal 2B (input terminal) to check whether a specified error rate is maintained.

[0042] When the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 includes a loopback circuit, the internal circuit may include a circuit including capacitor 34 connected in series between one of first connection portions 31 and another of first connection portions 31, as shown in Fig. 13. One terminal of capacitor 34 is connected to one of first connection portions 31, and the other terminal of capacitor 34 is connected to the other of first connection portions 31. Capacitor 34 may be a capacitor formed using a semiconductor manufacturing process (hereinafter also referred to as a "process capacitor"), or the like.

[0043] Furthermore, the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 may include a relay circuit that switches one of the first connection portions 31 to be electrically connected to either one of the second connection portions 32 or another of the first connection portions 31. For example, the internal circuit shown in Fig. 14 includes a relay circuit 334 that constitutes either an interposer circuit that connects the first connection portions 31 and the second connection portions 32, or a loopback circuit that connects the first connection portions 31 to each other.

[0044] 14 constitutes an interposer circuit, the first contact terminal 334a and the second contact terminal 334b ​​are connected, and the third contact terminal 334c and the fourth contact terminal 334d are connected. This electrically connects the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32. When the relay circuit 334 constitutes a loopback circuit, the first contact terminal 334a and the common contact terminal 334e of the relay circuit 334 are connected, and the third contact terminal 334c and the common contact terminal 334e are connected. This electrically connects one of the first connecting portions 31 and another of the first connecting portions 31.

[0045] Although examples of the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 have been described with reference to Figures 9 to 14, the configuration of the internal circuit is not limited to the above. For example, the internal circuit may include an inductor instead of capacitor 34 shown in Figure 13, or the internal circuit may include both a capacitor and an inductor. In other words, the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 may include a passive circuit including any element. Furthermore, the internal circuit may include a switching circuit using a diode or the like instead of relay circuit 334 shown in Figure 14.

[0046] The elements included in the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30 may be formed using, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) process. By using the MEMS process, miniaturized elements can be formed integrally with wiring sheet 30.

[0047] As described above, with the electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , various circuit configurations such as those shown in FIGS. 9 to 14 can be realized in the electrical connection device 1 simply by replacing the wiring sheet 30. Therefore, multiple types of measurements can be performed on the inspection target 2 using the electrical connection device 1. For example, a DC test can be performed on the inspection target 2 by mounting the wiring sheet 30 including an internal circuit that shorts the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32 on the electrical connection device 1. Furthermore, a high-frequency test can be performed on the inspection target 2 by mounting the wiring sheet 30 including an internal circuit that includes a matching circuit or a loopback circuit on the electrical connection device 1.

[0048] 14, the electrical connection device 1 can shorten the wiring length of the interposer circuit and the loopback circuit compared to when a relay element is arranged on the printed circuit board 40 by arranging the relay circuit 334 on the wiring sheet 30. As a result, the electrical connection device 1 can shorten the propagation path of the electrical signal, thereby suppressing loss and noise of the electrical signal.

[0049] 10, the electrical connecting device 1 can shorten the wiring connected to the matching circuit 332 by arranging the matching circuit 332 on the wiring sheet 30. For example, since the matching circuit 332 can be arranged in close proximity to the wiring for which impedance matching is desired, impedance matching can be performed effectively.

[0050] Note that the stage 3 is a heat generation source when measuring the inspection object 2. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the underside of the wiring board 20 facing the stage 3 is higher than that of other areas. Therefore, by placing the wiring sheet 30 on the upper surface of the wiring board 20, it is possible to suppress an increase in the ambient temperature of the electronic components constituting the internal circuit of the wiring sheet 30 compared to when the electronic components are placed on the underside of the wiring board 20. As a result, the electronic components function at an ambient temperature that does not exceed the allowable temperature, and the inspection object 2 can be accurately measured.

[0051] By detachably disposing wiring sheet 30, which includes an internal circuit capable of configuring any of the above-described circuits, between wiring board 20 and printed circuit board 40, it is possible to configure any measurement system for electrical connecting device 1. As a result, electrical connecting device 1 can measure the characteristics of object under test 2 with high accuracy.

[0052] (Second embodiment) As shown in FIG. 15, the electrical connection device 1A according to the second embodiment includes a first wiring sheet 30A disposed between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40, and a second wiring sheet 30B disposed between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20. Hereinafter, the first wiring sheet 30A and the second wiring sheet 30B will be referred to as wiring sheet 30 unless otherwise specified. The electrical connection device 1A shown in FIG. 15 differs from the electrical connection device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the electrical connection device 1A has a wiring sheet 30 between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20. In other respects, the electrical connection device 1A according to the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0053] The first connection portions 31 arranged on the first sheet surface 311 of the second wiring sheet 30B are in contact with the base ends of the probes 10 exposed from the probe head 60 without the claw portions 300. On the other hand, the second connection portions 32 arranged on the second sheet surface 312 of the second wiring sheet 30B are connected to the first electrodes 21 of the wiring board 20 via the claw portions 300. In other words, in the second wiring sheet 30B, the claw portions 300 are arranged only on the second connection portions 32, and the claw portions 300 are not arranged on the first connection portions 31. Otherwise, the configuration of the second wiring sheet 30B is similar to that of the wiring sheet 30 described in the first embodiment.

[0054] 1, both the first connection portion 31 and the second connection portion 32 of the first wiring sheet 30A include the claw portion 300. The first connection portion 31 of the first wiring sheet 30A is connected to the second electrode 22 of the wiring board 20 via the claw portion 300, and the second connection portion 32 is connected to the wiring pattern 400 of the printed circuit board 40 via the claw portion 300.

[0055] The electrical connecting device 1A has a configuration in which a flexible wiring sheet 30 is disposed between the base end of the probe 10 and the wiring board 20. According to the electrical connecting device 1A, the contact between the probe 10 and the test object 2 is stabilized by a preload function obtained by the wiring sheet 30, which generates a pressing force between the wiring sheet 30 and the probe 10. As a result, the accuracy of measurement of the test object 2 can be improved.

[0056] Furthermore, with the electrical connection device 1A, electronic components can be mounted on both the first wiring sheet 30A and the second wiring sheet 30B. This allows an increase in the number of electronic components that can be mounted on the electrical connection device 1A. Furthermore, with the electrical connection device 1A, by mounting electronic components on the second wiring sheet 30B, the electronic components can be placed near the inspection object 2. This allows the wiring length between the inspection object 2 and the electronic components to be shortened. As a result, the accuracy of measurement of the inspection object 2 can be improved.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the electrical connecting device 1A, by disposing the flexible second wiring sheet 30B between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20, the second wiring sheet 30B can absorb warping and unevenness on the surfaces of the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20. This makes it possible to suppress rattles and poor contact of the electrical connecting device 1A caused by gaps that occur between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20.

[0058] In other respects, the electrical connecting device 1A according to the second embodiment is substantially the same as that according to the first embodiment, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted. For example, a wiring sheet 30 including an internal circuit capable of configuring any of the circuits described with reference to Figures 9 to 14 can be detachably disposed between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20.

[0059] (Third embodiment) 16, in the electrical connection device 1B according to the third embodiment, the wiring sheet 30 is not disposed between the wiring board 20 and the printed circuit board 40, but is disposed between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20. In other respects, the electrical connection device 1B according to the third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment shown in FIG.

[0060] 16, first connection portions 31 arranged on a first sheet surface 311 of wiring sheet 30 of electrical connecting device 1B are in contact with the base ends of probes 10 without claw portions 300. On the other hand, second connection portions 32 arranged on a second sheet surface 312 of wiring sheet 30 are connected to first electrodes 21 of wiring board 20 via claw portions 300. In other words, in wiring sheet 30 shown in FIG. 16, claw portions 300 are arranged only on second connection portions 32, and claw portions 300 are not arranged on first connection portions 31.

[0061] According to the electrical connecting device 1B in which a flexible wiring sheet 30 is disposed between the base end of the probe 10 and the wiring board 20, the preload function provided by the wiring sheet 30 stabilizes the contact between the probe 10 and the test object 2. As a result, the accuracy of measurement of the test object 2 can be improved.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the electrical connecting device 1B, by disposing a flexible wiring sheet 30 between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20, warping and unevenness on the surfaces of the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20 can be absorbed by the wiring sheet 30. This makes it possible to suppress rattles and poor contact of the electrical connecting device 1B caused by gaps occurring between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20.

[0063] In other respects, the electrical connecting device 1B according to the third embodiment is substantially the same as those of the first and second embodiments, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted. For example, a wiring sheet 30 including an internal circuit capable of configuring any of the circuits described with reference to Figures 9 to 14 can be detachably disposed between the probe head 60 and the wiring board 20.

[0064] (Other embodiments) Although the present invention has been described above by way of the preferred embodiment, the descriptions and drawings that form part of this disclosure 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.

[0065] For example, wiring sheet 30 may include an internal circuit that combines multiple types of circuit configurations. For example, wiring sheet 30 may include an internal circuit that combines short-circuit wiring 331 and matching circuit 332. Or, wiring sheet 30 may include an internal circuit that combines an interposer circuit and a loopback circuit. For example, the internal circuit may include short-circuit wiring 331, matching circuit 332, and loopback wiring 333, or may further include relay circuit 334. Or, the loopback circuit may include matching circuit 332. In this way, any circuit can be configured as the internal circuit of wiring sheet 30.

[0066] As described above, by mounting a wiring sheet 30 including an internal circuit with a mixture of arbitrary circuit configurations on the electrical connecting device 1, multiple types of measurements can be performed on the object to be inspected 2 using a single wiring sheet 30.

[0067] In the above description, the case has been described in which the inspection terminals that come into contact with the signal terminals of the DUT 2 are probes 10. When the inspection terminals are probes 10, it is possible to measure the electrical characteristics of the DUT 2, for example, in a state where it is not separated from the wafer or in a state where it is formed into a chip. On the other hand, in order to measure the electrical characteristics of the DUT 2 mounted in a package or the like, a wiring sheet 30 may be mounted on an electrical connection device including a test socket. For example, instead of probes 10 of the electrical connection device 1 shown in FIG. 1 , a test socket in which inspection terminals connectable to external terminals of a package in which the DUT 2 is mounted may be arranged on wiring board 20.

[0068] As such, the present invention naturally includes various embodiments not described above. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the invention-specifying matters according to the scope of the claims that are appropriate from the above description. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1, 1A, 1B Electrical connection device 10 probes 20 Wiring board 21 1st electrode 22 2nd electrode 30 Wiring sheet 30A First wiring sheet 30B Second wiring sheet 31 First connection part 32 Second connection part 40 Printed Circuit Board 41 First end 42 Second end 50 Stiffna 60 probe head 200 Internal wiring 300 Claw 301 Cover Film 302 Conductive film 303 Insulating film 310 Support part 311 First seat surface 312 Second seat surface 400 Wiring Pattern

Claims

1. An electrical connection device used for inspecting an object to be inspected, an inspection terminal having a tip end portion arranged so as to be able to come into contact with the object under test and a base end portion connected to the tip end portion; a wiring board including a first electrode electrically connected to the inspection terminal, an internal wiring, and a second electrode electrically connected to the first electrode via the internal wiring; a flexible wiring sheet including a first connection portion disposed on a first sheet surface, a second connection portion disposed on a second sheet surface facing in the opposite direction to the first sheet surface, and an internal circuit electrically connected to at least one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion; Equipped with a conductive claw portion is disposed on at least one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion, the claw portion protruding obliquely with respect to a plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the wiring sheet; The internal wiring of the wiring board and the internal circuit of the wiring sheet are electrically connected via the claw portions. Electrical connection device.

2. Further comprising a printed circuit board including a wiring pattern; the wiring sheet is disposed between the wiring board and the printed circuit board; the claw portions are disposed on the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, the first connection portion is connected to the second electrode via the claw portion; the second connection portion is connected to the wiring pattern via the claw portion; 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1.

3. a probe head that holds the terminals for inspection, the wiring sheet is disposed between the probe head and the wiring board; the claw portion is disposed only on the second connection portion, the second connection portion is connected to the first electrode via the claw portion, the first connecting portion is connected to the base end portion of the terminal for inspection exposed from the probe head without passing through the claw portion; 3. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein said claw portions are elastically deformable in said thickness direction.

5. At least one of the first connection portion and the second connection portion includes a support portion fixed to the wiring sheet, the claw portion has a cantilever structure having a fixed end connected to the support portion and a free end spaced apart from the wiring sheet; 5. The electrical connecting device according to claim 4.

6. 6. The electrical connecting device according to claim 5, wherein two of the claw portions that protrude in the same direction are connected to one of the support portions.

7. 6. The electrical connecting device according to claim 5, wherein two of the claw portions projecting in different directions are connected to one of the support portions.

8. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said claw portions are arranged in a matrix in a plan view seen from a direction normal to said thickness direction.

9. 9. The electrical connecting device according to claim 8, wherein the claws protruding in directions opposite to each other are adjacent to each other.

10. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein said wiring sheet has a structure in which a laminate of a conductive film and an insulating film is sandwiched between cover films made of an insulating material.

11. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the wiring board is a space transformer that expands the spacing between the base ends of the terminals for inspection when viewed in a normal direction to the main surface of the wiring board.

12. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the terminals for inspection are probes whose base ends are connected to the first electrodes of the wiring board and whose tip ends come into contact with signal terminals of the device under test.

13. 2. The electrical connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the terminals for inspection are arranged in a test socket that connects to external terminals of a package on which the device under test is mounted.

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