Sheet contactor

Abstract

To provide a sheet contactor which ensures good electrical contact between electrodes of a device under measurement and contact tips provided on a flexible substrate.SOLUTION: A sheet contactor is provided, comprising a flexible substrate, multiple contact tips arranged on one surface of the flexible substrate, a block provided on the other surface of the flexible substrate, and an elastic material provided between the flexible substrate and the block, where the block has either or both of a recess and a protrusion on a surface thereof facing the elastic body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat contactor. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, sheet contactors have a structure in which a flexible substrate (e.g., FPC: Flexible Printed Circuit) with contact tips is attached to a block. Although the flexible substrate itself has some elasticity, it is only slight, so compared to probes with a large stroke such as pogo pins, it tends to be difficult to absorb variations in the height of the pads of the device under test or variations in the height of the contact tips themselves.

[0003] For this reason, Patent Document 1 below proposes interposing an elastic body between the flexible substrate and the block.

[0004] 8 to 10 show a sheet contactor 5 of a conventional structure in which an elastic body 30 is interposed between a block 10 and a flexible substrate 20, and a contact tip 21 is formed on the main surface of the flexible substrate 20 at a position facing an electrode (pad, bump, etc.) of a device under test 50. When a load K is applied from behind the device under test 50 to press the device under test 50 against the contact tip 21 of the flexible substrate 20, it is expected that the elasticity of the elastic body 30 will absorb variations in the height of the contact tip 21.

[0005] However, in reality, when the contact tip 21 located on the outside is pressed by the device under test 50, the central part of the flexible substrate 20 drops due to the flexibility of the flexible substrate 20 as shown in Figure 10 (the flexible substrate 20 deforms to form a downward convex surface), making the contact between the central contact tip 21 and the pad of the device under test 50 unstable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3559725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An example of an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet contactor that can ensure electrical contact between the electrodes of a device under test and contact tips disposed on a flexible substrate. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a seat contactor, comprising: A flexible substrate; a plurality of contact tips disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate; a block disposed on the other surface side of the flexible substrate; an elastic body interposed between the flexible substrate and the block, The block has a recess and / or a protrusion on the surface facing the elastic body.

[0009] According to the above aspects of the present invention, it is possible to ensure electrical contact between the electrodes of the device under test and the contact tips arranged on the flexible substrate.

[0010] Any combination of the above components and conversion of the present invention between methods, systems, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a front cross-sectional view of a sheet contactor 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seat contactor 1. [Figure 3]1 is a front cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between a device under test and a sheet contactor 1 during measurement. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of a sheet contactor 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seat contactor 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view of a sheet contactor 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sheet contactor 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state before a device under test is brought into contact with a conventional sheet contactor 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional sheet contactor 5. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which a load is applied to a device under test and the device under test is brought into contact with a conventional sheet contactor 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (Embodiment 1) A sheet contactor 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. For convenience of explanation, the up and down directions are defined in Figure 1. As shown in these figures, the sheet contactor 1 has an inelastic and rigid block 10, a flexible substrate 20 having a plurality of contact tips 21 formed and arranged on its main surface, and an elastic body 30 arranged in a recess 11 formed in the block 10.

[0013] The block 10 is, for example, a molded body of hard insulating resin, and the peripheral portion 12 of the recess 11 is a flat surface that serves as a reference plane F. A protrusion 13 that is shorter in height than the peripheral portion 12 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion 13 is located in the center of the bottom surface of the recess 11, and is arranged in an area facing the central group of the multiple contact tips 21 or an area that does not face the peripheral group.

[0014] The flexible substrate 20 is made of a flexible sheet of polyimide or the like with a thickness of about 50 μm, on which a conductor pattern is formed to connect to the contact tip 21. The contact tip 21 is integrally formed on the main surface of the flexible substrate 20 at a position facing the electrode (pad, bump, etc.) of the device under test 50 in Fig. 3. The contact tip 21 is a conductor that has been given wear resistance.

[0015] The elastic body 30 is an elastic resin such as silicone, and may also be an adhesive or the like that retains the required elasticity even after solidification. The elastic body 30 is filled and placed in the recess 11 so that it is flush with the peripheral portion 12, which serves as the reference plane F of the block 10. In other words, the reference plane F and the top surface of the elastic body 30 are flush with each other. Because the protrusion 13 is located in the center of the bottom surface of the recess 11, the thickness of the elastic body 30 on the flat top surface 13a of the protrusion 13 is thin, and the thickness of the elastic body 30 is thick in other positions.

[0016] The block 10 and the elastic body 30 are disposed on the opposite side of the main surface of the flexible substrate 20 and are adhered to the flexible substrate 20. If the elastic body 30 is an adhesive, the elastic body 30 can be used to adhere to the flexible substrate 20.

[0017] 3, when a device under test 50 is placed on the sheet contactor 1 and a load K for measurement is then applied, the contact tips 21 located on the outside are pressed by the device under test 50, and a force is generated in the downward direction of the center of the flexible substrate 20 due to the flexibility of the flexible substrate 20. However, because the protrusions 13 are formed, the thickness of the elastic body 30 on the protrusions 13 is thinner than on the outside, and therefore the upward reaction force is greater than on the outside of the elastic body 30. As a result, deformation of the flexible substrate 20 is prevented, and variations in the height dimension of the contact tips 21 are absorbed, while stable and reliable contact between the contact tips 21 in the center and the electrodes of the device under test 50 is also achieved.

[0018] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0019] (1) The sheet contactor 1 has an elastic body 30 interposed between the block 10 and the surface of the flexible substrate 20 opposite the main surface on which the contact tips 21 are arranged. A protrusion 13 is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the recess 11 of the block 10 in which the elastic body 30 is arranged, so that the thickness of the elastic body 30 is thinner in a region facing the central group of multiple contact tips 21 or in a region not facing the peripheral group than in other regions. In other words, when the elastic body 30 is compressed during measurement, the reaction force is set to be greater in the central region than in the peripheral region. As a result, when a load is applied during measurement of the device under test 50, downward deformation of the central region of the flexible substrate 20 is suppressed, absorbing variations in the height of the contact tips 21 and ensuring stable and reliable contact between the contact tips 21 in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test 50.

[0020] (2) By forming the recesses 11 in the block 10 in advance, it is convenient to fill the recesses 11 with molten resin and solidify it to form the elastic body 30. In particular, by using an adhesive that functions as the elastic body 30 when solidified, the block 10 and the flexible substrate 20 can be bonded at the same time.

[0021] (Embodiment 2) 4 and 5 show a sheet contactor 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the sheet contactor 2, a plurality of ridges 15 are formed on the bottom surface of a recess 11 formed in a non-elastic, rigid block 10. The ridges 15 are convex portions that are the same height as the peripheral portion 12 or that do not protrude beyond the peripheral portion 12. As shown in FIG. 5, in a plan view, each ridge 15 is positioned at the midpoint between adjacent contact tips 21. An elastic body 30 is filled and positioned in the recess 11 so as to be flush with the peripheral portion 12, which is the reference plane F of the block 10. The elastic body 30 has through holes 35 into which the ridges 15 are inserted. The remaining configuration, including the flexible substrate 20, is the same as that of the first embodiment described above.

[0022] In the case of this embodiment 2, through holes 35 corresponding to the midpoints between adjacent contact tips 21 are formed in the elastic body 30, which increases the independence of the operation of each contact tip 21 and reduces the impact of deformation of the flexible substrate 20 caused by contact tips 21 on the periphery. As a result, it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips 21 and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips 21 in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test. In addition, by making the height of the tip face of each protrusion 15 flush with the periphery 12 of the block 10, it is possible to improve the surface precision of the sheet contactor 2.

[0023] (Embodiment 3) 6 and 7 show a sheet contactor 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the sheet contactor 3, recesses 17 are arranged in a non-elastic, rigid block 10 at positions corresponding to the individual contact tips 21 on a flexible substrate 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the recesses 17 are, for example, cylindrical, and their openings have an area that includes the area directly facing the bottom surface of the contact tip 21 and its surrounding area. An elastic body 30 is filled and arranged in each recess 17. The top surface of the elastic body 30 is flush with the peripheral part 12, which is the reference plane F of the block 10. The remaining configuration, including the flexible substrate 20, is the same as that of the first embodiment described above.

[0024] In the case of this embodiment 3, recesses 17 into which elastic bodies 30 are respectively placed are arranged at positions corresponding to the individual contact tips 21, which increases the independence of the operation of each contact tip 21 and reduces the effect of deformation of the flexible substrate 20 by the contact tips 21 on the periphery. As a result, it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips 21 and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips 21 in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test. In addition, the area of ​​the peripheral portion 12, which serves as the reference surface F of the block 10, can be made sufficiently wide, which makes it possible to improve the surface precision of the sheet contactor 3.

[0025] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0026] In the above-described first and second embodiments, a recess is formed in the block and an elastic body is placed in the recess, but the recess may be omitted and the elastic body may be placed on the uneven upper surface of the block and interposed between the upper surface of the block and the lower surface of the flexible substrate (the surface opposite the contact chip placement surface). For example, a structure in which the peripheral portion 12 surrounding the recess 11 of the block 10 in the first and second embodiments is removed is possible.

[0027] According to the present specification, there is provided a sheet contactor having the following aspects.

[0028] (Aspect 1) A flexible substrate; a plurality of contact tips disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate; a block disposed on the other surface side of the flexible substrate; an elastic body interposed between the other surface of the flexible substrate and the block, The block has one or both of a recess and a protrusion on a surface facing the elastic body.

[0029] According to the above-mentioned aspect 1, the block has a recess or a protrusion, or a recess and a protrusion, on the surface facing the elastic body, so that the reaction force caused by compression of the elastic body during measurement can be appropriately adjusted, and stable and reliable contact can be achieved between each contact tip and the electrode of the device to be measured.

[0030] (Aspect 2) The sheet contactor, wherein the protrusion is disposed in a region facing a central group of the plurality of contact tips or in a region not facing a peripheral group.

[0031] According to the above-mentioned second aspect, the thickness of the elastic body is thinner in the region facing the central group of the multiple contact tips or in the region not facing the peripheral group than in other regions. In other words, when the elastic body is compressed during measurement, the reaction force is greater in the central region than in the peripheral region. As a result, when a load is applied during measurement of the device under test, downward deformation of the central region of the flexible substrate is suppressed, and it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test.

[0032] (Aspect 3) the block has the recess in which the elastic body is disposed, The convex portion is located on the bottom surface of the concave portion, and is arranged in a region facing the central group of the plurality of contact tips or in a region not facing the peripheral group.

[0033] According to the above-mentioned embodiment 3, the same effect as that of embodiment 2 can be obtained, and further, by forming a recess in the block in advance, it is convenient to fill the recess with molten resin and solidify it to form an elastic body. In particular, by using an adhesive that functions as an elastic body when solidified, it is possible to simultaneously bond the block and the flexible substrate.

[0034] (Aspect 4) A sheet contactor, wherein the thickness of the elastic body is thinner in a region facing the central group or in a region not facing the peripheral group than in other regions.

[0035] According to the above-mentioned fourth aspect, when the elastic body is compressed during measurement, the reaction force is greater in the central portion than in the peripheral portion. As a result, when a load is applied during measurement of the device under test, downward deformation of the central portion of the flexible substrate is suppressed, and it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test.

[0036] (Aspect 5) The protrusion is disposed at an intermediate position between the adjacent contact tips, and the elastic body has a through hole into which the protrusion is inserted.

[0037] According to the fifth aspect, through holes corresponding to the midpoints between adjacent contact tips are formed in the elastic body, increasing the independence of the operation of each contact tip and reducing the impact of peripheral contact tips on the deformation of the flexible substrate. As a result, it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test. Furthermore, by making the height of each protrusion flush with the periphery of the block, it is possible to improve the surface precision of the sheet contactor.

[0038] (Aspect 6) the block has the recess in which the elastic body is disposed, The convex portion is located on the bottom surface of the concave portion and is arranged at an intermediate position between adjacent contact tips, and the elastic body has a through hole into which the convex portion is inserted.

[0039] According to the above-mentioned embodiment 6, the same effect as that of the embodiment 5 can be obtained, and further, by forming a recess in the block in advance, it is convenient to fill the recess with molten resin and solidify it to form an elastic body. In particular, by using an adhesive that functions as an elastic body when solidified, it is possible to simultaneously bond the block and the flexible substrate.

[0040] (Aspect 7) The sheet contactor has the recesses disposed at positions corresponding to the individual contact tips, and the elastic bodies disposed in the recesses.

[0041] According to the seventh aspect described above, recesses for receiving elastic bodies are arranged at positions corresponding to the individual contact tips, thereby increasing the independence of the operation of each contact tip and reducing the influence of peripheral contact tips on deformation of the flexible substrate. As a result, it is possible to absorb variations in the height of the contact tips and ensure stable and reliable contact between the contact tips in all regions and the electrodes of the device under test. Furthermore, the peripheral area that serves as the reference surface F of the block can be made sufficiently large, thereby improving the surface precision of the sheet contactor.

[0042] (Aspect 8) A sheet contactor wherein, when not performing measurement, the surface of the elastic body facing the flexible substrate is formed flush with the surface of the block facing the flexible substrate.

[0043] According to the above-mentioned embodiment 8, the surface of the elastic body facing the flexible substrate is formed flush with the surface of the block facing the flexible substrate, so that the peripheral portion of the block can be used as a reference surface to improve the surface accuracy of the sheet contactor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1,2,3,4,5 seat contactor 10 blocks 11,17 Recess 12 Periphery 13 Convex part 15 Convex strip 20 Flexible PCB 21 Contact Tip 30 Elastic Body 35 through holes 40 Device Under Test

Claims

1. A flexible substrate; a plurality of contact tips disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate; a block disposed on the other surface side of the flexible substrate; an elastic body interposed between the flexible substrate and the block, The block has one or both of a recess and a protrusion on a surface facing the elastic body.

2. 2. The sheet contactor according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is disposed in a region facing a central group of the plurality of contact tips or in a region not facing a peripheral group of the plurality of contact tips.

3. the block has the recess in which the elastic body is disposed, 2. The sheet contactor according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is located on the bottom surface of the concave portion and is arranged in an area facing a central group of the plurality of contact tips or an area not facing a peripheral group.

4. 4. The sheet contactor according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the elastic body is thinner in a region facing the central group or in a region not facing the peripheral group than in other regions.

5. 2. The sheet contactor according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are disposed at intermediate positions between the adjacent contact tips, and the elastic body has through holes into which the protrusions are inserted.

6. the block has the recess in which the elastic body is disposed, 2. The sheet contactor according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is located on the bottom surface of the recess and is disposed at an intermediate position between adjacent contact tips, and the elastic body has a through hole into which the protrusion is inserted.

7. 2. The sheet contactor according to claim 1, wherein the recesses are disposed at positions corresponding to the individual contact tips, and the elastic bodies are disposed in the recesses.

8. 8. The sheet contactor according to claim 3, wherein when not performing measurement, the surface of said elastic body facing said flexible substrate is formed flush with the surface of said block facing said flexible substrate.

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