Test probe and method of manufacturing same, and test socket supporting same

Abstract

An inspection probe for inspecting a device under test is disclosed, which includes a first contact line set and a second contact line set, each having two contact lines that are spaced apart and extend linearly, and a line contact portion where the first contact line set and the second contact line set are arranged in a V-shape.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a test probe for testing electrical characteristics of a device under test such as a camera module, a method for manufacturing the same, and a test socket for supporting the same. [Background technology]

[0002] An ultra-miniature camera module applied to a small mobile device is equipped with a connector 10 having a partially curved cylindrical contact terminal 12 as shown in Figure 1. The contact terminal 12 is formed by bending a metal strip into a partially cylindrical shape. When inspecting such a connector 10, a plunger of a pogo pin is brought into contact with the contact terminal 12.

[0003] Generally, the plunger of a pogo pin has one or more tips so that it can contact a bump terminal made of lead during testing. The tip of such a plunger may cause a contact error due to slippage when contacting the contact terminal 12 having a convex curved surface. In order to solve this problem, the inventor of the present application has proposed a test probe having a fork-shaped plunger as shown in Korean Patent No. 10-1920824. Such a fork-shaped plunger has a V-shaped contact plane and can receive and surface-contact the terminal to be tested for testing.

[0004] However, such conventional inspection probes have a problem that foreign matter transfers and accumulates on the contact surface as inspections are repeated many times, resulting in high contact resistance. Moreover, surface contact with the terminal to be inspected is performed by surface contact at two points during inspection. However, the reliability of the inspection is reduced due to an abnormal increase in contact resistance at the surface contact points caused by the accumulation of foreign matter, and as a result, normal camera modules may be judged as defective. Such accumulation of foreign matter or unstable contact between the inspection probe and the contact terminals may cause equipment maintenance, cleaning, misreading, etc., and have a negative impact on mass production yields. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide an inspection probe and a manufacturing method thereof, as well as an inspection socket to support the same, which can reduce the transfer and accumulation of foreign matter and improve the reliability of inspection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an inspection probe, which includes a first contact line set and a second contact line set, each of which has two contact lines that are spaced apart from each other and extend linearly, and includes a line contact portion in which the first contact line set and the second contact line set are arranged in a V-shape or a U-shape.

[0007] The space between the two contact lines may include a recess.

[0008] The curvature of the recess is along the downward extension direction of the contact line. Increase You may.

[0009] The line contact portion may include one or more other contact line sets having two contact lines extending linearly and spaced apart from each other.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an inspection probe, comprising the steps of: preparing a cylindrical substrate, forming a groove in a longitudinal direction at one end of the substrate, and planar-cutting the one end of the substrate while leaving a predetermined width including a central axis of the substrate.

[0011] The groove may have a conical or hemispherical shape.

[0012] The method may further include forming a hole in the groove from an apex in a longitudinal direction.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a test socket for testing a device under test. The test socket includes a test probe including a line contact portion including a first contact line set and a second contact line set, each of which has two contact lines extending linearly and spaced apart from each other, and a probe support for supporting the test probe. The first contact line set and the second contact line set are arranged in a V-shape or a U-shape. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The inspection probe of the present invention can prevent the transfer and accumulation of foreign matter that occurs during inspection, thereby improving the reliability of the inspection.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of the present invention, a highly reliable probe can be manufactured simply and conveniently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector of the camera module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing in detail a line contact portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a manufacturing method of the line contact portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an inspection probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a test socket according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the inspection socket of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the inspection socket of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an inspection probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of an inspection socket to which the inspection probe of FIG. 8 is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an inspection probe 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a manufacturing method thereof, and an inspection socket will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] 1 shows a connector 10 for a device under test, such as a camera module. The connector 10 may include a contact under test 12 in the form of a partially curved cylinder formed by bending a metal plate into a "U" shape.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing in detail the line contact portion 20 of the probe 40 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] With reference to FIG. 2, the line contact 20 may include a V-shaped end 22 , a flange 24 extending integrally from the V-shaped end 22 , and an extension 26 extending integrally from the flange 24 .

[0021] The V-shaped end 22 may include a V-shaped contact portion 221 with which the contact to be tested makes line contact during testing.

[0022] The V-shaped contact portion 221 may include a first contact line set 222 and a second contact line set 223, each having two contact lines that extend linearly and are spaced apart from each other. The first contact line set 222 and the second contact line set 223 may each have two contact lines that extend side by side with a space therebetween and incline downward. The first contact line set 222 and the second contact line set 223 may converge toward a central point. The V-shaped contact portion 221 may include four contact lines provided on four edges. As a result, during testing, the contact to be tested can make line contact with the four contact lines of the V-shaped contact portion 221.

[0023] The V-shaped end 22 may include a first depression 224 between two contact lines of the first set of contact lines 222 and a second depression 225 between two contact lines of the second set of contact lines 223 . The curvature of the first recess 224 is along the downward extension direction of the first contact line set 222. Increasedo. The curvature of the second recess 225 is along the downward extension direction of the second contact line set 223. Increase do.

[0024] The V-shaped end 22 may include a longitudinally extending recess 226 at the point where the first set of contact lines 222 and the second set of contact lines 223 converge.

[0025] The V-shaped end 22 may be in the form of a plate having a thickness that matches the pitch of the contacts to be inspected provided on the device under test.

[0026] The flange 24 may extend integrally rearward from the V-shaped end 22. To improve strength, the flange 24 may be formed in a plate shape having a width greater than that of the V-shaped end 22. In addition, the flange 24 is plate-shaped, which can prevent rotation during inspection.

[0027] The extension 26 may extend rearward integrally from the flange 24. The extension 26 may be cylindrical and may contact the end of the first plunger 34. Alternatively, the extension 26 may be omitted and the flange 24 may directly contact the first plunger 34. The extension 26 is not limited to being cylindrical and may have various shapes.

[0028] The partially curved cylindrical contact to be inspected is accommodated between the first contact line set 222 and the second contact line set 223 of the V-shaped contact portion 221, and is in line contact at four contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4. As a result, the V-shaped contact portion 221 can reduce the possibility of a contact error with the contact to be inspected even if a position error occurs at the four contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4 due to alignment error and tolerance. In addition, even if foreign matter is transferred to the four sharp line-shaped contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4 through repeated testing, the transferred foreign matter is pushed out of the first and second recesses 224 and 225 or to the outside, so that the foreign matter does not accumulate at the four contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4. In particular, since the contact to be inspected is in contact with a plurality of contact points, for example, four contact points P1, P2, P3, and P4, during inspection, the contact resistance can also be reduced.

[0029] Usually, the contacts to be tested of the device under test are arranged at a very narrow pitch. Therefore, the V-shaped end 22 may be formed in a narrow plate shape in consideration of the large number of contacts to be tested at a narrow pitch. Also, the flange 24 may be formed in a plate shape with a width wider than that of the V-shaped end 22 in order to improve strength.

[0030] The line contact portion 20 may be made of plate material of the same thickness overall, but this may result in reduced strength and durability. Therefore, it is preferable to make only the V-shaped end 22 thin and process the remainder as a relatively wide flange 24 or extension 26 to avoid interference with adjacent contacts to be inspected.

[0031] A method for manufacturing the line contact 20 of FIG. 2 will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing the line contact 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] In step S11, a cylindrical substrate 21 having a length corresponding to the line contact portion 20 is prepared.

[0034] In step S12, a V-shaped drill is used to form a groove 212, for example a conical or semi-spherical groove, in the length direction of one end of the cylindrical substrate 21.

[0035] In step S13, a hole 214 is formed in the apex of the groove 212 in the longitudinal direction using a straight drill.

[0036] In step S14, a primary and secondary flattening process is performed on one end of the substrate by using a cutting tool at a predetermined width across the central axis of the substrate. The primary flattening process forms the V-shaped end 22, and the secondary flattening process forms the flange 24.

[0037] As described above, after forming the groove 212 at the end of the cylindrical substrate 21, the V-shaped contact portion 221 having the first contact line set 222 and the second contact line set 223 can be easily formed by simply performing flat cutting of a predetermined width around the central axis.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inspection probe 40 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 4, the test probe 40 may include a line contact 20 and a pogo pin 30 .

[0040] The line contact portion 20 has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] The pogo pin 30 may include a cylindrical barrel 32, a first plunger 34 partially received on one side of the barrel 32, and a second plunger 36 partially received on the other side of the barrel 32 and adapted to contact, for example, a pad on a test board.

[0042] The barrel 32 may include a spring disposed therein between the first plunger 34 and the second plunger 36. At least one of the first plunger 34 and the second plunger 36 may be elastically slidably supported within the barrel 32 by compression or restoration of the spring.

[0043] An end of the first plunger 34 may contact an end of the extension 26 of the line contact 20 during testing.

[0044] The second plunger 36 may, for example, contact a pad on a test circuit board.

[0045] 5 and 6 are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view, respectively, of a test socket 50 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] As shown, the inspection socket 50 may include a contact support 51 that accommodates and supports a plurality of line contacts 20, a housing 52 that accommodates and supports the contact support 51 in a floating state, and a probe support 53 that is accommodated and supported at the bottom of the housing 52 and supports a plurality of pogo pins 30 arranged at positions corresponding to the plurality of line contacts 20.

[0047] The contact portion support 51 may include a first contact portion support 512 into which the line contact 20 is inserted so as to partially protrude, and a second contact portion support 514 disposed under the first contact portion support 512. The first contact portion support 512 includes a first opening 5122 into which the V-shaped end 22 of the line contact 20 is inserted. The second contact portion support 514 may include a second opening 5142 into which the extension 26 of the line contact 20 is inserted. The contact portion support 51 may be supported in a floating manner within the first receiving portion 522 of the housing 52 by four springs 526.

[0048] The housing 52 may be formed with a first accommodating section 522 for accommodating the contact portion support 51 at an upper portion and a second accommodating section (not shown) for accommodating the probe support 53 at a lower portion, with a partition therebetween. The partition may include a third opening 524 for accommodating a first plunger 34 of the pogo pin 30 described later.

[0049] The pogo pin 30 may include a cylindrical barrel 32, a first plunger 34 having one end partially received on one side of the barrel 32, a second plunger 36 having one end partially inserted on the other side of the barrel 32, and a spring 38 interposed between the first plunger 34 and the second plunger 36 within the barrel 32 and biasing the first plunger 34 and the second plunger 36 in directions away from each other.

[0050] The probe support 53 is inserted and fixed in the second receiving portion on the bottom surface of the housing 52, and may include a fourth opening 532 that receives the pogo pin 30 so that the second plunger 36 partially protrudes to the outside. The probe support 53 may be fixed to the lower part of the housing 52 by a fixing pin 536.

[0051] The contact portion support 51 supporting the line contact portion 20 may be removably inserted and supported within the first receiving portion 522 of the housing 52. As a result, the line contact portion 20 can be easily replaced when it becomes defective or reaches the end of its life.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a test socket 60 to which the test probe 40 of FIG. 4 is applied.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 7, the test socket 60 may include a contact support 61 that receives and supports the line contacts 20 , and a probe support 63 that receives and supports the pogo pins 30 .

[0054] The contact support 61 may include a first contact support 612 that receives the V-shaped end 22 and flange 24 of the line contact 20 , and a second contact support 614 that receives the extension 26 of the line contact 20 .

[0055] The first contact support 612 may include a contact end receiving hole 6122 that receives the V-shaped end 22 of the line contact 20 , and a flange receiving hole 6124 that receives the flange 24 of the line contact 20 .

[0056] The second contact support 614 may include an extension receiving hole 6142 that receives the extension 26 of the line contact 20 .

[0057] The probe support 63 may include a first probe support 632 that houses the barrel 32 and the first plunger 34 , and a second probe support 634 that houses the second plunger 36 .

[0058] The first probe support 632 may include a first plunger receiving hole 6322 that receives the first plunger 32 of the pogo pin 30 , and a barrel receiving hole 6324 that receives the barrel 32 .

[0059] The second probe support 634 may include a second plunger receiving hole 6342 that receives the second plunger 36 of the pogo pin 30 .

[0060] Before testing, the first plunger 34 may protrude from the extension receiving hole 6142 of the second contact portion support 614 .

[0061] 7 shows a state in which the test terminal 12 is being pressed for testing, and the spring 38 is compressed. When the test is completed and the pressure on the test terminal 12 is stopped, the first plunger 34 is pushed upward by the spring 38, pushing up the line contact portion 20. As a result, when the test is completed, the V-shaped end 22 of the line contact portion 20 may protrude outward.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an inspection probe 70 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 8, the test probe 70 may include a cylindrical barrel 72, a first plunger 74 partially received on one side of the barrel 72, and a second plunger 76 partially received on the other side of the barrel 72 and contacts, for example, a pad of a test substrate.

[0064] The barrel 72 may include a spring disposed therein between the first plunger 74 and the second plunger 76. At least one of the first plunger 74 and the second plunger 76 may be elastically slidably supported within the barrel 72 by compression or restoration of the spring.

[0065] An end of the first plunger 74 may contact a contact point under test of a device under test during testing. The first plunger 74 may include a V-shaped end 742, a flange 744, and an extension 746. The remaining portion of the first plunger 74, other than the extension 746, has a similar shape to the line contact 20 of FIG. 2, so a separate description will be omitted. The extension 746 may include an extended end 748 that is extended so that the end is received within the barrel 72 and cannot be pulled out.

[0066] The second plunger 76 may contact, for example, a pad on a test circuit board.

[0067] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a test socket 80 incorporating the test probe 70 of FIG. Referring to FIG. 9, the inspection socket 80 may include a first plunger support 81 that accommodates and supports the first plunger 74, a barrel support 82 that accommodates and supports the barrel 72, and a second plunger support 83 that is provided at the bottom of the barrel support 82 and accommodates and supports the second plunger 76. The inspection probe of the present invention has two sets of contact lines spaced apart from each other and arranged in a V-shape or U-shape, and contacts the test object accommodated in the V-shaped groove at four points. As a result, the inspection probe of the present invention can prevent the transfer and accumulation of foreign matter that occurs during repeated testing, reduce contact resistance, and thereby improve the reliability of testing.

[0068] As described above, the present invention has been described using limited exemplary embodiments and drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible from the above description by a person having ordinary knowledge in the field to which the present invention belongs.

[0069] Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by the illustrated exemplary embodiments, but should be defined in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10 Camera module connector 12 Contact to be inspected 20 Line contact part 22 V-shaped end 221 V-type contact part 222 First Contact Line Set 223 Second Contact Line Set 224,225 First and second depressions 226 Recess 30 Probes 32 barrels 34 First plunger 36 Second plunger 38 Spring 40,70 Inspection probe 50,50,80 Inspection socket

Claims

1. An inspection probe for inspecting an object under test, comprising: The first contact line set and the second contact line set each have two contact lines extending linearly and spaced apart from each other, the first contact line set and the second contact line set including a line contact portion arranged in a V-shape or a U-shape, The inspection probe, wherein a recess is provided in the space between the two contact lines, and the curvature of the recess increases along the downward extension direction of the contact lines.

2. 1. A method for manufacturing an inspection probe, comprising: Providing a cylindrical substrate; forming a conical or hemispherical groove in a longitudinal direction on one end of the substrate; and cutting the one end of the substrate into a flat surface leaving a predetermined width including a central axis of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of forming a hole in the longitudinal direction from an apex of the groove.

4. A test socket for testing a test object, comprising: an inspection probe including a line contact portion, the line contact portion including a first contact line set and a second contact line set each having two contact lines extending linearly and spaced apart from each other, the first contact line set and the second contact line set being arranged in a V-shape or a U-shape, the space between the two contact lines being provided with a recess, the curvature of the recess increasing along a downward extending direction of the contact lines; a probe support for supporting the test probe.

Images