Probe joint and spring-loaded probe structure

Abstract

To provide a MEMS probe head that has not only high hardness and long measurement life, but also merit of a low cost, short deadline, and easy-to-manufacture, and has a high current transmission effect and low resistance value when measuring.SOLUTION: A probe joint includes a probe head and a conductive member. The probe head includes a contact part and a docking part which are connected to each other. The probe head is produced by a MEMS process, in which the contact part is located on one end of the docking part, a size of the contact part becomes gradually smaller as is away from the docking part, the contact part is used so as to contact with a measurement object, and the docking part has a deformable part extending in a radial direction. The conductive member has a connection section, and one end of the connection section has a convex part and a notch. The convex part forms a carrier space, and the notch communicates with the carrier space. Upon combining, the docking part is installed in the carrier space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of probes used for electrical measurements, and in particular to a MEMS joint that is low cost, has a short delivery time, and is easy to manufacture, and to a probe joint and spring-loaded probe structure that have excellent combined stability and high current transmission characteristics. [Background technology]

[0002] After a wafer is manufactured by a semiconductor manufacturing process, it is necessary to measure whether signal transmission works normally or can be calculated through electrical contact in order to check the quality of a number of dies. In general, to measure whether the electrical connection of the die lines is reliable or there is a problem in the signal transmission, a probe is used as a measurement medium between a measuring device and a chip to be measured, and a measurement result of the die to be measured is obtained through signal transmission and electrical signal analysis.

[0003] In some cases, the probe device may measure not a planar structure such as a contact pad, but a three-dimensional contact structure, such as a ball shape made of a conductive material. Such a three-dimensional contact structure is called a bump if it is a ball, and a boss if it is a metal post (especially copper). The ball or boss protrudes from the surface of the object to be measured. A spring-type probe is preferably applied to the above measurement work.

[0004] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional spring-loaded probe. In the spring-loaded probe, a probe head 91 and a plunger 92 are respectively installed on both ends of a long cylindrical case 90. The probe head 91 is fixed to the upper part of the case 90, and can move linearly over a short distance so that the plunger 92 does not come off the case 90. The case 90 is further provided with a spring 93. Both ends of the spring 93 are in contact with the probe head 91 and the plunger 92, respectively, to ensure a cushioned elasticity during contact. During measurement, the plunger 92 contacts a circuit of a probe measurement device, and the probe head 91 contacts a measurement target. The measurement target is, for example, a die scattered on a wafer.

[0005] In the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the probe head 91 is manufactured by a MEMS process. The probe head 91 has a contact portion 911 with a protruding tip, a first body portion 912, a second body portion 913, and a third body portion 914. However, the probe head 91 manufactured by such a MEMS process has a structure in which a plurality of planes are stacked, and is stacked in order in the vertical direction using a semiconductor process. In order to reduce the difficulty of forming a spring-type probe by combining with the structures of the metal case 90, the spring 93, and the plunger 92, etc., the probe head 91 must be stacked to a certain height. In detail, each part in the probe head 91 needs to be manufactured by a plurality of processes such as a pattern transfer process, a pattern development process, a metal deposition process, a grinding / flattening process, and an etching process. In addition, since the thickness and height of each part are different, the above-mentioned plurality of processes need to be repeated in order to manufacture the parts by stacking a plurality of plane structures. Therefore, if the probe head is manufactured entirely by the MEMS process, the cost is high and the manufacturing period is long, making it difficult to meet the market price and delivery time requirements. In order to reduce the manufacturing cost and manufacturing time, the number of planar structures of the probe head 91 by the MEMS process can be reduced, but in order to configure a spring-type probe, the minute probe head 91 must be further combined with structures such as a metal case 90, a spring 93, and a plunger 92. The smaller the size of the probe head 91, the more difficult it is to process and combine. This is because the probe not only has a high-hardness contact tip manufactured by the MEMS process, but also has to maintain rigidity between parts during the measurement operation in which electrical contact and electrical isolation are repeated. Therefore, the present invention aims to manufacture a spring-type probe equipped with a MEMS probe head that has a long measurement life, low manufacturing cost, short delivery time, and is easy to manufacture. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Application No. 109143333 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a probe joint and a spring-loaded probe. The probe joint is composed of a MEMS probe head and a conductive member. After both are manufactured simultaneously using their respective optimal manufacturing methods, the parts are fixed with rivets to ensure the rigidity after assembly. Not only does the MEMS probe head have high hardness, but it also has the advantages of low overall manufacturing costs, short delivery times, and ease of manufacture. After the spring-loaded probe is completed, the parts will not separate when the probe is used for long-term measurements, so the requirements for a long measurement life, excellent rigidity, high current transmission effect, and low resistance stability are met. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.

[0009] The present invention provides a probe joint including a probe head and a conductive member, the probe head including a contact portion and a docking portion connected to each other, the probe head being fabricated by a MEMS process, the contact portion being located at one end of the docking portion and decreasing in size with increasing distance from the docking portion, the contact portion being used to contact a measurement target, the docking portion having a deformable portion extending radially, the conductive member having a connection section, one end of the connection section having a convex portion and a notch, the convex portion forming a carrier space, the notch communicating with the carrier space, the docking portion being placed in the carrier space when assembled, the deformable portion extending outside the connection section through the notch, the deformable portion forming a deformation portion in the convex portion when deformed by an external force, the deformation portion partially surrounding at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the convex portion so that the probe head and the conductive member cannot be separated.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the docking portion has a Vickers hardness (Hv) of 500 or less.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the hardness of the docking portion and the deformable portion is equal to or less than the hardness of the contact portion.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the height of the contact portion is less than 525 μm and the height of the docking portion is less than 1000 μm.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the docking portion and the deformable portion are made of a material that is at least 30% of the internationally adopted annealed standard soft copper.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the docking portion and the deformable portion comprise at least one element selected from copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In) and ruthenium (Ru).

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the deformable portion extends beyond the outer periphery of the contact portion and the range of the notch.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, a radial dimension defined by the docking portion and the deformable portion is greater than a radial dimension defined by the carrier space and the notch.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the width of the deformable portion is equal to or less than the width of the notch.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the number of the deformation portions is more than one, and an area of ​​at least one of the deformation portions is different from an area of ​​the other deformation portions.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the deformable portion has an outer circumferential surface with a flange, the flange partially surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the material of the conductive member is copper or a copper alloy, and the copper alloy contains copper (Cu) and at least one alloy element selected from silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In), boron (B), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and ruthenium (Ru).

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the number of the notches is plural, and a width of at least one of the plurality of notches is different from a width of the other notches.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the number of the protrusions is more than one, and the shape of at least one of the protrusions is different from the shapes of the other protrusions.

[0023] The present invention provides a spring-type probe structure including a probe joint, a pipe, a plunger, and an elastic member, the probe joint including a probe head and a conductive member, the probe head including a contact portion and a docking portion connected to each other, the probe head being fabricated by a MEMS process, the contact portion being located at one end of the docking portion and decreasing in size as it moves away from the docking portion, the contact portion being used to contact a measurement object, the docking portion having a deformable portion extending in a radial direction, the conductive member having a connection section, one end of the connection section having a protrusion and a notch, the protrusion forming a carrier space, the notch communicating with the carrier space, the docking portion being placed in the carrier space when combined, the deformable portion extending to the outside of the connection section through the notch, the deformable portion forming a deformation portion in the protrusion when deformed by an external force, the deformation portion deforming at least an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion so that the probe head and the conductive member cannot be separated. the connecting section further includes a first neck section, a second neck section, and a third neck section in another section away from the carrier space, the second neck section being located between the first neck section and the third neck section and having a radial size smaller than the radial sizes of the first neck section and the third neck section, the pipe having an idle space, the conductive member having a catch portion formed thereon that protrudes into the pipe when an external force is applied to an outer wall of the pipe after the conductive member is inserted into the idle space at the third neck section, the catch portion being fixed to the second neck section to prevent separation between the pipe and the conductive member, the plunger being movably installed in the idle space of the pipe, the plunger having a small-sized pin portion that can extend outside the pipe, the plunger being movable into the pipe so as not to be separated, the elastic member being a compressible spring, the elastic member being installed in the idle space,The spring-loaded probe structure has both ends contacting the plunger and the probe head, respectively.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the outer diameter of the connection section is equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the pipe.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the outside diameter of the third neck section is equal to or less than the inside diameter of the pipe.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment, the catch portion is partially secured to at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the second neck section.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention manufactures a MEMS probe joint by using a MEMS process and machining. The probe joint not only has a contact portion with high hardness and a connection section with high conductivity, but also, in the case of mass production, the present invention can reduce the number of parts of a probe head manufactured by a MEMS process compared to a probe head manufactured entirely by a MEMS process. For example, compared to a known four-layer MEMS probe head, the present invention, which is a MEMS probe head reduced to two layers, can reduce the number of steps and manufacturing costs of a probe head manufactured entirely by a MEMS process. In addition, since the conductive member is a solid cylinder manufactured by machining, a MEMS probe head having a docking portion can be combined with one end of the conductive member to easily and quickly form a rigid probe joint. This reduces the number of joints manufactured by the MEMES process and improves the yield of combining the probe head and the pipe. In addition, the other end of the conductive member and the pipe can be riveted to form a spring-type probe having a MEMS probe joint. The MEMS probe joint according to the present invention can greatly reduce the manufacturing cost and manufacturing time of using an all-MEMS probe head, although the manufacturing cost of the conductive member increases. The cost of the conductive member is much lower than the manufacturing cost and time cost of using a MEMS process, and the problem of poor yield when assembling a MEMS probe head with a small number of structure layers can be improved. Furthermore, the MEMS probe head and the conductive member can be manufactured simultaneously in the previous process, so that the manufacturing time can be reduced. Then, by joining and riveting, a MEMS probe head with low alignment cost, short delivery time, and easy manufacture can be formed, so that the manufacturing cost of the probe head can be saved. Finally, by combining with a pipe to form a spring-type probe having a MEMS probe joint, it has high hardness, long measurement life, high current transmission effect, and low resistance stability during measurement, so that the current demand for miniaturization of probes can be met. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a conventional spring-loaded probe. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view of the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the first embodiment of the present invention after assembly. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a diagram of a contact portion of another embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a diagram of a contact portion of yet another embodiment according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the fifth embodiment according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the eighth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a three-dimensional view of a spring-loaded probe incorporating the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a spring-loaded probe according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The technology according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and drawings. In addition, as a special description, when an element is described as being "attached or fixed" to another element, it means that the element is directly installed on the other element or installed via an additional element. Furthermore, when an element is described as being "connected" to another element, it means that the element is directly connected to the other element or connected via an additional element. "Axial direction" means the direction of the central axis of the element. "Radial direction" means the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the element. In the embodiment, directions such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, etc. are relative, and it means that the structure and movement of different elements in this application are relative. When elements are installed at the positions shown in the drawings, such expressions are correct. However, when the description of the position of the elements changes, such expressions change accordingly.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, technical and scientific terms described herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. The technical terms described herein are used to describe specific examples, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein means any combination of one or more related elements, or any combination of all of them.

[0031] 2 and 3 show an exploded view and a three-dimensional view after assembly of a first embodiment of the present invention. The probe joint of the present invention includes a probe head 10 and a conductive member 20. The probe head 10 includes a contact portion 11 and a docking portion 12 connected to each other. The probe head 10 is fabricated by vertically stacking a multi-layered planar structure fabricated by a MEMS process. The contact portion 11 is located at one end of the docking portion, and its size decreases with distance from the docking portion 12. The contact portion 11 is used to contact a measurement object. The docking portion 12 has a deformable portion 12 at its periphery. The deformable portion 12 extends radially outward. The conductive member 20 is a conductive metal column and has a connection section. One end of the connection section 21 has a protrusion 211 and a notch 212. The protrusion 211 forms a carrier space 213. The notch 212 communicates with the carrier space 213, and the docking part 12 is placed in the carrier space 213 when assembled. The deformable part 121 extends to the outside of the connection section through the notch 212. When the deformable part 121 is deformed by an external force, it forms a deformation part 122 on the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 211. The deformation part 122 partially covers at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 211 so that the probe head 10 and the conductive member 20 do not separate. The probe joint configured in this manner has a high-hardness contact part manufactured by a MEMS process and a machined conductive member. In particular, the probe joint configured in this manner can reduce the number of planar structures by a MEMS process, shorten the manufacturing period of the MEMS probe head, and can be reinforced with a machined conductive member. When manufactured using a similar manufacturing process, the present invention can more quickly assemble manufactured parts to manufacture a probe joint compared to a probe head manufactured entirely using a MEMS process, thereby improving productivity, shortening delivery times, and reducing manufacturing costs.Moreover, after the parts are riveted together, it still retains the function of a MEMS probe head, and can be easily assembled thereafter to complete the structure of a spring-loaded probe.

[0032] Next, the structure of each component will be explained in detail.

[0033] The probe head 10 according to the present invention has a contact portion 11 and a docking portion 12 which are laminated in order. The probe head 10 according to the present invention is manufactured by a MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) process. First, the contact portion 11 is formed, and the docking portion 12 and the deformable portion 121 are integrally formed on the contact portion 11. Then, the axial sizes of the docking portion 12 and the deformable portion 121 are adjusted by adjusting the forming time. In this manufacturing method, a certain pattern is first etched on a substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing process, corresponding conductive materials are laminated in order, and the remaining material is then removed to form the probe head 10 according to the present invention.

[0034] The contact portion 11 and the docking portion 12 are made of a material having excellent electrical conductivity, but the constituent materials do not need to be completely the same. The contact portion 11 is used for repeatedly contacting the detection target when performing electrical measurement, and is therefore made of a material having excellent wear resistance and high hardness, such as nickel and a nickel alloy. The nickel alloy contains nickel and at least one alloy element selected from iron (Fe), tungsten (W), copper (Cu), boron (B), carbon (C), cobalt (Co), silver (Ag), manganese (Mn), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh). The shape of the contact portion 11 becomes smaller as it moves away from the docking portion 12. The shape may be a cone, a quadrangular pyramid, or a polygonal three-dimensional oblique cone. The contact portion 11 may also be made of a material having medium wear resistance and low resistance, such as palladium or a palladium alloy. The palladium alloy may include palladium (Pd) and at least one alloy element selected from nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), silver (Ag), indium (In), manganese (Mn), and carbon (C). In this embodiment, the contact portion 11 is connected to the location of the docking portion 12. When the docking portion 12 is located in the carrier space 213, the deformable portion 121 corresponds to the notch 212 and partly exceeds the notch 212. The deformable portion 121 and the notch 212 correspond to each other. In this embodiment, an example in which the number of the contact portion 11 is one is shown, but is not limited thereto. Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, FIG. 4A shows the contact portion 11 having a plurality of cone shapes, and FIG. 4B shows the contact portion 11 having a quadrangular pyramid shape. When the number of the contact portions 11 is one or more, the height is less than 525 μm, the maximum radial size of the tip is less than 25 μm, and when the number of the contact portions 11 is more than one, the distance between the contact portions 11 is at least 10 μm.

[0035] The docking portion 12 is made of a material having a conductivity of 30% or more of the Internationally Adopted Annealed Standard Soft Copper (IACS). The material includes at least one element selected from the following: copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In) and ruthenium (Ru). The hardness of the docking portion 12 and the deformable portion 121 is equal to or less than the hardness of the contact portion 11. In this embodiment, the docking portion 12 and the deformable portion 121 have a Vickers hardness (Hv) of 500 or less. The docking portion 12 is used to be mounted in the carrier space 213, so that the radial size is smaller than 700 μm and the height is smaller than 1000 μm. The docking part 12 is cylindrical or polygonal prism-shaped and extends radially to form the deformable part 121. The deformable part 121 protrudes from the docking part 12, so that image recognition for graphic identification can be easily performed by automated optical inspection (AOI), and objects can be easily picked and placed automatically by equipment. This allows picking, placing, and alignment to be performed accurately and quickly, thereby meeting the demand for automatic production according to the present invention.

[0036] The conductive member 20 is manufactured by machining, for example, by mechanical cutting, so as to have a desired shape. This manufacturing technique is well known, and therefore manufacturing time and cost can be significantly reduced. The material of the conductive member 20 may be copper and a copper alloy, and the copper alloy includes copper (Cu) and at least one alloy element selected from silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In), boron (B), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and ruthenium (Ru). The conductive member 20 is a solid cylinder, and has the protrusion 211 and the notch 212 communicating therewith at one end corresponding to the probe head 10. The protrusion 211 forms the carrier space 213. The space in the carrier space 213 corresponds to the shape of the docking part 12 so that the docking part 12 is installed in the carrier space 213. The width L1 of the notch 212 is equal to or greater than the width L2 of the deformable part 121, and the radial length is smaller than the radial length of the deformable part 121, so that when the deformable part is installed in the notch 212, the protruding radial length is less than or equal to 50% of the radial size of the connection section 21.

[0037] The present invention is designed to form a probe joint by combining the conductive member 20 manufactured by machining with the probe head 10 manufactured by the MEMS process. Therefore, by reducing the size of the probe head 10, the manufacturing time and cost required for the MEMS process can be saved. By combining the conductive member 20, which can be easily and quickly processed and has a low cost, the probe head 10 and the conductive member 20 can be riveted to form a probe joint having a MEMS probe head. Such a MEMS probe joint has the advantages of low production cost, short delivery time, and easy manufacturing of a spring-type probe, and therefore has high hardness, long measurement life, high current transmission effect, and low resistance stability during measurement, and can meet the demand for miniaturization of the current probe. As shown in FIG. 5, when joining, the docking portion 12 is installed in the carrier space 213. And the deformable portion 121 extends to the outside through the notch 212. By applying an external force by a mechanical auxiliary means (for example, clamping with a mechanical clamp), the deformable portion 121 receives the external force and forms a deformed portion 122 outside the protruding portion 211. The deformed portion 122 can obtain a good riveting effect between the deformable portion 121 and the protruding portion 211 by extending a part of the material of the deformable portion 121 to cover at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 211. In addition, when there are a plurality of the deformed portions 122, the area of ​​at least one of the plurality of the deformed portions 122 is different from the area of ​​the other deformed portions 122.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the probe joint according to the present invention is adapted to fit the deformable portion 121 and the notch 212 in the conductive member 20 using the probe head 10, but is not limited thereto. Various embodiments will be described below.

[0039] FIG. 6A shows an exploded view of the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the probe joint is composed of a probe head 10A and the conductive member 20A, and the probe head 10A is composed of the contact portion 11, the docking portion 12, and two deformable portions 121 extending radially therefrom. The connection section 21 of the conductive member 20A has the carrier space 213 and the two notches 212 communicating therewith. Thus, the two deformable portions 121 and the two notches 212 are installed correspondingly at intervals of 180 degrees, respectively. As shown in FIG. 6B, after the probe head 10A is installed on the conductive member 20A, the two deformable portions 121 extend outward through the notches 212 located at different positions. By forming a plurality of the deformable portions 122 under mechanical external force, the area of ​​the convex portion 211 covered by the deformable portions 122 is increased, and the deformable portions 122 cover parts of the outer circumferential surface of the convex portion 211 at different positions, so that stronger rigidity can be obtained.

[0040] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of the present invention. In the above second embodiment, the distance from the inner wall of the carrier space 213 to the outer wall of the connection section 21 is the same, but is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the distance from the inner wall of the carrier space 213 to the outer wall of the connection section 21 in the radial direction is different in some places, for example, the thickness of the walls on both sides of the two notches 212 is different. This does not affect the connection between the probe head 10B and the conductive member 20B, but since the shape of the conductive member 20B is not symmetrical, the angle and position can be identified by optical images, and the conductive member 20B can be automatically picked, left, and aligned by a mechanical arm. This allows the assembly and manufacturing to be performed accurately and quickly.

[0041] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the probe joint is composed of a probe head 10C and the conductive member 20C, and the docking part 12 has an elongated strip shape as a whole because the widths of the two deformable parts 121 extending in the radial direction are the same. Accordingly, the widths of the carrier space 213 of the connection section 21 and the two notches 212 communicating therewith are also the same. The docking part 12 and the deformable part 121 have widths equal to or less than the widths of the carrier space 213 and the notches 212, and can be installed in the carrier space 213. The radial lengths of both the docking part 12 and the deformable part 121 are longer than the radial lengths of both the carrier space 213 and the notches 212. This simplifies the structure of the conductive member 20C, making it convenient and quick to manufacture and process, and reducing costs.

[0042] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the fifth embodiment is similar to that of the fourth embodiment, but the shape of the probe head 10D is different. In this embodiment, the deformable portion 121 has a flange 123 on a side wall at one end remote from the docking portion 12. After being combined, the flange 123 partially covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 211, and easily forms the deformation portion 122 by receiving an external force. The probe head 10D has the flanges 123 at positions facing each other at 180 degrees after being axially installed on the conductive member 20D, so that the movement width when both rotate is small. After that, when an external force is applied, the flanges 123 cause the deformation portion 122 to easily partially cover at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 211, thereby obtaining a better rigidity. In addition, the structure of the flange 123 according to this embodiment can be widely applied to each embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the probe joint is similarly composed of a probe head 10E and the conductive member 20E. The probe head 10E includes the contact portion 11, the docking portion 12, and four of the deformable portions 121 extending radially. The connection section 21 of the conductive member 20E is composed of the carrier space 213 and four of the notches 212 communicating therewith. Thus, the deformable portions 121 and the notches 212 and the adjacent deformable portions 121 and the notches 212 are arranged at intervals of 90 degrees. Furthermore, when mechanically riveted, the deformable portions 122 partially cover at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 211 in a large area, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the probe head 10E and the conductive member 20E.

[0044] 11 is an exploded view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention. The structure of the seventh embodiment is similar to that of the sixth embodiment. The difference is that the deformable portion 121 has a flange 123 on a side wall at one end remote from the docking portion 12. When assembled, the flange 123 partially covers the outer circumferential surface of the protruding portion 211, and easily forms the deformable portion 122 under external force. When a plurality of the flanges 123 form a plurality of the deformable portions 122 under external force, the plurality of the flanges 123 not only strengthen the rigidity of the probe head 10F and the conductive member 20F, but also improve the yield of the riveting process.

[0045] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of an eighth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the probe joint is still composed of a probe head 10G and the conductive member 20G, but the axial length of the docking portion 12 is longer than the axial length of the deformable portion 121, and a docking area 124 having a small radial size is formed between two adjacent deformable portions 121. The conductive member 20G has a deep carrier space 213 surrounded by a plurality of protrusions 211, which corresponds to the docking portion 12. The notch 212 communicates with the carrier space 213. After being combined, the deformable portion 121 can also extend outside the notch 212. When the deformable portion 121 receives an external force, the deformable portion 122 deforms so that the deformable portion 122 covers at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 211.

[0046] In the above embodiment, when the number of the notches 212 and the convex portions 211 is multiple, the shapes are substantially the same, but are not limited thereto. For example, when the number of the notches 212 is multiple, the width of at least one of the multiple deformation portions 212 is different from the width of the other notches 212. Similarly, when the number of the convex portions 211 is multiple, the shape of at least one of the multiple convex portions 211 is different from the shapes of the other convex portions 211.

[0047] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a spring-loaded probe structure with a probe joint according to the present invention. The spring-loaded probe includes the probe head 10, the conductive member 20, a pipe 30, an elastic member 40, and a movable plunger 50. The joining means between the probe head 10 and the conductive member 20 has been described in the above embodiment, so the description will be omitted here, and the structure between the other elements will be described. The connection section 21 of the conductive member 20 further includes a first neck section 22, a second neck section 23, and a third neck section 24 in another section away from the carrier space 213. The second neck section 23 is located between the first neck section 22 and the third neck section 24, and has a radial size smaller than the radial sizes of the first neck section 22 and the third neck section 24. The pipe 30 is a hollow pipe having an empty space 31. The empty space 31 is used to allow the plunger 50 to be left and for the small-sized pin portion 51 of the plunger 50 to extend outside the pipe 30. However, the plunger 50 can move into the pipe 30, but cannot move downward out of the storage space 31. The elastic member 40 is a compressible spring. When installed in the storage space 31, both ends of the elastic member 40 contact the plunger 50 and the conductive member 20, respectively.

[0048] 14, when assembling, the plunger 50 is left in the left space 31 of the pipe 30 from top to bottom. After that, the elastic member 40 is left in the left space 31 from top to bottom. The probe head 10 is previously riveted and joined to the conductive member 20. After that, the third neck section 24 is left in the left space 31, and an external force is applied to the outer wall of the pipe 30 to form a catch part 32 protruding into the pipe. The catch part 32 is fixed to the position of the second neck section 23, so that the pipe 30 and the conductive member 20 cannot be separated. In addition, the spring probe can be formed by fixing all the elements to each other. When measuring, the multiple spring probes are attached to a measuring seat (not shown), and the probe heads 10 are respectively in contact with the measurement object at both ends, and the plungers 50 are electrically connected to the corresponding lines on the circuit board to perform the required measurement. Note that the above-mentioned embodiments are applied to such a configuration, so that the description will be omitted.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the outer diameter of the connection section 21 is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the pipe 30, and the outer diameter of the third neck section 24 is equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe 30. Therefore, after the pipe 30 and the conductive member 20 are joined and fixed, a probe assembly having the same or similar outer diameter is formed, and when the probes are installed as a probe measurement device, the distance between each probe can be made uniform or precisely adjusted.

[0050] As described above, the present invention provides a MEMS probe joint manufactured by the MEMS process and machining. The probe joint not only has a contact part with high hardness and a connection section with high conductivity, but also reduces the number of parts of the probe head manufactured by the MEMS process in the case of mass production, compared with a probe head manufactured by the MEMS process. For example, compared with a known four-layer MEMS probe head, the present invention provides a MEMS probe head reduced to two layers, so that the number of steps and manufacturing costs of the probe head manufactured entirely by the MEMS process can be reduced. In addition, since the conductive member is a solid cylinder manufactured by machining, the MEMS probe head designed to have the structural shape of the docking part can easily and quickly form the probe joint with one end of the conductive member, thereby reducing the number of joints manufactured by the MEMS process and improving the yield of assembling the probe head and the pipe. Furthermore, a spring-type probe having a MEMS probe joint can be formed by further riveting the other end of the conductive member and the pipe. The MEMS probe joint according to the present invention can greatly reduce the manufacturing cost and manufacturing time of using an all-MEMS probe head, although the manufacturing cost of the conductive member increases. The manufacturing cost of the conductive member is much lower than the manufacturing cost and time cost of using a MEMS process, and the problem of low yield when assembling a MEMS probe head with a small number of structural layers can be improved. Furthermore, the MEMS probe head and the conductive member can be simultaneously manufactured in a previous process, so that the manufacturing time can be reduced. By subsequently joining and riveting, a MEMS probe head with low manufacturing cost, short delivery time, and easy manufacture can be formed, so that the manufacturing cost of the probe head can be saved. Finally, by combining with a pipe to form a spring-type probe with a MEMS probe joint, it has high hardness, long measurement life, high current transmission effect, and low resistance stability during measurement, so that the current requirements for miniaturization of probes are met.

[0051] The above is merely a description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any modifications or alterations equivalent to the claims of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10: Probe head 11: Contact part 12: Docking section 121: Transformable part 122: Deformation section 123: Flange 124: Docking area 20: Conductive material 21: Connection section 211: Convex 212: Notch 213: Carrier Space 22: First neck section 23: Second neck section 24: 3rd neck section L1: Width L2: Width 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G: Probe head 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F, 20G: Conductive member 30: Pipe 31: Abandoned space 32: Catch section 40: Elastic member 50: Plunger 51: Pin section 90: Case 91: Probe head 911: Contact part 912: First body part 913: Second main body part 914: Third main body 92: Plunger 93: Spring

Claims

1. A probe joint including a probe head and a conductive member, the probe head includes a contact portion and a docking portion connected to each other; the probe head is fabricated by a MEMS process; the contact portion is located at one end of the docking portion and decreases in size with increasing distance from the docking portion; The contact portion is used to come into contact with a measurement object, The docking portion has a deformable portion extending radially, the conductive member has a connecting section; One end of the connecting section has a protrusion and a notch; The protrusion forms a carrier space, The notch communicates with the carrier space, and when assembled, the docking portion is placed in the carrier space; the deformable portion extends through the notch and out of the connection section; The deformable portion forms a deformation portion on the convex portion when deformed by an external force, The probe joint according to claim 1, wherein the deformation portion partially surrounds at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion so that the probe head and the conductive member cannot be separated.

2. The probe joint according to claim 1 , wherein the docking portion has a Vickers hardness (Hv) of 500 or less.

3. The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein the hardness of the docking portion and the deformable portion is equal to or less than the hardness of the contact portion.

4. The height of the contact portion is less than 525 μm; The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein the height of the docking portion is less than 1000 μm.

5. 2. The probe joint of claim 1, wherein the docking portion and the deformable portion are made of a material that is at least 30% of the internationally adopted annealed standard soft copper.

6. 6. The probe joint of claim 5, wherein the material of the docking portion and the deformable portion comprises at least one element selected from copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In) and ruthenium (Ru).

7. The probe joint according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the deformable portion extends beyond an outer periphery of the contact portion and the range of the notch.

8. The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein a radial size defined by the docking portion and the deformable portion is greater than a radial size defined by the carrier space and the notch.

9. The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein the width of the deformable portion is less than or equal to the width of the notch.

10. The number of the deformation portions is plural, The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein an area of ​​at least one of the plurality of deformations is different from an area of ​​the other deformations.

11. The deformable portion has a flange on an outer circumferential surface thereof, The probe joint according to claim 1 , wherein the flange partially surrounds an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion.

12. The material of the conductive member is copper or a copper alloy, 2. The probe joint of claim 1, wherein the copper alloy comprises copper (Cu) and at least one alloying element selected from silver (Ag), gold (Au), carbon (C), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), tin (Sn), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), indium (In), boron (B), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and ruthenium (Ru).

13. The number of the protrusions is plural, The probe joint according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of at least one of the plurality of protrusions is different from shapes of the other protrusions.

14. The number of the notches is plural, The probe joint of claim 1 , wherein a width of at least one of said plurality of notches is different from a width of the other notches.

15. A spring-loaded probe structure including a probe joint, a pipe, a plunger, and an elastic member, the probe joint includes a probe head and a conductive member; the probe head includes a contact portion and a docking portion connected to each other; the probe head is fabricated by a MEMS process; the contact portion is located at one end of the docking portion and decreases in size with increasing distance from the docking portion; The contact portion is used to come into contact with a measurement object, The docking portion has a deformable portion extending radially, the conductive member has a connecting section; One end of the connecting section has a protrusion and a notch; The protrusion defines a carrier space, the notch communicates with the carrier space, and the docking portion is disposed in the carrier space when assembled; the deformable portion extends through the notch and out of the connection section; The deformable portion forms a deformation portion on the convex portion when deformed by an external force, the deformation portion partially covers at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion so that the probe head and the conductive member cannot be separated from each other; the connection section further includes a first neck section, a second neck section and a third neck section in another section away from the carrier space; the second neck section is located between the first neck section and the third neck section, and has a radial size smaller than the radial sizes of the first neck section and the third neck section; The pipe has a space for placement, The conductive member is inserted into the storage space through the third neck section, and a catch portion is formed on an outer wall of the pipe so as to protrude into the pipe when the outer wall receives an external force. the catch portion is fixed to the second neck section so as to prevent separation between the pipe and the conductive member; The plunger is movably installed in the left space of the pipe, The plunger may have a small pin portion extending outside the pipe, the plunger is movable into the pipe so as not to become dislodged; the elastic member is a compressible spring; The spring-type probe structure is characterized in that the elastic member is installed in the storage space, and both ends of the elastic member are in contact with the plunger and the probe head, respectively.

16. The spring loaded probe structure of claim 15, wherein an outer diameter of the connection section is equal to or greater than an inner diameter of the pipe.

17. 16. The spring loaded probe structure of claim 15, wherein an outer diameter of the third neck section is equal to or less than an inner diameter of the pipe.

18. The spring-loaded probe structure according to claim 15, wherein the catch portion is partially fixed to at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the second neck section.

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