Contact probe manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method of efficiently manufacturing a contact probe, and the contact probe.SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing a contact probe includes: an outer shape forming step of forming outer shapes of a plurality of main body portion base materials on a plate material, each of which is connected to a base portion via a connection portion, for forming a main body portion of a pipe member; a protrusion forming step of forming a plurality of protrusions on each of the main body portion base materials; a curling step of forming the C-shaped pipe member by bending each of the main body portion base materials such that the protrusions protrude an inner side of the pipe member; a probe assembly step of inserting first and second plungers and a coil spring into the pipe member connected to the connection portion; and a connection portion cutting step of cutting the pipe member from the connection portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a contact probe and a contact probe. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when conducting a continuity test or an operating characteristic test of a test object such as a semiconductor integrated circuit or a liquid crystal display device, a conductive contact probe is used to establish an electrical connection between the test object and a signal processing device having a circuit board that outputs a test signal (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a plate-like member is bent to form it into a cylindrical shape, and two plungers and a coil spring are inserted into this formed pipe member to form a contact probe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6751249 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as in Patent Document 1, conventionally, plate-like members connected by a connecting portion are bent, and then each pipe member is separated from the connecting portion before inserting the plunger and coil spring, which makes the process complicated and reduces work efficiency, which is particularly problematic when assembling small-sized members such as contact probes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a method for manufacturing a contact probe that can be efficiently manufactured, and a contact probe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the present invention is a contact probe that transmits signals by contacting different electrodes at both ends in a longitudinal direction, the contact probe comprising a first plunger that contacts one electrode, a second plunger that contacts the other electrode, a coil spring provided between the first and second plungers, and a pipe member through which the first and second plungers and the coil spring are inserted, the method comprising the steps of: forming a plate-shaped material with multiple plungers that are each connected to a base via a connecting portion; the method for manufacturing the pipe member includes an outer shaping process for shaping the outer shape of the main body base material to form the main body of the pipe member, a protrusion forming process for forming a plurality of protrusions on the main body base material, a curling process for bending the main body base material so that the protruding side of the protrusions faces inward to form the C-shaped pipe member, a probe assembling process for inserting the first and second plungers and the coil spring into the pipe member in a state connected to the connection part, and a connection part cutting process for cutting the pipe member and the connection part.

[0007] In addition, the manufacturing method of the contact probe according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, it further includes a coining process in which a crushing process is performed on the end portion of the main body base material on the side connected to the connection portion before the curling process.

[0008] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the present invention, in the above invention, the connection portion having a narrower width on the main body base material side is formed in the outer shaping step.

[0009] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, it further includes a plating step of plating the plate-like material before the outer shaping step.

[0010] The contact probe of the present invention is a contact probe that transmits signals by contacting different electrodes at both ends of its length, and comprises a first plunger having a first tip portion that contacts one electrode and a first flange portion connected to the first tip portion, a second plunger having a second tip portion that contacts the other electrode and a second flange portion connected to the second tip portion, a coil spring provided between the first and second plungers, and a pipe member through which the first and second plungers and the coil spring are inserted, wherein the pipe member has a main body formed by bending a plate-like member into a C-shape, and the main body is formed with a plurality of first protrusions that protrude inward and with which the first flange portion engages, and a plurality of second protrusions that protrude inward and with which the second flange portion engages.

[0011] Moreover, in the contact probe according to the present invention, in the above invention, the pipe member has melting marks formed on parts of the ends from which the first and second plungers extend. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention provides an advantage in that contact probes can be efficiently manufactured. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a probe unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the state of the base material during manufacturing. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram (part 4) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram (part 5) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the first modification. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for illustrating a method of manufacturing a contact probe according to the second modification. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the second modification. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the second modification. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the second modification. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for illustrating a method of manufacturing a contact probe according to the third modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, the drawings referred to in the following description merely show the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships in a schematic manner to enable the contents of the present invention to be understood, and therefore the present invention is not limited to only the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships exemplified in the drawings.

[0015] (Embodiment) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a probe unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. The probe unit 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a device used when testing the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor integrated circuit 100, which is an object to be tested, and is a device that electrically connects the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 and a circuit board 200 that outputs a test signal to the semiconductor integrated circuit 100.

[0016] The probe unit 1 comprises conductive contact probes 2 (hereinafter simply referred to as "probes 2") that contact electrodes of two different contacted bodies, a semiconductor integrated circuit 100 and a circuit board 200, at both ends of the longitudinal direction, a probe holder 3 that stores and holds the multiple probes 2 according to a predetermined pattern, and a holder member 4 that is provided around the probe holder 3 and prevents the semiconductor integrated circuit 100, which comes into contact with the multiple probes 2 during testing, from shifting in position.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a probe according to one embodiment of the present invention. The probe 2 is formed using a conductive material and includes a first plunger 21 that contacts an electrode of a semiconductor integrated circuit 100 when testing the semiconductor integrated circuit 100, a second plunger 22 that contacts an electrode of a circuit board 200 that includes a test circuit, a coil spring 23 that is provided between the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 and biases the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 in a direction separating them from each other, and a pipe member 24 that holds the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 so that they can move back and forth and that houses the coil spring 23. In FIG. 2, the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 that constitute the probe 2 share the same axis. That is, the central axes of the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are located on the same axis (longitudinal axis) N. It should be noted that the "same axis" includes deviations due to distortion of individual components, manufacturing errors, etc. When the probe 2 contacts the semiconductor integrated circuit 100, the coil spring 23 expands and contracts in the axial direction, thereby cushioning the impact on the electrodes of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 and applying a load to the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 and the circuit board 200.

[0018] The first plunger 21 has a tapered tip portion 21a that contacts an electrode of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100, a reduced-diameter portion 21b that is connected to the base end of the tip portion 21a and has a diameter smaller than that of the tip portion 21a, a flange portion 21c that extends opposite the tip portion 21a via the reduced-diameter portion 21b and has a diameter larger than that of the reduced-diameter portion 21b, and a boss portion 21d that has a diameter smaller than that of the flange portion 21c and into which one end of the coil spring 23 is inserted. The first plunger 21 can move in the axial direction by the expansion and contraction action of the coil spring 23. Hereinafter, the side of the first plunger 21 that faces the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 will be referred to as the "tip side," and the side opposite the tip side in the direction of the longitudinal axis N of the first plunger 21 will be referred to as the "base side."

[0019] Second plunger 22 has a tapered tip shape and includes tip portion 22a that contacts an electrode of circuit board 200, reduced-diameter portion 22b that is connected to the base end side of tip portion 22a and has a diameter smaller than that of tip portion 22a, flange portion 22c that extends via reduced-diameter portion 22b to the side opposite tip portion 22a and has a diameter larger than that of reduced-diameter portion 22b, and boss portion 22d that extends via flange portion 22c to the side opposite reduced-diameter portion 22b and has a diameter smaller than that of flange portion 22c, and into which the other end of coil spring 23 is inserted. Second plunger 22 can move in the axial direction by the expansion and contraction action of coil spring 23, and is urged toward circuit board 200 by the elastic force of coil spring 23 to contact an electrode of circuit board 200.

[0020] In this embodiment, tip portion 21a is described as having a crown shape with a plurality of claws at the tip, but it may have other shapes such as a cone shape, a spherical shape, etc. Similarly, tip portion 22a is described as having a cone shape at the tip, but it may have other shapes such as a crown shape with a plurality of claws, a spherical shape, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the tip portion 21a and the flange portion 21c, and the tip portion 22a and the flange portion 22c have the same diameter, but they may have different diameters.

[0021] The coil spring 23 is formed by winding a wire at a predetermined interval. For example, the coil spring 23 is formed by winding a single conductive wire. The coil spring 23 applies a load to the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 in directions that move them away from each other along the axis N.

[0022] The pipe member 24 is formed by bending a plate-like member, and has a main body 241 that is cylindrical and partially open in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when viewed from the longitudinal axis direction (penetration direction) of the pipe member 24, the shape is C-shaped. The main body 241 is also formed with a plurality of protrusions 242, 243 that protrude inward. The protrusions 242, 243 are formed by recessing the main body 241 toward the inner periphery. The plurality of protrusions 242 are formed on one end side of the pipe member 24. The plurality of protrusions 243 are also formed on the other end side of the pipe member 24.

[0023] The flange portion 21c of the first plunger 21 abuts against the protrusion 242 of the pipe member 24, thereby preventing the probe 2 from coming out of the probe holder 3. The flange portion 22c of the second plunger 22 abuts against the protrusion 243 of the pipe member 24, thereby preventing the probe 2 from coming out of the probe holder 3. At this time, the protrusion 242 is located in the reduced diameter portion 21b, and its movement toward the second plunger 22 is restricted by a step formed between the tip end portion 21a and the reduced diameter portion 21b. Similarly, the movement of the protrusion 243 toward the first plunger 21 is restricted by a step formed between the tip end portion 22a and the reduced diameter portion 22b. Note that in this embodiment, an example will be described in which four protrusions 242, 243 are arranged along the circumferential direction, for example; however, the number and arrangement of the protrusions are not limited to this as long as they are engaged with the flange portions and a prevention effect is obtained.

[0024] The probe holder 3 is made of an insulating material such as resin, machinable ceramic, or silicon. The probe holder 3 has holder holes formed therein for accommodating a plurality of probes 2. The positions at which the holder holes are formed are determined according to the wiring pattern of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100.

[0025] During testing of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100, the coil spring 23 is compressed along the longitudinal direction due to contact loads from the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 and the circuit board 200. A test signal supplied from the circuit board 200 to the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 during testing travels from the electrode of the circuit board 200 through the second plunger 22 of the probe 2, the pipe member 24 (or the coil spring 23), and the first plunger 21 to the connection electrode of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100.

[0026] Next, a method for manufacturing probe 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 10. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the state of the pipe member during manufacturing. Figs. 5 to 9 are views illustrating a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in Fig. 9. Note that Fig. 4 shows the state of the pipe member in each process, starting from the right side of the figure. Also, Fig. 7 shows a cross-section of protrusion 242 in Fig. 6 when cut along a plane whose cutting surface is the XZ plane.

[0027] In the probe fabrication process, first, a plate-shaped material is punched to form the outer shape of the main body base material 300 that will become the main body 241 of the pipe member 24 (step S101: outer periphery punching process (outer shaping process)). At this time, the multiple main body base materials 300 are formed so that they are connected to each other. Specifically, each main body base material 300 is connected to the base 310 by a connecting portion 311 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). At this time, the connecting portion 311 is provided at one end side of the main body base material 300 and at the end on the opposite side. Note that as long as the base 310 can support the main body base material 300, the connecting portion 311 may be provided on only one side, or the connecting portion 311 may be provided on different end sides of adjacent main body base materials 300 in the arrangement direction.

[0028] Thereafter, a portion of the main body base material 300 is recessed to form protrusions (only protrusions 242 are shown in FIG. 4) (step S102: removal prevention molding process (protrusion molding process)). In this embodiment, four protrusions 242 are formed on one end of the main body base material 300, and four protrusions 243 are formed on the other end (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In this removal prevention molding process, multiple protrusions 242, 243 are formed that protrude in the same direction. The protrusions 242, 243 may have any shape as long as they can be engaged with the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 and prevented from coming off. For example, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the shape of the protruding base end may be circular, or may be elliptical, rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, etc. Also, step S102 may be performed before step S101.

[0029] The main body base material 300 is then bent to form the main body base material 300 into a cylindrical shape (step S103: curling process). During this process, the bending process is performed so that the protruding surfaces of the protrusions 242 and 243 face inward, resulting in a C-shape when viewed from the direction of penetration of the tube, with the circumferential ends spaced a predetermined distance apart. In the curling process, the main body base material 300 is bent, for example, by sandwiching the main body base material 300 between a member having a concave surface and a member having a convex surface (see FIG. 8). This results in the main body base material 300 being formed into a cylindrical shape, corresponding to the main body 241 connected by the connecting portion 311. Note that the curling process forms an opening S1 extending along the penetration direction in a portion of the main body base material 300 in the circumferential direction. The formation of this opening S1 reduces the precision required for curling compared to forming a closed cylindrical shape with the ends abutting against each other.

[0030] In step S103, once the cylindrical main body base material 300 is formed, the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are inserted into the main body base material 300 to assemble the probe 2 (step S104: probe assembling process). At this time, each main body base material 300 is connected to the connection portion 311, and the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are inserted into each main body base material 300 while they remain connected to each other by the base portion 310 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). Furthermore, by forming the opening S1, the diameter of the main body base material 300 can be easily expanded when inserting the plunger, facilitating insertion. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, an example is shown in which the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are inserted from the same direction (the direction of the arrows in FIG. 9), but they may be inserted from the opposite direction, or some components may be inserted from a different direction than the other components. For example, the first plunger 21 may be inserted from the right side of FIG. 9, and the second plunger 22 and the coil spring 23 may be inserted from the left side of FIG. 9. Also, one of the plungers may be engaged with a protrusion to prevent it from sliding relative to the main body base material 300 (pipe member 24). In this case, for example, a recess for engaging with the protrusion may be formed in the plunger on the engaging side.

[0031] Thereafter, the connecting portions connecting each main body portion base material 300 are cut, thereby producing the probe 2 including the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, the coil spring 23, and the pipe member 24 (step S105: connecting portion cutting process). Examples of cutting methods include a cutting method using a laser and a cutting method by bending. From the viewpoint of suppressing the generation of burrs at the cut portion, it is preferable to use laser cutting. Furthermore, in laser cutting, the thermal influence on the plunger can be avoided by adjusting the irradiation direction and focal length. In this case, if there is a gap between the main body base material 300 and the plunger, a heat insulating material or the like may be disposed in the gap. When cutting with a laser, melting marks are formed in a portion of the end portion of the pipe member 24 from which the first plunger 21 and the second plunger 22 extend.

[0032] In the embodiment described above, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where a plurality of main body portion base materials 300 are connected by base portion 310 and connecting portion 311, and then connecting portion 311 is cut to fabricate a plurality of probes 2. According to this embodiment, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where cylindrical main body portion base material 300 is restricted by base portion 310 (connecting portion 311). Therefore, the plunger and coil spring are assembled while preventing handling of pipe member 24 (main body portion base material 300) from becoming complicated, and as a result, fabrication can be performed with high work efficiency.

[0033] (Variation 1) Next, a first modified example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for manufacturing a contact probe according to the first modified example. The first modified example has the same configuration as the above-described embodiment except that the configuration of connecting portion 311 according to the embodiment is changed. The same reference numerals are used to designate the same configuration as the above-described embodiment.

[0034] The connecting portion 311A ​​according to the first modification has a first connecting portion 311a extending from the base portion 310, and a second connecting portion 311b extending from the side of the first connecting portion 311a opposite to the base portion 310 side and connecting to the main body base material 300.

[0035] The length (width) of first connecting portion 311a in the longitudinal direction of base 310 is greater than the length (width) of second connecting portion 311b in the same direction. That is, connecting portion 311A ​​has a narrow stepped shape on the side facing main body base material 300. This makes it possible to reduce the load and time required for cutting when main body base material 300 is cut from connecting portion 311A. In addition, in this variant example 1, an example is given in which a stepped shape is formed by the first connecting portion 311a and the second connecting portion 311b, but the connecting portion between the first connecting portion 311a and the second connecting portion 311b may be tapered in shape with the width continuously decreasing as it approaches the main body base material 300, or the connecting portion may be arc-shaped.

[0036] In the above-described first modification, similar to the embodiment, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where a plurality of main body portion base materials 300 are connected by base portion 310 and connecting portion 311A, and then connecting portion 311 is cut to fabricate a plurality of probes 2. According to this first modification, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where main body portion base material 300 is restricted by base portion 310 (connecting portion 311A). Therefore, the plunger and coil spring are assembled while preventing handling of pipe member 24 (main body portion base material 300) from becoming complicated, and as a result, fabrication can be performed with high work efficiency.

[0037] In addition, in Modification 1, connecting portion 311A ​​has a stepped shape that narrows toward main body base material 300, so the strength of connecting portion 311A ​​at the cutting position is weakened compared to the shape of connecting portion 311, and cutting can be performed with a small load or in a short time. The configuration of connecting portion 311A ​​according to Modification 1 is particularly effective when cutting by bending.

[0038] (Variation 2) Next, a second modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 15. The second modification further includes a coining step in addition to the manufacturing method of the above-described embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0039] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for illustrating a method of manufacturing a contact probe according to the second modification. In the probe manufacturing process according to this modified example 2, first, similar to steps S101 and S102 shown in FIG. 3, a plate-shaped material is punched out to form the outer shape of the main body base material 300, and a portion of the main body base material 300 is recessed to form the protrusions 242 and 243 (steps S201 and S202).

[0040] Thereafter, a coining process is carried out to shape the end portion of main body base material 300 (step S203). FIGS. 13 to 15 are diagrams for explaining a manufacturing method for a contact probe according to Modification 2. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of line BB shown in FIG. 13. In the coining process, a process is performed to smooth the end surface of the end portion of main body base material 300 that connects with connecting portion 311. For example, a mold 400 is brought into contact with the portion where connecting portion 311 is not connected, and the end portion is crushed. Step S203 may be performed before step S202.

[0041] Coining may also be applied to the connecting portion of connecting portion 311 of main body base material 300. Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of line CC shown in Fig. 13. In the coining process, the connecting portion between main body base material 300 and connecting portion 311 is further recessed using a mold 400. This reduces the thickness of the connecting portion between main body base material 300 and connecting portion 311 at the end after cutting, making cutting easier and suppressing the occurrence of burrs on the cut surface (end surface of main body 241).

[0042] After the coining process, similar to step S103, the main body base material 300 is bent to form the main body base material 300 into a cylindrical shape (step S204: curling process). After the pipe member 24 is formed in step S204, similar to step S104, the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are inserted into the main body base material 300 to assemble the probe 2 (step S205: probe assembling process). Thereafter, similar to step S105, the connecting portions 311 connecting the main body base materials 300 are cut, thereby producing the probe 2 (step S206: connecting portion cutting process).

[0043] In the above-described second modification, similar to the embodiment, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where a plurality of main body base materials 300 are connected by bases 310 and connecting portions 311, and then connecting portions 311 are cut to fabricate a plurality of probes 2. According to the second modification, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where main body base material 300 is restricted by bases 310 (connecting portions 311). Therefore, the plungers and coil springs are assembled while preventing handling of pipe member 24 (main body base material 300) from becoming complicated, and as a result, fabrication can be performed with high work efficiency.

[0044] Furthermore, in Modification 2, coining prevents burrs from occurring and smooths the end surface, improving ease of insertion of the plunger and coil spring. Furthermore, smoothing the end surface improves the sliding ability of the plunger relative to the pipe member 24. When the coining process is carried out in order to obtain the above-mentioned effect, it is sufficient to carry out the coining process only on the end of the main body 241 on the plunger and coil spring insertion side.

[0045] (Variation 3) Next, a third modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. The third modification further includes a plating step in addition to the manufacturing method of the above-described embodiment. Fig. 16 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing method of the contact probe according to the third modification.

[0046] In the probe fabrication process according to the third modification, first, a plating process is performed on the material before the outer periphery punching process (step S301). For example, the plating process is performed on the entire surface of the material. Note that the plating process should be performed on at least the surface corresponding to the inner periphery of the pipe member 24. For example, gold plating can be used as the plating.

[0047] 3, the plate-shaped material is punched to form the outer shape of the main body base material 300, and a portion of the main body base material 300 is recessed to form the protrusions 242 and 243 (steps S302 and S303). Then, similar to step S103, the main body base material 300 is bent to form a cylindrical shape (step S304: curling process). After the main body base material 300 is formed in step S304, similar to step S104, the first plunger 21, the second plunger 22, and the coil spring 23 are inserted into the main body base material 300 to assemble the probe 2 (step S305: probe assembling process). Then, similar to step S105, the connecting portions 311 connecting the main body base materials 300 are cut, thereby producing the probe 2 (step S306: connecting portion cutting process).

[0048] In the above-described third modification, similar to the embodiment, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where a plurality of main body base materials 300 are connected by bases 310 and connecting portions 311, and then connecting portions 311 are cut to fabricate a plurality of probes 2. According to the third modification, first plunger 21, second plunger 22, and coil spring 23 are assembled in a state where main body base material 300 is restricted by bases 310 (connecting portions 311). Therefore, the plungers and coil springs are assembled while preventing handling of pipe member 24 (main body base material 300) from becoming complicated, and as a result, fabrication can be performed with high work efficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, in the third modification, since the plating process is performed before the outer periphery punching process, a coating is formed evenly and uniformly over the entire body base material 300 (body 241), reducing the contact resistance between the plunger and the pipe member 24. As a result, a probe 2 with good electrical conductivity can be obtained.

[0050] Up to this point, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described, but the present invention should not be limited to only the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the configuration of the probe 2 described in the embodiments is merely an example, and various types of conventionally known probes can be applied. For example, the probe is not limited to the configuration composed of a plunger and a coil spring as described above, and the first plunger may have no boss portion, or another elastic body may be used instead of the coil spring.

[0051] In addition to the above-mentioned steps, a cleaning step may be performed after the curling step. Furthermore, in cases where the processing position is changed after the curling step or the cleaning step, a step of winding the material after the curling or cleaning step on a reel and moving it, and releasing the material from the reel at the position after the movement may be included.

[0052] In this way, the present invention can include various embodiments not described here, and various design changes can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the technical idea specified by the claims.

[0053] As described above, the contact probe manufacturing method and contact probe according to the present invention are suitable for efficiently producing contact probes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 probe unit 2 Contact probe (probe) 3 Probe holder 21 First plunger 21a, 22a Tip 21b, 22b Reduced diameter part 21c, 22c flange 21d, 22d boss part 22 Second plunger 23 Coil spring 24 Pipe members 241 Main body 242, 243 Protrusion 100 Semiconductor Integrated Circuit 200 Circuit Boards 300 Main body base material 310 base 311 Connection

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a contact probe that transmits signals by contacting different electrodes at both ends in a longitudinal direction, the contact probe comprising: a first plunger that contacts one electrode; a second plunger that contacts the other electrode; a coil spring provided between the first and second plungers; and a pipe member through which the first and second plungers and the coil spring are inserted, an outer shaping process for shaping the outer shape of a plurality of main body base materials for forming the main body of the pipe member, the main body base materials being each connected to a base via a connecting portion, from a plate-shaped material; a protrusion forming step of forming a plurality of protrusions on the main body base material; a curling process for bending the main body base material so that the protruding side of the protrusion faces inward to form the C-shaped pipe member; a probe assembling process of inserting the first and second plungers and the coil spring into the pipe member connected to the base portion via the connecting portion; a connection portion cutting step of cutting the contact probe including the pipe member into which the first and second plungers and the coil spring are inserted and the connection portion; A method for manufacturing a contact probe, comprising:

2. a coining process for crushing an end portion of the main body base material on the side connected to the connection portion before the curling process; The method for manufacturing a contact probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. In the outer shaping step, the connection portion is formed to have a shape in which the width on the main body base material side is small. The method for manufacturing a contact probe according to claim 1 .

4. a plating process for plating the plate-shaped material before the outer shaping process; The method for manufacturing a contact probe according to claim 1, further comprising:

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