Chip test socket

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a chip test socket is provided, the socket comprising: a support substrate; an elastic force provision part, which is seated on the support substrate and provides an elastic force in the vertical direction; a probe sheet which covers the upper surface of the elastic force provision part, and which includes a plurality of polyimide layers, a circuit wiring layer formed inside the polyimide layer, and a contact tip electrically connected to the circuit wiring layer; and a housing which covers the upper surface of the probe sheet, and which has an open area in a portion thereof and exposes the contact tip through the open area.

Description

chip test socket

[0001] This study was supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Technology Development Project in 2024 [RS-2023-00267316].

[0002] The present invention relates to a chip test socket, and more particularly, to a test socket having a structure including a membrane probe sheet and requiring no printed circuit board.

[0003] Generally, the semiconductor assembly process is comprised of the process of separating semiconductor elements manufactured through the wafer manufacturing process into individual chips, electrically connecting the lead frame and the individual chips, and forming a package body that protects the electrical connection portion of the lead frame and the semiconductor chips from the external environment.

[0004] These semiconductor chips undergo electrical characteristic tests and burn-in tests to verify the reliability of the product before shipment, and test sockets are required for these tests.

[0005] Here, the electrical characteristic test is to test the electrical characteristics such as input / output characteristics, pulse characteristics, processing performance characteristics, and noise tolerance by connecting all input / output terminals of the chip to a predetermined test signal generation circuit, and the burn-in test is to test whether a defect occurs by applying a voltage higher than the rated voltage to a chip that has passed the electrical characteristic test for a certain period of time at a temperature higher than the normal operating environment.

[0006] For these tests, a test socket is used to connect the electrode terminals of the package chip to the printed circuit board.

[0007] Test sockets come in a variety of forms, including pogo pin, rubber pin, and MEMS vertical spring pin. These test sockets connect the electrode terminals of a packaged chip to terminals on a printed circuit board (PCB), applying signals and performing tests. However, signal loss and distortion can occur as the signal is transmitted from the packaged chip to the PCB, reducing test reliability. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that eliminates the need for a PCB for testing and improves test reliability.

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-described prior art.

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to enable direct transmission and reception of signals between a contact tip and a test target through a polyimide layer of a probe sheet and a wiring layer therein, thereby making a printed circuit board unnecessary during chip testing, and thus minimizing signal loss and distortion that may occur during signal transmission and reception between the printed circuit board and the chip.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described object, a chip test socket is provided, comprising: a support substrate; an elastic force providing portion that is mounted on the support substrate and provides elastic force in a vertical direction; a probe sheet formed to cover an upper surface of the elastic force providing portion, the probe sheet including a plurality of polyimide layers, a circuit wiring layer formed inside the polyimide layer, and a contact tip electrically connected to the circuit wiring layer; and a housing formed to cover an upper surface of the probe sheet, the housing having an open area in a portion thereof, the contact tip being exposed through the open area.

[0011] The elastic force providing portion may include a lower substrate; a pressing portion formed to face the lower substrate; and a plurality of elastic bodies formed between the lower substrate and the pressing portion.

[0012] The elastic force providing portion further includes a stopper, and the stopper includes a vertical portion extending in a vertical direction to an upper surface of the lower substrate; a planar portion formed to cover an upper surface of the vertical portion and an upper area surrounded by the vertical portion; and a hole may be formed in the planar portion at a position corresponding to a position where the plurality of elastic bodies are formed.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, since signals can be transmitted and received between the contact tip and the test object through the polyimide layer of the probe sheet and the wiring layer therein, a printed circuit board can be made unnecessary, and accordingly, signal loss and distortion that may occur during the signal transmission and reception process between the printed circuit board and the chip during chip testing can be minimized.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a chip test socket according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of Figure 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the shape of a probe sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in Figure 3.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a form in which a manual lead according to one embodiment of the present invention places a chip in an open area of ​​a housing.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the configuration of a manual lead according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] The following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention, while different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that the positions or arrangements of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled, if properly described. Like reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar functionality throughout the several aspects.

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily practice the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a chip test socket according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 1.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a chip test socket according to one embodiment may include a support substrate (100), an elastic force providing portion (200) mounted on a central portion of the support substrate (100), a probe sheet (300) formed to cover the support substrate and the elastic force providing portion (200), and a housing (400) formed on the upper portion of the probe sheet (300).

[0024] The support substrate (100) is formed in the shape of a block of a square or other shape, and a groove is formed in the central area thereof.

[0025] An elastic force providing part (200) may be placed in the above groove.

[0026] The elastic force providing part (200) may be configured to include a lower substrate (201), a side wall (202) formed vertically on the lower substrate, a stopper (203) arranged on the inner side of the side wall (202) on the upper surface of the lower substrate (201), a pressing part (204) arranged on the upper surface of the stopper (203), and an upper substrate (205) formed on the upper surface of the pressing part (204).

[0027] The above stopper (203) is formed to include a vertical portion (203a) formed parallel to the side wall (202) but at a lower height than the side wall (202), and a flat portion (203b) formed to cover the upper surface of the vertical portion (203a) and the upper area surrounded by the vertical portion (203a).

[0028] Meanwhile, an elastic body (S) formed at a certain interval is included between the lower surface of the pressurizing portion (204) and the lower substrate (201). The elastic body (S) may be implemented as a spring, for example. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the interval between the plurality of elastic bodies (S) may be formed to become narrower from the edge of the pressurizing portion (204) toward the center. Accordingly, more elastic force is applied to the part that receives the strongest pressure due to chip compression and pressurization during testing, i.e., the center region of the probe sheet (300). As a result, deformation of the probe sheet (300) can be minimized, and the reliability of the test can be improved.

[0029] The elastic body (S) passes through the flat portion (203b) of the stopper (203) located between the pressurizing portion (204) and the lower substrate (201). For this purpose, the flat portion (203b) may have a hole that allows the elastic body (S) to slide at a position corresponding to the position where the elastic body (S) is formed. The inner diameter of the hole may be formed to be substantially the same as or larger than the outer diameter of the elastic body (S).

[0030] The distance between the upper surface of the stopper (203) and the pressurizing portion (204) can vary depending on the contraction and relaxation of the elastic body (S).

[0031] The probe sheet (300) is formed to cover the upper surface of the support substrate (100), the upper surface of the elastic force providing portion (200), that is, the upper surface of the side wall (202), and the upper surface of the upper substrate (205). In addition, referring to FIG. 2, a probe sheet (300) support layer (101) may be further formed to wrap the outer surface of the side wall (202) on the upper surface of the support substrate (100), and the probe sheet (300) may also be formed on the upper surface of the corresponding support layer (101).

[0032] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the shape of a probe sheet according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 3.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the probe sheet (300) includes wiring layers (303, 304) formed within each layer of polyimide layers (301, 302) formed in multiple layers. One of the wiring layers (303, 304) may be a ground layer. In addition, the wiring layer (304) formed in the uppermost polyimide layer (302) may be electrically connected to a bump (305) through a via hole formed in the uppermost polyimide layer (302).

[0034] The above bump (305) is formed of a material having electrical conductivity and can be formed to a certain thickness to compensate for the height of the tip formed on top thereof.

[0035] A multi-stage contact tip (306) can be formed on the upper surface of the above bump (305).

[0036] In Fig. 4, a three-stage tip formed by a first tip (306a), a second tip (306b), and a third tip (306c) is exemplified, but the multi-stage structure may also be formed by two stages or four or more stages.

[0037] The cross-sectional area can be formed to decrease as it goes from the first tip (306a) to the third tip (306c).

[0038] The first to third tips (306a to 306c) are formed by an etching method, and since the etching is performed in a tapered shape starting from the third tip (306c) formed at the top, the cross-sectional area becomes wider as it goes from the third tip (306c) to the first tip (306a).

[0039] In Fig. 4, for convenience, a step is shown between each tip (306a to 306c), but in reality, it can be formed in an inclined shape.

[0040] A plating layer (307) may be formed on the outer surfaces of the second tip (306b) and the third tip (306c). This plating layer (307) may be made of a rhodium (Rh) material.

[0041] The contact tip (305) is a part that makes electrical contact with the terminal of the chip to be tested, and is formed in a protruding shape on the upper surface of the probe sheet (300).

[0042] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3, a contact portion (310) is formed at the edge region of the probe sheet (300), and the contact portion (310) can be electrically connected to the circuit wiring layer (304) that transmits a signal among the wiring layers (303, 304).

[0043] An external signal wire can be connected to the contact portion (310), so that a signal obtained by the contact tip (305) can be transmitted to the external signal wire through the contact portion (310).

[0044] In this way, according to an embodiment of the present invention, since signals can be transmitted and received between the contact tip (305) and the test object through the polyimide layer (301, 302) of the probe sheet (300) and the wiring layer (303, 304) therein, a printed circuit board becomes unnecessary.

[0045] Therefore, signal loss and distortion that may occur during signal transmission and reception between the printed circuit board and the chip during chip testing can be minimized.

[0046] Meanwhile, in the probe sheet (300), the contact tip (305) may be formed in the central region, and in the probe sheet (300), the height of the central region where the contact tip (305) is formed may be formed higher than that of the edge.

[0047] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing (400) is placed on top of the probe sheet (300).

[0048] Specifically, the housing (400) is formed to cover the edge of the probe sheet (300) but not the contact portion (310). In addition, an open area may be formed in the central area of ​​the housing (400). The contact tip (305) of the probe sheet (300) may be exposed through the open area.

[0049] The open area above allows the chip to be seated and pressurized to be tested, for which purpose manual leads may be additionally included.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a form in which a manual lead (500) according to an embodiment of the present invention places a chip in an open area of ​​a housing (400), and FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the configuration of the manual lead (500).

[0051] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the manual lead (500) can be configured to include a rotation operation part (501) formed at the top, a main body (502), a shaft (503), a side cap (504), and a chip mounting part (505).

[0052] An axis (503) protruding upward is formed at the center of the main body (502), and the axis (503) is coupled to a rotation operation unit (501). When the rotation operation unit (502) is rotated, a mechanism can be implemented in which the axis (503) moves upward or downward.

[0053] The side cap (504) is coupled to both sides of the main body (502), and the coupling between the main body (502) and the side cap (504) is stably achieved by a fastening means (S). Specifically, the side cap (504) is coupled to a groove formed between the front and rear surfaces of the main body (502), and the holes formed in the side cap (504) correspond to the holes formed in the front and rear surfaces of the main body (502). The fastening means (S) penetrates the corresponding holes to enable the coupling between the main body (502) and the side cap (504).

[0054] Meanwhile, the shaft (503) penetrates the upper and lower parts of the main body (502), and a chip mounting portion (505) sharing a mechanism with the shaft (503) is formed in the lower region of the main body (502).

[0055] That is, the chip mounting portion (505) can apply pressure in a downward direction based on the main body (502) according to the up-and-down movement of the shaft (503), and when the chip to be tested is coupled to the chip mounting portion (505), the manual lead (500) is placed on the upper part of the housing (400) as shown in FIG. 5, and the rotation operation portion (501) is operated to move the shaft (503) downward, the chip mounting portion (505) also moves downward, and the chip to be tested can be mounted in the open area of ​​the housing (400).

[0056] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0057] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

[0058] 100: Support substrate

[0059] 101: Supporters

[0060] 200: Elasticity providing part

[0061] 201: Lower substrate

[0062] 202: Side wall

[0063] 203: Stopper

[0064] 204: Pressurized section

[0065] 205: Upper substrate

[0066] 300: Probe Sheet

[0067] 301, 302: Polyimide layer

[0068] 303, 304: Wiring layer

[0069] 305: Contact tip

[0070] 400: Housing

[0071] 500: Manual Lead

[0072] 501: Rotating control unit

[0073] 502: Body

[0074] 503: Axis

Claims

1. Supporting substrate; An elastic force providing member that is mounted on the above-mentioned support substrate and provides elastic force in the vertical direction; A probe sheet formed to cover the upper surface of the elastic force providing portion, comprising a plurality of polyimide layers, a circuit wiring layer formed inside the polyimide layer, and a contact tip electrically connected to the circuit wiring layer; and A chip test socket comprising a housing formed to cover an upper surface of the probe sheet, the housing having an open area in a portion thereof, and the contact tip being formed to be exposed through the open area.

2. In paragraph 1, The above elasticity providing part is, lower substrate; A pressurizing portion formed to face the lower substrate; and A chip test socket comprising a plurality of elastic bodies formed between the lower substrate and the pressurizing portion.

3. In paragraph 2, The above elastic force providing part further includes a stopper, The above stopper, A vertical portion extending in a vertical direction on the upper surface of the lower substrate; Including a flat portion formed to cover the upper surface of the vertical portion and the upper area surrounded by the vertical portion, A chip test socket, wherein a hole is formed in the above flat surface at a position corresponding to the position where the plurality of elastic bodies are formed.

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