Hybrid test socket

Abstract

Disclosed as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a hybrid test socket comprising: a body having formed therein a hole penetrating a first surface facing a lead of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; a contact which is inserted into the hole and which has one end that comes into contact with the lead of the semiconductor device and the other end that comes into contact with the pad of the test device so as to have elasticity in a pressing direction; and a first member adhered to the one end of the contact.

Description

Hybrid Test Socket

[0001] The present invention relates to a hybrid test socket including a socket body made of an elastic insulator and a contact pin having elasticity.

[0002] Typically, semiconductor ICs of the BGA (ball grid array) or LGA (land grid array) type are ultimately subjected to various electrical tests by inspection equipment to measure their characteristics or inspect for defects. At this time, a test socket is used to electrically connect the circuit pattern of the inspection printed circuit board installed on the inspection equipment to the terminal (lead), contact ball, or land of the BGA or LGA type semiconductor IC.

[0003] The contacts used in the test socket must exert sufficient pressure to make reliable contact with the IC's leads (terminals). Therefore, the contacts must have sufficient elastic contact force within an appropriate range. To meet these conditions, various types of contacts are available.

[0004] Meanwhile, test sockets feature a number of spring contacts installed in a housing according to a predetermined pattern. With the recent development of various semiconductor devices, customer demand for spring contacts of various lengths is increasing. However, conventional pogo pin-type spring contacts often fail to meet customer performance requirements.

[0005] For example, when manufacturing a conventional pogo pin type spring contact to a longer length to meet a customer's requirements, the length of the contact pin constituting the spring contact must be increased, and when designing the test socket, the depth of the pin hole into which the spring contact is inserted must be processed to a diameter that accommodates the width of the contact pin tip, taking into account the length of the contact pin.

[0006] Spring contact pins are becoming increasingly miniaturized for faster data processing and lower power consumption, making it difficult to machine long pin holes with a diameter that accommodates the width of the contact pin tip. Even if it is possible to machine long pin holes with a relatively small diameter that accommodates the width of the contact pin tip, the processing cost is high and it is difficult to guarantee quality.

[0007] In other words, it is difficult for conventional spring contacts to meet the requirements of customers who require spring contacts of various lengths.

[0008] Meanwhile, as another conventional technology, there is a rubber type socket, which is composed of an insulating body having elasticity by solidifying insulating silicone, and a conductive silicone portion formed to penetrate vertically into the insulating body in correspondence with the terminal of the device.

[0009] In this type of rubber socket, a silicone mixture containing insulating silicone and conductive powder in a predetermined ratio is placed in a mold, and a strong magnetic field is formed at a location where a conductive silicone portion is to be formed. The conductive powder of the silicone mixture gathers at the location where the magnetic field is formed, and the molten silicone mixture is finally solidified to form a conductive silicone portion in a predetermined arrangement on the insulating body.

[0010] These rubber-type sockets have the disadvantage of having a slower elastic response speed compared to pin-type contacts (spring contacts), and their elasticity is lost during repetitive testing, which significantly reduces their service life. Consequently, their use cycles are short and frequent replacements lead to increased costs. In addition, due to the characteristic of their elastic durability decreasing over time, the elastic rebound force becomes zero or significantly lowers during continuous compression tests for long periods of time (more than a week), causing a short circuit, making them difficult to use for long-term tests.

[0011] Additionally, rubber type sockets have the problem that their elastic properties are greatly affected by temperature, and the uniformity of resistance may be poor due to the mixed insulating silicone or elastomer.

[0012] Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a hybrid test socket that combines the advantages of the pogo pin type and the advantages of the rubber type in order to solve the above-described problem.

[0013] One of the various objectives of the present invention is to provide a test socket suitable for testing semiconductor devices with high-speed signals. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a test socket with improved noise shielding performance between adjacent contact pins and improved coaxial alignment performance of the contact pins.

[0014] In addition, one of the various tasks of the present invention is to provide a test socket that can minimize the influence of temperature changes (high temperature stability).

[0015] One of the various tasks of the present invention is to provide a hybrid test socket equipped with contact pins of various shapes to suit the performance requirements of customers.

[0016] Various embodiments for solving the problem of the present invention can disclose a hybrid test socket including a body having a hole formed through a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, a contact inserted into the hole so that one end contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end contacts the pad of the test device and has elasticity in a pressing direction, and a first member bonded to one end of the contact.

[0017] The above first member may be characterized in that it is also provided between the inner surface of the first surface side hole and one end circumference of the contact.

[0018] The body may include a base that forms the outer shape of the test socket and an elastic insulator that is filled inside the base and then hardened to form elasticity, and the hole may be formed by penetrating the elastic insulator.

[0019] The above contact may be characterized by including a pair of contact pins and a spring coupled between the pair of contact pins to provide elastic force.

[0020] The above pair of contact pins may be characterized in that they are provided with the same shape and are coupled in a direction intersecting each other.

[0021] The above contact pin may be characterized by including a body portion having a predetermined width and thickness, a head portion formed at one end of the body portion and contacting the inspection target, and a leg portion extending in a direction opposite to the head portion along the longitudinal direction of the body portion.

[0022] The above head portion may be characterized in that it is formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip that is formed integrally with the body portion.

[0023] The above head portion may be characterized in that a plurality of cutting edges are formed at the top.

[0024] The above first member may be characterized in that it is provided between at least a portion of the circumferential surface of the head portion and the inner surface of the hole.

[0025] The second surface may be characterized in that a step hole is formed to form a step toward the first surface.

[0026] The above step hole may be characterized in that it is formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole.

[0027] The above first member may be characterized in that it is bonded to one end surface of the contact, pushed into a space between the one end circumference of the contact and the hole, and hardened.

[0028] The above contact may be characterized by including a contact pin and an elastic member including conductive particles filled between the contact pin and the hole.

[0029] The above contact pin may be characterized in that it is formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip.

[0030] The above conductive particles may be characterized in that they are aligned by applying a magnetic force to the elastic member simultaneously with the adhesion of the first member.

[0031] Each feature of the above-described embodiments may be implemented in combination in other embodiments as long as it is not inconsistent with or exclusive of other embodiments.

[0032] According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to easily control the upper contraction of a socket body made of an elastic insulator.

[0033] In addition, the alignment of the contact pin contact portions provided inside the socket body is easy, thereby improving the coaxial alignment of the contact pins.

[0034] Additionally, the insulation between fine pitches is improved, which can reduce noise when testing high-speed signal semiconductor devices.

[0035] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly recognized by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0036] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a hybrid test socket, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Fig. 2 is a drawing showing the spring contact pin of Fig. 1.

[0038] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of Figure 2.

[0039] Figures 4 to 8 are drawings showing the contact pins of Figure 2.

[0040] Fig. 9 is a drawing showing the manufacturing process of the hybrid test socket of Fig. 1.

[0041] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a hybrid test socket, which is another embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Fig. 11 is a drawing showing the contact pin of Fig. 10.

[0043] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, these are merely examples and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0044] In describing embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined based on their functions in the present invention and may vary depending on the intent or custom of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the overall content of this specification.

[0045] The terminology used in this detailed description is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the present invention only and should not be construed as limiting. Unless expressly stated otherwise, singular forms include plural forms.

[0046] In this description, expressions such as "including" or "having" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, portions or combinations thereof, and should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, portions or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0047] Additionally, in describing components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only intended to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a hybrid test socket, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 1 below, a hybrid test socket, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is described.

[0050] A hybrid test socket may include a body (10) and a contact (30). The body (10) may be formed of a material having elasticity due to the pressing of a semiconductor device, and the contact (30) may be formed of a material having physical elasticity (e.g., a spring) or a material having elasticity (e.g., silicon powder mixed with conductive particles).

[0051] In more detail, the body (10) may be formed with a hole penetrating a first surface (11) facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface (12) facing a pad of a test device. The diameter (d1) of the hole is formed to be equal to or larger than the maximum diameter of a contact (30), so that the contact (30) can be inserted into the hole.

[0052] That is, the contact (30) is inserted into the hole so that one end contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end contacts the pad of the test device, thereby having elasticity in the pressing direction. The detailed configuration of the contact (30) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 below.

[0053] Meanwhile, the body (10) may include a base (11, 12) that forms the outer shape of the test socket and an elastic insulator (13) that is filled inside the base (11, 12) and then hardened to form elasticity.

[0054] The base (11, 12) can be formed by the first surface (11) and the second surface (12), and the hole can be formed by penetrating the first surface (11) and the second surface (12) and penetrating the elastic insulator filled inside the base (11, 12).

[0055] Meanwhile, a first member (50) may be bonded to one end of the contact (30). The one end of the contact (30) may refer to a contact end of the contact (30) located on the first surface (11) side that makes contact with the terminal of the semiconductor device when the contact (30) is inserted into the hole.

[0056] The first member (50) may be provided between the inner surface of the hole formed on the first surface (11) side and the circumference of one end of the contact (30). The first member (50) is made of a flexible material and is bonded while provided on one end of the contact (30), rolled into the space between the circumference of one end of the contact (30) and the hole, and hardened so that it may be provided between the inner surface of the hole formed on the first surface (11) side and the circumference of one end of the contact (30). Therefore, the first member (50) may be provided with a material such as a silicone series material whose properties change due to heat.

[0057] As the first member (50) is provided, it is possible to easily control the upper contraction of the socket body (10) including the elastic insulator (13).

[0058] If, unlike the present embodiment, the socket body (10) is made of a material that does not have elasticity like a general spring contact pin type socket, the first member (50) may act as a factor that inhibits the contraction force of the spring contact pin because the contraction of the socket body does not occur. However, as described above, the present embodiment is a hybrid test socket that combines the advantages of a general spring contact pin type socket (poco pin type socket) and a silicone rubber type socket, so that the durability can be increased by controlling the upper contraction of the socket body (10) through the first member (50).

[0059] In addition, the coaxial alignment of the contact (30) within the body (10) including the elastic material by the first member (50) can be improved, thereby improving the positional alignment of the contact point of the contact (30).

[0060] In addition, since the first member (50) is formed of a silicon series, the insulation between fine pitches is improved, thereby reducing noise when testing high-speed signal semiconductor elements.

[0061] This first member (50) can be appropriately selected to suit the customer's needs, with a shore hardness between 20A and 80A. If the hardness of the first member (50) falls outside the above range, it may be difficult to achieve the above-described effect.

[0062] For example, if the hardness of the first member (50) is higher than the above range, it may act as a factor that hinders the elasticity of the contact (30), and thus a greater load may be required during testing. In such a case, the load-related performance conditions requested by the customer may not be met, or the durability of the test socket may be reduced.

[0063] Meanwhile, a step hole (h2) may be formed on the second surface (12). The step hole (h2) may be formed by forming a step in the direction from the second surface (12) toward the first surface (11). In the shape of this step hole (h2), the diameter (d2) of the step hole (h2) may be formed to be larger than the diameter (d1) of the hole.

[0064] These step holes (h2) can further enhance the durability of the hybrid test socket, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by distributing the load of the test socket, which is repeatedly pressed between the terminal of the semiconductor device and the pad of the test device. If the step holes (h2) as in the present embodiment were not provided, the body would have to absorb the entire load around the contact, which could reduce durability.

[0065]

[0066] Fig. 2 is a drawing showing the spring contact pin of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 to 8 are drawings showing the contact pin of Fig. 2.

[0067] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, a hybrid test socket and a contact applied to the hybrid test socket, which are embodiments of the present invention, will be described.

[0068] The contact (30) of the present embodiment may include a configuration of spring contact pins. That is, it may include two contact pins (31, 35) and a spring (33) that provides physical elasticity to the contact (30).

[0069] In more detail, the contact (30) may include a pair of contact pins (31, 35) and a spring (33), and the spring (33) may be coupled between the pair of contact pins (31, 35) to provide elasticity to the contact (30).

[0070] The spring (33) may be a coil-shaped compression spring having a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the contact (30), and may be positioned between the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35) in the contact (30), so that when the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35) are compressed in the longitudinal direction, a restoring force may be provided to return each contact pin (31, 35) to a position before being compressed based on the spring (33).

[0071] In this embodiment, a pair of contact pins (31, 35) may be provided with the same shape and may be joined in an intersecting direction. It is also understood that they may be provided with different shapes and joined with a spring interposed between them.

[0072] Hereinafter, a pair of contact pins are referred to as a first contact pin (31) and a second contact pin (35). In this embodiment, a pair of contact pins (31, 35) are provided with the same shape, so the configuration of the contact pins is described based on the first contact pin (31).

[0073] The contact pin (31) may include a body portion (312), a head portion (311), and a leg portion (313).

[0074] The body part (312) has a space (S1) formed in the center of each of both sides with a constant width and length in the longitudinal direction, and a step-shaped catch (not shown) can be formed at the lower end of the space (S1), and the upper end of the space (S1) extends to the upper end of the head part (311). The catch (not shown) means a configuration in which the end of the leg part (353) of the second contact pin (35) catches when the second contact pin (35) is coupled in a direction intersecting the first contact pin (31).

[0075] The head portion (311) may be formed of a plate-shaped strip having the same length on the left and right sides relative to the center of the body portion (312) at the top of the body portion (312) and having an upper tip portion (3110) formed along the upper end, and the plate-shaped strip may include a first strip section (311a) and a second strip section (311b) having the same distance on the left and right sides from the center portion (3111) of the body portion (312).

[0076] That is, the head portion (311) may be formed into a cylindrical shape having a diameter (d3) as a whole by rolling the first strip section (311a) and the second strip section (311b) into a semicircular arc shape based on the center portion (3111), respectively. In addition, it is preferable that the width (W1) of the center portion (3111) forming the reference for each strip to be rolled correspond to the width of the space (S1). This is because if the width (W1) of the center portion (3111) is smaller or larger than the width of the space (S1), the defect rate in stamping the contact pin may increase.

[0077] Meanwhile, the head (311) may be provided in a cylindrical crown shape by the tip (3110). In this shape or configuration of the head (311), the ball portion of the BGA can be stably grounded to press the test socket, thereby improving the accuracy of the test.

[0078] Meanwhile, the leg portion (313) may be configured as a pair of legs that are formed to extend symmetrically from the body portion (312) on both sides, and a predetermined space (S2) is formed between the pair of leg portions so that the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35) can guide each of the leg portions when they are coupled in a direction in which they intersect each other.

[0079] In addition, when assembling the contact (30), in order to facilitate assembly in a direction in which the second contact pin (35) intersects the first contact pin (31), an inclined surface (3120) may be formed at the portion where a pair of leg portions (313) extend from the body portion (312).

[0080] In more detail, the bridge portion (313) may have a catch member formed at the end, and the catch member may include a corner portion (3131) that is positioned on the same plane as the tip portion (3110) and electrically contacts the terminals when the contact (30) is compressed in the pressing direction, a guide surface (3133) that extends from the corner portion (3131) and forms a predetermined incline so as to face each other, and an inflection point (3132) that forms a step from the guide surface (3133) toward the outside of the space (S2).

[0081] In this structure, the guide surface (3131) is in contact with the inclined surface (3120) and is combined when each contact pin is assembled, so that a pair of contact pins can be easily assembled, and the inflection point (3132) is caught on a catch (not shown) when each contact pin is assembled, so that a pair of contact pins can be prevented from being unintentionally separated after being combined.

[0082]

[0083] Fig. 9 is a drawing showing the manufacturing process of the hybrid test socket of Fig. 1.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 9 below, a manufacturing process of a hybrid test socket, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is described.

[0085] Referring to Fig. 9(a), the body of the test socket can have a hole (h1) formed in a hardened elastic insulator (13) by jig work or laser processing. The formed hole can have a diameter (d1) equal to or larger than the diameter (d3) of the head of the contact pin.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 9(c), after the contact (30) is inserted into the hole (h1), a film (51) on which the first member (50) is laminated is adhered to the upper portion of the first surface (11), so that the first member (50) can be provided between the inner surface of the hole on the first surface (11) side and the circumference of one end of the contact (30).

[0087] In more detail, the film (51) may be thermally compressed so that the first member (50) is well rolled between the inner surface of the hole on the first side (11) and the circumference of one end of the contact (30). The first member (50) thus thermally compressed may be provided between at least a portion of the circumference of the head portion (311) and the inner surface of the hole (h1). In addition, the tip portion (3111) may penetrate the first member (50) due to its shape when the first member (50) is compressed and be exposed to the outside.

[0088] In this state, the first member (50) is hardened, and the manufacturing process of a hybrid test socket, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, can be completed as shown in FIG. 9(d).

[0089]

[0090] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a hybrid test socket, which is another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a contact pin of FIG. 10.

[0091] The following FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate hybrid test sockets to which contacts of a different type are applied from those of FIGS. 1 to 9, and explain the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0092] The contact (70) applied to the hybrid test socket of the present embodiment is a contact pin (71) manufactured in the form of a plate by rolling, so that the contact pin (71) is formed in a shape similar to a coil-shaped compression spring, and the end can be formed in a crown shape by a plurality of tip portions (711).

[0093] In this shape or structure, the contact (70) of the present embodiment can have the role of a spring applied to a spring contact pin performed by a contact pin (71).

[0094] And as the plate is rolled and formed, a space may be formed inside the contact (50), and this space may be filled with an elastic member (73) including conductive particles. More specifically, the elastic member (73) may be formed by filling and curing silicone including metallic conductive particles between the contact pin (71) and the hole.

[0095] Meanwhile, the first member (50) may be provided between the end of the contact (50) including the tip (711) and the hole. For this structure, the first member (50) may be thermally compressed on the first surface (11) as described above.

[0096] However, since the contact (50) of the present embodiment is filled with an elastic member (73) containing conductive particles inside, it is necessary to align the conductive particles by magnetism in order to improve the electrical contact ability of the contact (50).

[0097] Accordingly, in order to simplify the process and to allow the first member (50) to be easily pushed into and positioned between the end portion and the hole of the contact (50), the conductive particles can be aligned by applying a magnetic force to the elastic member (73) simultaneously with the adhesion of the first member (50). That is, the process of thermally compressing the film and the process of applying a magnet to the conductive particles can be performed simultaneously.

[0098] While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the above-described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims set forth below but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A body having a hole formed through a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; A contact inserted into the hole, one end of which contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end of which contacts the pad of the test device, and has elasticity in the pressing direction; and A hybrid test socket comprising a first member bonded to one end of the contact.

2. In paragraph 1, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the first member is also provided between the inner surface of the first surface side hole and one end circumference of the contact.

3. In paragraph 2, The above body, a base forming the outer shape of the test socket; and An elastic insulator that is filled inside the base and then hardened to form elasticity; A hybrid test socket, characterized in that the hole is formed by penetrating the elastic insulator.

4. In paragraph 3, The above contact is, a pair of contact pins; and A hybrid test socket characterized by including a spring coupled between the pair of contact pins to provide elasticity.

5. In paragraph 4, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the above pair of contact pins are provided with the same shape and are joined in a direction intersecting each other.

6. In paragraph 5, The above contact pin is, A body portion forming a predetermined width and thickness; A head formed at one end of the body and in contact with the inspection object; and A hybrid test socket characterized by including a leg portion extending in a direction opposite to the head portion along the longitudinal direction of the body portion.

7. In paragraph 6, The above head part, A hybrid test socket characterized in that a plate-shaped strip formed integrally with the body part is rolled and formed.

8. In paragraph 7, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the head portion has a plurality of tip portions formed at the top.

9. In paragraph 8, A hybrid test socket, characterized in that the first member is provided between at least a portion of the circumferential surface of the head and the inner surface of the hole.

10. In paragraph 3, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the second surface has a step hole formed therein to form a step toward the first surface.

11. In paragraph 10, A hybrid test socket, characterized in that the step hole is formed with a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole.

12. In paragraph 2, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the first member is bonded to one end surface of the contact and is pushed into and hardened between the one end circumference of the contact and the hole.

13. In paragraph 3, The above contact is, contact pins; and A hybrid test socket characterized by comprising an elastic member including conductive particles filled between the contact pin and the hole.

14. In paragraph 13, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the above contact pins are formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip.

15. In paragraph 13, A hybrid test socket characterized in that the conductive particles are aligned by applying a magnetic force to the elastic member simultaneously with the adhesion of the first member.

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