Conductive powder and test connector comprising same

Abstract

A conductive powder according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a core particle, a first plating layer surrounding the core particle, a conductive wire on a surface of the first plating layer, and a second plating layer surrounding the first plating layer and covering at least a portion of the conductive wire.

Description

Conductive powder and inspection connector containing the same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a novel conductive powder and an inspection connector including the same.

[0002] In an inspection process to determine whether a device under test, such as a semiconductor device, is defective, a test connector is placed between the device under test and the test equipment. The test connector electrically connects the device under test to the test equipment, and an inspection method is known for determining whether the device under test is defective based on whether the device under test and the test equipment are energized.

[0003] If the terminals of the device under test are in direct contact with the terminals of the test equipment without a test connector, the terminals of the test equipment may wear or break during repeated testing, necessitating the replacement of the entire test equipment. Conventionally, the use of a test connector prevents the need to replace the entire test equipment. Specifically, when the test connector becomes worn or broken due to repeated contact with the terminals of the device under test, only the relevant test connector can be replaced.

[0004] At this time, if the inspection connector is repeatedly compressed during use, various problems arise. For example, connector deformation, wear, and detachment can occur. Furthermore, conductive powder particles have irregular particle formation, which can disrupt contact between particles when the connector is compressed, resulting in unstable resistance and poor electrical signal transmission.

[0005] The present invention relates to a conductive powder and an inspection connector including the same, which minimizes deformation, wear, and detachment even with repeated use, and provides a conductive powder and an inspection connector including the same, which have improved service life and conductivity by increasing the bonding force between conductive powders or between conductive powders and sheets.

[0006] A conductive powder according to one aspect of the present invention may include: a core particle; a first plating layer surrounding the core particle; a conductive wire on a surface of the first plating layer; and a second plating layer surrounding the first plating layer and covering at least a portion of the conductive wire.

[0007] A conductive powder according to one aspect of the present invention may include a core particle; a core alloy layer surrounding the core particle; a first plating layer surrounding the core alloy layer; and a second plating layer surrounding the first plating layer. The core alloy layer may include two or more metal materials. The core particle may include a metal material.

[0008] A test connector according to one aspect of the present invention may include a sheet of insulating material; and a conductive portion extending vertically within the sheet to enable vertical current conduction. The conductive portion may include any one of the conductive powders.

[0009] According to the present invention, the bonding strength between conductive powders and between the conductive powder and the sheet can be enhanced by applying a conductive wire or core alloy layer. Accordingly, deformation, wear, and detachment of the conductive powder that occur with repeated use of the inspection connector can be suppressed. Furthermore, by increasing the contact between the conductive powders, the conductivity of the conductive portion can be enhanced.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inspection connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram exemplarily showing the contact form of a conductive powder according to a comparative example.

[0013] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram exemplarily showing the contact form of the conductive powder of Fig. 2.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conductive wire according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view exemplarily showing a conductive wire and wire coating layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a core alloy layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 10 shows a scanning electron microscope photograph of a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 11 shows a scanning microscope photograph measuring the width of a conductive wire according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 12 shows a scanning electron microscope photograph of a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention after life evaluation of a connector for inspection.

[0022] FIG. 13 is a scanning electron microscope photograph showing a cross-section of a conductive wire and a wire coating layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 14a shows a microscope photograph of a connector for inspection according to a comparative example.

[0024] Figures 14b and 14c each show microscopic photographs of an inspection connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In describing the present invention, if it is judged that the detailed description of related known functions that are obvious to those skilled in the art and may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, will be omitted.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an inspection connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, the inspection connector (100) includes a sheet (110) made of an insulating material and a conductive portion (130) within the sheet (110). The conductive portion (130) may extend vertically within the sheet (110) and penetrate the sheet (110). In the present specification, directional terms such as “upward,” “downward,” and “upward and downward” are defined based on the reference drawings to explain so that the present disclosure can be clearly understood, and it is to be understood that the directions may be defined differently depending on where the reference is set. The conductive portion (130) may be supported by the sheet (110). The conductive portion (130) may extend vertically and enable current conduction in the vertical direction. A plurality of conductive portions (130) may be spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at substantially equal intervals.

[0028] The inspection connector (100) can be placed and used between the inspection device (10) and the test equipment (20). For example, the inspection device (10) can be placed above the inspection connector (100), and the test equipment (20) can be placed below the inspection connector (100).

[0029] For example, the device to be tested (10) may be a semiconductor device, etc. The device to be tested (10) includes a plurality of terminals (11). The plurality of terminals (11) are arranged on the lower surface of the device to be tested (10). When testing the device to be tested (10), the plurality of terminals (11) may come into contact with the upper surface of the test connector (100). The test equipment (20) includes a plurality of terminals (21). The plurality of terminals (21) correspond to the plurality of terminals (11). When testing the device to be tested (10), the plurality of terminals (21) may come into contact with the lower surface of the test connector (100).

[0030] The inspection connector (100) is configured to electrically connect the device to be inspected (10) and the test equipment (20) to each other. For example, the conductive part (130) of the inspection connector (100) is configured to electrically connect the terminal (11) of the device to be inspected (10) and the terminal (21) of the test equipment (20) to each other.

[0031] For example, the sheet (110) has a thickness in the vertical direction. The thickness (length in the thickness direction) of the sheet (110) is smaller than the length in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the sheet (110).

[0032] For example, the sheet (110) is formed of an electrically insulating material. The sheet (110) may be formed of an elastically deformable material.

[0033] For example, the sheet (110) may be formed of an elastic polymer material having insulating properties. The elastic polymer material may be a polymer material having a crosslinked structure. Examples of curable polymer material forming materials that can be used to obtain the crosslinked polymer material include, but are not limited to, conjugated diene rubbers such as polybutadiene rubber, natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber, and hydrogenated products thereof; block copolymer rubbers such as styrene-butadiene-diene block copolymer rubber, styrene-isoprene block copolymer, and hydrogenated products thereof; chloroprene, urethane rubber, polyester rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber, and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer rubber.

[0034] For example, the sheet (110) may include silicone rubber. Here, the silicone rubber may be liquid silicone rubber (LSR). In addition, the silicone rubber may be polysiloxane, and may be a condensation type, addition type, vinyl, or hydroxyl group-containing polysiloxane, such as, but not limited to, polydimethylsiloxane, polymethylphenylsiloxane, or polydiphenylsiloxane. The liquid silicone rubber usable in the present disclosure may include a liquid silicone rubber that can be used as an insulating material by a person skilled in the art within a range that does not deteriorate the performance of the inspection connector according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0035] For example, the upper and lower ends of the conductive portion (130) are each exposed to the surface of the sheet (110). The upper end of the conductive portion (130) is exposed on the upper surface of the sheet (110), and the lower end of the conductive portion (130) is exposed on the lower surface of the sheet (110). The sheet (110) is configured to surround the conductive portion (130) excluding the exposed portion. The upper end of the conductive portion (130) is configured to be in contact with the terminal (11) of the device under test (10), and the lower end of the conductive portion (130) is configured to be in contact with the terminal (21) of the test equipment (20).

[0036] The conductive portion (130) includes a plurality of conductive powders. The plurality of conductive powders are electrically connected to each other within the sheet (110), and the conductive portion (130) can electrically connect the test device (10) and the test equipment (20) to each other. Below, the conductive powder according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 2, the conductive powder (1) may include a core particle (2), a first plating layer (3) surrounding the core particle (2), and a second plating layer (4) surrounding the first plating layer (3).

[0039] The core particle (2) has conductivity. The current flowing through the conductive powder (1) can flow not only through the first plating layer (3) and the second plating layer (4), but also through the core particle (2). The core particle (2) has magnetism.

[0040] The core particle (2) may include a metal material, and may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and iron (Fe). For example, the core particle (2) may include only one material from the group. For example, the core particle (2) may be an alloy including two or more materials selected from the group.

[0041] For example, the shape of the core particle (2) may be qualitatively spherical, angular, tear drop, cubic, sponge, ancicular, cylindrical, irregular, ligamental, flake, fibrous, polygonal, dendritic, or aggregate. The size of the core particle is difficult to specify uniformly because it is small and the size of each individual particle is different, but it can be expressed as the diameter of a circle that contains all the particles inside (see literature [Randall M. German, Powder metallurgy science, Metal Powder Industry, 2nd edition, page 64 (March 1, 1994)]). For example, the size of the core particle may be inside a circle with a diameter of 5 μm to 65 μm. In this specification, when expressing a numerical range, expressions such as “A to B” are used to mean “A or more and B or less.”

[0042] The first plating layer (3) has conductivity. For example, the first plating layer (3) may have higher conductivity than the core particles (2). For example, the first plating layer (3) may include a metal material, and may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag) and copper (Cu).

[0043] The second plating layer (4) may be located on the surface of the conductive powder (1). The second plating layer (4) may suppress deformation or denaturation of the conductive powder (1) on the surface of the conductive powder (1). For example, the second plating layer (4) may suppress deformation or denaturation of the conductive powder (1) during the use of the inspection connector (100). The second plating layer (4) may include a material having low reactivity. For example, the second plating layer (4) may include a material having lower reactivity than the first plating layer (3). Since the second plating layer (4) has low reactivity, the second plating layer (4) may physically or chemically protect the conductive powder (1). For example, the second plating layer (4) may include gold (Au).

[0044] The conductive powder (1) may further include a conductive wire (5). The conductive wire (5) is disposed on the surface of the conductive powder (1), and may be disposed, for example, on the surface of the first plating layer (3).

[0045] The conductive wire (5) may include a conductive material. For example, the conductive wire (5) may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), or platinum (Pt).

[0046] The second plating layer (4) may cover the conductive wire (5). For example, the second plating layer (4) may cover at least a portion of the conductive wire (5). For example, another portion of the conductive wire (5) may not be covered by the second plating layer (4) and may be exposed to the outside.

[0047] The second plating layer (4) can protect the conductive wire (5) from the outside. For example, by covering the conductive wire (5) with the second plating layer (4), mechanical changes (e.g., detachment or wear) and chemical changes (e.g., oxidation) of the conductive wire (5) can be suppressed without a separate protective film.

[0048] The conductive wire (5) can increase the contact points between a plurality of conductive powders (1). As a result, the bonding force between the conductive powders (1) can be improved, and as a result, even if the inspection connector (100) is used repeatedly, the conductive powders (1) can be prevented from being separated from the conductive portion (130). In addition, through the increase in the contact points, the resistance between the conductive powders (1) can be reduced, and the conductivity of the conductive portion (130) can be improved. In this specification, the term "contact point" should be understood as a concept encompassing various contact forms, such as not only point-shaped contact but also line-shaped or surface-shaped contact.

[0049] The conductive wire (5) can increase the contact point between the conductive powder (1) and the sheet (110). As a result, the bonding force between the conductive powder (1) and the sheet (110) can be improved. As a result, even if the inspection connector (100) is used repeatedly, the conductive powder (1) can be prevented from being separated from the sheet (110).

[0050] The conductive powder (1) may have an amorphous shape. For example, the surface of the conductive powder (1) may be uneven and may have irregularities in a random shape and arrangement. For example, the surface of the second plating layer (4) of the conductive powder (1) may have irregularities including convex portions and concave portions. A relatively larger number of conductive wires (5) may be arranged in the concave portions of the irregularities compared to the convex portions. The conductive wires (5) may fill the concave portions of the irregularities. When the conductive powders (1) come into contact with each other, the conductive wires (5) filling the concave portions may increase the contact area between the conductive powders, and as a result, the bonding strength and conductivity between the conductive powders (1) may be improved.

[0051] For example, the surface of the conductive powder (1) may have irregularities due to the conductive wire (5). The irregularities due to the conductive wire (5) may be finer than the irregularities due to the second plating layer (4).

[0052] The conductive wire (5) may have a long, elongated shape. For example, the conductive wire (5) may have a shape that extends long in one direction, or a shape that extends in a meandering manner. For example, the conductive wire (5) may extend long with a width (W). For example, the width (W) of the conductive wire (5) may be 20 nm to 200 nm. If the width (W) of the conductive wire (5) is smaller than 20 nm, the bonding force between the conductive wires (5) or the bonding force between the conductive wire (5) and the sheet (110) may not be sufficiently secured. Accordingly, the conductive powder (1) may be easily detached from other conductive powders (1) or the sheet (110). If the width (W) of the conductive wire (5) is greater than 200 nm, the contact between the conductive wires (5) or the contact between the conductive wire (5) and the sheet (110) may be reduced, and the bonding strength or conductivity of the conductive wire (5) may be weakened.

[0053] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a conductive powder (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described.

[0054] A first plating process can be performed on the core particles (2) to form a first plating layer (3) surrounding the core particles (2). The core particles (2) on which the first plating layer (3) is formed and a wire-containing solution can be mixed by stirring for a predetermined period of time. The wire-containing solution is a solution containing a conductive wire (5). Thereafter, a drying process can be performed on the mixture. Through the drying process, the wire-containing solution can be dried, and the conductive wire (5) can be attached to the surface of the first plating layer (3). Thereafter, a second plating process can be performed on the first plating layer (3) and the conductive wire (5). Through the second plating process, a second plating layer (4) can be formed to cover the first plating layer (3) and the conductive wire (5). The second plating layer (4) can be formed to cover at least a portion of the conductive wire (5). Through this, detachment of the conductive wire (5) can be prevented, and the resistance in the second plating layer (4) can be stabilized.

[0055] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact form of a conventional conductive powder. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a contact form of the conductive powder of Fig. 2.

[0056] Referring to Fig. 3, the conventional conductive powder (1') may have an uneven surface. Due to the uneven surface, a plurality of conductive powders (1') may contact each other at multiple points and be electrically connected to each other through the contact points. For example, the second plating layers of the plurality of conductive powders (1') may contact each other and be electrically connected to each other.

[0057] Referring to Fig. 4, a plurality of conductive powders (1) can be in contact with each other at a plurality of points through conductive wires (5) on the surface, and can be electrically connected to each other through this contact. At this time, since a plurality of thin conductive wires (5) are provided, the number of contact points between the plurality of conductive powders (1) can be greater than that of the conventional conductive powder (1'). For example, not only do the second plating layers (4) of the plurality of conductive powders (1) come into contact with each other, but also more contact points are introduced due to the conductive wires (5) (i.e., the plurality of conductive wires (5) come into more contact with each other, or the conductive wires (5) and the second plating layer (4) come into more contact with each other), so that the number of contact points can be greater than that of the conventional conductive powder. As a result, the bonding strength and conductivity between the conductive powders (1) of the present invention can be improved compared to the conventional conductive powder.

[0058] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view exemplarily showing a conductive wire according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view exemplarily showing a conductive wire and a wire coating layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, the cross-section of the conductive wire (5) may have various shapes. For example, the cross-section of the conductive wire (5) may be circular, angular, regular, or irregular, but is not limited thereto.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 6, the conductive powder (1) may further include a wire coating layer (5a) surrounding the conductive wire (5). For example, a plurality of wire coating layers (5a) may each surround a plurality of conductive wires (5). For example, although not shown, one wire coating layer (5a) may surround two or more conductive wires (5).

[0061] The wire coating layer (5a) may surround the conductive wire (5) with a uniform or non-uniform thickness. For example, the wire coating layer (5a) may include one or more materials selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), or gold (Au).

[0062] By surrounding the conductive wire (5) with the wire coating layer (5a), the width of the conductive wire (5) can be substantially increased. Accordingly, the bonding strength or conductivity of the conductive powder (1) can be improved. In addition, the wire coating layer (5a) can prevent the conductive wire (5) from being damaged (e.g., detachment, wear, oxidation, etc.) by external impacts.

[0063] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Referring to Fig. 7, the conductive powder (1) may include a core alloy layer (6). The core alloy layer (6) may surround the core particle between the core particle (2) and the first plating layer (3). The first plating layer (3) may surround the core alloy layer (6).

[0065] The core alloy layer (6) may include a highly magnetic material and may be an alloy including two or more materials. For example, the core alloy layer (6) may include two or more metal materials selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and iron (Fe).

[0066] The magnetism of the core alloy layer (6) may be stronger than the magnetism of the core particles (2). Therefore, the conductive powder (1) including the core alloy layer (6) may have a strong bonding force with respect to other conductive powders (1). In other words, a plurality of conductive powders (1) including the core alloy layer (6) may be strongly adhered to each other when a magnetic field is applied to form the conductive portion (130) of the inspection connector (100). Accordingly, even if the inspection connector (100) is repeatedly used, detachment of the conductive powders (1) may be suppressed due to the strong bonding force. In addition, since the plurality of conductive powders (1) are adhered to each other within the conductive portion (130), the number of conductive powders (1) and the number of contact points may increase within the same volume, and as a result, the conductivity of the conductive portion (130) may be improved.

[0067] For example, the core alloy layer (6) may include material X and material Y. Material X may have better corrosion resistance than material Y. Material Y may have stronger magnetism than material X. Accordingly, the core alloy layer (6) may have strong magnetism due to material Y, while being resistant to corrosion overall due to material X.

[0068] For example, the core particle (2) may be made of Ni, and the core alloy layer (6) may be made of a Ni-Fe alloy. Generally, the magnetism of Fe is stronger than that of Ni, while the corrosion resistance of Ni is stronger than that of Fe. Accordingly, the core alloy layer (6) may have stronger magnetism than the core particle (2) made of Ni due to Fe. In addition, Ni of the core alloy layer (6) may improve the corrosion resistance of the core alloy layer (6) compared to Fe, and may prevent a decrease in conductivity due to corrosion.

[0069] The core alloy layer (6) may surround the core particles (2) with a uniform or non-uniform thickness. For example, the thickness of the core alloy layer (6) may be 1 μm to 5 μm. When the thickness of the core alloy layer (6) is less than 1 μm, the effect of increasing the magnetism of the conductive powder (1) may be minimal. When the thickness of the core alloy layer (6) is greater than 5 μm, bridging failure may occur between neighboring conductive parts (130) due to strong magnetism. For example, when a core alloy layer (6) made of a Ni-Fe alloy is formed on a core particle (2) made of Ni with the above thickness, the magnetism may be improved by 10% to 50% compared to a case where only the core particle (2) made of Ni is provided.

[0070] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a core alloy layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] Referring to Fig. 8, the core alloy layer (6) may be formed of multiple layers. Among the multiple layers, the layer closest to the core particle (2) may be defined as the first alloy layer (6a), and the layer closest to the first plating layer (3) may be defined as the second alloy layer (6b). For example, the core alloy layer (6) may be formed of the first alloy layer (6a) and the second alloy layer (6b), or may further include an alloy layer (not shown) between the first alloy layer (6a) and the second alloy layer (6b).

[0072] The first alloy layer (6a) and the second alloy layer (6b) may have different material compositions. For example, when the core alloy layer (6) includes a Ni-Fe alloy, the Fe content of the second alloy layer (6b) may be greater than the Fe content of the first alloy layer (6a). For example, the Fe content of the second alloy layer (6b) may be 30% to 50%, and the Fe content of the first alloy layer (6a) may be 15% to 20%.

[0073] However, although not shown, the core alloy layer (6) may be formed as a single layer. Even if the core alloy layer (6) is formed as a single layer, the material composition within the core alloy layer (6) may change as it moves from a region close to the core particles (2) to a region close to the first plating layer (3). For example, when the core alloy layer (6) includes an alloy of Ni and Fe, the Fe content within the core alloy layer (6) may increase as it moves from a region close to the core particles (2) to a region close to the first plating layer (3). For example, when the core alloy layer (6) includes a Ni-Fe alloy, the Fe content of the core alloy layer (6) in a region close to the first plating layer (3) may be greater than the Fe content of the core alloy layer (6) in a region close to the core particles (2). For example, the Fe content of the core alloy layer (6) may be 30% to 50% in an area close to the first plating layer (3) and 15% to 20% in an area close to the core particles (2).

[0074] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Referring to Fig. 9, the conductive powder (1) may include both a conductive wire (5) and a core alloy layer (6). By including both a conductive wire (5) and a core alloy layer (6), the bonding strength and conductivity of the conductive powder (1) may be improved.

[0076] Figure 10 shows a scanning electron microscope photograph of a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Referring to Fig. 10, as described above, a conductive wire is provided. A plurality of conductive powders are in contact with each other at multiple points via the conductive wire. Accordingly, the bonding strength and conductivity between the conductive powders can be enhanced.

[0078] FIG. 11 shows a scanning microscope photograph measuring the width of a conductive wire according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Referring to Fig. 11, the width of the conductive wire is measured to be 128.48 nm. As described above, the width of the conductive wire may be 20 nm to 200 nm. By having the conductive wire have a width within the above numerical range, detachment of the conductive powder is prevented and conductivity is improved.

[0080] FIG. 12 shows a scanning electron microscope photograph of a conductive powder according to one embodiment of the present invention after life evaluation of a connector for inspection.

[0081] Referring to Fig. 12, it is confirmed that even after the life evaluation of the inspection connector, the conductive powder is not detached and is located within the sheet.

[0082] FIG. 13 is a scanning electron microscope photograph showing a cross-section of a conductive wire and a wire coating layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Referring to Fig. 13, a wire coating layer (5a) surrounds a conductive wire (5). The wire coating layer (5a) can surround the outer surface of the conductive wire (5) with a relatively thin thickness. Accordingly, the outer surface of the wire coating layer (5a) can have a shape similar to the shape of the outer surface of the conductive wire (5). As illustrated in Fig. 13, a plurality of wire coating layers (5a) can each surround a plurality of conductive wires (5). Although not illustrated, one wire coating layer (5a) can surround two or more conductive wires (5).

[0084] Fig. 14a shows a microscopic image of a connector for inspection according to a comparative example. Figs. 14b and 14c each show microscopic images of a connector for inspection according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] The comparative example of Fig. 14a and the embodiment of Fig. 14b are inspection connectors in which the same mass of conductive powder is injected per conductive portion (130). The conductive powder of Fig. 14a does not include a core alloy layer, and the conductive powder of Fig. 14b includes a core alloy layer. In Fig. 14a, the width of the conductive portion (130) was measured at the measuring portion (M) of each of the three conductive portions (130), and at this time, the average width of the three conductive portions (130) of Fig. 14a was 150 μm. Also in Fig. 14b, the width of the conductive portion (130) was measured at the measuring portion (M) of each of the three conductive portions (130), and the average width was 130 μm. That is, even if the same mass of conductive powder is injected, the conductive powder including the core alloy layer is arranged to be closer to each other due to strong magnetism. Accordingly, when the conductive powder includes a core alloy layer, the width of the conductive portion (130) is reduced, and bridge defects can be suppressed.

[0086] In the embodiment of Fig. 14c, conductive powder including a core alloy layer was introduced, but a greater mass of conductive powder was introduced per conductive portion (130) compared to the embodiment of Fig. 14b. Accordingly, although the average width of three conductive portions (130) in Fig. 14c was measured to be 190 μm, which is larger than that in Fig. 14b, no bridging defect occurred in the inspection connector of Fig. 14c. In other words, due to the strong magnetism of the core alloy layer, the conductive powders can adhere well to each other, and accordingly, even though the conductive portion (130) has a large width, bridging defects in the inspection connector can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the embodiment of Fig. 14c, a conductive portion (130) having a large width can be formed without concern for the occurrence of a bridging defect, and as a result, the conductivity of the conductive portion (130) can be improved.

[0087] It was confirmed that the life characteristics of the inspection connector were the best when the width of the conductive wire was 20 nm to 200 nm. Such a life evaluation can be performed on an inspection connector to which a conductive wire made of Ag was applied. The inventors prepared several inspection connector samples with a conductive part pitch of 0.3 mm and performed a life evaluation by repeatedly applying a load. As a result of the life evaluation, it was observed that when the width of the conductive wire was less than 20 nm, the conductive wire or conductive powder tended to easily detach from the sheet. It is thought that this is because the small width of the conductive wire did not sufficiently secure the bonding force between the conductive wires or between the conductive wire and the sheet, and the conductive powder could easily detach from other conductive powders or the sheet. Even when the width of the conductive wire was greater than 200 nm, the life evaluation results were not good. When the width of the conductive wire is larger than 200 nm, the contact between the conductive wires or between the conductive wire and the sheet may decrease, and the bonding strength and conductivity of the conductive wire also appear to be weakened. In addition, it was confirmed that the current characteristics of the inspection connector were the best when the thickness of the core alloy layer was 1 μm to 5 μm. Such current characteristic evaluation can be performed on an inspection connector to which a core alloy layer made of a Ni-Fe alloy was applied. The inventors prepared several inspection connector samples with a conductive part pitch of 0.3 mm and performed the current characteristic evaluation by applying a current to the conductive parts. As a result of the current characteristic evaluation, it was observed that the current characteristic tended to be measured relatively low when the thickness of the core alloy layer was less than 1 μm. This is thought to be because the magnetic properties of the conductive powder are weak, so the bonding strength between the conductive powders is relatively low, preventing the conductive powders from adhering to each other, and reducing the amount of conductive powder that can be injected within the same cross-sectional area.When the thickness of the core alloy layer is greater than 5 μm, it was confirmed that bridging failure occurred between neighboring conductive parts due to strong magnetism, making it difficult to operate as an inspection connector.

[0088] While the present invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments herein, it should be understood that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as understood by those skilled in the art. Furthermore, such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the claims appended to this specification.

Claims

1. Core particle; A first plating layer surrounding the core particle; a conductive wire on the surface of the first plating layer; and A conductive powder comprising a second plating layer surrounding the first plating layer and covering at least a portion of the conductive wire.

2. In paragraph 1, A conductive powder having a width of the conductive wire of 20 nm to 200 nm.

3. In paragraph 1, The conductive powder is a conductive wire comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Ni, Au, or Pt.

4. In paragraph 1, Another part of the conductive wire is exposed to the outside, conductive powder.

5. In paragraph 1, The above conductive wires are provided in multiples, A conductive powder further comprising a wire coating layer surrounding each of the plurality of conductive wires.

6. In paragraph 5, The wire coating layer is a conductive powder comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, or Au.

7. In paragraph 1, A conductive powder further comprising a core alloy layer surrounding the core particle between the core particle and the first plating layer.

8. In paragraph 7, A conductive powder wherein the core alloy layer comprises two or more metal materials selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, or Fe.

9. In paragraph 7, A conductive powder in which the magnetism of the core alloy layer is stronger than the magnetism of the core particles.

10. In paragraph 7, A conductive powder having a thickness of the core alloy layer of 1 μm to 5 μm.

11. Core particle; A core alloy layer surrounding the core particle; A first plating layer surrounding the core alloy layer; and Including a second plating layer surrounding the first plating layer, The core alloy layer comprises two or more metal materials, The above core particles are conductive powders containing a metal material.

12. In paragraph 11, A conductive powder wherein the core alloy layer comprises two or more metal materials selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, or Fe.

13. In paragraph 11, A conductive powder in which the magnetism of the core alloy layer is stronger than the magnetism of the core particles.

14. In paragraph 11, A conductive powder having a thickness of the core alloy layer of 1 μm to 5 μm.

15. As a connector for inspection, Sheet of insulating material; and It includes a conductive part that extends vertically within the sheet and enables current to flow vertically, A connector for inspection, wherein the conductive part comprises a conductive powder according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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