Inter-contact product

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an inter-contact product, wherein when manufacturing the inter-contact product, the deformation of a substrate due to temperature change can be absorbed, thereby preventing damage such as cracks that may occur due to thermal stress. [Solution] In order to solve the problem, an inter-contact product according to the present invention comprises a contact and a tab of a plate-shaped substrate having a connecting portion that connects to one end of the contact, wherein the tab has a buffer portion for absorbing deformation of the plate-shaped substrate by separating portions of the plate-shaped substrate from each other.

Description

Contact intermediate products

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact intermediate product, and is applicable to a contact intermediate product having a probe to be attached to a probe card or the like.

[0002] There is a contactor intermediate product in which a tab and a contactor connected to the tab are integrally formed on a substrate using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology. When the contactor is set on a probe card or the like, the contactor is peeled off from the substrate and attached to the probe card or the like.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a probe attachment in which a vertical probe and a tab are integrally formed on a substrate. The vertical probe is peeled off from the substrate by manually or mechanically using a dedicated gripping device to pull the vertical probe away from the substrate.

[0004] JP 2014-16205 A

[0005] One of the manufacturing processes for semi-finished contacts is a heat treatment process in which the contacts are heated or cooled. Temperature changes in this heat treatment process cause the base material of the semi-finished contacts to expand or contract, resulting in distortion, which in turn generates stress. At this time, damage such as cracks may occur near the connection between the contact and the tab due to the influence of the stress.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a contact intermediate product that can absorb the deformation of the base material due to temperature changes and avoid damage such as cracks that may occur due to thermal stress.

[0007] In order to solve such problems, the contact intermediate product of the present invention comprises a contact and a tab of a plate-like base material having a connecting portion that connects to one end of the contact, and the tab is characterized in that it has a buffer portion that separates parts of the plate-like base material from each other and absorbs deformation of the plate-like base material.

[0008] According to the present invention, the deformation of the substrate due to temperature changes can be absorbed, and damage such as cracks that may occur due to thermal stress can be avoided.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to an embodiment; and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to an embodiment.

[0010] (A) Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the contact intermediate product according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (A-1) Configuration of the Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a contact intermediate product according to the embodiment.

[0012] In FIG. 1, a contact intermediate product 1 according to the embodiment has a contact 11, a tab 12, and a fixing tab 13.

[0013] For example, the contact intermediate product 1 can be manufactured by integrally forming the contact 11, tab 12, and fixing tab 13 on a substrate using semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing technology or MEMS technology such as deep etching. Note that a plurality of contact intermediate products 1 may be formed on the substrate.

[0014] The contactor 11 is a contactor that is brought into contact with an electrode terminal of a semiconductor device (test subject) such as a semiconductor integrated circuit during electrical testing of the test subject. For example, a vertical probe that extends linearly can be used as the contactor 11. However, the contactor 11 is not limited to the vertical probe.

[0015] For example, the contactor 11 is attached to an electrical connection device connectable to a semiconductor inspection device, such as a probe card or an inspection socket. During electrical inspection of the device under test, the electrical connection device brings the electrode terminals of the device under test into contact with the contactor 11, and the electrical connection device enables electrical signals to be exchanged between the semiconductor inspection device and the device under test via the contactor 11.

[0016] The fixed tab 13 is a part fixed on the substrate. The fixed tab 13 has a connecting portion 5 that is releasably connected to the tab 12. When the tab 12 and the contact 11 are to be separated from each other while still connected, the fixed tab 13 serves as a fixed end, and the tab 12 and the contact 11 are separated from each other by, for example, moving the tab 12 and the contact 11 relatively on the plane of the substrate. By cutting the connecting portion 5 in this way, the tab 12 and the contact 11 can be separated from the substrate while still connected to each other.

[0017] In this embodiment, the fixing tab 13 has a substantially cylindrical shape, but the fixing tab 13 may have a substantially prismatic shape. Also, in this embodiment, the shape of the tab 12 is L-shaped in a plan view, but is not limited to an L-shape as long as the fixing tab 12 and the tab 12 do not interfere with each other when the tab 12 is peeled off from the fixing tab 13 at the connecting portion 5.

[0018] The tab 12 is a plate-like member having a connecting portion 4 that is releasably connected to the contact 11 and a connecting portion 5 that is releasably connected to the fixing tab 13 as well.

[0019] For example, when peeling the contact 11 from the substrate, the connecting portion 5 is cut using the fixed tab 13 as the fixed end, and the tab 12 connected to the contact 11 is separated from the substrate. Next, when the contact 11 is to be used, the connecting portion 4 is cut, and the contact 11 is peeled from the tab 12, and the tab 12 and the contact 11 are separated.

[0020] The connecting portion 4 is a portion that connects the contact 11 and the tab 12. The connecting portion 4 may be a one-point connection that connects the contact 11 and the tab 12 at one point, or a two-point connection that connects them at two points. Of course, it may also be a connection at three or more points.

[0021] The connecting portion 5 is a portion that connects the tab 12 and the fixing tab 13. The connecting portion 5 also connects the tab 12 and the fixing tab 13 at one point, but is not limited to this, and may be connected at two points or at three or more points.

[0022] In this embodiment, the tab 12 is an L-shaped plate-like member having a main body and a tongue portion in a plan view. In other words, the tab 12 is a substantially rectangular member in a plan view, and has a substantially rectangular cutout portion including one corner to accommodate the fixing tab 13. The shape of the tab 12 is not limited to this. For example, the cutout portion is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape, and may be substantially fan-shaped, substantially triangular, or the like, as long as the fixing tab 13 can be disposed therein, or the cutout portion may be absent.

[0023] The tab 12 has a buffer portion 3 that absorbs the deformation of the base material that expands and contracts due to temperature changes during the heat treatment process.

[0024] One of the manufacturing processes for the contact intermediate product 1 is a heat treatment process. Conventionally, contact intermediate products are formed on a substrate using MEMS technology, and heat treatment is sometimes performed while the contact 11 and fixing tab 13 are fixed on the substrate. In this case, thermal stress due to temperature changes acts, and cracks and the like can occur in the contact intermediate product, and cracks are particularly likely to occur in areas with weak strength, such as near the connecting portion 4 between the contact and the tab. Therefore, in this embodiment, the tab 12 is designed to separate parts of the base material from each other, providing a buffer portion 3 that absorbs deformation of the base material.

[0025] In this way, the buffer portion 3 absorbs the amount of deformation due to expansion and contraction of the base material, thereby dissipating stress that occurs throughout the entire contact intermediate product 1. In particular, stress that occurs in the connecting portion 4 between the contact 11 and the tab 12, which is a weak portion, can be dispersed, preventing cracks from occurring near the connecting portion 4.

[0026] The buffer section 3 can be widely applied as long as it has a structure that can absorb deformation of the base material and release stress. For example, the buffer section 3 can be a cutout section formed by cutting a notch in the plate-shaped tab 12. The shape of the buffer section 3 as a cutout section can be various shapes. The shape of the buffer section 3 will be described later with reference to the drawings. The slit width of the cutout section is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that the width be such that the tabs 12 do not interfere with each other after cutting.

[0027] Here, an example of the structure of the buffer section 3 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] 1 , the buffer section 3 is a substantially T-shaped notch. If the rectangular tab 12 has a first end 121, a second end 122, a third end 123, and a fourth end 124, the buffer section 3 has a first slit 31 extending near the center of the tab 12 in a direction from the second end 122 toward the fourth end 124 (X-axis direction), and a second slit 32 extending in a vertical direction toward the first end 121 and the third end 123 (Y-axis direction).

[0029] In other words, on the substrate of the plate-shaped contact intermediate product 1, the first slit portion 31 extends in an axial direction (also referred to as the "first direction") perpendicular to the axial direction of the contact 11, and the second slit portion 32 extends in the same axial direction (also referred to as the "second direction") as the axial direction in which the contact 11 extends. In this example, the first slit portion 31 extends in an axial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the contact 11, but this is not limited to this, and the first slit portion 31 may intersect with the axial direction of the contact 11 at a predetermined angle that is not perpendicular. In addition, although the first slit portion 31 and the second slit portion 32 are perpendicular to each other, they may intersect at an angle other than a right angle.

[0030] Further, the second slit portion 32 branches in two directions from the intersection with the first slit portion 31, and has a first branch portion 321 extending in a first direction from the intersection toward the first end portion 121, and a second branch portion 322 extending in a second direction toward the third end portion 123. In other words, the first branch portion 321 extends in a direction toward the first end portion 121 on the Y axis, and the second branch portion 322 extends in a direction toward the third end portion 123 on the Y axis.

[0031] When the heat treatment process was carried out using the intermediate contact product 1 of FIG. 1, deformation of the tab 12 was kept to a minimum, and damage such as cracks was avoided.

[0032] 1, the length of the first branch portion 321 is longer than the length of the second branch portion 322, and the end of the first branch portion 321 extends close to the contact 11. The relationship between the lengths of the first branch portion 321 and the second branch portion 322 is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that the length of the first branch portion 321 be approximately twice as long as that of the second branch portion. The lengths of the first branch portion 321 and the second branch portion 322 may also be approximately the same.

[0033] In the example of Fig. 2, the buffer section 3A is a roughly T-shaped cutout portion, and although it is symmetrical (line symmetrical) to the structure of the buffer section 3 in Fig. 1, it basically has the same structure. That is, the buffer section 3A has a slit section 31A that extends near the center of the tab 12 in the width direction (X-axis direction) from the fourth end 124 toward the second end 122, and a slit section 32A that extends in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) toward the first end 121 side and the third end 123 side.

[0034] In the contact intermediate product 1A shown in FIG. 2, the buffer portion 3 can absorb the amount of deformation caused by expansion and contraction due to temperature changes during the heat treatment process, so that deformation of the tab 12 can be kept small, and damage such as cracks can be avoided.

[0035] In the example of Fig. 3(A), the buffer section 3B has a slit section 31B that extends near the center of the tab 12 in the direction (X-axis direction) from the second end 122 to the fourth end 124. The buffer section 3C of Fig. 3(B) has basically the same structure, and has a slit section 31C that extends near the center of the tab 12 in the width direction (X-axis direction) from the fourth end 124 to the second end 122.

[0036] 3A illustrates the case where the slit portion 31B is provided near the center of the tab 12, but the slit portion 31B may be provided at a position closer to the connecting portion 4. In other words, the slit portion 31B is not limited to being located near the center of the tab 12. The same applies to the case of FIG. 3B.

[0037] 4 , the buffer section 3D has a generally S-shaped slit section extending from near the connecting section 4 of the first end 121 of the tab 12 toward the third end 123. For example, the buffer section 3D has a slit section 31D extending in the Y-axis direction from the first end 121, a slit section 32D extending in the X-axis direction continuous with the slit section 31D, and a slit section 33D extending in the Y-axis direction continuous with the slit section 33D.

[0038] The shape of the buffer section 3D is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4, and for example, the lengths of the three slit sections 31D, 32D, and 33D may be different or the same.

[0039] Furthermore, it is sufficient if a buffer section 3D is provided near the connecting section 4 with the contact 11 and can absorb the amount of deformation occurring near the connecting section 4 and release stress. For example, the buffer section 3D is bent twice to form an S-shape, but it is not limited to an S-shape, and may be bent once, or three or more times.

[0040] In the examples of Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the buffering sections 3E and 3F have a structure that is elastic in the Y-axis direction. In this example, the buffering sections 3E and 3F each have a structure that is folded multiple times like an accordion. The structure shown in Figure 5(A) and the structure shown in Figure 5(B) are basically the same structure, although the folding directions are different. In other words, the buffering sections 3E and 3F have a spring-like structure.

[0041] For example, each of the buffer sections 3E and 3F has a connecting section 4 with the contact 11 on the first end 121 side of the tab 12, and a connecting section 5 with the fixed tab 13 on the third end 123 side of the tab 12. Then, from the first end 121 to the third end 123, a base material of a predetermined width W is bent in an accordion-like shape multiple times (for example, six times).

[0042] The number of times the substrate is bent can be designed depending on the amount of deformation caused by expansion and contraction of the substrate. Although the width W of the substrate is uniformly the same in the illustrated example, it may be different depending on the bending position.

[0043] The structure of the buffer section 3 is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 1 to 5. For example, the slit section of the buffer section 3 may be curved. It may be a curve with one inflection point, an S-shaped curve with two inflection points, or a curve with three or more inflection points.

[0044] When the buffer section 3 has a plurality of slit sections, one of the plurality of slit sections may be linear in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, and another slit section may be curved. In other words, a mixture of linear and curved slit sections may be used.

[0045] (A-2) Effects of the embodiment As described above, according to this embodiment, the intermediate contact product is provided with a buffer section, which can absorb the amount of deformation of the base material due to thermal stress, thereby avoiding damage such as cracks that may occur near the connection with the contact.

[0046] (B) Other Embodiments Although various modified embodiments have been mentioned in the above-described embodiment, the following modified embodiments can also be applied to the present invention.

[0047] (B-1) In the above-described embodiment, the contact 11 and the fixing tab 13 are positioned on different axes, but the contact intermediate product according to the present invention may be one in which the contact 11 and the fixing tab 13 are positioned on the same axis. In other words, the central axis of the contact 11 and the axis parallel to the Y axis passing through the center of gravity (center) of the fixing tab 13 may be the same axis.

[0048] (B-2) In the above embodiment, the fixing tab 13 is cylindrical (circular in plan view) but the fixing tab 13 may also be prismatic (square or rectangular in plan view).

[0049] (B-3) In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a contact intermediate product having a fixing tab is exemplified, but the present invention can also be applied to a contact intermediate product that does not have a fixing tab as long as it is provided with a buffer portion.

[0050] (B-4) In the above-described embodiment, a structure in which the buffer portion as a cutout portion is cut out in a first direction (a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the contact 11) and a second direction (a direction perpendicular to the first direction) has been exemplified, but a structure in which the buffer portion is cut out in an oblique direction may also be used.

[0051] 1 and 2 illustrate a substantially T-shaped buffer section 3, but an L-shaped buffer section may also be used. That is, a buffer section having a slit section formed in a first direction and a slit section formed in a second direction continuous with the slit section may be formed in an L shape.

[0052] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F...contact intermediate product, 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F...buffer portion, 4...connecting portion, 5...connecting portion, 11...contact, 12...tab, 13...fixing tab, 31...first slit portion, 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D...slit portion, 32...second slit portion, 32A, 32B, 32D, 32D...slit portion, 33D...slit portion, 121...first end portion, 122...second end portion, 123...third end portion, 124...fourth end portion, 321...first branch portion, 322...second branch portion.

Claims

1. A contact intermediate product comprising: a contact; and a tab made of a plate-like base material having a connecting portion that connects to one end of the contact; wherein the tab has a buffer portion that separates parts of the plate-like base material from each other and absorbs deformation of the plate-like base material.

2. The intermediate contact product according to claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is formed by cutting out a plate-like substrate, and the buffer portion has a first cutout portion formed in the tab in a first direction intersecting the central axis of the contact.

3. The intermediate contact product according to claim 2, characterized in that the buffer portion has a second notch portion formed in the tab, continuous with the first notch portion, in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

4. The intermediate contact product according to claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is formed by cutting out a notch in a plate-like substrate, and has a curved notch.

5. The intermediate contact product according to claim 1, wherein the buffer portion is provided near the connecting portion.

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