Test socket

Abstract

A test socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: a socket body including an elastic insulator; and spring contacts that are inserted into holes formed in the socket body and have an elastic force in a press direction. The spring contacts each includes a shoulder forming a width greater than the diameter of the hole. The shoulders are in contact with the elastic insulator.

Description

test socket

[0001] The present invention relates to a test socket for electrically connecting a plurality of leads provided in a semiconductor device to a pad of a printed circuit board (PCB) for testing a semiconductor device (IC), or for electrically connecting IC leads, such as a central processing unit (CPU), to a PCB located inside an electronic product such as a computer or mobile phone.

[0002] Generally, BGA (ball grid array) or LGA (land grid array) type semiconductor ICs are ultimately subjected to characteristic measurement or defect inspection through various electrical tests by a test device. At this time, a test socket is used to electrically connect the circuit pattern of a test printed circuit board installed in the test device with the contact balls or lands of the BGA or LGA type semiconductor IC.

[0003] The contacts used in test sockets must apply sufficient pressure to ensure reliable contact with the IC leads (terminals); therefore, the contacts must possess sufficient elastic contact force within an appropriate range, and various types of contacts are available to satisfy these conditions.

[0004] Meanwhile, multiple spring contacts are installed in the housing of the test socket according to a predetermined rule. 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 the performance requirements of customers.

[0005] For example, when manufacturing a conventional pogo pin type spring contact with an extended length to meet customer requirements, the length of the contact pin constituting the spring contact must be increased. At the same time, when designing the test socket, the depth of the pin hole into which the spring contact is inserted must be machined to accommodate the width of the tip of the contact pin, taking into account the length of the contact pin.

[0006] As spring contact pins are becoming increasingly miniaturized to facilitate faster data processing and reduce power consumption, it is difficult to machine long pin holes with a diameter that accommodates the width of the contact pin tip. Furthermore, 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 machining costs are high and it is difficult to guarantee quality.

[0007] In other words, conventional spring contacts are currently unable to meet the requirements of customers demanding spring contacts of various lengths.

[0008] Meanwhile, another conventional technology includes a rubber-type socket, which is composed of an insulating body made of solidified insulating silicone that has elasticity, and a conductive silicone part formed by penetrating the insulating body vertically to correspond to a terminal of a device.

[0009] In this type of rubber socket, a silicone mixture in which insulating silicone and conductive powder are mixed in a predetermined ratio is placed into a mold, and when a strong magnetic field is applied at the location where the conductive silicone part is to be formed, the conductive powder of the silicone mixture gathers at the magnetic field application location and finally solidifies the molten silicone mixture, thereby forming a certain arrangement of conductive silicone parts on the insulating body.

[0010] These rubber-type sockets have the disadvantage of a slower elastic response speed compared to pin-type contacts (spring contacts), and a significantly reduced service life due to the loss of elasticity during repetitive testing. Consequently, they have a short usage cycle and result in increased costs due to frequent replacements. Furthermore, due to the characteristic of elasticity persistence decreasing over time, the elastic rebound force drops to zero or becomes significantly low during continuous compression tests for extended periods (more than one week), causing a short circuit; thus, they are difficult to use for long-term testing.

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

[0012] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a test socket that combines the advantages of a pogo pin type and a rubber type to solve the aforementioned 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. Additionally, the 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 objectives of the present invention is to provide a test socket capable of minimizing the effects of temperature changes (high temperature stability).

[0015] One of the various objectives of the present invention is to provide a test socket equipped with various types of contact pins to meet the performance requirements of customers.

[0016] Various embodiments for solving the problem of the present invention may provide a test socket characterized by comprising a base having a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by being filled and cured inside the base, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and a spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, wherein the spring contact includes a shoulder having a width that is greater than the diameter of the hole, and the shoulder is in contact with the elastic insulator.

[0017] The width of the shoulder may be characterized as forming the maximum width of the spring contact.

[0018] The width of the shoulder may be characterized as being greater than the length of the inner diameter of the spring and smaller than the length of the outer diameter of the spring.

[0019] The diameter of the hole formed in the first surface, the second surface, and the elastic insulator may be the same.

[0020] The diameters of the two selected holes among the diameter of the hole formed on the first surface, the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface, and the diameter of the hole formed in the elastic insulator may be different from each other.

[0021] It may be characterized by further including a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface above to fix the end position of the spring contact.

[0022] Various embodiments of the present invention may provide a test socket comprising a base having a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by filling the interior of the base and curing therein to form elastic force, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and a spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, wherein the spring contact comprises a shoulder having a width of length greater than the diameter of at least one of the diameters of the holes formed in the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and the shoulder is in contact with the elastic insulator.

[0023] The diameter of the hole formed on the first surface may be larger than the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface and the elastic insulator.

[0024] The diameter length of the hole formed on the first surface may be characterized as being larger than the width length of the shoulder.

[0025] The diameter length of the hole formed in the second surface and the elastic insulator may be smaller than the width length of the shoulder.

[0026] It may be characterized by further including a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface above to fix the end position of the spring contact.

[0027] The space between the inner surface of the hole formed on the first surface and the end of the spring contact may be characterized by having the elastic insulator.

[0028] It may further include a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed in the elastic insulator and fixing the end position of the spring contact.

[0029] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by being filled and cured inside the base to form elastic force, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and a spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, wherein the spring contact comprises a spring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole, and the spring presses the inner surface of the hole formed in the elastic insulator.

[0030] The diameter of the above spring may be characterized as forming the maximum diameter of the above spring contact.

[0031] The above spring contact includes a head portion that contacts a terminal of a semiconductor device and a pad of a test device, and the head portion may be characterized by being formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip.

[0032] The maximum diameter of the head portion may be characterized as being larger than the inner diameter of the spring and smaller than the outer diameter of the spring.

[0033] It may further include a first member of an elastic material that is provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface or on the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface and fixes the end position of the spring contact.

[0034] It may be characterized by further including a first member provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface and the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface to fix the end position of the spring contact.

[0035] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may provide a test socket comprising a base having a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by being filled and cured inside the base to form elastic force, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, a spring contact inserted into the hole having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, and a first member of an elastic material provided at least one of the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface or the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface to fix the end position of the spring contact, wherein the spring contact comprises a spring having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the hole.

[0036] Various embodiments of the present invention may provide a test socket comprising a base having a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by being filled and cured inside the base to form elastic force, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and a spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, wherein the spring contact comprises a shoulder having a width that is greater than the diameter of the hole, and the shoulder contacts the base according to the elastic force of the spring contact.

[0037] The terminal of the above semiconductor device may be characterized as being in the form of a pad (PAD).

[0038] The diameter of the hole formed on the first surface may be larger than the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface and the elastic insulator.

[0039] The diameter of the hole formed on the first surface may be larger than the maximum diameter of the spring contact.

[0040] The diameter of the hole formed in the second surface and the elastic insulator may be the same.

[0041] The diameter of the hole formed in the second surface and the elastic insulator may be smaller than the maximum diameter of the spring contact.

[0042] It may be characterized by further including a first member provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface and on the end side of the spring contact.

[0043] The terminal of the above semiconductor device may be characterized as being in the form of a ball.

[0044] The first member may be characterized by being formed by being rolled into a hole formed on the first surface and the end of the spring contact and hardened.

[0045] The space between the inner surface of the hole of the first surface and the end of the spring contact may be characterized by having the elastic insulator.

[0046] It may be characterized by further including a first member provided on the inner surface of a hole formed in the elastic insulator and on the end side of the spring contact.

[0047] The first member may be characterized by being formed by being rolled into a hole formed in the elastic insulator and the end of the spring contact and hardened.

[0048] The terminal of the above semiconductor device may be characterized as being in the form of a ball.

[0049] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device, an elastic insulator formed by being filled and cured inside the base to form elastic force, a hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator, and a spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device to have elastic force in a pressing direction, wherein the spring contact comprises a spring having a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole, and the spring presses the inner surface of the hole formed in the elastic insulator.

[0050] It may further include a first member provided on at least one of the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface side and one end side of the spring contact or the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface side and the other end side of the spring contact.

[0051] The first member may be characterized by being formed by being rolled into the inner surface of the hole and the end of the spring contact and hardened.

[0052] Each of the features of the above-described embodiments may be implemented in combination in other embodiments, provided that such features do not contradict or are not exclusive of other embodiments.

[0053] According to various embodiments of the present invention, upper contraction control of a socket body made of an elastic insulator can be facilitated.

[0054] In addition, reliability can be increased because physical pins (spring contact pins) are applied.

[0055] In addition, the position alignment of the contact pin contact portion provided inside the socket body is easy, which can improve the coaxial alignment of the contact pin.

[0056] In addition, the insulation between fine pitches is improved, which can reduce noise during testing of high-speed signal semiconductor devices.

[0057] In addition, by compressing and curing the silicone member on the upper part of the socket, it is possible to prevent the spring contact inserted into the hole formed in the socket body made of an elastic insulator from becoming detached.

[0058] In addition, it can prevent foreign matter from entering the hole where the spring contact is inserted in the socket body or between the PCB and the pin, thereby preventing a decrease in electrical performance.

[0059] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly recognized by a person skilled in the art from the description below.

[0060] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a test socket for an LGA terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a test socket for a BGA terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] FIGS. 3 to 8 are drawings showing spring contacts applied to FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a test socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] FIGS. 10 to 15 are drawings showing the spring contact applied to FIG. 9.

[0065] 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, apparatuses, and / or systems described herein. However, this is merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] In describing the embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention are omitted if it is determined that such descriptions may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined considering their functions in the present invention, and these definitions may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0067] The terms used in the detailed description are merely for describing embodiments of the invention and should not be limiting in any way. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, expressions in the singular form include the meaning of the plural form.

[0068] In this description, expressions such as “include” or “equipped” are intended to refer to certain characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts or combinations thereof, and should not be interpreted to exclude the existence or possibility of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, actions, elements, parts or combinations thereof other than those described.

[0069] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used when describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention. These terms are used merely to distinguish the components from other components, and the essence, order, or sequence of the components is not limited by the terms.

[0070]

[0071] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a test socket for an LGA terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] The following explanation refers to Fig. 1.

[0073] The test socket of the present embodiment may include a body and a contact (20). The body may be formed of a material having elasticity due to the pressing of a semiconductor device, and the contact (20) may be provided with a physically elastic component (e.g., a spring) or formed of a material having elasticity (e.g., silicon powder mixed with conductive particles). The contact (20) of the present embodiment is a contact including a physically elastic spring, and is referred to as a spring contact hereinafter.

[0074] The above body may have holes (h1, h2, h3) formed through a first surface (51) facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface (53) facing a pad of a test device. The diameter of the holes (h1, h2, h3) is formed to be similar to the diameter of the contact (20), so that the spring contact (20) can be inserted into the holes (h1, h2, h3).

[0075] That is, the spring contact (20) is inserted into the holes (h1, h2, h3), so that one end contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end contacts the pad of the test device, thereby having elastic force in the pressing direction. The detailed configuration of the spring contact (30) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

[0076] Meanwhile, the body may include a base (51, 53, 54) that forms the outer shape of the test socket and an elastic insulator (52) that is filled inside the base (51, 53, 54) and then hardened to form elasticity.

[0077] The base (51, 53, 54) can be formed by a first surface (51), a second surface (53), and a frame (54), and the hole can be formed by penetrating the first surface (51) and the second surface (52), and thus penetrating the elastic insulator (52) filled inside the base (51, 53, 54).

[0078] For example, the first surface (51) and the second surface (52) are polyimide (Pi) films, which enable the test socket of this embodiment to function stably even in a high-temperature environment when performing a burn-in test to verify whether the semiconductor IC operates stably for a long period at high temperatures.

[0079] Additionally, for example, the frame (54) may be made of stainless steel (SUS) or a composite material (FR4) composed of glass fiber and epoxy resin having flame retardent (FR) properties. Thus, the test socket of this embodiment can function stably even in a high-temperature environment or ensure electrical insulation performance.

[0080] Meanwhile, the spring contact (20) of the present embodiment has a structure in which two contact pins (21, 25) are elastically connected by a spring (23), and each contact pin (21, 25) may include a shoulder (212, 512).

[0081] Each shoulder (212, 512) can prevent the spring contact (30) from coming out of the hole (h1, h2, h3) by engaging with the first surface (51) and the second surface (53) after being inserted into the hole.

[0082] More specifically, when the LGA terminal (17) contacts the end of the spring contact (20) protruding from the first surface (51) by pressing the substrate (15), and the end of the spring contact (20) protruding from the second surface (53) contacts the pad of the test device, the shoulder (512) contacts the second surface (52), thereby elastically compressing the spring contact (20).

[0083] In the structure described above, the diameters of the holes (h1, h2, h3) formed in the first surface (51), the second surface (53), and the elastic insulator (52) may be the same, for example.

[0084] Additionally, in the structure described above, the diameters of two selected holes among the diameter of the hole (h1) formed on the first surface (51), the diameter of the hole (h3) formed on the second surface (53), and the diameter of the hole (h2) formed on the elastic insulator (52) may be formed differently from each other.

[0085] That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the spring contact (20) can be fixed by being caught by the first surface (51) and the second surface (53).

[0086] Generally, the LGA terminal (17) of FIG. 1 is configured in the form of a flat pad, so the contact area with the contact pin in the test socket is wider than that of the BGA terminal (13) of FIG. 2.

[0087] If a silicone-based material is used to fix the position of the spring contact for testing the LGA terminal (17) as shown in FIG. 2, the silicone-based material may be applied to the LGA terminal (17) as long-term testing is repeated, or the silicone-based material may fall off, reducing the durability of the test socket.

[0088] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the spring contact (30) for testing the LGA terminal (17) can be fixed by the first surface (51) and the second surface (53).

[0089] Meanwhile, a step hole (not shown) may be formed on the second surface (53). The step hole may be provided by forming a step in the direction from the second surface (53) toward the first surface (51). In the shape of the step hole, the diameter of the step hole may be formed to be larger than the diameter of the holes (h1, h2, h3).

[0090] The above step hole can further increase the durability of the test socket, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by distributing the load of the test socket that is repeatedly pressed between the terminal of the semiconductor device and the pad of the test device.

[0091] Meanwhile, the spring contact (20) of the present embodiment may include a head portion (211, 251) that is pressed into contact with a terminal, and the end of the head portion (211, 251) protrudes a certain portion (a) from the first surface (51) to ensure contact reliability with the terminal.

[0092] More specifically, in the test socket of this embodiment, the spring contact (20) is structured to be fixed with a film (51) according to the shape (PAD) of the LGA terminal (17) as described above.

[0093] In this structure, to ensure contact reliability with the terminal (17), the length of the portion (a) protruding from the first surface (51) of the head portion (211, 251) may be longer than the longitudinal length of the tip portion (2110, 2510). Preferably, the protruding portion (a) may protrude more than half the longitudinal length (c) of the head portion (211, 251). The longitudinal length may refer to the height of the tip portion (2110, 2510) formed along the longitudinal direction of the spring contact (20).

[0094]

[0095] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing a test socket for a BGA terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] The following description refers to Figure 2, but any content that overlaps with the parts described in Figure 1 above will be omitted.

[0097] A first member (70) may be attached to one end of the spring contact (20) of the present embodiment. The one end of the spring contact may refer to the contact end of the spring contact (20) located on the first surface (51) side that contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device while the spring contact (30) is inserted into the holes (h1, h2, h3).

[0098] The first member (70) may be provided between the inner surface of the hole (h1) formed on the first surface (51) side and the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30). The first member (50) may be made of a flexible material and compressed while provided on one end surface of the spring contact (30), so that it is rolled into the space between the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30) and the hole (h1) and hardened, thereby being provided between the inner surface of the hole (h1) formed on the first surface (51) side and the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30). Accordingly, the first member (70) may be provided with a silicone-based material whose properties change due to heat.

[0099] More specifically, in the present embodiment, the diameter of the hole (h1) formed on the first surface (51) may be larger than the diameter of the holes (h3, h2) formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52). Also, the diameter (h1) of the hole formed on the first surface (51) may be larger than the maximum diameter of the spring contact (20), and the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52) may be the same. Also, the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52) may be smaller than the maximum diameter of the spring contact.

[0100] As the maximum diameter of the spring contact (20) can be formed by the width of the shoulder (212, 252) as described above, the maximum diameter length of the spring contact (20) can be the same as the width length of the shoulder (212, 252).

[0101] In this structure, the first member (70) may be provided on the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed in the first surface (51) and on the end side of the spring contact (20).

[0102] For example, there may be cases where the hole (d1) formed in the first surface (51) is filled by an elastic insulator (52) and cases where it is not.

[0103] If the hole (d1) formed in the first surface (51) is not filled by the elastic insulator (52), the inner surface of the hole (d1) in the first surface (51) and the upper surface of the elastic insulator (52) may form a step, and the first member (70) can be compressed into the inner surface of the hole (d1) in the first surface (51) and rolled in and hardened, thereby filling the end side of the spring contact (20) and the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed in the first surface (51).

[0104] In addition, as in the present embodiment, when the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) is filled by the elastic insulator (52), the first member (70) is compressed and rolled into the inner surface of the hole (d2) formed in the elastic insulator (52) on the first surface side and hardened, thereby filling the end side of the spring contact (20) and the inner surface of the hole (d1) on the first surface (51) side of the elastic insulator (52).

[0105] Generally, the BGA terminal (13) is made of a spherical solder ball, so in terms of shape, it can be pressed deeper toward the test socket side when the substrate (11) is compressed compared to the LGA terminal (17) of FIG. 1.

[0106] Therefore, it is advantageous to increase the length of the spring contact (or the length of the contact end) for stable contact. This is because if the length of the spring contact (or the length of the contact end) is not sufficiently secured, it may come into contact with the upper surface of the housing (e.g., the first surface configuration of FIG. 1) and may not be sufficiently pressed for accurate testing.

[0107] However, as mentioned above, if the length of the spring contact (or the length of the contact terminal) is increased, the electrical characteristics deteriorate and it may not be suitable for testing semiconductor devices with high-speed signals.

[0108] Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the elastic insulator (52) made of a flexible material and the first member (70) or the first member (70) are provided in the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) so that sufficient pressing with the BGA terminal (13) can be achieved while minimizing the length of the spring contact (20), thereby facilitating upper contraction control of the socket body including the elastic insulator (52).

[0109] In the case where the socket body is made of a material that does not have elasticity, such as a general spring contact pin type socket, unlike the present embodiment, the socket body does not contract, so if the first member (70) is provided, it may act as a factor that hinders the contraction force of the spring contact.

[0110] However, as described above, since this embodiment is a test socket that combines the advantages of a general spring contact pin type socket (poko pin type socket) and a silicone rubber type socket, durability can be increased by controlling the upper contraction of the socket body (10) through the first member (70).

[0111] In addition, the coaxial alignment of the contact (30) within the body (10) containing the elastic material can be improved by the first member (70), thereby improving the positional alignment of the contact portion of the contact (20).

[0112] In addition, since the first member (70) is formed from a silicon-based material, the insulation between fine pitches is improved, which can reduce noise during high-speed signal semiconductor device testing.

[0113] In addition, through the first member (70), it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering between the spring contact (20) and the hole formed in the socket in a semiconductor IC test environment, thereby preventing a decrease in electrical performance.

[0114] This first member (70) can be appropriately selected to suit customer needs with a shore hardness between 20A and 80A. If the hardness of the first member (70) is outside the above range, it may be difficult to achieve the above-described effect.

[0115] For example, if the hardness of the first member (70) is higher than the above range, it acts as a factor that impedes the elasticity of the contact (20), and a greater load may be required during testing; if the hardness of the first member (70) is lower than the above range, it may be difficult to achieve the various effects described above. That is, if the hardness of the first member (70) is outside the above range, it may not meet the load-related performance conditions requested by the customer, or the durability of the test socket may be reduced.

[0116] Meanwhile, in this structure, the spring contact (20) of the present embodiment may include a head portion (211, 251) that is pressed into contact with a terminal, and the end of the head portion (211, 251) protrudes a certain portion (a) from the first surface (51) to ensure contact reliability with the terminal.

[0117] More specifically, in the test socket of this embodiment, the spring contact (20) is structured to be fixed with a first silicon-based member (70) according to the shape (BALL) of the BGA terminal (13) as described above.

[0118] In this structure, since the terminal (13) is pressed together with the first member (70) as the substrate (11) is pressed, sufficient contact reliability can be secured even if the spring contact of FIG. 1 described above protrudes only slightly more than the degree to which it protrudes from the first surface.

[0119] That is, in a socket structure for testing a BGA terminal as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the length of the protruding part (a) be similar to the vertical length of the tip portion (2110, 2510). The vertical length may refer to the height of the tip portion (2110, 2510) formed along the length direction of the spring contact (20). The meaning of being similar is that errors that may occur during the assembly of the test socket can be taken into account, and ideally, the length of the protruding part (a) may be the same as the vertical length of the tip portion (2110, 2510).

[0120]

[0121] FIGS. 3 to 8 are drawings showing spring contacts applied to FIGS. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0122] The following explanation will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0123] The spring contact (20) according to the present embodiment includes a first contact pin (21), a second contact pin (25), and a spring (23). The spring contact (20) can be assembled such that the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) intersect each other with respect to the spring (23) so that the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) are elastically supported by the spring (23).

[0124] In this embodiment, the spring (23) may be a coiled compression spring having a predetermined thickness based on the outer diameter and inner diameter of the spring (23) and a predetermined length along the longitudinal direction of the spring contact (23), and may be positioned between the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) in the spring contact (20) to provide a restoring force to return each contact pin (21, 25) to its position before compression based on the spring (23) when the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) are compressed in the longitudinal direction.

[0125] In this structure, when testing a semiconductor device (IC) through a test socket to which the spring contact (20) of the present embodiment is applied, when the head portion (211) of the first contact pin (21) contacts the circuit pattern of a test printed circuit board installed in the test device, the head portion (251) of the second contact pin (25) contacts the contact ball or land of a BGA type or LGA type semiconductor IC, thereby electrically connecting the test printed circuit board and the semiconductor IC.

[0126] The first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) of the present embodiment may be provided as contact pins having the same size and shape. The two contact pins (21, 25) are assembled in the longitudinal direction so as to be elastically supported by a spring (23), and may be distinguished as the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (23) depending on the position where they are assembled. Therefore, the following description will be based on the first contact pin (21).

[0127] The first contact pin (21) may be composed of a head portion (211), a body portion (213), a leg portion (215), a locking member (217), and a solder (212).

[0128] The head portion (2111) may be composed of a plate-shaped strip having equal lengths on the left and right sides relative to the center of the body portion (213) at the top of the body portion (213) and an upper tip portion (2110) formed along the upper tip portion, and the plate-shaped strip may include a first strip section (211b) and a second strip section (211c) having equal distances on the left and right sides from the center portion (211a) of the plate-shaped strip.

[0129] That is, the head portion (211) may be provided in a cylindrical shape having an overall diameter (d1) by rolling the first strip section (211b) and the second strip section (211c) into a semicircular shape based on the center portion (211a), respectively. Furthermore, it is preferable that the width of the center portion (211a), which forms the reference for rolling each strip, corresponds to the width of the body portion (213). This is because if the width of the center portion (211a) is smaller or larger than the width of the body portion (213), the defect rate may increase during the stamping of the contact pin.

[0130] Meanwhile, the head portion (211) may be provided in a cylindrical crown shape by the tip portion (2110). In this shape or configuration of the head portion (211), the ball portion of the BGA can be stably grounded to press the test socket, thereby improving the accuracy of the test and ensuring a sufficient contact area with the LGA terminal.

[0131] The body portion (213) may have a predetermined width and thickness and may include a guide portion (2130) formed along the length direction of the body portion (213) and a shoulder (212L, 212R) formed protruding in the width direction of the body portion.

[0132] Each shoulder (212L, 212R) may be provided at a position symmetrical to each other with respect to the body portion (213). The shoulder portion (212L) protruding from one side of the body portion (213) in a direction perpendicular to the body portion (213) and the shoulder portion (212R) protruding from the other side of the body portion (213) in a direction perpendicular to the body portion (213) may be provided in a shape symmetrical to the body portion (213) by having the same degree of protrusion, shape, size, thickness, width, etc. Accordingly, the following description will be based on the shoulder (213L).

[0133] The shoulder (213L) can support the elasticity of the spring (23) in the spring contact (20) of this embodiment.

[0134] More specifically, the spring contact (20) can support the elasticity of the spring (23) by the shoulders (213L, 213R) of the first contact pin (21) and the shoulders (253L, 253R) of the second contact pin (25).

[0135] In the structure described above, the distance between the end of the shoulder (213L) protruding from one side of the body part (213) and the end of the shoulder (213R) protruding from the other side of the body part (213) can be defined as the width (w1) of the shoulder (213L, 213R), and the width (w1) of the shoulder is formed to be at least larger than the inner diameter of the spring so as to support both ends of the spring (23).

[0136] Preferably, the width (w1) of the shoulder can form the maximum diameter of the spring contact (20), and the width (w1) of the shoulder is formed to be larger than the diameter length of the hole formed in the test socket, thereby preventing the spring contact (20) from coming off the test socket when performing repetitive operations through the test socket.

[0137] In addition, when manufacturing the test socket, it is advantageous to form the diameter of the pin hole small to reduce the pitch spacing of the spring contact, so the width (w1) of the shoulder can be formed within a range that is larger than the inner diameter of the spring and smaller than the outer diameter of the spring.

[0138] The guide portion (2130) can be formed in a groove shape along the longitudinal direction of the body portion (213). Accordingly, the thickness formed by the guide portion (2130) is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the body portion.

[0139] The guide portion (2130) can guide the up and down movement of the second contact pin (25) when the second contact pin (25) is cross-coupled to the first contact pin (21). In this structure, when the spring contact (20) is compressed or when the spring contact (20) is assembled, the locking member (257) of the second contact pin (25) can move along the longitudinal direction of the body portion (213) along the guide portion (2130) of the first contact pin (21).

[0140] Additionally, an inclined surface (2131) may be formed on the part where a pair of leg portions (215) extend from the body portion (213) so that each contact pin (21, 25) can be easily cross-coupled.

[0141] The inclined surface (2131) allows the locking member (217), described later, to easily come into contact with the guide portion (2130), and in this structure, when each pin is cross-connected with the spring (23) in between, the guide portions (2130) can easily be inserted into the space (S1) between each leg portion.

[0142] Meanwhile, the leg portion (215) may be formed by extending in a direction opposite to the head portion (211) along the longitudinal direction of the body portion (213). The leg portion (215) may be provided as a pair (213L, 213R) that are symmetrical to each other with respect to the center line of the body portion (213).

[0143] For example, a pair of leg portions (213L, 213R) may have a certain elastic force such that the width (w2) of the leg portion increases when the spring contact (20) is compressed or when each contact pin (21, 25) is assembled.

[0144] More specifically, the width (w2) between a pair of leg portions (213L, 213R) can be formed to be larger than the thickness of the body portion (213). In this structure, when the spring contact (20) is compressed, the first contact pin (21) and the second contact pin (25) can be moved relative to each other by a predetermined distance in the direction of compressing the spring (23).

[0145] Meanwhile, a pair of locking members (217L, 217R) may be formed at the ends of a pair of leg portions (213L, 213R).

[0146] The shortest distance (w3) between the locking member (217L) formed on one leg portion (215L) and the locking member (217R) formed on the other leg portion (215R) is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the body portion, and preferably, the shortest distance (w3) between a pair of locking members can be formed to be equal to or larger than the thickness of the guide portion.

[0147] Because the surface (2172, 2572) forming the shortest distance (w3) between a pair of locking members in each contact pin (21, 25) forms the electrical contact surface of each contact pin (21, 25) in the spring contact pin (20). If the shortest distance (w3) between a pair of locking members is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the guide part, the contact pin (21, 25) of the spring contact pin (20) is jammed, and the likelihood of malfunction increases.

[0148] Accordingly, the shortest distance (w3) between a pair of locking members is formed to be equal to or greater than the thickness of the guide portion, so that the spring contact pin (20) forms four electrical contact surfaces through the contact surfaces (2172, 2572) of each contact pin (21, 25), and at least one of the contact surfaces (2172L, 2172R) of one contact pin (21) can be electrically contacted with the bottom surface of the guide portion (2530) of another contact pin (23).

[0149] Meanwhile, the catch member (217) may include a corner portion (2173), a contact surface (2172) that extends from the corner portion (2173) with a predetermined slope and faces each other, and an inflection surface (2171) that forms a step from the contact surface (2172) toward the outside of the space (S1).

[0150] In this structure, the guide surface (2172) contacts and joins with the inclined surface (2130) when each contact pin is assembled, so that a pair of contact pins can be easily assembled, and the inflection surface (2171) catches on the top of the inclined surface (2130) when each contact pin is assembled, thereby preventing the pair of contact pins from being unintentionally separated after being joined.

[0151] Meanwhile, the corner portion (2173) can be located in the space between (S2, S3) formed as the head portion (211) is provided in a crown shape when the spring contact (20) is compressed in the pressing direction.

[0152]

[0153] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a test socket according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 10 to 15 are drawings showing a spring contact applied to FIG. 9.

[0154] The following explanation will be provided with reference to FIGS. 9 to 15, but any content that overlaps with the above description will be omitted.

[0155] The test socket of the present embodiment may include a body and a contact (30). The body may have a hole formed through a first surface (51) facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface (53) facing a pad of a test device. The diameter of the holes (h1, h2, h3) is formed to be similar to the diameter of the contact (20), so that the spring contact (30) can be inserted into the holes (h1, h2, h3).

[0156] Meanwhile, the body may include a base (51, 53, 54) that forms the outer shape of the test socket and an elastic insulator (52) that is filled inside the base (51, 53, 54) and then hardened to form elasticity.

[0157] For example, the first surface (51) and the second surface (52) may be made of a polyimide (Pi) film, and the frame (54) may be made of stainless steel (SUS) or a composite material (FR4) composed of epoxy resin and glass fiber having flame retardent (FR) properties.

[0158] A first member (70) may be attached to one end of the spring contact (30) of the present embodiment. The one end of the spring contact may refer to the contact end of the spring contact (30) located on the first surface (51) side that contacts the terminal of the semiconductor device while the spring contact (30) is inserted into the holes (h1, h2, h3).

[0159] The first member (70) may be provided between the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) side and the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30). The first member (50) may be made of a flexible material and compressed while provided on one end surface of the spring contact (30), so that it is rolled into the space between the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30) and the hole (d1) and hardened, thereby being provided between the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) side and the circumference of one end of the spring contact (30). Accordingly, the first member (70) may be provided with a silicone-based material whose properties change due to heat.

[0160] More specifically, in the present embodiment, the diameter of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) may be the same as the diameter of the holes (d3, d2) formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52). Also, the diameter of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) may be smaller than the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30). Since the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30) may be formed by the outer diameter of the spring (33), the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30) may be the same as the outer diameter of the spring (33).

[0161] In this structure, the spring contact (30) can be fixed within the test socket while the outer diameter of the spring (33) presses against the inner surface (d1) of the hole formed in the elastic insulator (52) of a soft material.

[0162] However, if the spring contact (30) is fixed to the hole formed in the test socket relying only on the frictional force generated as the outer diameter of the spring (33) presses against the inner surface of the hole formed in the elastic insulator (52), there is a high possibility that the spring contact (30) will detach due to the repetitive operation of the test socket.

[0163] Accordingly, in this embodiment, as described above, the first member (70) is provided on the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) side and on one end side (head portion 311 side) of the spring contact (30), thereby preventing the spring contact (30) from being dislodged due to the repetitive operation of the test socket, which can increase the test reliability and the durability of the test socket.

[0164] Of course, from the perspective of fixing the spring contact (30), the first member (70) may be provided on the inner surface of the hole (d2) formed on the second surface (53) side and on the other end side (head portion 351 side) of the spring contact (30), or the first member (70) may be provided in the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) side and the hole (d2) formed on the second surface (53) side, respectively, to fix both the first end and the other end side of the spring contact (30), thereby increasing the fixing force of the spring contact (30), but it may also act as a factor that inhibits the contraction force of the spring contact (30).

[0165] Therefore, in order to effectively achieve objectives such as upper shrinkage control of the socket body, prevention of foreign matter from entering the test socket, and improvement of coaxial alignment, as described above, it is preferable that the first member (70) be provided on the inner surface of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) side and on one end side (head portion 311 side) of the spring contact (30).

[0166] Additionally, the diameter of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) may be larger than the diameter of the holes (d3, d2) formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52), and the diameter of the hole (d1) formed on the first surface (51) may be larger than the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30). Additionally, the diameter of the holes (d3, d2) formed on the second surface (53) and the elastic insulator (52) may also be larger than the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30). Since the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30) can be formed by the outer diameter of the spring (33), the maximum diameter of the spring contact (30) may be equal to the outer diameter of the spring (33).

[0167] In this structure, the spring contact (30) can be fixed to a hole formed in the test socket by the first member (70) as described above.

[0168] Meanwhile, the head portion (311, 351) of the spring contact (30) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip, and in this shape, the maximum diameter (d1) of the head portion (311, 351) may form a range that is larger than the inner diameter of the spring (33) and smaller than the outer diameter of the spring.

[0169] The contact (30) of the present embodiment may include a spring contact pin configuration. That is, it may include two contact pins (31, 35) and a spring (33) that provides physical elastic force to the contact (30).

[0170] More specifically, 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 elastic force to the contact (30).

[0171] The spring (33) may be a coiled 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) to provide a restoring force to return each contact pin (31, 35) to its position before compression based on the spring (33) when the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35) are compressed in the longitudinal direction.

[0172] In this embodiment, a pair of contact pins (31, 35) may be provided with the same shape and joined in a direction that intersects each other. Additionally, they may be provided with different shapes and joined with a spring in between.

[0173] The following pair of contact pins are referred to as the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35). In this embodiment, since the pair of contact pins (31, 35) are provided with the same shape, the configuration of the contact pins is described based on the first contact pin (31).

[0174] The contact pin (31) may include a body portion (312), a head portion (311), and a leg portion (313).

[0175] The body portion (312) has a guide portion (3130) formed at the center of each side in the longitudinal direction with a certain width and length, and the lower end of the guide portion (3130) may have a step-like catch (not shown), and the upper end of the guide portion (3130) extends to the upper end of the head portion (311). The catch (not shown) refers to a configuration in which the end of the catch member (357) of the second contact pin (35) catches when the second contact pin (35) is joined in a direction intersecting the first contact pin (31).

[0176] The head portion (311) may be composed of a plate-shaped strip having equal lengths on the left and right sides relative to the center of the body portion (313) at the top of the body portion (313) and having an upper tip portion (3110) formed along the upper tip portion, and the plate-shaped strip may include a first strip section (311b) and a second strip section (311c) having equal distances on the left and right sides from the center portion (311a) of the body portion (313).

[0177] That is, the head portion (311) may be provided in a cylindrical shape having an overall diameter (d1) by rolling the first strip section (311b) and the second strip section (311c) into a semicircular arc shape with respect to the center portion (311a).

[0178] Meanwhile, the head portion (311) may be provided in a cylindrical crown shape by the tip portion (3110). In this shape or configuration of the head portion (311), the ball portion of the BGA can be stably grounded to press the test socket, thereby improving the accuracy of the test and ensuring a sufficient contact area with the LGA terminal.

[0179] Meanwhile, the leg portion (315) may be composed of a pair of legs that are symmetrically extended from the body portion (313), and a predetermined space (S1) is formed between the pair of leg portions so as to guide each leg portion when the first contact pin (31) and the second contact pin (35) are combined in a mutually intersecting direction.

[0180] Additionally, when assembling the contact (30), in order for the second contact pin (35) to be easily assembled in a direction that intersects the first contact pin (31), an inclined surface (3131) may be formed on the part where a pair of leg portions (315) extend from the body portion (313).

[0181] More specifically, the leg portion (315) may have a catch member (317) formed at the end, and the catch member (317) may include a corner portion (3173) that is located 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 (3172) that extends from the corner portion (3173) and faces each other by forming a predetermined slope, and an inflection surface (3171) that forms a step from the guide surface (3172) toward the outside of the space (S1).

[0182] In this structure, the guide surface (3131) contacts and joins with the inclined surface (3120) when each contact pin is assembled, so that a pair of contact pins can be easily assembled, and the inverted surface (3131) catches on a stopper (not shown) when each contact pin is assembled, thereby preventing the pair of contact pins from being unintentionally separated after being joined.

[0183] Meanwhile, the corner portion (3173) can be located in the space between (S2, S3) formed when the head portion (311) is provided in a crown shape when the spring contact (30) is compressed in the pressing direction.

[0184] That is, in the structure described above, when the spring contact (30) is in maximum compression, the corner portion (3573) of the second contact pin (35) is positioned on the same plane as the tip portion (3110) of the first contact pin (31), thereby improving not only the electrical contact performance of the test socket but also the contact performance with the terminal.

[0185] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments 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 by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; An elastic insulator that forms elastic force after being filled and hardened inside the above base; A hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator; and A spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device and having elastic force in the pressing direction; The above spring contact is, It includes a shoulder forming a width with a length greater than the diameter of the hole; A test socket characterized in that the above shoulder is in contact with the above elastic insulator.

2. In Paragraph 1, A test socket characterized in that the width of the shoulder forms the maximum width of the spring contact.

3. In Paragraph 1, A test socket characterized in that the width of the shoulder is greater than the length of the inner diameter of the spring and smaller than the length of the outer diameter of the spring.

4. In Paragraph 2, A test socket characterized in that the diameters of the holes formed in the first surface, the second surface, and the elastic insulator are the same.

5. In Paragraph 2, A test socket characterized in that the diameters of two selected holes among the diameter of the hole formed on the first surface, the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface, and the diameter of the hole formed in the elastic insulator are different from each other.

6. In Paragraph 2, A test socket further comprising: a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface and fixing the end position of the spring contact.

7. A base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; An elastic insulator that forms elastic force after being filled into the interior of the above base and then hardened; A hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator; and A spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device and having elastic force in the pressing direction; The above spring contact is, A shoulder forming a width of length greater than at least one of the diameters of the first surface, the second surface, and the holes formed in the elastic insulator; A test socket characterized in that the shoulder is in contact with the elastic insulator.

8. In Paragraph 7, A test socket characterized in that the diameter of the hole formed on the first surface is larger than the diameter of the hole formed on the second surface and the elastic insulator.

9. In Paragraph 8, A test socket characterized in that the diameter of the hole formed on the first surface is greater than the width of the shoulder.

10. In Paragraph 9, A test socket characterized in that the diameter length of the hole formed in the second surface and the elastic insulator is smaller than the width length of the shoulder.

11. In Paragraph 10, A test socket further comprising: a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface and fixing the end position of the spring contact.

12. In Paragraph 10, A test socket characterized in that the elastic insulator is provided between the inner surface of the hole formed on the first surface and the end of the spring contact.

13. In Paragraph 12, A test socket further comprising: a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed in the elastic insulator and fixing the end position of the spring contact.

14. A base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; An elastic insulator that forms elastic force after being filled and hardened inside the above base; A hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface and the elastic insulator; and A spring contact inserted into the hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device and having elastic force in the pressing direction; The above spring contact is, Includes a spring forming a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole above, A test socket characterized by the spring pressing the inner surface of a hole formed in the elastic insulator.

15. In Paragraph 14, A test socket characterized in that the diameter of the spring forms the maximum diameter of the spring contact.

16. In Paragraph 15, The above spring contact includes a head portion that contacts a terminal of a semiconductor device and a pad of a test device; and The above head portion is a test socket characterized by being formed by rolling a plate-shaped strip.

17. In Paragraph 16, A test socket characterized in that the maximum diameter of the head portion is larger than the inner diameter of the spring and smaller than the outer diameter of the spring.

18. In Paragraph 14, A test socket further comprising: a first member of an elastic material provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface or on the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface to fix the end position of the spring contact.

19. In Paragraph 14, A test socket further comprising: a first member provided on the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface and on the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface to fix the end position of the spring contact.

20. A base comprising a first surface facing a terminal of a semiconductor device and a second surface facing a pad of a test device; An elastic insulator that forms elastic force after being filled and hardened inside the above base; A hole penetrating the first surface, the second surface, and the elastic insulator; A spring contact inserted into the above hole, having one end in contact with a terminal of the semiconductor device and the other end in contact with a pad of the test device and having elastic force in the pressing direction; and A first member of an elastic material provided at least at one of the inner surface of a hole formed on the first surface or the inner surface of a hole formed on the second surface to fix the end position of the spring contact; comprising The above spring contact is, A test socket characterized by including a spring that forms a diameter smaller than the diameter of the hole.

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