Test socket
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure KR2026095050_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Inspection socket
[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection socket, and more specifically, to an inspection socket advantageous for large-area inspection.
[0002] To inspect a device under test, such as a semiconductor device, a test socket is used that is positioned between a test device and the device under test. The test socket used for inspecting the device under test electrically connects the test device and the device under test. As an example of such a test socket, an anisotropic conductive sheet capable of elastically deforming in response to pressure applied through the device under test is known in the field.
[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional inspection socket (10). The inspection socket (10) is composed of an anisotropic conductive sheet (20) and a frame (30).
[0004] The anisotropic conductive sheet (20) has a plurality of conductive portions (21) and an insulating portion (22) that insulates the plurality of conductive portions (21) from each other. A plurality of metal particles are assembled to be conductive in the vertical direction to form each conductive portion (21). Each conductive portion (21) performs signal transmission between the inspection device and the device under inspection. The insulating portion (22) is made of an elastic insulating material and holds the conductive portions (21) in the vertical direction.
[0005] The frame (30) is attached to the lower surface of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20) so as to support the anisotropic conductive sheet (20). At this time, the frame (30) is made of a material such as FR4. The frame (30) is formed in the form of a thin sheet. During the process of installing the frame (30) in the inspection device, the frame (30) performs the function of guiding the position of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20) and the function of supporting the anisotropic conductive sheet (20).
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a different conventional inspection socket (10).
[0007] The anisotropic conductive sheet (20) is the same as the embodiment of FIG. 1. The frame (30) is used by combining a polyimide film (31) and a metal sheet (32). The insulating polyimide film (31) supports the bottom surface of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20). The metal sheet (32) is placed in the peripheral area of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20) and is placed on the upper surface of the polyimide film (31). The frame (30) of FIG. 2 is used in combination with the polyimide film (31) and the metal sheet (32) to enhance durability.
[0008] Recently, semiconductor devices have been becoming larger, and accordingly, the number of terminals tends to increase to, for example, 15,000 or more. As semiconductor devices become larger in this way, not only do the dimensions of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20) increase, but the size of the frame (30) also increases. As the size of the frame (30) increases in this way, there is a disadvantage of insufficient dimensional stability. In particular, the frame (30), which is made of FR4, polyimide film, metal sheet, etc., has a high coefficient of thermal expansion and is susceptible to deformation.
[0009] In addition, it has the disadvantage of being unsuitable for large-scale, large-area devices due to its high moisture absorption rate.
[0010] In particular, as the conventional frame (30) becomes larger, warpage becomes severe, and as a result, contact instability occurs between the conductive part (21) of the anisotropic conductive sheet (20) and the terminal of the device to be tested, and as a result, resistance increases and there are problems with the reliability of the test.
[0011] As such, existing materials are difficult to utilize for large-area applications due to issues such as thermal expansion coefficient, moisture absorption rate, dimensional stability, and bending, creating a situation where it is necessary to replace existing frames.
[0012] The present invention was created to solve the aforementioned problems, and its technical objective is to provide an inspection socket having a frame that is easy to utilize for large-area applications.
[0013] The inspection socket of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose is,
[0014] In a test socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device under test and a pad of a test device,
[0015] An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising a conductive portion in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of a device under test, and an insulating portion that supports the conductive portion while insulating each other; and
[0016] It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and
[0017] The above frame consists of an inspection area and a peripheral area positioned at the outer periphery of the inspection area.
[0018] The above anisotropic conductive sheet is disposed in the above inspection area, and
[0019] The above frame is,
[0020] A core substrate made of glass material, and
[0021] It includes a surface layer formed on the surface of the core substrate.
[0022] In the above inspection socket, the anisotropic conductive sheet can be placed on the upper surface of the frame.
[0023] In the above inspection socket,
[0024] The above surface layer may be a coating layer formed by casting a polyimide solution or a fluorine solution onto the surface of the core substrate.
[0025] In the above inspection socket,
[0026] A through hole is formed in the frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the anisotropic conductive sheet, and the conductive portion may pass through the through hole and protrude downward from the frame.
[0027] In the above inspection socket,
[0028] The above frame and the above anisotropic conductive sheet can be bonded to each other by an adhesive.
[0029] In the above inspection socket,
[0030] The above surface layer may be formed on at least one of the upper or lower surface of the core substrate.
[0031] In the above inspection socket,
[0032] The above surface layer can be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the core substrate.
[0033] In the above inspection socket,
[0034] The above core substrate may be made of a glass material having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 1 to 10 ppm and a moisture absorption rate of 0.1 to 0.5%.
[0035] In the above inspection socket,
[0036] The above frame can be formed in the shape of a square sheet.
[0037] The inspection socket of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose is an inspection socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device to be inspected and a pad of an inspection device to each other, wherein
[0038] A conductive part in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of the device under test, and
[0039] An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising insulating parts that support the conductive parts while insulating each other; and
[0040] It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and
[0041] The above frame consists of an inspection area and a peripheral area positioned at the outer periphery of the inspection area, and
[0042] The above anisotropic conductive sheet is disposed in the above inspection area, and
[0043] The above frame is,
[0044] A core substrate made of glass material, and
[0045] It includes a surface sheet bonded to the surface of the core substrate.
[0046] In the above inspection socket,
[0047] The above surface sheet may be composed of at least one of a polyimide sheet, a metal sheet, or an FR4 sheet.
[0048] In the above inspection socket,
[0049] The above surface sheet can be divided into two or more parts and attached to the core substrate.
[0050] In the above inspection socket,
[0051] The above anisotropic conductive sheet is divided into a plurality of parts corresponding to the divided surface sheet, and
[0052] On each of the above-described divided surface sheets, the divided anisotropic conductive sheets are each disposed in a one-to-one ratio, and
[0053] The thicknesses of the plurality of anisotropic conductive sheets mentioned above can be formed differently from each other.
[0054] In the above inspection socket,
[0055] The above surface sheet is made of a metal sheet, and
[0056] A through hole is formed in the above frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the above anisotropic conductive sheet, and
[0057] The above conductive portion protrudes downward from the frame through the through hole, and
[0058] A portion of the above through hole is formed to correspond to the outer diameter of the conductive part and can provide a shielding effect by contacting the outer circumference of the conductive part.
[0059] In the above inspection socket,
[0060] A positioning hole may be formed in the above surrounding area.
[0061] The inspection socket of the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose is an inspection socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device to be inspected and a pad of an inspection device to each other, wherein
[0062] An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising a conductive portion in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of a device under test, and an insulating portion that supports the conductive portion while insulating each other; and
[0063] It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and
[0064] The above frame is,
[0065] A core substrate made of glass material, and
[0066] The surface of the core substrate includes a surface sheet made of a metal sheet, and
[0067] A through hole is formed in the above frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the above anisotropic conductive sheet, and
[0068] The above conductive portion passes through the through hole and protrudes downward from the frame, and
[0069] Some of the above through holes are formed to correspond to the outer diameter of the conductive part so as to come into contact with the conductive part, thereby providing a shielding effect.
[0070] The inspection socket according to the present invention has the effect of having minimal deformation even in high-temperature environments, high dimensional stability, and minimal bending, even when used for large-area applications by applying a glass material to the frame.
[0071] The inspection socket according to the present invention can have excellent characteristics in terms of durability, as the frame is manufactured by forming a surface layer by casting a polyimide solution or a fluorine solution onto a glass material.
[0072] The inspection socket according to the present invention can have excellent characteristics in terms of durability as the frame is manufactured by attaching a polyimide sheet, a metal sheet, or an FR4 sheet to a glass material.
[0073] The present invention ensures long-term dimensional stability by drastically reducing moisture absorption through the combination of a glass core and a fluorine surface layer, and also minimizes signal attenuation during high-frequency signal transmission by utilizing the material's inherent low dielectric and low-loss characteristics. This contributes to ensuring signal integrity during the inspection of next-generation semiconductor devices requiring high-speed operation.
[0074] The present invention provides a shielding effect that blocks electromagnetic interference occurring between adjacent conductive parts during inspection through a structure in which a metal surface sheet applied to a frame is electrically connected to a ground terminal, thereby enabling precise signal transmission and ensuring inspection reliability even in fine-pitch, large-area inspection areas.
[0075] The present invention divides an anisotropic conductive sheet on a frame into multiple sections corresponding to a large-area inspection area and independently controls the thickness of each section, thereby flexibly responding to warpage occurring during the manufacturing process of the device under inspection, forming uniform contact pressure at all contact points, and maximizing inspection yield.
[0076] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an example of a conventional inspection socket.
[0077] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating another example of a conventional inspection socket.
[0078] FIG. 3 is a drawing of an inspection socket according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0079] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a frame that is a component of the inspection socket of FIG. 3.
[0080] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an inspection being performed using the inspection socket of FIG. 3.
[0081] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of manufacturing a frame, which is a component of the inspection socket of FIG. 3.
[0082] FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating a frame of an inspection socket according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0083] FIG. 8 is a plan view of an inspection socket according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0084] FIG. 9 is a front view of the inspection socket of FIG. 8.
[0085] The embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative for the purpose of explaining the technical concept of the present disclosure. The scope of rights according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments presented below or the specific description thereof.
[0086] All technical and scientific terms used in this disclosure, unless otherwise defined, have the meaning generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. All terms used in this disclosure are selected for the purpose of further clarifying this disclosure and are not selected to limit the scope of the rights under this disclosure.
[0087] Expressions such as 'comprising', 'having', 'having', etc. used in this disclosure should be understood as open-ended terms implying the possibility of including other embodiments, unless otherwise stated in the phrase or sentence containing such expressions.
[0088] Unless otherwise stated, singular expressions described in this disclosure may include a plural meaning, and this applies likewise to singular expressions described in the claims.
[0089] Expressions such as 'first', 'second', etc. used in this disclosure are used to distinguish multiple components from one another and do not limit the order or importance of said components.
[0090] In the present disclosure, where it is stated that a component is 'connected' or 'combined' to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly connected or combined to the other component, or connected or combined through a new component.
[0091] As used in this disclosure, the direction indicator 'upward' is based on the direction in which the inspection socket is positioned relative to the inspection device, and the direction indicator 'downward' means the opposite direction of upward. As used in this disclosure, the direction indicator 'upward and downward direction' includes both upward and downward directions, but it should be understood that it does not mean any specific direction between the upward and downward directions.
[0092] Embodiments are described with reference to the examples illustrated in the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals. Additionally, in the description of the following embodiments, the description of identical or corresponding components may be omitted. However, even if a description of a component is omitted, it is not intended that such component is not included in any embodiment.
[0093] The embodiments described below and the examples illustrated in the attached drawings relate to a test socket used for testing a device under test. The test socket of the embodiments may be placed between a test device and a device under test during the testing of the device under test and used for testing the device under test. As an example, the test socket of the embodiments may be used for final testing of a semiconductor device in a post-process during the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. However, the examples of testing to which the test socket of the embodiments is applied are not limited to the aforementioned testing.
[0094] Refer to FIG. 5, which schematically illustrates an example of the use of an inspection socket according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0095] The inspection socket (100) according to the embodiment is positioned between the inspection device (150) and the device to be inspected (140). When inspecting the device to be inspected (140), the inspection socket (100) contacts the inspection device (150) and the device to be inspected (140) in an up-and-down direction, thereby electrically connecting the inspection device (150) and the device to be inspected (140) to each other.
[0096] The device to be tested (140) may be a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor IC chip and a plurality of terminals (141) are packaged in a cuboid shape using a resin material, but is not limited thereto. The device to be tested (140) has a plurality of terminals (141) on its lower side. The terminals (141) of the device to be tested (140) shown in FIG. 4 are of the ball type. The terminals (141) are not limited to the ball type and may be of the land type. Additionally, the terminals (141) may include terminals (141) for signal transmission and terminals (141) for grounding.
[0097] The inspection device (150) can inspect various operational characteristics of the device to be inspected (140). The inspection device (150) may have a board on which the inspection is performed, and the board may be equipped with an inspection circuit for inspecting the device to be inspected (140). Additionally, the inspection circuit has a plurality of pads (151) that are electrically connected to a terminal (141) of the device to be inspected (140) through an inspection socket (100). The pads (151) of the inspection device (150) can transmit an electrical test signal and receive a response signal.
[0098] When inspecting the device to be inspected (140), the terminal (141) of the device to be inspected (140) is electrically connected to the pad (151) of the inspection device (150) through the inspection socket (100). The inspection socket (100) electrically connects each terminal (141) of the device to be inspected (140) and each pad (151) of the inspection device (150) corresponding thereto in the vertical direction (VD), and the inspection of the device to be inspected (140) is performed by the inspection device (150) through the inspection socket (100).
[0099] An inspection socket (100) according to one embodiment of the present invention is composed of an anisotropic conductive sheet (110) and a frame (120).
[0100] The above anisotropic conductive sheet (110) is composed of a conductive portion (111) and an insulating portion (112). The conductive portion (111) is composed of a plurality of portions. The plurality of conductive portions (111) are arranged and positioned in the vertical direction (VD) and are configured to conduct in the vertical direction (VD) respectively. The insulating portion (112) separates the plurality of conductive portions (111) from the horizontal direction (HD) and insulates the plurality of conductive portions (111) from each other. The insulating portion (112) maintains the plurality of conductive portions (111) in the vertical direction (VD).
[0101] The conductive portion (111) of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) may take a roughly cylindrical shape. The conductive portion (111) comprises a plurality of conductive particles and an elastic insulating material. In the conductive portion (111), a plurality of conductive particles are assembled in a columnar shape so as to be conductive in the vertical direction (VD). Among the plurality of conductive particles assembled in a columnar shape, neighboring conductive particles may be in contact so as to be conductive in any direction. The plurality of conductive particles assembled so as to be conductive in the vertical direction function as a conductor. For example, the conductive particles may be made of a highly conductive metal material. Alternatively, the conductive particles may have a form in which the highly conductive metal material is coated onto a core made of a resin material or a metal material.
[0102] In each conductive part (111), the elastic insulating material is in a cured state and has elasticity. The elastic insulating material can be filled between the conductive particles. The elastic insulating material and the conductive particles are integrally formed to constitute each conductive part (111). For example, the elastic insulating material may be cured silicone rubber, but is not limited thereto. The conductive part (111) containing the elastic insulating material may be elastically deformed in the vertical direction (VD) and the horizontal direction (HD).
[0103] The insulating portion (112) is made of an elastic insulating material that has elasticity and insulating properties, and has elasticity in the vertical direction (VD) and the horizontal direction (HD). The elastic insulating material forming the insulating portion (112) may include silicone rubber identical to the elastic insulating material of the conductive portion (111), but is not limited thereto. The insulating portion (112) maintains the plurality of conductive particles, which are assembled to be conductive in the vertical direction (VD), as the conductive portion (111). Additionally, the elastic insulating material constituting the insulating portion (112) may fill the spaces between the conductive particles of the conductive portion (111). That is, the conductive portion (111) partially includes the elastic insulating material forming the insulating portion (112), and this elastic insulating material of the conductive portion (111) may exist from the bottom to the top of the conductive portion (111). A conductive part (111) containing an elastic insulating material and an insulating part (112) made of an elastic insulating material can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction (VD) and the horizontal direction (HD).
[0104] The insulating portion (112) can form a rectangular elastic region of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110). A plurality of conductive portions (111) are spaced apart from each other and insulated by the insulating portion (112) in the horizontal direction (HD) at equal or unequal intervals. The insulating portion (112) is formed as a single elastic body, and a plurality of conductive portions (111) may exist in a form arranged in the vertical direction (VD) on the insulating portion (112). The insulating portion (112), made of an elastic body, not only maintains the conductive portions (111) in their shape but also maintains the conductive portions (111) in the vertical direction.
[0105] For example, an anisotropic conductive sheet (110) comprising a conductive portion (111) and an insulating portion (112) can be formed from a liquid molding material in which a plurality of conductive particles are mixed with a liquid elastic insulating material. The liquid elastic insulating material refers to a liquid state material of the elastic insulating material constituting the insulating portion (112). The liquid molding material is injected into a molding die, and a magnetic field can be applied in the up and down direction at each location where the conductive portion (111) is to be formed. The conductive particles are gathered by the magnetic field so that they can come into contact with each other in a cylindrical shape at each location of the conductive portion (111). Then, by curing the liquid molding material, the conductive portion (111) and the insulating portion (112) are formed simultaneously, thereby forming the anisotropic conductive sheet (110). As another example, an insulating portion (112) made of the solid state elastic insulating material is formed first, and through holes can be formed in this insulating portion (112) at each location of the conductive portion (111). The above liquid molding material is injected into the through hole and a magnetic field is applied in the vertical direction to aggregate the conductive particles in the vertical direction, and the liquid molding material injected into the through hole can be cured.
[0106] The above frame (120) is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet. The frame (120) consists of an inspection area (A) and a surrounding area (B) placed around the inspection area (A).
[0107] The anisotropic conductive sheet (110) is placed in the inspection area (A). A frame (120) is positioned to support the lower surface of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110). A plurality of through holes (125) are formed in the frame (120). The through holes (125) are provided at positions corresponding to the conductive portion (111). The conductive portion (111) passes through the through holes (125) and protrudes downward from the frame (120). The conductive portion (111) protruding from the frame (120) comes into contact with the pad (151) of the inspection device (150). The frame (120) and the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) can be bonded to each other by means of an adhesive or the like.
[0108] The frame (120) can prevent the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) from expanding excessively in a high-temperature environment. Additionally, it can prevent the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) from being excessively deformed by external force. As a result, the conductive portion (111) of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) and the terminal (141) of the device under inspection (140) or the pad (151) of the inspection device (150) can be reliably in contact with each other.
[0109] The above peripheral area (B) is a part that surrounds the inspection area (A) and corresponds to the edge of the frame (120). The above peripheral area (B) is configured to protrude outward from the anisotropic conductive sheet (110). The above peripheral area (B) is a part that does not come into contact with the anisotropic conductive sheet (110). A positioning hole (124) is formed in the above peripheral area (B). A positioning pin (152) provided in the inspection device (150) is inserted into the positioning hole (124). When the positioning pin (152) is inserted into the positioning hole (124), the conductive part (111) of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) and the pad (151) of the inspection device (150) are precisely aligned with each other.
[0110] The above frame (120) is composed of a core substrate (121) and a surface layer (122).
[0111] The core substrate (121) is a component of the frame (120) and is made of a glass material having excellent rigidity and thermal stability.
[0112] Specifically, the core substrate (121) is preferably made of a low-expansion / low-moisture absorption glass material having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in the range of 1 to 10 ppm and a moisture absorption rate of 0.1 to 0.5% or less. The physical properties of this glass material are such that, compared to conventional FR4 material (CTE approximately 12 to 17 ppm) or general resin-based film, deformation due to heat is very low, allowing the flatness and dimensions of the frame (120) to be maintained precisely not only at room temperature but also in high-temperature inspection environments.
[0113] In particular, the core substrate (121) has a high Young's Modulus characteristic of glass material, so that even if the size of the frame (120) increases for large-area inspection, sagging due to self-weight or warpage due to external pressure is effectively suppressed.
[0114] In addition, since the core substrate (121) has almost no expansion or change in physical properties due to moisture absorption, it provides consistent dimensional stability regardless of changes in humidity in the environment where the inspection equipment is installed. This serves to minimize misalignment between each conductive part (111) and terminal (141) when inspecting a large-area device (140) having tens of thousands of terminals, thereby preventing contact failures and maximizing inspection yield.
[0115] Furthermore, the glass material of the core substrate (121) has excellent electrical insulation properties, which has the advantage of fundamentally eliminating the risk of short circuits between signals or electrical interference problems that may occur in a metal material frame.
[0116] A surface layer (122) is formed on at least one surface of a core substrate (121) made of glass material and serves to complement the physical and electrical properties of the core substrate (121). Specifically, the surface layer (122) can be formed by directly casting a polyimide solution (122a) or a fluorine resin solution onto the surface of the core substrate (121) and then curing it.
[0117] The surface layer (122) formed through this casting method uniformly fills the surface roughness of the core substrate (121), which is made of glass material, while maximizing interfacial adhesion, and as a result, is firmly integrated with the core substrate (121). In particular, the surface layer (122), which is made of polyimide material, compensates for the brittleness (breakability) characteristic of glass material, thereby preventing damage to the frame (120) due to external impact or repeated pressure, and significantly improves mechanical durability.
[0118] In addition, if the surface layer (122) is formed with a fluorine-based resin, the moisture absorption rate can be minimized through excellent water-repellent properties, thereby fundamentally preventing dimensional deformation due to changes in humidity. Furthermore, the low dielectric constant and dielectric loss characteristics of the fluorine material suppress electrical interference and signal attenuation that occur during high-frequency signal transmission, thereby providing a frame structure optimized for testing next-generation semiconductor devices that require high-speed operation.
[0119] At this time, the surface layer (122) may be selectively formed on the upper or lower surface of the core substrate (121) as needed, or formed on both sides as in FIG. 6(a) to form a symmetrical structure of the entire frame, thereby allowing for more precise control of warpage that may occur during thermal expansion.
[0120] FIG. 6 briefly illustrates the manufacturing process of the frame (120).
[0121] First, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a glass core substrate (121) that has been cleaned and surface treated is placed horizontally on a stage, and then a certain amount of liquid polyimide solution (122a) or fluorine solution is supplied to the upper surface of the core substrate (121).
[0122] Next, the supplied solution is scanned at a constant pressure and speed using a spatula (130, squeegee or doctor blade), which is a coating means, to form a uniform thickness over the entire area of the core substrate (121).
[0123] At this time, by precisely controlling the spacing distance between the spatula (130) and the core substrate (121) and the angle of the spatula, a surface layer (122) having a fine thickness of tens to hundreds of micrometers can be formed. In particular, as the liquid solution penetrates into the micro-pores or irregularities present on the surface of the glass core substrate (121) and hardens, a strong interfacial adhesion force is formed between the core substrate (121) and the surface layer (122) due to chemical affinity as well as physical bonding force.
[0124] Subsequently, the core substrate (121) coated with the solution undergoes a curing process in which the temperature is gradually increased within a heating furnace. During this process, as the solvent evaporates, the polyimide or fluorine component solidifies, thereby completing a surface layer (122) that is completely integrated with the core substrate (121). Compared to a method of attaching sheets using a separate adhesive, this casting-based integrated structure not only minimizes thickness variation across the entire frame but also fundamentally resolves issues such as delamination of the contact surface or bubble formation in high-temperature environments, thereby extending the lifespan of the frame (120).
[0125] After the surface layer (122) is integrated with the surface of the core substrate (121), a hole machining process for precise position fixing of the frame (120) is performed, as shown in FIG. 6(b).
[0126] Since the core substrate (121) of the present invention is made of a glass material with high rigidity and high hardness, there is a high risk that micro-cracks or chipping may occur around the hole due to physical impact when mechanical processing such as general drilling or punching is applied. Such micro-damage can reduce the structural strength of the large-area frame and act as a starting point for failure in a high-temperature environment.
[0127] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the hole processing process can form a positioning hole (124) and a through hole (125) corresponding to a conductive part by irradiating a laser, which is a non-contact processing method. Since laser processing removes the core substrate (121) made of glass material and the surface layer (122) made of organic material by simultaneously melting and vaporizing them through local thermal energy or photochemical reaction, it is possible to form a hole with excellent cross-sectional roughness and precise dimensions even in a structure where heterogeneous materials are stacked.
[0128] In particular, the positioning hole (124) formed by laser processing minimizes the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the inner wall of the hole, allowing high positional precision to be maintained for a long period without wear or damage to the inner wall even during the process of the positioning pin (152) of the inspection device (150) being repeatedly inserted and removed. In addition, by processing tens of thousands of fine through holes (125) at high speed through precise beam profile control of the laser, it provides the advantage of significantly improving the production yield of large-area frames.
[0129] The inspection socket (100) according to the present embodiment is suitable for large-area applications as it has excellent surface roughness and minimal bending because it uses a glass material for the frame (120).
[0130] In addition, the size of the frame (120) increases as the number of terminals (141) of the device under inspection (140) increases, and the disadvantage of the existing FR4 material having limitations can be overcome by using glass material. In the case of metal material, it is impossible to use it as an individual hole because there is a risk of short circuit as it is a conductor, but this disadvantage can also be overcome by using glass material.
[0131] The inspection socket (100) according to the present invention can be modified as follows.
[0132] In the above-described embodiment, a surface layer (122) formed by casting a polyimide solution (122a) on the surface of a core substrate (121) made of glass material was exemplified, but it is not limited thereto, and as shown in FIG. 7, it is possible to form a surface layer (122) formed by casting a fluorine solution on the surface of a core substrate (121).
[0133] According to another embodiment of the invention, a surface layer (122) formed by casting a fluorine resin solution on the surface of a core substrate (121) may be included. The fluorine material has very low polarity due to strong carbon-fluorine (CF) bonds within its molecular structure, and thus possesses characteristics of high chemical stability and extremely low surface energy.
[0134] First, in terms of moisture management, the fluorine surface layer (122) provides excellent water repellency properties. This fundamentally blocks moisture from penetrating into the interior even when the large-area frame (120) is exposed to external moisture, thereby reducing or suppressing the moisture absorption rate to an extremely low level.
[0135] As a result, by preventing expansion of the material or degradation of physical properties due to changes in humidity, it is possible to maintain ultra-precision dimensional stability, which is essential in large-area environments where tens of thousands of micro-terminals are inspected, for a long period of time. In addition, the fluorine surface layer (122) provides excellent electrical characteristics in terms of high-frequency signal processing.
[0136] Fluorine-based resins belong to the class of general polymer materials with the lowest dielectric constant and dielectric loss values. When inspecting a device (140) that uses high frequencies in the GHz range, if the dielectric constant of the frame material is high, signal transmission speed may be delayed or thermal energy may be generated, causing signal distortion. The present invention minimizes signal attenuation during the inspection process and improves signal integrity by forming a fluorine surface layer (122) having low dielectric constant and dielectric loss on a glass core substrate (121).
[0137] In particular, the fluorine surface layer (122) maintains stable dielectric performance even in the high-frequency band, thus providing an optimized environment for realizing high-performance electrical characteristics required by large-area sockets.
[0138] Furthermore, the fluorine material has a very low friction coefficient, which prevents dust or contaminants generated during the inspection process from adhering to the frame surface, thereby increasing the maintenance efficiency of the inspection socket (100) and providing an additional effect of extending the product's lifespan.
[0139] In the above-described embodiment, a polyimide solution (122a) or a fluorine solution is cast on the surface of the core substrate (121), but this is not limited thereto, and as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is possible to attach a surface sheet (123) to the surface of the core substrate.
[0140] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a separately manufactured surface sheet (123) may be bonded to the surface of a core substrate (121). The surface sheet (123) may be composed of at least one of a polyimide sheet, a metal sheet, or an FR4 sheet, and may have a composite laminated structure of a single material or heterogeneous materials.
[0141] In particular, when manufacturing an inspection socket for a large-area device to be inspected with 10,000 to 15,000 or more high-pin counts, if a single large sheet is used, there is a problem in that the production yield of the entire frame decreases rapidly due to accumulated errors or defects in the micro-hole processing process. To solve this, the present invention proposes a structure in which a large core substrate (121) made of glass material is maintained as an integral unit, while a surface sheet (123) placed thereon is divided into multiple sheets and attached thereon.
[0142] The technical advantages of this split attachment structure are as follows.
[0143] First, there is a significant improvement in process yield. When processing tens of thousands of micro-through holes (125), the surface sheet (123) is divided into small sections and attached to the core substrate (121) after processing and inspection, so that even if processing defects occur in some areas, only the corresponding divided sheet needs to be replaced, thereby significantly reducing the overall frame waste rate.
[0144] Second, it relieves thermal expansion stress between dissimilar materials. Thermal stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the glass core substrate (121) and the surface sheet (123) material (e.g., FR4, metal) can be dispersed and relieved through the fine gaps between the divided sheets. This is effective in preventing the entire frame from twisting or peeling at the interface during high-temperature inspection.
[0145] Third, there is an active response to device warpage. By configuring the thickness of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) placed on each divided surface sheet (123) differently or controlling it independently, the height difference caused by warpage of the large-area device under inspection (140) itself can be offset. Through this, the contact pressure between the terminal and the conductive part can be maintained uniformly across the entire area of the device under inspection, thereby maximizing inspection precision.
[0146] Furthermore, the core substrate (121) is composed of a single sheet of integrated glass material, so that the basic dimensional accuracy and thermal expansion suppression power of the entire frame are maintained, and thus, even if the surface sheet (123) is divided, the absolute positional accuracy between each inspection area is firmly maintained, which is an advantage.
[0147] At this time, a positioning hole (124) is formed in the core substrate (121), so that it can have a structure with excellent dimensional precision.
[0148] The frame (120) according to the present embodiment has a composite structure in which a core substrate (121) and a surface sheet (123) of different materials are firmly combined, thereby enabling a revolutionary improvement in production yield even in an ultra-highly integrated large-area inspection socket having more than 15,000 terminals (141).
[0149] Specifically, by dividing the surface sheet (123) into multiple sheets rather than a single plate and attaching them, the cumulative tolerance of hole locations that may occur during large-area processing can be distributed and offset for each divided area.
[0150] At this time, the base core substrate (121) is maintained as a single glass plate and acts as a reference surface that supports the absolute positional precision between the divided surface sheets (123), so that the dimensional precision of the entire frame can be maintained at the highest level.
[0151] Additionally, an anisotropic conductive sheet (110) can be formed on each divided surface sheet (123) in a one-to-one matching manner. In this case, if the device under inspection (140) is warped upward or downward due to characteristics of the manufacturing process, the thickness of the anisotropic conductive sheet (110) for each region can be formed differently and independently in response.
[0152] For example, if the device under test (140) is bent downward convexly, the height difference can be compensated by forming the thickness of the anisotropic conductive sheet in the central part of the frame relatively thinner than in the outer part, and uniform compression displacement and low contact resistance can be maintained across the entire area.
[0153] Meanwhile, when a metal surface sheet (123) is attached to the surface of the core substrate (121), the surface sheet (123) is electrically connected to an inspection device (150) or an external ground terminal to maintain it at a ground potential.
[0154] In this case, the inner surface of the through hole (125) formed in the surface sheet (123) acts as an external conductor that concentrically surrounds the conductive part (111), thereby forming a coaxial shielding structure that electromagnetically isolates the signal transmission path. This structure effectively blocks radiated noise generated during high-frequency signal transmission and fundamentally suppresses signal interference (crosstalk) between adjacent conductive parts, thereby maximizing the reliability of high-speed inspection.
[0155] Furthermore, the metal surface sheet (123) provides ground-based electrical shielding performance and simultaneously serves as a protective layer that physically reinforces the surface of the glass core substrate (121), which is vulnerable to impact. This enhances the mechanical durability of the entire frame and provides the advantage of ensuring a long service life without damage to the frame, even in a repetitive pressure environment.
[0156] Although the technical concept of the present disclosure has been described by some embodiments and examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and changes may be made without departing from the technical concept and scope of the present disclosure as understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Furthermore, such substitutions, modifications, and changes should be considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. In a test socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device under test and a pad of a test device, An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising a conductive portion in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of a device under test, and an insulating portion that supports the conductive portion while insulating each other; and It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and The above frame consists of an inspection area and a peripheral area positioned at the outer periphery of the inspection area. The above anisotropic conductive sheet is disposed in the above inspection area, and The above frame is, A core substrate made of glass material, and An inspection socket characterized by including a surface layer formed on the surface of the core substrate.
2. An inspection socket according to claim 1, characterized in that the anisotropic conductive sheet is disposed on the upper surface of the frame.
3. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the above surface layer is a coating layer formed by casting a polyimide solution or a fluorine solution onto the surface of the core substrate.
4. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that a through hole is formed in the frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the anisotropic conductive sheet, and the conductive portion passes through the through hole and protrudes downward from the frame.
5. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the above frame and the above anisotropic conductive sheet are bonded to each other by an adhesive.
6. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the above surface layer is formed on at least one of the upper or lower surface of the core substrate.
7. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the above surface layer is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the core substrate.
8. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the core substrate is made of a glass material having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 1 to 10 ppm and a moisture absorption rate of 0.1 to 0.5%.
9. In Paragraph 1, An inspection socket characterized in that the above frame is formed in the shape of a square sheet.
10. In a test socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device under test and a pad of a test device, A conductive part in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of the device under test, and An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising insulating parts that support the conductive parts while insulating each other; and It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and The above frame consists of an inspection area and a peripheral area positioned at the outer periphery of the inspection area, and The above anisotropic conductive sheet is disposed in the above inspection area, and The above frame is, A core substrate made of glass material, and An inspection socket characterized by including a surface sheet bonded to the surface of the core substrate.
11. In Paragraph 10, An inspection socket characterized in that the surface sheet comprises at least one of a polyimide sheet, a metal sheet, or an FR4 sheet.
12. In Paragraph 10, An inspection socket characterized in that the surface sheet is divided into two or more parts and attached to the core substrate.
13. In Paragraph 12, The above anisotropic conductive sheet is divided into a plurality of parts corresponding to the divided surface sheet, and On each of the above-described divided surface sheets, the divided anisotropic conductive sheets are each disposed in a one-to-one ratio, and An inspection socket characterized in that the thicknesses of the plurality of anisotropic conductive sheets are formed differently from each other.
14. In Paragraph 10, The above surface sheet is made of a metal sheet, and A through hole is formed in the above frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the above anisotropic conductive sheet, and The above conductive portion protrudes downward from the frame through the through hole, and An inspection socket characterized in that a portion of the through hole is formed to correspond to the outer diameter of the conductive portion and provides a shielding effect by contacting the outer circumference of the conductive portion.
15. An inspection socket according to claim 10, characterized in that a positioning hole is formed in the surrounding area.
16. In a test socket that electrically connects a terminal of a device under test and a pad of a test device, An anisotropic conductive sheet comprising a conductive portion in which a plurality of conductive particles are arranged in an up-and-down direction within an elastic insulating material at each position corresponding to a terminal of a device under test, and an insulating portion that supports the conductive portion while insulating each other; and It includes a frame that supports the above-mentioned anisotropic conductive sheet, and The above frame is, A core substrate made of glass material, and The surface of the core substrate includes a surface sheet made of a metal sheet, and A through hole is formed in the above frame at a position corresponding to the conductive portion of the above anisotropic conductive sheet, and The above conductive portion passes through the through hole and protrudes downward from the frame, and An inspection socket characterized in that some of the through holes are formed to correspond to the outer diameter of the conductive part so as to come into contact with the conductive part, thereby providing a shielding effect.