BGA Chip Socket Clamp Structure for Repeatable Solder-Free Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chip testing methods risk damaging semiconductor devices during the testing process due to soldering, making it challenging to achieve repeatable and stable results.
Innovation Solution
A chip socket with conductive clamp structures and electrical contacts is designed to securely attach and detach chips without soldering, using a pedestal with conductive traces and compatible with standard BGA packages, allowing for repeatable and stable testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a device under test (DUT) is soldered on the circuit board for testing, then the electrical connection is stable, but the DUT can be damaged easily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a socket as an intermediary component between the circuit board and the device under test. The socket provides a mechanical and electrical interface that eliminates direct soldering of the DUT to the board, thereby preventing damage while maintaining stable electrical connections through conductive traces and contact structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the testing system into separate functional components: the circuit board, the socket (with conductive traces and contact structures), and the device under test. This segmentation allows the DUT to be tested without permanent attachment, enabling removal and replacement while maintaining connection stability during testing.
2Reliability
If a device under test (DUT) is soldered on the circuit board for testing, then the electrical connection is stable, but the testing cannot be repeated with different chips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the testing system into separate functional components: the circuit board, the socket (with conductive traces and contact structures), and the device under test. This segmentation allows the DUT to be tested without permanent attachment, enabling removal and replacement while maintaining connection stability during testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The socket is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate different devices under test through standardized conductive trace patterns and contact structures. The socket maintains stable electrical connections while enabling the testing of multiple different chips, providing both reliability and versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional socket fixtures are used for chip testing, then chip replacement is enabled, but the testing results are not repeatable and stable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a socket as an intermediary component between the circuit board and the chip. This socket provides controlled mechanical and electrical interfaces with defined conductive trace paths and contact structures, ensuring that electrical connections remain stable and consistent across multiple testing cycles, thereby improving result repeatability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes parameters of the socket structure, including conductive trace geometry, contact structure dimensions, and material properties, to ensure stable electrical connections. By carefully controlling these parameters, the socket maintains consistent electrical characteristics that enable repeatable testing results across multiple chips and testing sessions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a chip socket, a testing fixture and a chip testing method thereof. The chip socket includes a pedestal, a plurality of conductive traces, a plurality of clamp structures, and a plurality of electrical contacts. The plurality of conductive traces are formed in the pedestal. The plurality of clamp structures are conductive and disposed on the first surface of the pedestal, and at least one of the plurality of clamp structures is coupled to a corresponding conductive trace and configured to clamp a solder ball of a chip to be tested. The plurality of electrical contacts are disposed on the second surface of the pedestal, and at least one of the plurality of electrical contacts is coupled to a corresponding clamp structure through a corresponding conductive trace.