Contactor Body Manufacturing via Stacked EDM Shaping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing contactor bodies for testing semiconductor devices result in inconsistent contact forces due to minute differences in tip positioning, leading to incorrect test results and reduced operational lifespan.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the stacking and simultaneous shaping of semi-finished contactor elements using electrical discharge machining to form uniformly precise contact tips, with optional permanent fixation and placement in a base body to ensure consistent spring force and reduced mechanical stress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If individual contactor elements are formed separately and placed in a socket, then the manufacturing process is flexible and easy to perform, but the positioning accuracy of contactor tips varies, leading to inconsistent contact force

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidcontactor tip positioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple semi-finished contactor elements are stacked together to form a single integrated structure before final shaping. This merging approach ensures that all contactor tips are positioned relative to a common reference frame, eliminating cumulative positioning errors that would occur with separate assembly operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The contactor elements are pre-positioned in a stacked configuration before the final shaping operation. This preliminary arrangement establishes precise relative positioning that is then locked in during the simultaneous shaping process, ensuring consistent tip alignment without requiring high-precision individual placement operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If contactor elements are individually formed with spring characteristics, then each element can independently contact IC surfaces, but variations in contact force occur due to positioning differences, causing wrong test results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindependent contact capabilityVSAvoidtest result accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The contactor elements are combined in a fixed stack where their positions are rigidly determined relative to each other. This eliminates the positioning variations that would cause inconsistent contact forces, while each element retains its spring characteristic for independent contact with IC surfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

All contactor elements in the stack are subjected to the same shaping process simultaneously, ensuring uniform tip geometry and spring characteristics. This homogeneity in manufacturing conditions eliminates variations in contact force that would arise from individual processing differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #33Homogeneity

3Manufacturing precision

If contactor elements are placed in a socket with sufficient accuracy, then contactor tips can contact IC areas simultaneously, but the process is time-consuming and reduces operational efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontactor tip alignmentVSAvoidmanufacturing cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple contactor elements are stacked and shaped simultaneously in a single operation rather than being individually placed and adjusted. This merging of operations dramatically reduces the total time required while maintaining precise alignment through the fixed stack configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The contactor elements are pre-assembled in a stack with predetermined positioning before the final shaping operation. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming individual placement and adjustment operations, as the relative positions are established once and maintained throughout the process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If laser cutting is used to form contact tips, then the process is fast and efficient, but laser beam divergence causes increasing offsets in tip position, reducing precision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetip formation speedVSAvoidtip position accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces laser cutting with electrical discharge machining to form contact tips. While EDM is slower than laser cutting, it eliminates the beam divergence problem entirely by using an electrical field rather than a light field, thereby maintaining precision without the positioning offsets that plague laser methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

5Ease of manufacture

If mechanical force is applied during tip formation, then the shaping process is straightforward and controllable, but displacements, twisting and stresses occur in the contactor elements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaping process controlVSAvoidcontactor element integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical shaping methods with electrical discharge machining. EDM removes material through controlled electrical erosion rather than mechanical contact, thereby achieving precise tip formation without applying mechanical forces that would cause displacements, twisting, or residual stresses in the contactor elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures homogeneous contact force distribution and extended operational period by maintaining precise tip formation and positioning, reducing variations and mechanical stress during testing.

Implementation Method 1

the step of simultaneously shaping the semi-finished contactor elements in the stack to form portions of respective shaped contactor elements having the respective contact tips of the contactor body. This is a particularly efficient and exact way of shaping the semifinished contactor elements

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical discharge machining: Electrical Discharge Machining

Data Source

PatentEP2960658B1Method of manufacturing a contactor body

Publication Date: 2017.09.27 RASCO

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Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C

AI summary

The invention provides a method of manufacturing a contactor body having contact tips configured for temporarily contacting respective contact areas of a semiconductor device, the method of manufacturing the contactor body comprising the steps of stacking a plurality of semi-finished contactor elements to form a stack, wherein each of the semi-finished contactor elements is formed of an electrically conductive material; and the step of simultaneously shaping the semi-finished contactor elements in the stack to form portions of respective shaped contactor elements having the respective contact tips of the contactor body. The invention further provides a contactor body having contact tips configured for temporarily contacting respective contact areas of a semiconductor device, the contactor body being manufactured according to the method of the invention.