Crossed Test Contact Pins for Reliable Square and Round Leads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical test contacts for IC devices with pin-type leads, particularly those with round or square cross-sections, struggle to establish reliable electrical connections due to positional inaccuracies and deviations, leading to failed or inaccurate tests, especially in Kelvin testing.
Innovation Solution
A crossed pair of contact pins with perpendicular arms forming a square configuration, each with inward-biased forked arms and relief cavities, ensuring electrical connection with device pins even under lateral deviations, and separate legs for connection to the load board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If parallel contact pins are used to grip device pins, then the design works well with traditional eagle eye pins having oblong shape, but it does not perform well with device pins that have round or square cross-sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a parallel contact pin arrangement to a crossed contact pin arrangement where pins intersect at approximately 90 degrees. This dimensional reconfiguration allows the contact pins to approach the device pin from multiple directions simultaneously, enabling reliable contact with round, square, and oblong pin cross-sections regardless of their orientation or lateral deviations.
2Reliability
If device pins have round or square cross-sections, then they offer very small contact area with parallel contact pins, but the crossed pin design establishes good electrical connection
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging contact pins in a crossed configuration rather than parallel, the design enables contact pins to engage the device pin from multiple spatial dimensions simultaneously. This increases the effective contact area even for pins with small cross-sections like round or square profiles, as the crossed pins can contact different sides or surfaces of the device pin.
3Reliability
If square cross-sectioned device pins are rotated by 45° from optimal angle, then only two corners contact the parallel contact pins, but the crossed pin design maintains good connection
Solution Approach 1:
The crossed pin configuration distributes contact points across multiple orientations in space. When a square pin is rotated, the crossed pins can still engage with at least two sides of the pin due to their perpendicular arrangement, whereas parallel pins would only contact corners at specific rotation angles. This multi-directional approach compensates for rotational misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact assembly uses multiple contact pins with different spatial orientations working together as a composite structure. This composite arrangement ensures that regardless of the device pin's rotation or lateral position, at least some of the contact pins will establish reliable electrical connection.
4Reliability
If device pin has lateral deviation from desired position, then parallel contact pin design is not forgiving and device pin may miss one contact pin entirely, but crossed pin design maintains contact
Solution Approach 1:
The crossed pin arrangement creates a spatial distribution of contact points that covers a larger area and multiple directions. When a device pin deviates laterally from the ideal position, the perpendicular orientation of crossed pins ensures that the pin still intersects with multiple contact pins, whereas parallel pins arranged in a narrow configuration are more susceptible to complete miss-contact.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical contact for electrically connecting a device pin of an integrated circuit (IC) device-under-test and a load board of the testing apparatus, the electrical contact having a crossed pair of contact pins with each pin having a pair of upwards-extending arms that intersect perpendicularly the pair of arms of the other pin, so that all four arms form a square configuration, with each arm at a 90° angle to the arm next to it. A top pin has a bridge that saddles between the arms, and over a shoulder of the bottom pin, so that the top and bottom pins are not in contact with each other.