Multilayer Contact Probe for Testing Head
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact probes used in testing heads face challenges in maintaining effective electrical and mechanical contact, especially in moist or corrosive environments, and can be damaged or stuck due to material limitations and sliding issues in vertical probe configurations.
Innovation Solution
A contact probe design featuring a multilayer structure with a core and inner coating layers, completely covered by an outer coating layer of high hardness and conductivity, along with an adhesive film and protective layer to enhance adhesion and corrosion resistance, and improve sliding performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If contact probes are made of soft material to allow sliding in guide holes, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to material damage and sticking in corrosive environments
Solution Approach 1:
The contact probe is constructed as a composite structure with a soft core material (e.g., tungsten or alloy wire) providing mechanical flexibility and sliding capability, coated with a hard protective layer (e.g., rhodium, platinum, or nickel-phosphorus alloy) that provides corrosion resistance and durability. This composite structure allows the probe to slide easily in guide holes while resisting damage and sticking in corrosive environments.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the contact probe have different material properties optimized for their specific functions: the core material provides softness and flexibility for sliding, while the outer coating layer provides hardness and corrosion resistance for reliable contact in aggressive environments. This local differentiation of material qualities resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Strength
If contact probes are made of hard material to resist damage, then strength is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in sliding inside guide holes
Solution Approach 1:
The contact probe uses a composite structure where the core material (e.g., tungsten or alloy wire) provides the necessary strength and damage resistance, while the outer coating layer (e.g., rhodium or platinum) provides a smooth, low-friction surface that facilitates easy sliding in guide holes. This composite approach allows the probe to maintain both strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact probe exhibits local quality differentiation: the core region has high strength properties for damage resistance, while the outer surface has low-friction properties for easy sliding. This spatial variation in material properties resolves the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If multilayer structure is used to improve electrical conductivity, then electrical performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact probe employs a composite multilayer structure with a conductive core material (e.g., tungsten or alloy wire) and a conductive coating layer (e.g., rhodium, platinum, or nickel-phosphorus alloy). This composite structure improves electrical conductivity while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes such as electroplating or physical vapor deposition, thus balancing electrical performance with device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The multilayer structure changes the electrical parameters of the contact probe by combining materials with different conductive properties. The coating layer compensates for the lower conductivity of the core material, achieving high overall electrical conductivity. This parameter optimization is achieved through standard coating techniques, keeping the manufacturing complexity manageable.
4Reliability
If outer coating layer completely covers the multilayer structure, then corrosion resistance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact probe uses a composite structure with a core material and an outer coating layer that completely covers the core. Standard coating techniques such as electroplating, physical vapor deposition, or chemical vapor deposition are employed to achieve uniform complete coverage. These established manufacturing processes can achieve the required coating uniformity and thickness control, making the manufacturing precision requirements manageable while providing excellent corrosion resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
It is described a contact probe for a testing head of an apparatus for testing electronic devices including a body essentially extended along a longitudinal direction between a contact tip and a contact head, that contact probe comprising at least one multilayer structure, in turn including a superposition of at least one inner layer or core and a first inner coating layer, and an outer coating layer that completely covers the multilayer structure and made of a material having a higher hardness than a material realizing the core.