Probe Card Leaf Spring Mechanism for Uniform Contact Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing probe cards face challenges in maintaining consistent contact pressure and reducing probe trace on bump electrodes, especially with lead-free materials, leading to increased wear and cleaning frequency, and high initial costs for small-quantity manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A probe assembly with a holding block and an elastic mechanism unit, utilizing a leaf spring mechanism for elastic support, which allows for uniform contact pressure and reduced sliding distance, enabling reliable contact without damaging bump electrodes and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If overdrive is applied to ensure sufficient contact area and low electrical resistance, then contact quality is improved, but sliding distance becomes excessive for certain probes leading to probe trace and bump electrode deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different overdrive forces to different probe rows based on their specific requirements. Probes in different rows receive customized overdrive forces matched to their individual characteristics, preventing excessive sliding distance for rows that would otherwise suffer from probe trace and bump electrode deterioration while ensuring adequate contact for all probes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by adjusting the overdrive force parameter for each probe row according to its specific characteristics. This allows optimization of the overdrive parameter for each row to achieve the minimum necessary sliding distance for reliable contact without causing harmful effects like probe trace and bump electrode deterioration.
2Reliability
If high pin pressure is applied to contact high hardness bump electrodes, then contact reliability is improved, but sliding distance increases excessively leading to increased cleaning frequency and reduced probe lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring overdrive forces to specific probe rows based on their individual characteristics and requirements. This ensures that each row receives the appropriate overdrive force to achieve reliable contact with high hardness bump electrodes without excessive sliding that would increase cleaning frequency and reduce probe lifetime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by optimizing the overdrive force parameter for each probe row to match its specific requirements. This allows achieving reliable contact with high hardness materials while minimizing unnecessary sliding distance that would lead to increased wear and reduced probe lifetime.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform overdrive is applied to all probes, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but sliding distance difference between rows becomes excessive causing bump electrode deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing row-specific overdrive forces that are customized for each probe row based on its characteristics. This prevents excessive sliding distance and bump electrode deterioration while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process by organizing probes into rows with similar characteristics that can be processed together.
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
The solution extends the lifetime of probes, reduces appearance defects, decreases cleaning frequency, and lowers production costs by ensuring consistent contact pressure and minimizing probe trace on bump electrodes, even with high-hardness materials.
Implementation Method 1
the end portions of the plural spring parts are in contact with the protrusion of the first connecting member, and the leaf spring elastically deforms with the protrusion as a supporting point
Data Source
AI summary
The objective of the present invention is to provide a type of probe assembly with a long lifetime and low cost, as well as a type of probe card using same. Probe assembly 100 attached on the probe card has probe holder 200 that holds plural probes Q at prescribed positions and leaf spring mechanism 300 with probe holder 200 attached on it. Said leaf spring mechanism 300 has leaf spring cover 360 connected to probe card base plate 410 and leaf spring 330, as well as pin row base plate 310 with probe holder 200 attached on it. When the bump electrodes are contacted, pin row base plate 310 can move towards leaf spring cover 360 via leaf spring 330.