Contact probe arrangement for electrically connecting a test system to the contact pads of a device to be tested

US4843315A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Thomas Bayer · Igersheim, DE
• Michael Elsasser · Herrenberg, DE
• Johann Greschner · Neckartenzlingen, DE
• Heinrich Schmid · Diedorf, DE
• Roland Stohr · Nufringen, DE
• Olaf Wolter · Aidlingen, DE
• Jurgen Wittlinger · Böblingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 1988
• Grant date: Jun 27, 1989
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R1/07357
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The contact probe arrangement includes a stack of perforated plates (1, 1a) through which extend a plurality contact probes. The stack of perforated plates consists of two kinds of plates. The first kind forms the lowermost plates (1a). They have circular or square holes permitting a vertical placing of the contact probes onto the contact pads (4) of the device (5) to be tested. The plates (1) of the second kind have oblong, rectangular, square, circular, elliptical or trapezoidal holes (3). With respect to the stacked plates of the second kind, alternate ones are offset against the two other adjacent plates which are aligned relative to each other, in such a manner that each contact probe is surrounded by part of the lower edge of the upper of two adjacent perforated plates, and part of the upper edge of the lower of two adjacent perforated plates. If axial stress is applied, the contact probe can thus not buckle any farther than to a part of the perforation wall limiting its maximum buckling. This ensures a sufficiently low contact resistance between the contact probe and the contact pad of the device to be tested. By using a corresponding number of perforated plates of the secon…