Contamination-tolerant electrical test probe
US6429672B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 1998 |
| Grant date | Aug 6, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 30, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R3/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A bed-of-nails type or needle-card type test probe has clusters of parallel buckling beams arranged in a spaced arrangement. The buckling beams are arranged and electrically connected within a cluster so that a contaminant, which may be on the device being tested, does not reduce the accuracy of the test measurements. In particular, the spacing of the buckling beams is such that multiple buckling beams are capable of contacting a single feature on an electronics package to be tested. The buckling beams deflect independently of each other in response to compressive force, and the buckling beams within a cluster are electrically connected in parallel to each other to define redundant, independent conductive paths through the buckling beams. In this way, if a contaminant prevents one of the buckling beams of the cluster from making electrical contact with the feature to be tested, the other one or more of the buckling beams of the cluster will make the required electrical connection.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.