US-12618899-B2 - Method for aligning contact pins in an integrated circuit testing apparatus

US12618899B2US 12618899 B2US12618899 B2US 12618899B2US-12618899-B2

Abstract

A method of aligning one or more rows of contact pins in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus that uses structures in bottom plates of the assembly itself to align rows of contact pins. Once a row of contact pins has been inserted into slots located on a socket body in the y-axis, one of the bottom plates is lowered onto the socket body. Some structures on the bottom plate restrict it to movement primarily in the x-axis with respect to the socket body, while other structures allow it to capture all misaligned contact pins and “comb” them into alignment by small adjustments in the x-axis. In this way, the rows of contact pins are aligned as part of the assembly process itself, and no additional tools or equipment are needed.

Inventors

Wei Kuong Foong
Kok Sing Goh
Shamal MUNDIYATH
Eng Kiat Lee
Caleb LIM

Assignees

JF MICROTECHNOLOGY SDN. BHD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230325
Priority Date: 20220330

Claims (10)

1 . A method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus, comprising: a. placing a row of inner contact pins and a row of outer contact pins, each inner contact pin and its corresponding outer contact pin forming a contact pin pair, into a row of slots located on a socket body, each said inner contact pin having a top end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of an IC device under test, and a bottom end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of a load board, and each said outer contact pin having a top end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of an IC device under test, and a bottom end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of a load board; and b. lowering a first bottom plate towards said socket body, said first bottom plate provided with a slit with a profile that matches the desired final alignment of said row of outer contact pin bottom ends, said slit chamfered on at least one of its upper edges such that an upper opening of said slit is wider than a lower opening of said slit, said wider upper opening allowing for easier inclusion of any misaligned outer contact pin bottom ends into said slit so that all outer contact pin bottom ends are then aligned as desired once said first bottom plate is fully lowered onto said socket body.
2 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said first bottom plate is provided with a cut out at its inner side with a profile that matches the desired final alignment of said row of inner contact pin bottom ends, said cut out chamfered on its upper edge allowing for easier inclusion of any misaligned inner contact pin bottom ends into said cut out so that all inner contact pin bottom ends are moved to said inner side of the cut out once said first bottom plate is fully lowered onto said socket body, and further comprising the step of: c. lowering a center cover plate towards said socket body, said center cover plate located adjacent to said first bottom plate and provided with a chamfer on an upper edge of a side that is adjacent to the first bottom plate cut out, said chamfer allowing for easier inclusion of any misaligned inner contact pin bottom ends into a slit formed by said center cover plate cut out and said first bottom plate cut out once the center cover plate is fully lowered onto the socket body.
3 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the said center cover plate is located adjacent to said first bottom plate and provided with a cut out that is adjacent to and having a matching profile with the first bottom plate cut out, said cut out chamfered on its upper edge allowing for easier inclusion of any misaligned inner contact pin bottom ends into a slit formed by said center cover plate cut out and said first bottom plate cut out once the center cover plate is fully lowered onto the socket body.
4 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the said first bottom plate is provided with at least one through-hole, each said at least one through-hole positioned to receive an upwards-protruding dowel pin, each said at least one through-hole elongated in an x-axis so that once said dowel pin is engaged through it, the entire first bottom plate is able to move primarily only in the x-axis direction and only in a range provided by the elongation of the said through-hole.
5 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the said dowel pin protrudes upwards at least to a height that allows its said engagement with said through-hole to happen before said row of outer contact pin bottom ends reaches said upper opening of said slit and also before said row of inner contact pin bottom ends reaches said upper edge of said cut out, as said first bottom plate is lowered onto said socket body.
6 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the said first bottom plate is provided with a means of securing its position with respect to said socket body once the said rows of outer contact pin bottom ends have been aligned into said slit.
7 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each said inner contact pin has a body portion in between the said bottom end and said top end, said body comprising an upwards curve joined to a downwards curve, which curves form an “S” shape in a middle portion of said inner contact pin, and the said inner contact pin bottom end extending vertically from a right-angle joint with said body, and wherein each said outer contact pin has a body portion in between the said bottom end and said top end, said body comprising an upwards curve joined to a downwards curve, which curves form an “S” shape in a middle portion of said outer contact pin, and the said outer contact pin bottom end extending vertically from a right-angle joint with said body.
8 . A method for aligning a row of contact pins in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus, comprising: a. placing a row of contact pins into a row of slots located on a socket body, each said contact pin having a top end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of an IC device under test, and a bottom end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of a load board; and b. lowering a center cover plate towards said socket body, said center cover plate provided with a slit with a profile that matches the desired final alignment of said row of contact pin bottom ends, said slit chamfered on at least one of its upper edges such that an upper opening of said slit is wider than a lower opening of said slit, said wider upper opening allowing for easier inclusion of any misaligned contact pin bottom ends into said slit so that all contact pin bottom ends are then aligned as desired once said center cover plate is fully lowered onto said socket body.
9 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the said center cover plate is provided with a means of securing its position with respect to said socket body once the said rows of contact pin bottom ends have been aligned into said slit.
10 . The method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each said contact pin has a body in between the said bottom end and said top end, said body comprising an upwards curve joined to a downwards curve, which curves form an “S” shape in a middle portion of said contact pin, and the said contact pin bottom end extending vertically from a right-angle joint with said body.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a method for aligning contact pins in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus, and more specifically to such a method that allows for easy and accurate aligning of at least one row of contact pins in the testing apparatus. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION An integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus is used to evaluate performance of the IC device, and to remove from further production those IC devices that are faulty. In some types of IC device testing apparatus, there are rows of contacts pins within the testing apparatus that provide electrical connections between the device being tested and a load board. These rows of contact pins can be either straight, or uneven, depending on the configuration of the contact pads on the device being tested. One contact type used in some types of IC device testing is known as a Kelvin contact, which is essentially a pair of contact pins comprising an inner and an outer contact pin that are physically very close, but not in electrical contact with each other. When a row of these Kelvin contacts is assembled in a testing apparatus, one problem that ensues is the difficulty in ensuring that the entire row of contacts is aligned as required. Each contact pin pair must be inserted into the testing apparatus one by one, and once the row is completely inserted, the contact pin pairs are almost always unaligned and haphazard. A known solution to the problem of misaligned contact pins during assembly of a testing apparatus is to use an alignment tool along with a pair of spacers to align the contact pins. The alignment tool is used to align one row (either the outer or inner row) of contact pins first, then a spacer is used to hold that row in position. The alignment tool is then used to align the other row, before a second spacer holds that in position. This is a very cumbersome process which adds significantly to the time it takes to assemble the testing apparatus, not to mention the additional material needed in the way of the tool and spacers. What is needed in the art is a method of aligning the row of contact pins without the need for any additional tools and which can simplify and reduce the time it takes to assemble a testing apparatus. SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages by providing a method of aligning one or more rows of contact pins in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus that uses structures in bottom plates of the assembly itself to align rows of contact pins. Once a row of contact pins has been inserted into slots located on a socket body in the y-axis, one of the bottom plates is lowered onto the socket body. Some structures on the bottom plate restrict it to movement primarily in the x-axis with respect to the socket body, while other structures allow it to capture all misaligned contact pins and “comb” them into alignment by small adjustments in the x-axis. In this way, the rows of contact pins are aligned as part of the assembly process itself, and no additional tools or equipment are needed. The novelty and inventiveness of this invention is the use of specific structures in the bottom plates of the assembly itself to align rows of contact pins. This works for both a double row of contact pins such as that seen when Kelvin contacts are used in the testing apparatus, as well as for a single row of contact pins. This invention thus has two main embodiments. The first main embodiment covers the Kelvin contact case, where there is a double row of contact pins, that is where there is a row of inner contact pins and a row of outer contact pins located very close to each other. The second main embodiment covers the case where there is only a single row of contact pins. The first main embodiment of this invention thus relates to a method for aligning a row of contact pin pairs in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus, comprising: a. placing a row of inner contact pins and a row of outer contact pins, each inner contact pin and its corresponding outer contact pin forming a contact pin pair, into a row of slots located on a socket body, said rows being in a y-axis, and each said inner contact pin having a top end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of an IC device under test, and a bottom end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of a load board, and each said outer contact pin likewise having a top end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of an IC device under test, and a bottom end for electrically contacting a corresponding contact pad of a load board; andb. lowering a first bottom plate in a z-axis and towards said socket body, said first bottom plate provided with a slit with a profile that matches the desired final alignment of said row of outer contact pin bottom ends, said slit chamfered on at least one of its upper edges such that an upper openin