Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics

Akira Soma

Takayuki Hayashizaki

Hideki Hirakawa

Shinji Kuniyoshi

Yuko Yamada

Yosuke Yoshizawa

Kazuhito Hamada

Masahisa Tazawa

An embodiment disperses a force acting on a border portion between an extending portion and a pedestal portion or a reinforcing member to prevent breakage of a probe tip portion of a probe. An electrical test probe includes a probe main body, a recess provided at an end of the main body and having an inner surface, and a probe tip having a part received in the recess. The inner surface has a central area and two lateral areas on both sides of the central area, and the part of the probe tip is located at the central area and at least at either one of the lateral areas.

Electrical test probe and probe assembly with improved probe tip

The present invention provides a probe manufacturing method in which, after a metal material for a probe is deposited on a base table, the probe can be detached from the base table relatively easily. A sacrificial layer is formed on a base table. The sacrificial layer is partially removed so as to form a recess in the sacrificial layer. A mask that exposes an area formed in a desired probe flat surface shape containing the recess is formed on the sacrificial layer. A probe material exhibiting different etching resistance characteristics from those of the sacrificial layer is deposited in the area exposed from the mask. By the deposition of the material, a coupling portion corresponding to the recess and a probe that is integral with the coupling portion are formed. After the mask is removed, the sacrificial layer is removed with use of etchant. Thereafter, the probe held on the base table at the coupling portion is detached from the base table together with the coupling portion.

Method for manufacturing a probe

A contact comprises a contact body at least provided with an arm region extending in the right-left direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region is provided with a pedestal portion integrally continuous to the lower edge portion on the front end side of the arm region, and a contact portion projecting downward from the lower end portion of the pedestal portion and having a tip to be brought into contact with an electrode of a device under test at the lower end. The pedestal portion includes an underside region having at least four inclined faces located around the contact portion when the tip region is seen from below, and inclined such that a portion closer to the side of the contact portion becomes lower.

Contact for electrical test, electrical connecting apparatus using it, and method of producing the contact

A probe tip section of an electrical test probe has a laminated structure consisting of a first deposition portion and a second deposition portion covering the first deposition portion, and by the laminated structure, a maximum cross-sectional area portion at which the cross-sectional area of the probe tip section is increased to a base portion is provided between a tip end of the probe tip section and the base portion in the probe tip section. At the maximum cross-sectional area portion, a dimension in the X direction as seen on a flat surface perpendicular to a protruding direction of the probe tip section is increased in a one-dimensional way, and in addition, a dimension in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction is increased from the tip end toward the base portion, as a result of which the cross-sectional area of the probe tip section can be increased in a two-dimensional way. Thus, the cross-sectional area at the maximum cross-sectional area portion reaching the base portion of the probe tip section can be made to be larger than in the conventional case, and along with the increase of the cross-sectional area, the stress acting on the base portion can be lowered.

Method for manufacturing an electrical test probe

A probe formed on a base table is detached from the base table without giving damage on the probe. The present invention provides a probe manufacturing method comprising the steps of forming on a sacrificial layer on a base table a recess exposing the sacrificial layer with a resist, depositing a probe material in the recess to form a probe and then removing the resist, leaving part of the sacrificial layer and removing the rest by an etching process, and detaching from the base table the probe held on the base table by the remaining part of the sacrificial layer. In the recess of the resist are formed a main body part corresponding to a flat surface shape of the probe and an auxiliary part continuing into the main body part. The probe is formed by deposition of the material at the main body part, and a holding portion is formed by deposition of the material at the auxiliary part. The auxiliary part is formed in a flat surface shape sufficient for a sacrificial layer part under the holding portion to remain when a sacrificial layer part under the probe is removed by the etching process. The probe is separated from the holding portion after the sacrificial layer part under the probe is removed and while the sacrificial layer part under the holding portion remains.

A probe includes an arm region extending in the back and forth direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region has a pedestal portion integrally continuous to a lower edge portion at the front end side of the arm region and having an underside inclined to an imaginary axis extending in the vertical direction; and a contact portion projected from the underside of the pedestal portion and having a tip orthogonal to an imaginary axis. Thus, the position of the tip can be accurately determined.

Probe for electrical test and electrical connecting apparatus using it

A probe for electrical test comprises a plate-shaped main portion having a base end to be attached to a support board and a tip end opposite the base end, and a probe tip portion arranged at the tip end of the main portion and having a probe tip to contact an electrode of a device under test, the main portion being made of a tenacity material. The main portion includes a conductive material extending from the base end to the tip end and at least part of which is buried within the tenacity material, and the tenacity material has higher resiliency than that of the conductive material while the conductive material has higher conductivity than that of the tenacity material. As a result, disorder of a signal provided via the probe is decreased without losing elastic deformation.

Electrical test probe

An electrical test probe comprises a probe tip portion and a probe main body portion having a pedestal portion on which the probe tip portion is formed to be protruded. The probe main body portion is made of a conductive material that is greater in toughness than the probe tip portion, and the probe tip portion is made of a conductive material that is higher in hardness than the material of the probe main body portion. On the pedestal portion is provided a probe tip reinforcement portion that contacts at least one side surface of the probe tip portion, extends toward a tip of the probe tip portion, and permits the tip of the probe tip portion to be protruded from its extending end in the extending direction. Also, the probe tip portion may be in a multi-layer structure having a first metal material layer that is higher in hardness than the tough metal material forming the probe main body portion and a second metal material layer that is greater in toughness than the first metal material layer.

Electrical test probe and electrical test probe assembly

In a probe manufacturing method, after a metal material for a probe is deposited on a base table, the probe can be detached from the base table relatively easily without damaging the probe. A recess corresponding to a flat surface shape of a probe is formed by a resist mask on a sacrificial layer on a base table, and a probe is formed by depositing a probe material in the recess. Thereafter, the resist mask is removed, and further the sacrificial layer is removed by an etching process with a part of the sacrificial layer remaining. For the purpose of forming an opening for control of the remaining part of the sacrificial layer in the etching process in the probe so as to let the opening pass through the probe in its plate thickness direction, a hole-forming portion for the opening is formed in the resist mask. Etching of the sacrificial layer in the etching process is promoted from an edge of the opening formed in the probe by this hole-forming portion.

Growing community of inventors

Aomori, Japan

Akira Soma