Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2003-10-21
Cuneo, Kamand (Department: 2829)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S761010, C324S755090, C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06636057
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic part testing apparatus for testing the connectability of a wiring pattern of an electronic part such as an MCM (multi-chip module), a PGA (pin-grid array) package, a BGA (ball-grid array) package, etc., and it also relates to an electric connecting member which can be used for various electronic devices including an electronic part testing apparatus, for electrical connection between a circuit substrate and an electronic part or between electronic parts.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic part such as an MCM (multi-chip module), a PGA (pin-grid array) package, a BGA (ball-grid array) package, etc. includes a plurality of test terminal pins (hereinafter referred to as “test pins”) for testing connections to the wiring pattern, a plurality of test control input/output terminal pins (hereinafter referred to as “control pins”), and a boundary scanning circuit for observing a result of the test, by independently controlling the voltage of test pins via the control pins. The test of the connectability of the wiring pattern of the electronic part is carried out prior to the shipment of the electronic part or at the time of maintenance. The electronic part testing apparatus includes an adapter for carrying out this test. A conventional adapter is explained with reference to
FIGS. 11
to
14
.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, an electronic circuit testing adapter “n” (hereinafter referred to as an “adapter”) is made of an electrically insulating material such as a resin, and has holes at positions corresponding to test pins “d” of an electronic part “g” to be tested and holes at positions corresponding to positions of control pins “c”. First connecting members or assemblies “
1
” for electrical connection with the control pins “c” and second connecting members or assemblies
2
for electrical connection with the test pins “d” are disposed in the corresponding holes. The upper surface of each first connecting member
1
projects above the surface of the adapter “n”. The first and second connecting members
1
and
2
have contact portions
1
a
and
2
a
on the lower surface of the adapter “n”, respectively.
Further, below the adapter “n”, there is disposed a testing substrate “e” having pads “h” corresponding to the contact portions
1
a
and pad “i” corresponding to the contact portions
2
a
. The connecting member
2
is in contact with the pad “i” at the contact portion
2
a
. All the pads “i” are short-circuited by a short-circuit layer “k” within the testing substrate “e”. Further, the connecting member
1
is in contact with the pad “h” at the contact portion
1
a
, and all the pads “h” are independently connected to the connector “f” of the testing substrate “d” in a predetermined pattern within the testing substrate “e”.
A test procedure will be explained next. First, a positioning member “j” for positioning the electronic part “g” and the adapter “n” having the above-described circuits is disposed on the outside of the adapter “n”. After the electronic part “g” is positioned and fixed to the positioning member j, the electronic part “g” and the positioning member “j” are pressed downward while matching guide pins “p” of the positioning member “j” with positioning holes “m” of the adapter “n”. Then, the guide pins “p” are inserted into the positioning holes “m”, and the control pins “c” are brought into contact with the connecting members
1
that are stretched above the upper surface of the adapter “n”. When the electronic part “g” and the positioning member “j” are further pressed downward, as shown in
FIG. 12
, the connecting members
1
move downward while compressing coil springs in the adapter “n”, and stop. At this time, the test pins “d” are not brought into contact with the connecting members
2
, and are in a released state. In this state, a voltage is applied to the control pins “c” of the electronic part “g” from a main testing part (not shown) via the connector “f” to test for the electrical short-circuiting of the test pins “d” (a test state at step
1
).
When the electronic part “g” and the positioning member “j” are further pressed downward, as shown in
FIG. 13
, the connecting members
1
are pressed in the adapter “n” while keeping a connection with the control pins “c”. At this time, the test pins “d” are brought into contact with the connecting members
2
. A voltage is applied to the control pins “c” of the electronic part “g” via the connector “f” in a state that each test pin “d” is short-circuited by the connecting member
2
that is short-circuited via a short-circuit layer “k” of the testing substrate “e” and the pad “i”. In this way, an electrical continuity (breakage) test of the pins “d” is carried out (a test state at step
2
).
FIG. 14
shows a structure of a conventional probe that secures a connecting member within the adapter “n”. Caulks
4
a
and
4
b
are provided in a cylinder
4
that secures a connecting member
3
. A movable portion
3
b
of the connecting member
3
and a movable portion
3
c
on the side of the contact portion
3
a
are disposed between the caulks
4
a
and
4
b
. Further, a coil spring
5
is disposed in a compressed state between the movable portions
3
b
and
3
c
. When the connecting member
3
is pressed downward, the connecting member
3
moves within a movable range. The connecting member
3
and the contact portion
3
a
are brought into contact with the pin of the electronic part and the pad of the testing substrate while being urged by the coil spring
5
.
In the conventional positional mechanism of the adapter as shown in
FIG. 11
to
FIG. 13
, there is no problem if the number of pins to be tested is small. However, when a large electronic part has a large number of pins like a few thousand terminals, for example, 3,000 terminals, it is difficult to ensure high precision in the positioning member that fixes the electronic part and supports this large number of pins. Further, it is also difficult to ensure high precision in the position of the position member that positions the adapter.
There may be considered a method of carrying out the above test at step
1
and the test at step
2
by using two separate adapters so that each adapter carries out an exclusive test. However, the use of the two kinds of adapters increases the cost of the adapters. Further, as the test is not finished at one time and is carried out at two divided times, the process of setting up the short-circuit test and the current conduction test increases. As a result, it takes a long time for the tests, which is not desirable.
Further, when the probe has such a structure that the portion for securing the connecting member is integrated with the connecting member, the cost of a connecting member for carrying out the test increases in the case of a large electronic part that has a few thousand test pin terminals. This leads to an increase in the cost of the adapter and the testing apparatus. Further, in the probe structure as shown in
FIG. 14
, the caulks are formed at two positions in the state that the movable portion of the connecting member and the coil spring are accommodated in the cylinder. Therefore, this results in a complex structure of the cylinder, and the cost of the members further increases.
Further, in the case of electrical connection between the electronic part and the testing substrate as described above, and also generally in the case of electrical connection between an electronic part and a substrate or between an electronic part and another electronic part, a secure electrical connection is always required. Further, a simple structure, not involving a high cost and providing ease of maintenance, is also required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an electronic part testing apparatus capable of securely carrying out an electrical connection between an electronic part and a testing member at the time of testing a connectability of a wiring pattern of the electronic
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Cuneo Kamand
Fujitsu Limited
Nguyen Jimmy
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