Socket for semiconductor device

Details Socket for semiconductor device Socket for semiconductor device

2002-08-09

2004-09-21

Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part having handle or means to move contact...

Expandable, prong receiving socket

C439S264000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06793512

ABSTRACT:

This application is based on Patent Application No. 2001-244890 filed Aug. 10, 2001 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket for a semiconductor device used for testing the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices to be mounted to an electronic equipment or others are subjected to various tests prior to being mounted so that potential defects thereof are removed. Such tests are carried out in a non-destructive manner by the application of voltage stress in correspondence to thermal and mechanical environmental tests, the high-temperature operation or the high-temperature reservation of the above-mentioned various tests. It has been said that a burn-in test is effective for removing integrated circuits having infant mortality failures, in which a performance test is carried out under a high-temperature condition for a predetermined period.
A socket for a semiconductor device used for such a test is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 10-302925 (1998), wherein the socket is disposed on a printed circuit board having an input/output section for supplying a predetermined test voltage to the semiconductor device to be tested and issuing an abnormality detection signal generated therefrom, representing a short-circuit accident or others.
The semiconductor device-socket includes, for example, a positioning member having an accommodation portion in which a semiconductor element as the semiconductor device is mounted, a contact deviation member
2
disposed to be reciprocated in the predetermined direction as shown in
FIG. 15
, while supporting the positioning member and causing one movable contact piece of a contact terminal described later to be closer to and farther from the other movable contact piece, a socket body
6
disposed on a printed circuit board to accommodate the contact deviation member
2
in a movable manner (see FIG.
17
A), and a cover member (not shown) for converting an operating force applied thereto and transmitting the same to the contact deviation member
2
via a drive mechanism not shown.
As shown, for example, in
FIGS. 17A
,
17
B and
17
C, a group of terminals of the printed circuit board are connected to proximal ends
4
B of terminals in a plurality of contact terminals
4
ai
(wherein i=1 to n; n represents a positive integer) provided in the socket body
6
.
The respective contact terminal
4
ai
is provided in correspondence to each of electrode sections
8
a
on a semiconductor element
8
mounted to the positioning member, and consists of the proximal terminal
4
B and a pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M coupled to the terminal
4
B to selectively nip the respective electrode section
8
a
of the semiconductor element
8
for the electrical connection therewith as shown in FIG.
17
C.
The pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M of the thin plank-type contact terminal
4
ai
is inserted into the respective contact accommodation portion
2
a
as shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16
. The respective contact accommodation portion
2
a
is formed by partitioning the interior of the contact deviation member
2
with partitioning walls
2
Wa extending in the moving direction of the contact deviation member
2
shown by an arrow C. Note that
FIGS. 15 and 16
illustrate a released state in which the pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M of the contact terminal
4
ai
are apart from each other.
A plurality of partition walls
2
Wt extending transverse to the partition walls
2
Wa are disposed at a predetermined distance from each other above the contact accommodation portions
2
a
. Thereby, a plurality of relatively small generally square openings are defined at an upper end of the contact deviation member
2
. Directly underneath the respective partition wall
2
Wt, a groove engageable with part of the side portion of the movable contact piece
4
M is formed.
The respective contact terminals
4
ai
, each having the opposite pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M, are arranged in a line so that the movable contact pieces
4
F in the one contact terminal
4
ai
is adjacent to the movable contact piece
4
M of the other contact terminal
4
ai.
When the contact deviation member
2
moves from one state shown in
FIGS. 17A and 18A
to another state in direction as shown by an arrow in
FIGS. 17B and 18B
, the pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M move from a position shown by a chain double-dashed line to another position shown by a solid line due to the movement of the movable section
4
M accompanied with the movement of the respective groove, whereby both the movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M are further away from each other. In this state, the semiconductor element
8
is mounted. Or the semiconductor element
8
having being tested is removed from the socket body
6
.
In this connection, the mounting of the semiconductor element
8
may be carried out by an automated machine or by a hand of the operator, during which the respective electrode sections
8
a
of the semiconductor element
8
are guided by all the peripheral edges of openings formed at the upper end of the contact deviation member
2
and accommodated into the contact accommodation portions.
On the other hand, when the contact deviation member
2
moves in the direction as shown in
FIG. 18C
by an arrow, the pair of movable contact pieces
4
M and
4
F moves from a state shown by a chain double-dashed line in which both the movable contact pieces are away from each other to another state shown by a solid line in which both the movable contact pieces are closer to each other to nip the electrode section
8
a
of the semiconductor element
8
.
There is a risk in that, between adjacent two contact terminals
4
ai
, a movable contact piece
4
M in the one contact terminal
4
ai
is brought into contact with another movable contact piece
4
F in the other contact terminal
4
ai
because an opening amount between the pair of movable contact pieces
4
M and
4
F individually varies between distal ends thereof due to the manufacturing error as shown in
FIGS. 17B and 18B
by a solid line. In that case, If a test signal is issued from the printed circuit board to the pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M under such a condition, there may be a short-circuit accident. A contact accident of this kind would become significant as the density of the electrode section
8
a
of the semiconductor element
8
increases while ensuring a necessary opening amount between the pair of movable contact pieces
4
M and
4
F.
To avoid such an accident, it would be thought that the opening amount between the pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M is selected to be smaller than the predetermined opening amount by taking the variance thereof into account.
The above countermeasure, however, is defective because the opening amount between the distal ends of the pair of movable contact pieces
4
F and
4
M is insufficient to become a factor to cause an undesirable faulty attachment of the electrode section
8
a
of the semiconductor element
8
. Thus, it is inadvisable to do so.
When the semiconductor element is mounted to the accommodation portion in the positioning member, there may be a case wherein the terminal of the semiconductor element does not fit in the contact accommodation portion
2
a
but rides on the outside of the entire outer periphery of the contact accommodation portion
2
a
due to the manufacturing error. Thereby, the above-mentioned burn-in test may not be quickly carried out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a socket used for testing a semiconductor device, capable of avoiding the mutual contact of movable contact pieces in adjacent contact terminals with each other as well as ensuring the maximum opening amount between both the movable contact pieces in the contact terminal.
To achieve th

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