JP2001319749A - IC socket - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an IC socket in which the line length in the socket is short, the amount of movement of the contact means is small, and the contact means can be easily replaced. SOLUTION: The contact element 1-1 is provided so as to be movable in the resilient direction, is fixed to a contact element 1-1 on the IC lead contact side that comes into contact with each IC lead 21 of the IC, and a substrate having electrical continuity with an external circuit. A contact element 1-2 on the measurement substrate contact side having a sliding connection surface that slides and maintains an electrical connection when the element 1-1 moves in the resilient direction, and is located on the lower surface in the resilient direction of the contact element 1-1. (Elastic body) which gives elastic repulsion against the movement of the contact element 1-1 in the resilient direction.
4 is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an IC socket, and more particularly, to an IC socket having improved contact means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electrical connection device between an IC and an external circuit,
In particular, various types of IC sockets have been conventionally developed as IC sockets for making connections for conducting tests of integrated circuits incorporated in ICs. However, the conventional socket has a long line between the IC lead portion and the measurement board, and cannot be used for measurement using high frequency.

For these reasons, in recent years, sockets (contact elements) with a reduced line length have been produced for the purpose of solving these problems. However, basically, the contact elements are constituted by one component. ing. For this reason, the printed wiring part of the measurement board is greatly damaged, and in most cases the measurement board is part of the socket structure, which shortens the life of the measurement board and makes it difficult to handle. Had worsened. In addition, in the conventional high-frequency socket, each contact element (contact means) has an independent pin structure, so each contact element needs to be inserted into the socket housing when the contact element is replaced. Yes, the replacement time is prolonged and the contact element is lost.

FIG. 10 shows the structure of a conventional leaf-type IC socket. 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a leaf-type contact element, reference numeral 2 denotes an IC, reference numeral 3 denotes a measurement substrate,
Reference numeral 11 denotes a contact portion, and reference numeral 21 denotes an IC lead. Such a conventional high-frequency contact element 1 has I
The contact surface with the C lead 21 is configured to be wiped in the longitudinal direction of the IC lead 21 to obtain a contact.
In recent years, the size of the IC lead 21 has been reduced to about 0.2 mm × 0.6 mm due to the miniaturization of the IC package. Accordingly, the portion where the contact element 1 comes into contact with the IC lead 21 has also become very narrow, and it is difficult to sufficiently obtain an area required for the contact by a method of making the contact element 1 largely wiped (rubbed). It has become to. The wipe here indicates that the contact element 1 sinks and moves left and right by suppressing the IC 2 by applying an elastic pressure as shown in FIG. 11, and the wipe amount means that amount.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, when the wipe amount is large, the contact element 1
There has been a problem in that traces (dents) formed when the contact is made, and scars at the contact portion such as expansion of the lead width, cracks, dents, and the like, cause a decrease in the yield during shipping inspection. For example, consider the case of an S-shaped contact element shown in FIG. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 1 denotes S
Reference character 2 is an IC, reference numeral 3 is a measurement board, and reference numeral 21 is an IC lead. In the case of the S-shaped contact element, when the contact element is operated (during wiping), the contact element 1 rubs the printed wiring surface on the measurement board 3 and the printed wiring surface is easily damaged. 3 shortened the service life.

A case of a J-shaped contact element as shown in FIG. 14 will be considered. In FIG.
1 is a J-shaped contact element, 2 is I
C, reference numeral 3 denotes a measurement board, and reference numeral 21 denotes an IC lead.
This figure shows a case where the IC 2 is a leadless type.
In this example, since the contact element 1 is configured to be rolled on the measurement board 3 and wiped, the problem of damaging the printed wiring surface on the measurement board 3 is avoided. Cannot be reliably held, so that a problem occurs in that the pins come off when the socket is replaced / removed. Further, in a socket having a pin structure such as an S-shape or a J-shape, a sufficient space for operating the contact element 1 is required, which causes an increase in the size of the socket housing.

As described above, in the conventional high-frequency IC socket, since the contact element 1 moves in the horizontal direction (the longitudinal direction of the IC lead), it is necessary to secure a movable portion when forming the socket. In order to realize the contact pressure at the contact portion 11, it is necessary to provide the contact element 1 with elasticity. Therefore, the contact element 1 becomes long, and it is not possible to dispose components close to the IC lead 21. was there. Furthermore, in the conventional high-frequency socket, since each contact element 1 has an independent structure (shape), it is necessary to insert each contact element 1 into the socket housing when the contact element 1 is replaced. , Longer replacement time,
And the loss of the contact element 1 has been a problem. In the case of the J-shaped contact element 1 shown in FIG.
Therefore, when the socket housing is removed from the measurement board 3, there is a problem that the contact element 1 falls off the socket housing.

[0008]

As described above, the conventional IC socket has a problem that the line length is long and is not suitable for use at high frequencies. In addition, since the wipe amount is large and the movable part is large, the IC lead is apt to be damaged and the configuration is large. In addition, since the replacement of the contact elements must be performed one by one, there is a problem that the replacement takes time. An object of the present invention is to solve this problem with a relatively simple configuration, and to provide an IC socket in which the line length in the socket is short, the amount of movement of the contact means is small, and the contact means can be easily replaced.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for electrically connecting an IC package to an external circuit. In an IC socket having a plurality of contact means for obtaining electrical continuity connection, a first contact means provided movably in a resilient direction and in contact with each connection terminal of the IC package, and an electrical continuity with the external circuit. A sliding connection surface that is fixed to the substrate and has a sliding connection surface that slides with the first contact means to maintain electrical connection with the first contact means when the first contact means moves in the resilient direction. A second contact means, and an elastic means which is located on a lower surface of the first contact means in the resilient direction and provides an elastic repulsion force against movement of the first contact means in the resilient direction. Features. This shortens the line length in the socket,
The amount of movement of the contact means can be reduced, and a small IC socket particularly suitable for use at high frequencies can be realized.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an IC socket according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the conventional leaf-type IC socket shown in FIG. 10, the line length of the contact element 1 from the IC lead 21 to the measurement substrate 3 is long (about 2 cm). And the resistance affects the measurement, so that a correct measurement cannot be performed. The IC socket of the present invention aims at securing a short contact element length corresponding to high frequency measurement and solving the problems of the conventional high frequency IC socket.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the IC socket of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1-1 denotes a contact element on an IC lead contact side, reference numeral 1-2 denotes a contact element on a measurement substrate contact side, reference numeral 2 denotes an IC, reference numeral 3 denotes a measurement substrate, reference numeral 4 denotes an elastomer (elastic body), Code 5
Is a socket housing, 6 is a contact element holding sheet, 11 is a contact portion between an IC lead and a contact element, and 21 is an IC lead.

In this embodiment, a vertical structure type contact element 1-1, 1-2 composed of two parts.
And the contact element 1-2 on the contact side of the measurement board while maintaining the same line length as the contact element of the high frequency IC socket such as the conventional S-shaped or J-shaped shown in FIGS. It is divided into two contact elements of the contact element 1-1 on the IC lead contact side. This is characterized in that the surface of the measurement substrate 3 is not affected by scratches or scratches when the contact element is operated. Only the contact element 1-1 on the IC lead contact side operates, and the portion that slides during operation is the contact element 1 shown in FIG.
-1 and the contact element 1-2 (mutual). Therefore, problems such as wear during operation can be all absorbed in this portion.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the sliding direction of the contact element 1-1 is changed from the conventional horizontal direction to the vertical direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact elements 1-1, 1-
2 occupies less space, so that the size of the socket housing 5 can be reduced, the line length can be reduced as compared with the conventional contact element 1, and electronic components are arranged closer to the IC leads. It has become possible. Furthermore, the contact element 1-
4, the wipe amount (the amount of movement in the horizontal direction) can be reduced while securing a large stroke (about 0.5 mm) as shown in FIG. . Therefore, damage to the IC leads 21 can be minimized.

As a result, an IC as shown in FIG.
Lead damage can be minimized, and IC
It is less likely that the lead will be damaged during the measurement and will be rejected in the outer shape inspection, thereby lowering the yield. As described above, the wipe amount of the contact element can be reduced to about 0.5 mm, which is １ ／ of the conventional product of about 1 mm, and even if the size of the IC lead is further reduced in the future, the size of the IC lead will be further reduced. , Will be able to respond.

In the conventional socket, as shown in FIG. 5, the contact element 1 is detached from the lower part of the socket housing. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the socket housing from the measurement board 3 each time the contact element 1 is replaced. However, in the case of the socket of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact element 1-1 is inserted into the insertion hole of the contact element holding sheet 6, and the groove (dent) provided in the contact element 1-1 is contacted. The element holding sheet (dustproof) 6 is held by being fitted to the claw. For this reason, since the contact element 1-1 is inserted from the upper surface (measurement surface) of the socket housing 5 while being fixed by the holding sheet 6 as shown in FIG. 7, the contact element 1-1 is worn due to abrasion of the contact element 1-1 or adhesion of solder. It is not necessary to remove the socket housing even when replacing 1-1, and an improvement in working efficiency can be expected.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B,
In a state where the holding claw portion provided on the holding sheet 6 has entered the concave portion of the contact element 1-1,
By preparing and placing several to several tens of contact elements 1-1 fixed to the holding sheet 6, the sheet 6
Since the contact elements 1-1 can be replaced collectively, there is no need to handle the contact elements one by one at the time of replacement, so that the contact elements are not lost, and the work efficiency for contact element replacement is greatly improved. Can be. Further, FIG.
As shown in (1), since the distance between the contact element 1-1 and the insertion hole of the holding sheet 6 can be made sufficiently close, dust can be sufficiently prevented from entering the contact surface from the holding sheet 6 surface. The holding sheet 6 to which the contact element 1-1 has been attached can be assembled by positioning and fixing it on the upper surface (measuring surface) of the socket using an IC guide (IC positioning device) or the like as shown in FIG.

[0018]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
In order to make an electrical connection between an IC package and an external circuit, an IC socket having a plurality of contact means which is elastically contacted with each connection terminal of the IC package to obtain a predetermined electrically conductive connection is provided. The first contact means is movably provided and fixed to a substrate having electrical continuity with an external circuit, the first contact means being in contact with each connection terminal of the IC package. A second contact means having a sliding connection surface that slides with the first contact means to maintain an electrical connection with the first contact means; And a resilient means for applying an elastic repulsion force against the movement of the contact means in the elastic pressure direction. As described above, by making the contact means (contact element) into a two-part configuration, damage to the printed wiring of the measurement board can be eliminated, and the life of the measurement board can be extended. Further, by making the contact means into two parts, the contact means on the side contacting the IC can be easily replaced from the upper surface of the socket, and the contact element can be replaced without removing the socket housing from the measurement board. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of sets of the first contact means, the second contact means, and the elastic means are housed, and the first contact means is moved in the elastic pressure direction and in the elastic pressure direction. It is characterized by comprising a housing for restricting the movement in the vertical direction, and pressing means for pressing each connection terminal of the IC package to the first contact means. This allows
It is possible to evenly press the plurality of contact means, and to restrict the movable portion of the contact means to be small in the vertical direction. As a result, the amount of wiping can be reduced, dents on the IC lead can be reduced, damage to the IC lead during measurement can be reduced, and a decrease in yield due to damage to the lead can be prevented. Also, by reducing the amount of wiping, wasteful space of the socket housing required for wiping can be significantly reduced, and the socket housing can be made small. Further, since there is no protruding object on the upper surface of the socket housing, it can also be used for ICPKG such as BGA, CSP, LGA and the like which could not be manufactured with this type of socket. Furthermore, since the socket housing can be formed in a small size, the distance between the measurement board and the IC can be made shorter, and good high frequency characteristics can be realized by shortening the distance between the measurement board and the IC.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the housing has a holding sheet for holding a plurality of first contact means, and a plurality of sets of a second sheet.
And a lower portion of the housing for accommodating the contact means and the elastic means. Thus, the contact means can be replaced from the upper surface of the socket, and the contact means can be replaced without removing the socket housing from the measurement board. Further, by making it possible to hold the contact means by using the holding sheet, several to several tens of contact means can be replaced collectively, and the time for replacing the contact means can be greatly reduced. Further, by holding the contact means with the sheet, it is possible to prevent the contact means from being lost.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the holding sheet has an insertion hole for inserting the first contact means, and a holding claw for holding the first contact means inserted in the insertion hole. The first contact means has a fitting groove which is fitted to the holding claw and held so as to be movable within a predetermined range in the elastic pressure direction.
Thus, the contact means can be held in close contact with the fitting groove (constriction) immediately below the contact surface, so that dust can be prevented from entering the socket housing. Further, the positioning of the contact means can be facilitated. further,
Instead of the conventional structure in which the operating direction is slid horizontally or rolled, a structure in which the operation direction is slid in the vertical direction can be adopted, and the amount of wiping can be reduced while ensuring a sufficient stroke in the vertical direction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of an IC socket of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the movement of a contact element in the IC socket of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the difference in the size of the occupied space of the contact element between the IC socket of the present invention and the conventional one.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a difference in the wipe amount of a contact element between an IC socket of the present invention and a conventional one.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of how to remove a contact element in a conventional IC socket.

6A and 6B are explanatory views of a method for holding a contact element in the IC socket of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A is a perspective view, and FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of how to remove a contact element in the IC socket of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a state of close contact between a contact element and a holding sheet in the IC socket of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a method of positioning and assembling with the IC socket of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional leaf-type IC socket.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a wiping operation.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a defect of an IC lead caused by a wipe.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional S-shaped contact element.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional J-shaped contact element.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Contact element, 1-1 ... Contact element on the IC lead contact side, 1-2 ... Contact element on the measurement board contact side, 2 ... IC, 3 ... Measurement board, 4 ... Elastomer (elastic body), 5 ... Socket housing , 6 ... contact element holding sheet, 11: contact part, 21
... IC leads.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An IC socket having a plurality of contact means for making an electrical connection between an IC package and an external circuit and being elastically contacted with each connection terminal of the IC package to obtain a predetermined electrically conductive connection. First contact means provided movably in the resilient direction and in contact with each connection terminal of the IC package; fixed to a substrate having electrical continuity with the external circuit;
A second contact means having a sliding connection surface which slides on the first contact means when the first contact means moves in the resilient direction and maintains an electrical connection with the first contact means; The first contact means is located on the lower surface in the repressing direction of the first contact means, and
An elastic means for applying an elastic repulsion force against the movement of the contact means in the resilient direction. 2. A plurality of sets of the first contact means, the second contact means, and the elastic means are housed, and the moving range of the first contact means in the resilient direction and the direction perpendicular to the resilient direction. 2. The IC socket according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing that restricts movement of the IC package; and a pressing unit that presses each connection terminal of the IC package against the first contact unit. 3. 3. The housing comprises a holding sheet for holding a plurality of the first contact means, and a lower part of the housing for accommodating a plurality of sets of the second contact means and the elastic means. The IC socket according to claim 2, wherein 4. The holding sheet has an insertion hole for inserting the first contact means, and a holding claw for holding the first contact means inserted in the insertion hole, wherein the first contact means is provided. 4. The IC socket according to claim 3, further comprising a fitting groove fitted to said holding claw and held so as to be movable in a predetermined range in the elastic pressure direction.