Contact probe and method of manufacturing the same and test apparatus and test method

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a contact probe includes an electroforming step of, using a resist film ( 522 ) arranged on a substrate ( 521 ) as a pattern frame having a shape corresponding to a contact probe, performing electroforming to fill a gap in the resist film ( 522 ) to form a metal layer ( 526 ), a tip end shaping step of obliquely removing and sharpening that part of the metal layer ( 526 ) which serves as a tip end portion of the contact probe, and a take-out step of taking out only the metal layer ( 526 ) from the pattern frame.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . A contact probe formed of a tip end portion ( 11 ) approximately cylindrical as a whole in shape, having at one end a contact end to come into contact with a circuit under test, and a base portion ( 12 ) provided to be opposed to and kept apart from the other end that is opposite to the contact end of the tip end portion ( 11 ), wherein, by pressing the tip end portion ( 11 ) in contact with a circuit under test ( 20 ), the tip end portion ( 11 ) and the base portion ( 12 ) are brought into contact with each other and contact surfaces ( 14 ,  15 ) are shifted from each other so that the tip end portion ( 11 ) is moved in a direction parallel to a surface of the circuit under test ( 20 ).  
   
   
       10 . The contact probe according to  claim 9  wherein the other end that is opposite to the contact end of the tip end portion ( 11 ) forms an end surface at an angle that is not a right angle with respect to a cylindrical axis of the tip end portion ( 11 ), and an end surface of the base portion ( 12 ) that is opposed to the other end is parallel to the end surface of the tip end portion.  
   
   
       11 . The contact probe according to  claim 9  wherein the tip end portion ( 11 ) and the base portion ( 12 ) are coupled to each other by a coupling portion ( 13 ), the coupling portion ( 13 ) being formed of a conductive material having a certain elasticity, the tip end portion ( 11 ), the base portion ( 12 ) and the coupling portion ( 13 ) being integrally formed.  
   
   
       12 . A contact probe formed of a tip end portion ( 31 ) approximately cylindrical in shape, having at one end a contact end to be in contact with a circuit under test ( 20 ), a tubular base portion ( 32 ) provided concentrically with a cylindrical axis of the tip end portion ( 31 ), and a plurality of coupling portions ( 33 ) coupling the tip end portion ( 31 ) to the base portion ( 32 ), wherein each of the coupling portions ( 33 ) is curved on a plane at a right angle to an axis direction of the tip end portion ( 31 ), and by pressing the tip end portion ( 31 ) into contact with the circuit under test, the tip end portion ( 31 ) is rotated about the axis thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The contact probe according to  claim 12  wherein the tip end portion ( 11 ) and the base portion ( 12 ) are coupled with each other by the coupling portion ( 13 ), the coupling portion ( 13 ) being formed of a conductive material having a certain elasticity, the tip end portion ( 11 ), the base portion ( 12 ) and the coupling portion ( 13 ) being integrally formed.  
   
   
       14 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A test apparatus comprising the contact probe as recited in  claim 9 .  
   
   
       25 . A test apparatus comprising the contact probe as recited in  claim 12.