Contactor with angled depressible probes in shifted bores

Abstract

A test probe contactor includes an angled depressible probe configuration that causes the tips of the compressible probes to “swipe” the contact pads/solder balls of an IC device under test as the contacts are made. The angulation of the depressible probes permit penetration through foreign material layers on the pad/ball surfaces with less contact force. The contactor includes an upper block and a main block for housing the plurality of probes. The main block and the upper block include corresponding pluralities of slanted probe cavities. The upper bore axis of one or more of the upper probe cavities is laterally shifted relative to the main bore axis of a corresponding probe cavity of the main block, resulting in a lateral offset between the upper bore axis and the main bore axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A slanted probe contactor for providing electrical contact between an array of contacts of an IC device under test (DUT) and a test board, the contactor comprising:
 a body portion having substantially parallel top and bottom faces defining a contactor interface wall which lies in an x-y plane and which has a perpendicular z-axis, the top face of said contactor interface wall being configured to receive a DUT which is placed contacts down on the top face, wherein the body portion includes a main block having a plurality of main slanted probe cavities, each main slanted probe cavity having a main bore axis being angled relative to the z-axis of the interface wall, and wherein the body portion also includes an upper block having a corresponding plurality of upper slanted probe cavities;   a plurality of depressible probes extending through said contactor interface wall, the depressible probes having probe tips and being angled relative to the z-axis of the interface wall such that the probe tips emerge from the top and bottom faces thereof, and wherein the depressible probes are arranged in different arrays of depressible probes, the depressible probes of one array of depressible probes being angled oppositely from the depressible probes of another array of depressible probes; and   wherein an upper bore axis of at least one of the upper slanted probe cavities is laterally shifted relative to the main bore axis of a corresponding one of the main slanted probe cavities, thereby mechanically biasing a corresponding one of the plurality of depressible probes towards one side of the corresponding main slanted probe cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The slanted probe contactor of  claim 1  wherein the upper bore axis is shifted between 0.0005″ and 0.0008″ relative to the main bore axis. 
     
     
         3 . The slanted probe contactor of  claim 1  wherein when the DUT is compressed against the probe contactor, a reactive force path is generated at a portion of the at least one depressible probe that is in closest contact with the corresponding main slanted probe cavity of the main block. 
     
     
         4 . The slanted probe contactor of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of depressible probes are spring probes. 
     
     
         5 . The slanted probe contactor of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of depressible probes are grounding probes. 
     
     
         6 . A method of providing electrical contact between an array of contacts of an IC device under test (DUT) and a test board, the method comprising:
 mounting a probe contactor having an array of depressible probes to a test board wherein the probe tips of the depressible probes emerge from an interface wall of the contactor at an angle relative to the perpendicular z-axis of said interface wall;   selecting a DUT having an array of contacts that correspond to the array of depressible probes of the contactor;   pressing the DUT into the contactor against the contactor interface wall in the direction of the z-axis of the interface wall such that the array of contacts on the DUT are pressed against the angled depressible probes of the contractor;   removing the DUT from the contactor after test;   wherein a main block of the contactor includes a plurality of main slanted probe cavities, each main probe cavity having a main bore axis angled relative to the z-axis of said interface wall;   wherein an upper block of the contactor includes a plurality of upper slanted probe cavities; and   wherein an upper bore axis of at least one of the upper probe cavities is laterally shifted relative to the main bore axis of a corresponding probe cavity of the main block, thereby mechanically biasing the at least one probe towards one side of the corresponding main probe cavity.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the upper bore axis is shifted between 0.0005″ and 0.0008″ relative to the main bore axis. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein when the DUT is compressed against the probe contactor, a reactive force path is generated at a portion of the at least one of the probe that is in closest contact with a corresponding main probe cavity of the main block. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of depressible probes are spring probes. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the plurality of depressible probes are grounding probes.