Cantilever contact probe and corresponding probe head

A cantilever probe head, comprising:

• a plurality of cantilever contact probes;
• and
• a support structure configured to house the plurality of cantilever contact probes, each of the cantilever contact probes protruding in a cantilever manner from the support structure on a device under test,
• wherein each cantilever contact probe comprises a shaped probe body configured to be inserted into corresponding housing seats formed in the support structure and configured to retain the cantilever contact probes in the cantilever probe head, the shaped probe body comprising:
• a base portion;
• an upper portion extending, starting from the base portion, along a longitudinal extension axis of the shaped probe body, orthogonally to the reference plane;
• and
• a top portion, connected to the upper portion and having a greater diameter than a diameter of the upper portion,
• the upper and top portions being shaped so as to form a structure having a T-shaped cross section orthogonally to the reference plane, the upper portion being a stem of the structure having the T-shaped cross section and the top portion being a crosspiece of the structure having the T-shaped cross section,
• the base portion comprising at least one pair of arms extending, from opposite parts of the base portion along a transversal extension axis orthogonal to the longitudinal extension axis of the shaped probe body and parallel to the reference plane,
• each of the arms of the base portion comprising a respective projection which extends orthogonally starting therefrom, along the longitudinal extension axis of the shaped probe body in the direction of the top portion, and
• the shaped probe body comprising at least the base portion, the upper portion and the top portion being made as a single piece;
• and
• wherein the support structure includes at least one first portion and one second portion, both preferably ring-shaped, overlapping each other, the at least one first portion of the support structure comprising:
• at least one first housing seat for the housing of the upper and top portions of the shaped probe body of the cantilever contact probes, the first housing seat having a cross section equal to the union of cross sections of the upper and top portions of the shaped probe body;
• and
• a pair of second housing seats having a cross section corresponding and complementary to a cross section of the projections of the arms of the shaped probe body, the projections being housed in the second housing seats during the normal working of the cantilever probe head,
• wherein the second portion of the support structure comprises openings, placed at the first housing seat, allowing the passage of the top portion of the shaped probe body.

A method of assembling a plurality of cantilever contact probes in a cantilever probe head, each cantilever contact probe comprising a shaped probe body having:

• a base portion;
• an upper portion extending, starting from the base portion, along a longitudinal extension axis of the shaped probe body, orthogonally to the reference plane;
• and
• a top portion, connected to the upper portion and having a greater diameter than a diameter of the upper portion,
• the upper and top portions forming a T structure and the base portion comprising at least one pair of arms extending, from opposite parts of the base portion, each of the arms of the base portion comprising a respective projection which extends orthogonally starting therefrom,
• wherein the cantilever probe head comprises a support structure adapted to house the cantilever contact probes and having:
• at least one first portion and one second portion, both ring-shaped, overlapping each other, the first portion of the support structure comprising:
• at least one first housing seat for the housing of the upper and top portions of the shaped probe body of the cantilever contact probes, the first housing seat having a cross section equal to the union of cross sections of the upper and top portions of the shaped probe body;
• and
• a pair of second housing seats having a cross section corresponding and complementary to a cross section of the projections of the arms of the shaped probe body, the projections being housed in the second housing seats during the normal working of the cantilever probe head;
• and
• the second portion of the support structure comprising openings, placed at the first housing seat, allowing the passage of the top portion of the shaped probe body;
• the method comprising:
• inserting each of the cantilever contact probes into the cantilever probe head by inserting the upper and top portions of the shaped probe body of each of the cantilever contact probes into a corresponding section having a greater diameter than the first housing seat formed in the first portion of the support structure of the cantilever probe head until they pass through the openings formed in the second portion of the support structure of the cantilever probe head, along a first movement direction, which is orthogonal to the reference plane and by inserting the projections of the arms of the shaped probe body into corresponding second housing seats formed in the first portion of the support structure of the cantilever probe head along the first movement direction;
• and
• fitting the cantilever contact probes into the cantilever probe head by moving the shaped probe body of each of the cantilever contact probes transversally along a second movement direction, which is orthogonal to the reference plane, the upper portion going to be housed into a lower-diameter section of the first housing seat, so as to block the cantilever contact probes in the cantilever probe head, the upper portion of the shaped probe body of each of the cantilever contact probes having a height which is lower than or equal to a thickness of the second portion of the support structure so as to ensure a mechanical coupling between the shaped probe body and the support structure of the cantilever probe head.