US 6,150,830 AGranted

Test head for microstructures with interface

AssigneeFeinmetall GmbH

InventorsRainer Schmid, Klaus Giringer, Ulrich Gauss, Heinz Deusch

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Abstract

A test head for making contact with test points arranged close to one another of an electric component. The test head having a plurality of contact elements which can be connected to a connecting element of a test device. The contact elements are in respective feed-through openings through two or three overlying guide panels. The contact elements are axially guidable in the feed-through openings in the panel. Various ways of securing the contact elements against falling out of the test head are provided, including friction locking of the contact elements in one panel, using a securing layer at one panel, laterally offsetting one panel with respect to the others, or by different diameters along the length of the contact element, e.g. by insulation selectively applied along the length. The connecting element and the device for making contact are detachably connected.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A test head for making contact with test points of an electric component under test, the test head comprising:

a connecting element which connects the test head to a test device;
a plurality of contact points on the connecting element;
a contactor assembly including:
a first guide panel having first and second sides and a plurality of feed-through openings extending between the sides;
and
a plurality of contact elements, each contact element having
a first axially elongated portion extending through one of the feed-through openings, the first portion of the contact element having a first transverse dimension which is sufficiently smaller than the feed-through opening so that the feed-through opening does not impede axial movement of the first portion of the contact element;
and
a second axially elongated portion having an electrically insulating sleeve thereon, the insulating sleeve having a second transverse dimension which is greater than the feed-through opening so that the insulating sleeve is unable to enter the feed-through opening, thereby providing a retaining mechanism which prevents the contact element from dropping out of the feed-through opening in the guide panel,
each contact element further having one end which is axially aligned with one of the contact points on the connecting element and an opposite end which engages with a test point on the component under test when the test head is in use.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.