Probe tip and method for making electrical contact with a solder ball contact of an integrated circuit device

A test socket for an integrated circuit (IC) device having solder ball contacts comprising

• a frame having a transverse probe retention wall and an array of probes held in and extending through said retention wall, said probe retention wall including an interior surface and said probes including depressible tips which project from said interior surface,
• a floating IC platform for depressibly holding an IC device in said frame over the interior surface of the frame's probe retention wall, said floating platform having an array of guide holes therethrough corresponding to the array of probes held in the probe retention wall of said frame, and said floating platform further being positioned over the interior surface of said probe retention wall such that the array of guide holes in said platform registers with said probe array and such that the projecting tips of said probes extend into said array of guide holes and are captured thereby,
• the guide holes in said IC platform being sized to receive and capture solder ball contacts registered therewith when an IC device to be tested is placed against said platform thereby causing the solder ball contacts to register with the projecting probe tips extending into said guide holes, and
• a cover mechanism for releasably holding an IC device against said platform during the testing thereof,
• the projecting tips of the probes of each said probe array being comprised of
• a base portion having an external perimeter sized to pass through the guide holes of said IC platform,
• at least two perimeter point structures extending from said base portion to form a centered front hollow region for receiving solder balls captured in the guide holes of said IC platform,
• each of said point structures having a point end lying substantially on a defined perimeter circle which is centered about the center axis of the probe tip and which is sized to exceed the defined diameter of the solder ball contacts captured in said guide holes, and
• each of said point structures further having an interior edge facing the center axis of the probe tip, said interior edge having a point end extremity, a base end extremity, and a medial contact zone therebetween which is angled relative to the center axis of the probe tip for contacting a solder ball contact below the apex thereof when a solder ball contact captured in a guide hole of the IC platform is received in the front hollow region of the probe tip.