CONTACTOR ASSEMBLY FOR TESTING CERAMIC SURFACE MOUNT DEVICES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

摘要

A contactor assembly useable on a component testing system for electrically contacting a terminal on a device under test (DUT) for parametric testing and eventual sorting as part of component batch processing. At least three contacts are provided to help insure at least two of them contact the DUT terminal, each of the contacts having a forward edge for physically and electrically contacting the DUT terminal. A contact-holding structure mountable on the component testing system supports the contacts in side-by-side relationship for independent movement of the first, second, and third forward edges toward and away from the DUT terminal. A first spring bias the first and third forward edges toward the DUT terminal independently of the second forward edge while a second spring biases the second forward edge toward the DUT terminal independently of the first and third edges in order to thereby help insure that at least two forward edges of the contacts bear against the DUT terminal for decreased stray serial impedance (SSI). One four-spring, twelve-blade embodiment of a multi-contact, constant-force contact assembly constructed according to the invention includes blade-type contacts separated by insulators that enable holding at least one blade at a guard potential. Roller contacts and pogo pin contacts fall within the scope of the invention.