1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to carrier means for holding an electronic element for burn-in test and more particularly, to a combination of burn-in socket and adapter board that prevents deformation of terminals during installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of high technology, electronic devices are designed in the trend of light, think, short and small styles. After fabrication, electronic elements may have to receive burn-in test, examining their life cycle under an environment of high temperature, high voltage and high current. Inferior electronic elements that do not pass the test are swept out.
During burn-in test, a burn-in socket is used to hold the test sample and to electrically connect the test sample to a test apparatus for test. However, because different test samples (memory devices, logic products, sockets) have different contact pin patterns, different burn-in sockets shall be prepared for holding different test samples, thereby resulting in high test cost. The terminals of conventional burn-in sockets are made of resilient metal material or have a respective spring member fixedly connected thereto for positive connection to respective contacts at an adapter board that is used to connect the burn-in socket to a test apparatus. Therefore, changing a burn-in socket subject to the type of the test samples to test is complicated. Further, following the trend of micromization, nanotechnology has been employed to the fabrication of IC chips, and related burn-in sockets are micromized. When connecting the terminals of a micromized burn-in sockets to a test apparatus, the terminals may be deformed or inserted into wrong contact holes accidentally, and a short circuit may occur when turned on the test apparatus, thereby causing the test sample to be burned out.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the combination of burn-in socket and adapter board comprises a burn-in socket having terminals for the contact of the inserted test sample (electronic element) to test, and an adapter board for connecting the burn-in socket to the test apparatus. The adapter board has contacts for the contact of the terminals, and bottom contact pins for connection to the test apparatus electrically. By means of the adapter board, the burn-in socket can conveniently be connected to the test apparatus without deforming the terminals. According to another aspect of the present invention, the burn-in socket comprises a body holding the terminals, and a shell detachably fastened to the body with locating pins that are detachably mounted in respective mounting through holes in the shell and inserted into respective mounting holes in the body. The shell has a receiving hole for holding a test sample (electronic element) in contact with the terminals for test. Therefore, the user can change the shell subject to the type of the test sample (electronic element) to test. According to another aspect of the present invention, a number of adapter boards may be installed in a breadboard to carry a respective burn-in socket so that a number of test samples can be tested at a time.
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The body 1 comprises a base 11, a locating block 12 provided at the top of the base 11, a plurality of terminal slots 14 vertically extended through the locating block 12 and the base 11, and a plurality of mounting holes 15 formed in the locating block 12. Further, terminals 13 are respectively mounted in the terminal slots 14, each having a contact portion 131 at one end and a mounting portion 132 at the other end.
The shell 2 accommodates the body 1, comprising a receiving hole 21 adapted to receive a test sample (electronic element) 5, a fixed hook 22 provided at one side, a pivot axle 23 transversely provided at the other side opposite to the fixed hook 22, and a plurality of mounting through holes 24 respectively connected to the mounting holes 15 of the body 1 with locating pins 25.
After installation of the terminals 13 in the terminal slots 14 of the body 1, the contact portions 131 and mounting portions 132 of the terminals 13 respectively protrude over the top side of the locating block 12 and the bottom side of the base 11. The mounting portions 132 of the terminals 13 can be fastened to respective contacts (contact holes) of an adapter board 4, which has a plurality of bottom contact pins 41 for connection to a test apparatus (not shown). By means of the adapter board 4, the terminals 13 connect the test sample (electronic element) 5 to the test apparatus for test. Because the terminals 13 are not inserted in and out of the test apparatus, connecting the burn-in socket to the test apparatus does not cause the terminals 13 to deform.
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A prototype of burn-in socket and adapter board arrangement has been constructed with the features of
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.