Patent ID: 6220870
Filing Date: 2001-04-24
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A socket for holding an integrated circuit (IC) chip having lateral edges and a planar array of I/O contacts, said socket comprising:a base portion having a transverse bottom wall extending in an x-y plane and a defined z-axis perpendicular to said x-y plane,raised corner block structures on the bottom wall of said base portion, said corner block structures defining a central cavity region over said bottom walla chip docking structure in the central cavity region of said base portion for receiving the IC chip and for fixing the position of the planar array of I/O contacts thereof in an x-y plane perpendicular to the z-axis of said base portion without reference to the lateral edges of the IC chip, said chip docking structure having corner guides which engage the raised corner block structures on said base portion such that the corner block structures on the base portion fix the position of the docking structure in the x-y plane while permitting movement of the docking structure along the z-axis,an array of conductive probes held in the transverse bottom wall of said base portion in opposition to said chip docking structure and being configured in correspondence to the I/O contacts of the IC chip held on said docking structure, said array of probes having compliant probe tips arrayed in an x-y plane so that said probe tips and the I/O contacts of the IC chip held on said chip docking structure are centered relative to each other in the direction of the z-axis of said base portion, andz-axis closure means for operatively bringing the I/O contacts of the IC chip held on said docking structure into contact with the compliant probe tips of said opposed conductive probes along the z-axis of said base portion after the position of the IC chip is fixed by said docking structure.