Patent ID: 6525553
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: G01R,H01L

Abstract:
An apparatus for testing singulated Ball Grid Array devices that have been mounted in a BGA supporting package, comprising at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin as part of said BGA supporting package, said at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin having a body and an extension thereof, said at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin comprising:a low resistivity path of interconnect with an overlying region of a grounded interface; an exposed surface providing easy contact between said BGA supporting package and a ground plane of a tester used for said testing; being provided in a non-functional surface area of said BGA supporting package; being provided in a location not varying with different BGA supporting package designs, said location being determined with respect to said tester thereby making application of said at least one Leaf Ground Pin independent of BGA supporting package design; being provided with a sharp bend, an extension of said at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin being in a plane intercepting a plane of a body of said at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin under an angle; being provided with a contact point as part of said extension of said at least one Leaf Spring Ground Pin, said contact point making contact with a grounding surface; being provided for making contact with a grounding surface under pressure by pressing said contact point firmly against a grounding surface, providing a low-resistivity contact between a BGA device and a ground land of a BGA device tester; and contains gold thereby providing a low-resistivity path between said BGA supporting package and said tester.