Patent ID: 6847221

Claim:
A probe pin assembly comprising: a lateral array of parallel probe pins arrayed in a lateral direction to contact a plurality of electrode pads arranged in a vicinity of a lateral edge of a chip under test, each pin having an input unit on one end for contacting the electrode pad of said chip, an output unit on the other end for contacting a circuit terminal, and a deformation unit of a beam structure between the input unit and the output unit; and a vertical array of parallel probe pins arrayed in a vertical direction to contact a plurality of electrode pads arranged in a vicinity of a vertical edge of a chip under test, each of the latter pins having an input unit on one end for contacting the electrode pad of said chip, an output unit on the other end for contacting a circuit terminal, and a deformation unit of a beam structure between the input unit and the output unit; wherein said lateral array of parallel probe pins and vertical array of parallel probe pins extend above a region of the chip under test such that the deformation units thereof are directed inwardly of the region of the chip, and at least one of the deformation units of the lateral array of parallel probe pins extends in a first plane and overlaps with at least one of the deformation units of the vertical array of parallel probe pins in a direction perpendicular to a chip surface, the at least one of the deformation units of the vertical array of parallel probe pins extending in a second plane that intersects with the first plane.