Aries Highlights Top-Load Socket at Semicon West
July 14, 2012. Aries Electronics announced in conjunction with Semicon West that it now offers a top-load burn-in socket that saves significant time and money (over conventional top-load sockets) for new IC pin-out designs. With delivery in four weeks and tooling costs of only $200, the new top load socket enables designers to reduce development and production costs that used to take up to three months and run over $30,000, according to national sales manager Paul Ruo.
Based on a modular design, the new socket can be configured to accommodate devices on 0.3 mm pitch and higher, and it can be employed for virtually any SMT device, including BGA, µBGA, QFN, LGA, and bare dies as well as a number of other devices like those used for MEMS testing with high acceleration rates.
William Sinclair, Aries’ president and CEO, notes, “Instead of having to add in several months to the development process, designers can now bring products to market quicker, while saving a significant amount of money in this phase of the process.”
In addition to the time and cost savings, the new top load socket helps reduce device damage for equipment under test (EUT) by minimizing several points of over-compression and errors in device insertion. Devices are loaded and unloaded on the top of the socket without compressing the socket or holding it down. When engaged, the socket also avoids over-compression with pressure pads that cover a larger surface area to distribute force on the device. A built-in hard stop also reduces insertion force on the PCB.
The socket comes in a top load configuration, ready for device insertion, so no special tooling or push plates are required. The manual dual latches can be removed to allow the socket to open when the force is removed for efficient and quick testing of multiple devices.
These sockets are easy to mount and remove from the test board thanks to two specifically located stainless steel alignment pins that are extremely precise. The sockets’ relatively low cost and small overall size allow the maximum number of sockets per BIB (burn-in board) and BIBs per oven, while remaining operator friendly.
The compression spring probes leave minimal witness marks on the bottom surface of the device pads for increased reliability. Compression spring probes are constructed of heat-treated beryllium-copper and plated with a minimum of 30 micro inches (0.75 micro mm) gold per MIL-G-45204 over a minimum of 30 micro inches (0.75 micro mm) nickel per SAE-AMS-QQ-N-290.
Contact forces are 15 g per contact on a 0.30 mm to <0.40 mm pitch, 16 g per contact on a 0.40 mm to <0.50 mm pitch, and 25 g per contact on pitches of 0.50 mm or larger. Estimated contact life is a minimum of 500,000 cycles, and operating temperature is -55°C to +150°C.
Pricing for a top-load burn-in socket starts at $125. Delivery is 20 working days.