ZIP probes demonstrated in high-volume production
Everett Charles Technologies (ECT) successfully passed a two-month evaluation of its ZIP probes using the HyperCore material option in a high-volume production environment at a large OSAT in Singapore. The ZIP probe exceeded the critical first pass yield expectations and beat the target for a 500,000-insertion life time by over 20%.
ZIP is one of several semiconductor test probe families offered by ECT. For this evaluation the ZIP probe was deployed in a quad-site test set-up for a 250 BGA package with 0.8-mm pitch for an Ethernet/MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) end application. The test was done at ambient and hot (85°C) conditions.
ECT’s patented ZIP probes feature a number of design attributes, including a large internal contact area resulting in low contact resistance, high bandwidth, and high conductance. The proprietary non-plated, homogenous probe material possesses properties that prevent oxidation, ensuring performance throughout high volume production cycles. With 600 Knoop hardness, it is inert to common wear related to contacting tough surfaces and abrasive cleaning.
Tony DeRosa, senior product manager explained, “Customers are continuously requiring lower cost per insertion. ECT’s ZIP probes meet this challenge by bringing value to customers through competitive pricing, high reliability, and excellent electrical performance. Last summer ECT released the HyperCore material option to the entire ZIP product line. HyperCore adds an advanced material option to expand the cost of test advantage.”
About the Author
Rick Nelson
Contributing Editor
Rick is currently Contributing Technical Editor. He was Executive Editor for EE in 2011-2018. Previously he served on several publications, including EDN and Vision Systems Design, and has received awards for signed editorials from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. He began as a design engineer at General Electric and Litton Industries and earned a BSEE degree from Penn State.