Multitest’s Marcus Frey to Discuss Contact Force Change at BiTS 2011

Multitest, a designer and manufacturer of final test handlers, contactors and load boards used by integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and final test subcontractors worldwide, announces that Marcus Frey, Material Engineer, will present the paper “Contact Force Change as a Measure for Current Carrying Capability” at the upcoming Burn-in & Test Socket Workshop (BiTS), scheduled to take place March 6-9, 2011 at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa Hotel in Mesa, AZ. The presentation will be held during Session 6, which will take place Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 8 a.m.

Determining the current carrying capacity of contact springs typically is accomplished by measuring the increase in temperature. The upper temperature limit is set by the temperature stability of the spring and the insulation material, and the current limit is set accordingly. As miniaturization continues, the direct measurement of the temperature becomes more difficult. Not every part of the contact spring is accessible, so hot spots cannot be detected reliably. The need for a custom fixture as well as the presence of the temperature sensors creates a different thermal environment for the probe.

The presentation will cover the current carrying evaluation of the Multitest ECON probe using the described method and a comparison of the results with the conventional temperature-rise technique.

Multitest (headquartered in Rosenheim, Germany) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of test equipment for semiconductors. Multitest markets test handlers, contactors, and ATE printed circuit boards. Globally, more than 700 employees serve the company’s customers in offices and branches in North America, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Thailand.