Plastics for Semiconductor Test Sockets

In recent years, designers have been under constant pressure to produce sockets with larger numbers of smaller, tighter-tolerance holes. This trend toward smaller pin sizes and finer pitches requires stronger, stiffer materials with improved dimensional stability and stable electrical properties.

With widespread use and the increasingly critical nature of microchip applications, demands on testing equipment are reaching new heights. In some cases, these new application requirements have exceeded the performance limits of historically popular engineering plastic materials. DuPont™ Vespel® and Torlon®, ultra-high performance polymers continue to grow in importance as socket applications grow in complexity.

This white paper provides an overview of:

• Test socket challenges
• Historically popular plastic materials
• Property comparisons
• Plastic materials to solve today’s application challenges

With modern testing practices calling for reduced cycle times leading to higher temperatures and faster thermal cycling, additional material options are crucial for your testing applications.