Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
  • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
  • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
  • G06K19/07749—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
  • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
  • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
  • G06K19/07749—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
  • G06K19/0775—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
  • G06K19/07752—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna using an interposer
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
  • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
  • Y10T29/49124—On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
  • Y10T29/49126—Assembling bases

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing non-contact integrated circuit portable objects as well as non-contact portable objects comprising such an integrated circuit.
• the portable non-contact objects referred to in the present invention are card-sized objects, called smart cards, having a non-contact mode of operation, or else objects of various formats, intended in particular for radio frequency identification (RFID). ). These last objects of various formats are commonly called electronic tags ("tags" in English) or inlay (English). In some applications, contactless objects are intended to be incorporated in mobile phones. In particular, these are modules for Near Field Communication ("Near Field Communication").
• the non-contact portable objects referred to in the present invention are more particularly objects whose operating frequency is a high frequency (HF), in particular equal to 13.56 MHz.
• HF high frequency
• the portable non-contact objects of the prior art comprise, on the one hand, an integrated circuit and, on the other hand, a conductive circuit forming antenna or antenna circuit.
• the antenna circuit is produced, for example, by printing on an insulating support such as paper, cardboard, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or PVC
• this circuit is in the form of a spiral comprising a plurality of loops or turns.
• a dielectric layer can be transferred to the antenna forming circuit.
• This dielectric layer carries a conductive element, which provides the electrical connection between the ends of the spiral and the integrated circuit.
• the dielectric layer and the conductive element form a bridge.
• the complete realization of the non-contact objects of the prior art requires the implementation of four essential steps. It is, first of all, the realization of the antenna circuit and the borrows, that is to say the terminals of said antenna circuit where the integrated circuit will be connected. It is also the installation of a dielectric bridge support astride the turns of the antenna circuit. This is then the realization of the circuit of said bridge providing the connection between the inner and outer ends of the antenna circuit and the integrated circuit. It is finally the report of the integrated circuit, not on the bridge, but at the location of the terminals of the antenna circuit.
• the connection of the contact pads of the integrated circuit to the terminals of the antenna circuit can be made according to a connection method which implements protrusions ("bumps" in English). In this case, a ball, usually made of gold, is deposited on the contact pads of the integrated circuit. It is subsequently returned ("flip-chip” in English) for a connection to said terminals.
• the method described above has the particular disadvantage of slowing down the production machines because of the very low density of integrated circuits on the support receiving the antenna forming conductor. This low density results in a need for very frequent and long movements between the manipulator arm of the integrated circuits and the support where these same integrated circuits are connected.
• the distance between the integrated circuits is about 8.5 cm and 5.3 cm along the two axes of the plane. This results in a maximum of 220 integrated circuits deposited per square meter.
• the relative displacement of the manipulator arm relative to the support receiving the same integrated circuits has been of the order of 11 to 18 meters, without taking into account the displacement to seek the integrated circuits on the slab of integrated circuits ("wafer" in English).
• the average displacement between each integrated circuit removal is thus of the order of 5.3 to 8.5 centimeters. This important distance considerably slows down the machines and consequently the rates of production of non-contact objects.
• US-6,665,193 B1 discloses portable objects in which the electrical connection of the antenna terminals to the chip is carried out by means of a bridge carrying the chip.
• an insulator referenced 240 in Figures 5 and 6, is necessary.
• this insulator does not provide good protection for the chip, which remains directly subjected to the mechanical stresses that are imposed on the object.
• the chip is certainly protected from these mechanical stresses, but it is instead positioned with respect to the turns of the antenna. As a result, the object is not properly protected from short circuits between the chip and said turns.
• an objective technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing non-contact integrated circuit portable objects, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art and which remains compatible with all the antenna implementations and integrated circuits used.
• the solution of the invention to this problem has as its first object a method of manufacturing portable non-contact integrated circuit objects, comprising the following steps according to which: a dielectric antenna support carrying an antenna circuit and having at least one turn and two contact terminals, a first contact terminal being internal to the antenna circuit, and a second contact terminal being external to said antenna circuit; providing a bridge comprising a dielectric bridge support, an integrated circuit chip and a circuit connecting said chip to the antenna circuit; and said bridge, provided with said chip, is reported on said dielectric antenna support, so that
• the bridge makes an electrical connection between, on the one hand, said chip and, on the other hand, said antenna circuit, and the chip is positioned, protected between the bridge support and the antenna support or incorporated in said antenna support, offset from the turns of the antenna.
• the second object is a non-contact integrated circuit portable object, comprising a dielectric antenna support provided with an antenna circuit having at least one turn and two contact terminals; and a bridge carried on said dielectric antenna support, said bridge comprising a dielectric bridge support and an integrated circuit chip, said bridge providing an electrical connection between, on the one hand, said chip and, on the other hand, said antenna circuit, the chip being positioned, protected between the bridge support and the antenna support or incorporated in said antenna support, offset with respect to the turns of 1 ' antenna .
• the bridge further comprises a connection circuit and the electrical connection between, on the one hand, said chip and, on the other hand, said antenna circuit is formed by said connection circuit;
• the bridge further comprises an insulating film, said insulating film at least partially covering the connection circuit; the bridge is carried on the antenna support so that the chip of said bridge is located between, on the one hand, the dielectric bridge support and, on the other hand, said antenna support; the chip is transferred to the bridge support by means of manipulator arms of transfer machines whose displacements are limited by the dimensions of said support; the bridge further comprises a connection circuit and in that the electrical connection between, on the one hand, said chip and, on the other hand, said antenna circuit is formed by said connection circuit; and - the object is an RFID RF object.
• FIG. 1 shows, in perspective and in a schematic manner, a dielectric support of a bridge of an object without contact according to the invention
• Figure 2 shows, in perspective and schematically, such a support, carrying a connection circuit
• FIG. 3 shows, in perspective and schematically, a bridge according to the invention comprising a dielectric support, a connection circuit, a chip to integrated circuit and an insulating film, for the manufacture of a non-contact object according to the invention
• Figure 4 shows, in perspective and schematically, a bridge for the manufacture of a non-contact object according to the invention, in a so-called inverted position
• FIG. 1 shows, in perspective and in a schematic manner, a dielectric support of a bridge of an object without contact according to the invention
• Figure 2 shows, in perspective and schematically, such a support, carrying a connection circuit
• FIG. 3 shows, in perspective and schematically, a bridge according to the invention comprising a dielectric support, a connection circuit, a chip to integrated circuit and an insulating film
• FIG. 5 presents, in perspective and schematically, a so-called bridge transfer step on an antenna support for the manufacture of a non-contact object according to the invention
• Figure 6 shows, in cross section and schematically, a non-contact object according to the invention
• FIG. 7 shows, in cross-section, an embodiment of a portable object according to the invention, in which the bridge is disposed on the rear face of the support, the chip being protected by the dielectric support of the bridge and positioned in a hole. arranged in the antenna dielectric support and in which the connection of the bridge to the antenna is made within holes in the antenna support;
• FIG. 8 illustrates, in perspective, an embodiment of a portable object according to the invention, in which the bridge is disposed on the rear face of the support and the connection is made by means of folds of the bridge in holes formed in the antenna support; and
• FIG. 9 illustrates, in cross-section, a detail of the embodiment of FIG. 8.
• the portable non-contact objects according to the invention are standardized objects whose format can be any. They are for example in card format, or, in smaller formats, and then form RFID tags. In some cases, the format of the non-contact objects according to the invention is greater than that of a card. This is the case, for example, so-called electronic portfolios.
• the RFID objects more particularly aimed at in the present invention are RFID-HF objects that comply with the ISO-14443 or ISO-15693 standards. Such objects notably have an operating frequency, for the transmission and reception of contactless data, of 13.56 MHz.
• the procedure is as follows.
• a bridge is provided.
• such a bridge comprises a dielectric bridge support 1.
• the dimensions of this support 1 are much smaller than the dimensions of the portable object.
• the support 1 is rectangular, 7 to 30 mm long and 5 to 15 mm wide and has a thickness of between 20 and 80 microns. It is made of a plastic material, especially PVC, PET, or polyimide, or else in any other material such as paper or cardboard, likely to have dielectric properties.
• the bridge further comprises a connection circuit 2.
• This connection circuit is carried by the bridge support 1. It is for example printed on the surface of said support 1, for example in flexography or inkjet or other material deposition methods for producing a conductive element.
• the connection circuit 2 has two connection terminals to the integrated circuit chip of the contactless object. These terminals are referenced 2-1. It further comprises two ranges 2-2 for connection to the antenna circuit. These areas 2-2 are located near the outer edges of the support 1.
• the connection circuit 2 comprises two circuit elements, each circuit element ending in a connection terminal 2-1 and a range of connection 2-2. It will be noted that, advantageously, the connection terminals are not centered on the bridge support 1. They are shifted towards one end of said support 1, for a positioning of the chip in a staggered manner on the bridge support.
• the bridge 5 further comprises a chip 3 integrated circuit.
• the dimensions of the chips are very small. They are of the order of 300 to 900 microns long and wide for less than 200 microns thick.
• the chip 3 has contact pads on which protuberances have been reported for an ohmic connection with the pads 2-2 of the connection circuit.
• the chip 3 is provided with connection plates for a connection by capacitive coupling to the pads 2-2 of the connection circuit, through a passivation layer of said chip.
• the chip 3 is positioned offset to one end of the support 1. It is not centered on it.
• the bridge 5 comprises an insulating film 4.
• This film at least partially covers the connection circuit 2. In practice, it covers a part of a first circuit element of the connection circuit 2. It consists of a dielectric plastic film of thin thickness, or any other material such as paper or such a printed or deposited insulating film, having such dielectric properties. The dimensions, in particular the width and the length of this film, are smaller than that of the bridge support 1. The thickness of this film is in an example of between 5 and 20 microns.
• the chips 3 are carried on the bridge support 1, provided with the connection circuit 2, on the means of transfer machines equipped with manipulator arms. More particularly, a strip, intended to form the bridge supports 1, scrolls close to the transfer machine. The chips are entered and then transferred to this band, which is possibly precut to the format of the bridges. Once the chips 3 are postponed, insulating films 4 have been deposited, the bridges 5, cut, are finally transferred to the antenna support provided with the antenna circuit. To the effect of the transfer of the bridges 5, as is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, in a particular embodiment of the invention, each bridge 5, provided with the connection circuit 2, the chip 3 and the film insulator 4, is returned by means of a manipulator arm. A dielectric antenna support 6 is then provided.
• the format (length x width) of this antenna support 6 is arbitrary, but nevertheless much greater than the format of the bridge 5.
• the thickness of the antenna support 6 is in an example between 25 and 80 microns.
• the support 6 is made of plastic or any other suitable material having dielectric properties, such as paper or cardboard, in the case of a case of an electronic passport for example.
• This antenna support 6 has previously been provided with a conductive circuit forming antenna or antenna circuit 7.
• This antenna circuit 7 is for example made by printing on the surface of the support 6, according to methods of the type of those
• the antenna circuit 7 forms, in an exemplary embodiment, a coil or spiral having at least one turn, in practice a plurality of turns. For example, in the case of Figure 5, the antenna circuit has 4 turns 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 and 7-4.
• the terminal parts of the antenna circuit 7 form contact terminals, for a electrical connection with the connection circuit 2 of the bridge.
• One of the terminals - the terminal referenced 8-1 in Figure 5 - is internal to the antenna circuit 7.
• the other terminal - this is the terminal 8-2 - is a terminal outside the circuit antenna.
• the terminals 8-1 and 8-2 are located facing each other on the support 6, on either side of the turns. The distance separating the terminals 8-1 and 8-2 is therefore greater than the width of the antenna circuit 7, here considered to be formed by all the turns 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 and 7 -4. This distance is of the order of the distance between the terminals 2-1 and 2-2 of the connection circuit 2 of the bridge 5.
• the terminal 8-1 is shifted towards the inside of the antenna so that the distance between the inner coil 7-1 of the antenna 7 and the terminal 8-1 is greater than the length and / or the width of the chip.
• the bridge 5 is carried on the dielectric antenna support 6 so that said bridge 5 is positioned astride the turns of the antenna circuit 7 and makes an electrical connection between, on the one hand, the chip 3 and, on the other hand, said antenna circuit 7. More specifically, the bridge 5 is carried on the support 6 so as to make an electrical connection between the terminals 8-1 and 8-2 and the 2- 2 of the connection circuit 2.
• the chip 3 is positioned directly in contact with the dielectric support 6, between the inner coil 7-1 and the inner contact terminal 8-1, or offset from the turns. Insulating film 4 covers the turns 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3 between terminals 8-1 and 8-2.
• an anisotropic adhesive conductive only in the vertical direction (conducting glue in Z) can be applied on the support 6 before the deposition of the bridge 5, to allow the fixing of this bridge 5 on the support 6.
• This object 9 comprises an antenna support 6 provided with an antenna circuit 7, and a bridge 5 positioned astride the antenna circuit 7 and consequently on at least one turn of said circuit, this bridge 5 comprising a chip 3, a connection circuit 2 and an insulating film 4, which avoids short circuits between the bridge and the turns.
• the chip 3 is positioned between the bridge support 1 and the antenna support 6. In other words, it is sandwiched between these two supports 1, 6 dielectric. It is not positioned vertically of the antenna turns 7. Thus the thickness of the object is minimized and the risk of short circuit due to the presence of the chip are themselves minimized. Finally, the protection of the chip 3 and connections thereof in the object is improved.
• the anisotropic adhesive makes the connection between the terminals 8-1 and 8-2 of the antenna circuit 7 and the tracks 2-2 of the connection circuit of the bridge 5.
• the chip 3 is connected to the antenna circuit 7.
• the movements of the manipulator arms of the IC reporting machines will be more limited.
• the bridge 5 has dimensions of the order of 10 mm wide and of the order of 20 mm long, it follows that the movement of the manipulator arms of integrated circuits will be only 1 to 2 centimeters between two IC sites.
• the insertion density of integrated circuits increases from 220 to 5000. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG.
• the bridge is not provided with an insulator 4 as shown in FIG. 3.
• the bridge is not turned over either before being positioned on the support provided with the antenna. Indeed, in this embodiment, the bridge is directly transferred to the so-called rear face of the support 6 carrying the antenna 7, that is to say the face of the support 6 opposite to that carrying the antenna.
• Two holes 9-1 and 9-2 are through holes and a hole 10 is open or unconnected.
• Hole 9-1 is located vertically from antenna terminal 8-1.
• Hole 9-2 is located vertically from antenna terminal 8-2.
• the hole 10 receives the chip 3. It will then be considered that, according to the invention, the chip is positioned directly opposite the support 6, offset with respect to the turns (7-1, 7-2, 7-3 of the antenna
• the hole 10 is located between the inner coil 7-1 and the inwardly-bent terminal 8-1, thus the chip is protected not only from the mechanical stresses by the support 1 and the support 6 in which it is located.
• holes 11-1, 11-2 that pass through are likewise made in the antenna support 6. These holes 11-1 and 11-2 are positioned near and adjacent the terminals 8-1 and 8-2 of the antenna.
• the bridge has terminal portions, bearing the lands 2-2, which are bent through the holes 11-1, 11-2, on the terminals 8-1 and 8-2, to make the electrical connection of the circuit 2 to 1 antenna.
• the chip is protected in particular from the mechanical stresses, since it is positioned between the supports 1 and 6. It is protected against short circuits, in particular by the thickness of the dielectric support 6 carrying the antenna circuit.
• the chip is positioned vertically below a portion of the support 6 not carrying an antenna circuit. This part may be deformed, as shown in FIG. 9, during the production of the object according to the invention. The delicacy of the objects is thus preserved. It should be noted that the invention does not add any complex process step allowing production at constant cost.
• the invention allows a removal of bridges 5 according to positioning constraints much lower than those relating to the removal of an integrated circuit. Indeed, it is then a question of comparing large ranges / connection terminals compared to the sizes of the connection pads of the integrated circuits. Note that the invention allows a clear acceleration of the removal of integrated circuits, limiting point mounting rates of Inlays and Tags.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Details Of Aerials (AREA)
• Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
• Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=40791543

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2008
  • 2008-11-24 FR FR0806592A patent/FR2938954B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2009
  • 2009-11-24 US US13/130,938 patent/US8723744B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-11-24 WO PCT/FR2009/001340 patent/WO2010058109A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2009-11-24 EP EP09784348A patent/EP2350930A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events