FR3038424A1 - MICROCIRCUIT CARD COMPRISING A MODULE HAVING METALLIC CONNECTED ZONES - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a microcircuit card comprising a body extending in a longitudinal and transverse direction and having a longitudinal median plane and a transverse median plane, a cavity formed by a lower countersink and an upper countersink, the two countersinks. admitting a same center of symmetry, the lower counterbore being traversed by the longitudinal median plane, an antenna located in the thickness of the body and having at its ends connecting pads leading to the upper counterbeam, a module having a format considered mounted in the cavity and flush with the card body and having on its inner face connection pads in electrical contact with the connection pads, the connection areas having a longitudinal axis of symmetry parallel to the longitudinal direction and spaced from the center of symmetry of the side opposite to the longitudinal median plane, a distance of less than or equal to 1.27mm.

Description

Microcircuit card having a module having staggered metallized connection areas

The present invention relates to electronic cards comprising a microcircuit. It relates to so-called dual cards adapted to communicate with remote terminals by means of two separate interfaces, each of these interfaces being connected to the microcircuit. The invention relates more particularly to the electrical connection of one of the interfaces with the microcircuit.

Currently dual cards include an interface for contactless communication with a remote terminal and a second interface for communication with contact with a terminal with which it comes into contact physically.

The first contactless interface consists of an antenna integrated in the thickness of the card and set at a predetermined frequency allowing remote communication without physical connection. For example, this frequency is set at 13.56MHz for cards meeting ISO 14443 and ISO 7816 standards.

The second interface called "contact" consists of a contact module which is mounted in a cavity formed in the card body, so as to come flush with a front face (or front) of the card. This module consists of a substrate, on the inner face of which is mounted the microcircuit and on the outer face of which are formed contact surfaces which are intended to come into contact with the pins of a terminal.

In order to allow communication between the microcircuit and the terminals, each interface has electrical connection means with the microcircuit.

It is known from the prior art to make wells or metallized vias traversing the module substrate and through which a thin connection wire connects the microcircuit to a contact surface.

It is also known to provide metal connection pads arranged at the end of the antenna and opening into the cavity so as to come into contact with the metal areas formed on the inner face of the module and themselves electrically connected to the microcircuit by conductive tracks and connection wires.

There are various module formats made from IS07816 specifications. The positioning of each of these modules in the card body is also determined from the ISO 7816 standards which recommend a specific position for eight contact surfaces. The diversity of the module formats has resulted in a diversity of positioning of the connection areas in the card to ensure the overlap ensuring the electrical contact between the metal areas and the beaches opposite.

Consequently, for the same microcircuit tuned in frequency with a determined antenna, it appeared necessary to produce, for each module format, a specific inner layer having contact pads specifically positioned to be compatible with each of said formats.

For the sake of logistical simplification, it appeared necessary to limit the number of internal layer references having metal ranges and integrated into the card body. To this end, the present invention relates to a microcircuit card comprising a body extending in a longitudinal and transverse direction and having a longitudinal median plane and a transverse median plane, a cavity formed by a lower counterbore and a top counterbore , the two counterbores admitting a same center of symmetry, the lower counterbore being crossed the longitudinal median plane, an antenna located in the thickness of the body and having at its ends connecting pads opening on the upper counterbore, a module having a format considered mounted in the cavity and flush with the card body and having on its inner face connection pads in electrical contact with the connection pads, the connection areas having a longitudinal axis of symmetry parallel to the longitudinal direction and spaced from the center of symmetry on the opposite side to the longitudinal median plane, from a distance inferred equal to or greater than 1.27mm.

The term "spaced" means that the axis of symmetry and the center of symmetry are placed so as to have a non-zero space between them.

Thanks to these provisions, the metal areas of the module format considered are arranged to ensure sufficient coverage of the metal surfaces, regardless of the positioning of the latter.

The format module considered is therefore compatible with all existing positions of the metal areas in the card body. It is therefore no longer necessary to make an inner layer (and therefore a card body) dedicated to the format module considered. The module according to the invention is compatible with the internal layers associated with the modules having another format.

Compatibility means a possible association between the format module considered and the inner layer of the card body, from a mechanical point of view to ensure the proper maintenance of the module in the card and from an electrical point of view to guarantee communication with the microcircuit.

It is thus possible for a first, a second or a third module format, to use the same card body formed from the same inner layer. This greatly simplifies inventory management of the built-in inner layers and card bodies.

It should be noted that the simplest solution would have been to enlarge the connection pads of the inner layer or to enlarge the metal connection areas of the module to ensure sufficient coverage of each zone with each range of internal layers existing to date. However, these arrangements are not conceivable insofar as they cause adhesion problems of the module in the cavity. The invention therefore relates to the optimization of this overlap to ensure sufficient coverage allowing the mechanical and electrical compatibility described further upstream in the description.

According to other characteristics: the format considered is a format comprising two series of four contact surfaces aligned in the transverse direction; the metallized connection zones have a dimension in the transverse direction of between 3 and 5.5 mm; - The connection range and the connection area have the same axis of symmetry; - The connection range has a longitudinal axis of symmetry passing through the center of symmetry of the cavity; - The connection range has a maximum dimension of 5mm in the transverse direction; the antenna is set to form with the microcircuit a resonant circuit at a frequency of 13.56 MHz; The invention also relates to a module comprising two series of four contact surfaces aligned in a first direction, the module having a central axis of symmetry, and in that the module has on its inner face connection pads having an axis of symmetry. longitudinal perpendicular to the first direction and spaced from the axis of symmetry by a distance less than or equal to 1.27mm. The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows and the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents a 3D view of a card according to the invention;

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c show a front view of three modules of different formats arranged in an ID-1 format card;

FIG. 3 represents a view of the partial face of an ID-1 format card on which are drawn the metallized zones of a module according to a first variant embodiment;

FIG. 4 represents a view of the partial face of an ID-1 format card on which are drawn the metallized zones of a module according to a second variant embodiment.

Figure 1 illustrates a dual card 10 having the dimensions recommended in ISO 7810, namely 85.60mm x 53.98mm x 0.76mm. These cards, of "ID-1" format, have the standard format of a bank card. They are also used for membership cards or loyalty cards. These maps have a longitudinal median plane and a transverse median plane. These median planes define with the plane of the map a longitudinal central axis of symmetry X1 and a transverse central symmetry axis Y1.

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate ID-1 format cards in which are respectively mounted a first module 12a of the so-called "M3" format, a second module 12b of "M4" format and a third module 12c of "M5" format ". These formats are distinguished from each other by their size and number of contact surfaces cooperating with the pins of a terminal.

The module M5 is characterized by two series of four contact surfaces 18 each connected to the terminals of a microcircuit fixed on the module and aligned forming two parallel columns and positioned according to the IS0781 standard. The M5 module has two additional contact surfaces dedicated to an electronic input and output function detailed in IS07816 standards. For example USB auxiliary inputs / outputs.

The M5 module has the dimensions 13mm * 11.8mm and its center is positioned at h2 = 23.89mm from the top longitudinal edge and at 11 = 15.06mm from the left side edge 16.

Modules M3 and M4 are characterized by two series of three contact surfaces 18 aligned and each connected to the terminals of a microcircuit and forming two parallel columns and separated by an intermediate portion, possibly connected to one of the contact surfaces. Thus, in comparison with the M5 module, the M3 and M4 modules have two less contact surfaces, which allows a greater range of positioning in the card, while meeting the ISO standards.

The module M3 has the dimensions 11 * 8.32mm and its center is positioned at h1 = 22.62mm from the top longitudinal edge 14 and 11 = 15.06mm from the left side edge 16.

The module M4 has the dimensions 13 * 11.8mm and its center is positioned at h1 = 22.62mm of the high longitudinal edge 14 and 11 = 15.06mm of the left lateral edge 16.

The modules M3 and M4 are therefore offset from the upper longitudinal edge in comparison with the module M5.

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c are represented by transparency of the metal plates forming connection pads 20 arranged at the end of the antenna (itself not shown).

The cards 10 comprise a body 22 made of plastic made from several layers of plastic laminated between them. One of the layers includes an antenna 24 visible in Figure 4 which has at its ends the connection pads 20 for making the connection between the antenna and the microcircuit. Usually these ranges are made in the form of substantially flat copper plate. These ranges are visible in FIGS. 2a to 2c, 3 and 4.

The card body has a cavity 26 made by a machining opening. The cavity is formed by a lower counterbore 28 (or lower cavity) and an upper counterbore 30 (or upper cavity) forming a step surrounding the lower counterbore. The two countersinks 28,30 are substantially rectangular and have the same center of symmetry 32. The cavity 26 has substantially the outer dimensions of the module through which the longitudinal axis of symmetry X2 it accommodates. It is therefore positioned relative to the board edges 14, 16, depending on the type of module it receives so that the contact surfaces 18 of the module 12 accommodated in the cavity are positioned as recommended in the IS07816 standard.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a partial front view of a card 10 according to the invention provided with a cavity 26 adapted to receive a module 12 of M5 format as described above. The connection pads 20 arranged at the end of the antenna 24 open on the bottom of the upper cavity 26. The part of the connection pads which extends beyond the cavity is embedded in the card body, but is shown in full line for reasons of simplification of the drawing. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the connection pads 20 in the "high" position 20a and in the "low" position 20b of the contact pads. In dotted line, in FIG. 4 is represented the "low" position 20b.

The connection pads 20 have a maximum height equal to 5 mm in the transverse direction and extend on the bottom of the upper cavity 30. They have a central axis of symmetry X3 parallel to the longitudinal direction in Figure 3. This axis symmetry X3 ranges coincides with that of the cavity 26 accommodating the modules 12a, 12b M3 and M4 format, that is to say is placed 22.62mm from the top longitudinal edge 14 of the card 10. However , as illustrated in FIG. 3, this axis of symmetry X3 of the connection pads 20 is spaced from the axis of symmetry X2 of the cavity 26 accommodating a module 12c of M5 format, with a value substantially equal to 1.27mm. Indeed modules 12c M5 format are shifted in the transverse direction to the "bottom" edge of the card relative to the modules 12a, 12b M4 and M3. In FIG. 4 are illustrated, in broken lines, the connection pads 20 dedicated to the modules M5. The axis of symmetry X3 of the tracks 20 in the low position coincides with that of the cavity 26 accommodating the module 12c M5.

The present invention makes it possible to make the module 12c of M5 format compatible with the inner layers comprising an antenna 24 and connection pads 20 in the high position and in the low position.

The present invention therefore proposes to make a module 12c of M5 format whose connection areas 34 have a longitudinal axis of symmetry X4 spaced from the axis of symmetry X2 of the cavity 26, the opposite side to the axis of symmetry X1 longitudinal of the map 10, a distance less than or equal to 1.27mm. This spacing forms compensation means allowing the compatibility of the module 12c M5 with the internal layers dedicated to the modules 12a, 12b of format M3 or M4. It is thus possible to use the same inner layers comprising the antenna 24 and the contact pads 20 for a module M3, M4 or M5 on which a same microcircuit is mounted.

In addition, these provisions improve the resistance of the card to twisting or flexing. Indeed, as visible in these figures, the lower cavity 28 and the upper cavity 30 are traversed by the longitudinal central axis X1 of the card. This results in risks of tearing or take-off of the module 12 at this central longitudinal axis Y1 along which many stresses are applied during the bending tests and along which the thickness is greatly reduced at the level of the cavity. Thanks to the provisions of the invention, the overlap area formed by the overlap of the connection areas and connection pads is remote from the axis of symmetry X1 of the card. It shows a decrease in the risks of takeoff or tearing.

Advantageously, the metallized connection zones 34 of the module 12 according to the invention have a dimension d2 in the transverse direction of between 3 and 5.5 mm. These dimensions guarantee compatibility with internal layers made for M3 and M4 modules, but are also large enough to cover the connection pads 20 of the internal layers dedicated to the M5 formats according to the prior art.

According to a variant of the invention, the module according to the invention comprises metallized zones 34 whose longitudinal axis of symmetry X4 is substantially coincident with the axis of symmetry X3 of the ranges 20. These provisions ensure that the zones 34 and the ranges 20 have a sufficient overlap surface on either side of the axis of symmetry X3, X4. In addition, these arrangements improve the quality of the connection of the module in the cavity 26 by increasing the area of overlap of metal pads 20 on metal zone 34 and also the quality of the maintenance of the module by a layer of adhesive sandwiched between two layers of metal.

The connection area 20 of the inner layers has a maximum dimension d1 of 5 mm in the transverse direction. This maximum dimension makes it possible to prevent a metal element from being positioned in one of the corners of the cavity, and which would be conducive to tearing primers.

The microcircuit card according to the invention makes it possible to considerably reduce the number of internal layer references. Indeed, thanks to the rearrangement of the metal zones on the M5 format according to the invention, it is possible to have a single inner layer for three module formats. It should be noted that the inner layers comprise an antenna winding and which is designed so that the antenna forms with the microcircuit a resonant circuit at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. It is therefore necessary to make as many antenna patterns as microcircuits. Until now, it was necessary to double the number of internal layers to have compatibility with different formats. The present invention makes it possible to simplify this last step and to limit the number of internal layers. The invention also relates to a set of two cards comprising a first card and a second card. The first card comprises a cavity formed by a lower countersink and an upper countershaft, the two counterbores admitting a same center of symmetry, the lower counterbore being traversed the longitudinal median plane of the card, an antenna located in the thickness of the body and having at its ends connecting pads opening on the upper counterbore. The first card has a format module M5 and in which the connection pad 20 and the connection area 34 have the same axis of symmetry X3, X4 offset from the axis of symmetry X2 of the cavity 26 receiving the module. The second card comprises a body comprising the same antenna as that of the first card, provided at its ends with the same connection pads, and a cavity formed by a lower counterbore and an upper counterbore adapted to receive a module of M3 format. or M4, the cavity having an axis of symmetry X2, aligned with the longitudinal axis of symmetry X4 of the connection areas leading to the upper counterbore, the cavity being adapted to receive a module having two series of three aligned contact surfaces according to the transverse direction.

Claims (9)

claims 1. microcircuit card characterized in that it comprises: a body extending in a longitudinal and transverse direction and having a longitudinal median plane and a transverse median plane, a cavity formed by a lower counterbore and a top counterbore , the two counterbores admitting the same center of symmetry, The lower counterbore being traversed by the longitudinal median plane, An antenna located in the thickness of the body and having at its ends connecting pads opening on the upper counterbore, A module presenting a considered format mounted in the cavity and flush with the card body and having on its inner face connection pads in electrical contact with the connection pads, the connection areas having a longitudinal axis of symmetry parallel to the longitudinal direction and spaced from the center of symmetry on the opposite side to the longitudinal median plane, a lower distance or equal to 1.27mm. 2. Microcircuit card according to claim 1 wherein the format considered is a format comprising two sets of four contact surfaces aligned in the transverse direction. 3. Microcircuit card according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metallized connection areas have a dimension in the transverse direction of between 3 and 5.5mm. 4. Microcircuit card according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connection pad and the connection area have the same axis of symmetry. 5. Microcircuit card according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection range has a longitudinal axis of symmetry passing through the center of symmetry of the cavity. 6. Microcircuit card according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection range has a maximum dimension of 5mm in the transverse direction. 7. Microcircuit card according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the antenna is set to form with the microcircuit a resonant circuit at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. 8. A set of two cards comprising: a first card according to claim 4, and a second card comprising a body comprising the same antenna as that of the first card, provided at its ends with the same connection pads, a formed cavity. a lower counterbore and an upper counterbore, the two countersinks admitting a same center of symmetry, aligned with the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the connection areas opening on the upper counterbore, the cavity being adapted to receive a module comprising two sets of three contact surfaces aligned in the transverse direction. 9. Card module according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises two sets of four contact surfaces aligned in a first direction, the module having a central axis of symmetry, and in that the module has on its inner face connection pads having a longitudinal axis of symmetry perpendicular to the first direction and spaced from the axis of symmetry by a distance less than or equal to 1.27mm.