JPH0332832B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an IC module used for an IC card such as an identification card, and more particularly to an IC module for an IC card that is small in size and conforms to ID card standards. It is.

[Conventional technology]

In general, it is not subject to disturbance from the outside world such as magnetism,
It is extremely difficult for others to read the contents,
IC cards have recently come to be used as identification cards instead of magnetic cards, as they are highly reliable and have a storage capacity of several tens to hundreds of times more than magnetic stripes. This IC card is an IC card with an IC chip 2 mounted on a board 1 as shown in Figure 1.
The IC module 3 is assembled by fitting into a recess 5 provided in advance in the card element 4.

To explain an example of the manufacturing process of this IC module 3 for an IC card, first, a front surface electrode 6 is provided at a predetermined position on a plastic substrate 1, a lead 7 is provided at a position on the back side of this surface electrode 6, and a lead 7 is provided between the two. are electrically connected through the through hole 8.

Next, the IC chip 2 is fixed approximately at the center of the back surface of the substrate 1, and bonding is performed by connecting the pads 9 of the IC chip 2 and the leads 7 with wires 10. Thereafter, the protective layer 11 is covered with plastic to complete the IC module 3 for the IC card.

On the other hand, the completed IC module 3 for an IC card is fitted into the recess 5 provided in advance in the card material 4 of the IC card with an adhesive filler. The filling material fills the void as a filling layer 12,
Moreover, the IC card is completed by adhering to the card material 4.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

This conventional IC module for IC cards is composed of a film carrier substrate in order to make the IC card sized to comply with international standards (ISO standards), etc., so current IC manufacturing technology does not allow for the manufacture of custom ICs. IC chips with a thickness of 0.25 mm or less cannot be mass-produced, so IC chips with a thickness of 0.25 to 0.3 mm are used.
We manufacture an IC module for cards, and the thickness of this IC module for IC cards is 0.76, which is the international standard for ID cards.
It was extremely difficult to store the material within 2 mm without causing any problems due to its characteristics.

In addition, the degree of integration of IC technology is currently improving at an extremely rapid rate, so even if you manufacture a custom IC for an IC card, it will be necessary to manufacture a custom IC again using more advanced IC technology two to three years later. As a result, a custom IC has to be manufactured each time, requiring a lot of time and cost for inspections and the like.

Therefore, when manufacturing IC cards suitable for various systems, unless a general-purpose IC is used, a large amount of cost is required, and the IC cards cannot be compatible with each system.

In order to eliminate these drawbacks, the CPU part constituting the IC module for an IC card can be made independent with a single IC chip, and only the memory IC, which has significantly improved integration, can be replaced.

Conventionally, the IC module for IC cards, which consists of two IC chips, a CPU and a memory, was the second type.
There were things like those shown in Figures a and b. Conventional IC
Assuming that the lower surface is the front surface and the upper surface is the back surface in the cross-sectional view of the card IC module in FIG. ,
A lead wire 17 is provided on the back surface (the top surface in FIG. 2a) through the through hole 16, while the substrate 14
CPU IC chip 18 and memory IC are on the back side of the
The chip 19 is mounted and fixed, and the IC chips 18,1
Connect the wire 21 between the pad 20 of 9 and the lead wire 17.
After that, a protective layer 11 is formed using plastic for IC card use.
It was an IC module.

However, simply using such a CPU and two memory chips increases the size of the IC module for the IC card, making it impossible to manufacture an IC card that conforms to the standard. In other words, IC cards must conform to the international ID card standard (ISO) and must also be compatible with magnetic cards, embossed cards, CCR cards, etc., and for this reason, unless the dimensions of the IC card are smaller than the standard, they cannot be expected to become popular. .

Therefore, according to international standards, the embedding space for the IC chip, which does not affect the magnetic stripe and embossing, is 14.13 mm (length x width).
mm x 30 mm or less, and the standard thickness of ID cards is usually 0.76 mm, so when the overcoat layer is placed on the top and bottom of the IC module for IC cards, the thickness becomes 0.66 mm. The maximum dimensions are 14.13mm x 30mm x 0.66mm.

In conventional IC modules for IC cards, wiring between the CPU, memory, and external input/output terminals is provided on the board 14;
The disadvantage is that it requires a large area other than the part for fixing the IC chips 18 and 19, resulting in a large-sized IC module for IC cards, which exceeds the above-mentioned standard for the space for embedding IC chips in ID cards. It was hot. In other words, simply installing two IC chips, a CPU and a memory, on a carrier film board would require wiring to the IC chips, through holes for external input/output terminals, and 5x5
The maximum module size described above is exceeded due to the die bond area, etc., which requires a size approximately 0.05 mm larger than the mm IC chip. Therefore, even if a two-chip IC module for IC cards is simply manufactured for IC cards, it is difficult to satisfy the ID card standards.

Furthermore, the ID card standard includes an embossed area and a magnetic stripe area, and the former mechanically creates irregularities on the card, so if there is an IC module for an IC card in this area, there is a possibility of damaging the IC chip during embossing. is large and fatal to IC cards, and if the latter includes an IC module for an IC card, even if there is only a thin external input/output terminal, the smoothness of the back side of the magnetic stripe will be lost, and the magnetic data will be lost. reading errors and loss of compatibility with traditional magnetic stripe cards.

Furthermore, conventional IC modules for IC cards require a large amount of space on the board 14 for wiring between the CPU, memory, and external input/output terminals. If the parts other than those for fixing the IC chips 18 and 19 are insufficient, wiring will also be placed on the surface of the board 14, and this wiring will appear on the surface of the IC card along with the external input/output terminals. There were drawbacks such as damage and a significant loss of appearance. If an overcoat layer is provided to protect and hide the wiring appearing on the surface of such an IC card, the thickness will increase, which has the disadvantage of not being able to meet ID card standards.

The present invention is an IC module for IC cards that uses a plurality of general-purpose IC chips, and can easily respond to future improvements in IC technology at a low cost without using a custom IC for IC cards that requires a large initial investment. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an IC module for an IC card, which is small in size and conforms to ID card standards, and has no wiring appearing on its surface.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides an IC module for an IC card that is fitted into a recess in a card material to form an IC card, in which a plurality of IC chips are fixed to a substrate,
An IC module for an IC card, wherein an inner substrate having an opening larger than the fixed IC chip is stacked on the substrate, and an outer substrate having an opening larger than the opening of the inner substrate is stacked on the inner substrate. , an external input/output terminal is provided on the surface of the board where the board and the middle board do not contact, and a lead wire provided on the surface where the board with the external input/output terminal and the middle board is in contact is connected through a through hole. In addition, the lead wires provided on both sides of the middle board should be placed on both sides of the middle board in a position that does not overlap with the through hole to which the lead wires are connected, which is provided on the surface where the board on which the external input/output terminals are provided and the middle board come into contact. Connect the lead wires provided on the board with through holes, and connect the pads of the IC chip fixed to the board with the leads of the inner board on the side that contacts the outer board, which has an opening larger than the opening in the middle board. This is an IC module for an IC card, in which a protective layer is provided so that the surface of the outer substrate that is opposite to the surface in contact with the inner substrate is horizontal.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 3c.

In FIG. 3a, assuming that the substrate 14 side is the front surface and the protective layer 22 side is the back surface, the external input terminal 15 is provided on the surface of the plastic substrate 14, such as epoxy resin, that does not contact the inner substrate 24, and the third As shown in FIG. Opening 2 that is thick and larger than the IC chips 18 and 19
The lead wires 17a and 17b of the inner substrate 24 having
Through hole 16 to which lead wire 17a of No. 4 is connected
The IC chip 18 is connected via a through hole 16b at a position that does not overlap with the IC chip 16a, and has the same outer circumference as the substrate 14 and is larger than the opening 23 of the middle substrate 24.
An outer substrate 26 having an opening 25 large enough not to cover the lead 29 of the lead wire 17b for connection to the lead wire 19 via the wire 21 is bonded in an overlapping manner. An IC chip 18 (CPU) and an IC chip 19 are installed on the opposite side of the board 14 from the external input/output terminals 15.
(memory) with adhesive and IC chip 18
(CPU) and the pad 20 of the IC chip 19 (memory) and the lead 29 of the lead wire 17b are connected with the wire 21 by bonding, and then the opening 2 is covered with a protective layer 22 of ultraviolet-transparent plastic.
3 and 25 are buried to form an IC module for an IC card. By using an ultraviolet-transmissive plastic for the protective layer 22, an ultraviolet-erasable EPROM can be created.
After writing the test data into the entire memory area of the IC chip 19 (memory) of the IC module for an IC card using the test card, the written test data can be easily erased by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

As shown in FIG. 3b, the wiring of each board (board 14, middle board 24) of the IC module for an IC card is connected, for example, from the external input/output terminal 15 to the lead wire 17a via the through hole 16a. The lead wires 17a and 17b are connected to the through hole 1 at a position that does not overlap the through hole 16a.
6b, the pad 20 of the IC chip 18 (CPU) and the lead 29 of the lead wire 17b are connected by
The connection is made by wedge bonding an Al wire 21.

The external input/output terminal 15 has a lead wire 17a.
and lead wire 17b are connected at a position where through hole 16a and through hole 16b do not overlap, so lead wire 17a and lead wire 1
The lead wires 17a and 7b can be used to conduct three-dimensional wiring, and since the complicated wiring is sandwiched between the boards 14, the middle board 24, and the outer board 26, the lead wires 17a and Lead wire 1
In addition, since the through holes 16a and 16b are provided at positions where they do not overlap, the through holes 16a, 1
Since the liquid can be prevented from entering from the IC chip 6b, the IC chips 18 and 19 can be protected from liquid (moisture), and the reliability of the IC module for an IC card can be improved.

The opening 25 of the outer board 26 is made larger than the opening 23 of the middle board 24, and the wire 21 is connected to the lead wire 17.
The mechanical strength of the IC module for an IC card can be improved by making it large enough to connect to the lead 29 of b.

Further, although two IC chips are used in this embodiment, three or more IC chips can be used as necessary.

Further, if the inner substrate 24 and the outer substrate 26 are made of insulating plastic such as epoxy resin like the substrate 14, there is no need to separately provide an insulating layer between each substrate.

Since the embodiment of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, the dimensions of the IC module for an IC card to be fitted into the recess of the card material with a thickness that does not affect the magnetic stripe and embossing complying with international standards. With dimensions of 14.13mm x 300mm x 0.66mm calculated as
We can provide IC modules for IC cards,
General-purpose IC chips can be set in predetermined positions on a multilayer board, and wiring can be done three-dimensionally between the IC chips and between the IC chips and external input/output terminals. Overlapping can be easily avoided, making wiring easier than with conventional single-layer boards.

Therefore, unlike in the past, the board for the IC module for IC cards does not become larger even though it is equipped with multiple IC chips, and the wiring does not overlap. Wiring does not appear on the external input/output terminal surface and the appearance does not deteriorate.

Moreover, since the wiring inside the IC module for IC cards can be freely routed, general-purpose IC chips can be used as IC cards.
Can be used as an IC chip for cards,
A low-cost, highly versatile IC that eliminates the need to manufacture a custom IC specifically for IC cards, which requires a large initial investment.
We can provide IC modules for cards.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention provides an IC module for an IC card as a substrate,
By multilayering the inner board and the outer board, the number of through holes connected to the external input/output terminal side can be minimized.Through holes 16a provided on the board 14 and through holes 16b provided on the middle board
Since the position of the is shifted, it is possible to protect the wiring and IC chip from liquid (medicine) that enters from the outside through the through hole.
Since the IC chip is embedded in a multilayer board,
External mechanical stress is also dispersed in the substrate layer around the IC chip, resulting in an IC module for IC cards that is resistant to bending stress.

That is, the IC module for an IC card of the present invention is
Multilayering allows wiring to be done without worrying about the position of external input/output terminals, and since the outer board serves as a frame, the protective layer formed by the molding material is protected by the outer board, and the through holes are connected to the IC. In addition to serving as a reinforcing member against compression (external stress) applied to IC modules for cards, it also serves as a reinforcement member for general-purpose IC modules.
Since chips can be used, IC modules for IC cards can be provided at low cost.
IC for IC cards that is easy to adapt to the system, standardizes ID cards, and satisfies thin card standards and is extremely smooth and small in size.
The module can be easily provided, and can have extremely great practical effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional IC card, Figure 2
Figure a is a cross-sectional view of a conventional IC module, Figure 2 b
3 is a partial perspective view, FIG. 3a is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3b is an exploded perspective view of each board, and FIG. 3c is a partial enlarged vertical sectional view. It is. 1... Board, 2... IC chip, 3... IC module for IC card, 4... Card material, 5...
Recess, 6... Surface electrode, 7... Lead, 8... Through hole, 9... Pad, 10... Wire, 1
1... Protective layer, 12... Filling layer, 14... Substrate,
15...External input/output terminal, 16, 16a, 16
b...Through hole, 17, 17a, 17b...
Lead wire, 18, 19...IC chip, 20...
pad, 21...wire, 22...protective layer, 23
...opening, 24...middle substrate, 25...opening,
26... Outer board, 27... Lead end, 28... Lead end, 29... Lead.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an IC module for an IC card that is inserted into a recess in a card material to form an IC card,
A plurality of IC chips 18 and 19 are fixed to a substrate 14, and an inner substrate 24 having an opening 23 larger than the fixed IC chips 18 and 19 is attached to the substrate 1.
4, and an outer substrate 26 having an opening 25 larger than the opening 23 of the inner substrate 24 is placed on the inner substrate 24.
This is an IC module for an IC card stacked on a substrate 14, in which an external input/output terminal 15 is provided on the surface of the substrate 14 where the substrate 14 and the inner substrate 24 do not touch, and a substrate 14 provided with the external input/output terminal 15. The lead wire 17a provided on the surface in contact with the middle board 24 is inserted into the through hole 16.
a, and further connect the lead wires 17a and 17b provided on both sides of the middle board 24 to the lead wire 17a provided on the surface where the board 14 on which the external input/output terminal 15 is provided and the middle board 24 are in contact. Connect the lead wires 17a and 17b provided on both sides of the middle board 24 to the through hole 1 in a position that does not overlap with the through hole 16a.
6b and fixed to the substrate 14.
Leads 2 of the inner board 24 on the surface that contacts the pads 20 of the IC chips 18 and 19 and the outer board 26 which has an opening 25 larger than the opening 23 of the inner board 24.
9 are connected to each other by a wire 21, and a protective layer 22 is provided so that the surface of the outer substrate 26 opposite to the surface in contact with the inner substrate 24 is horizontal.
IC module for cards.