JPH1111058A - Ic module and ic card employing this - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To meet the requirement of thinning IC cards, and enhance the working efficient thereof. SOLUTION: The IC module includes a substrate 2, an IC chip 3 mounted on the substrate 2, and an antenna coil 20 electrically connected to the IC chip 3, and the antenna coil 20 comprises pattern forming spiral conductive wires 20a on the entire surface of the substrate 20, furthermore, a first land 21 which has a continuity with the initial end of the spiral conductive wires 20a and a second land 21 which has a continuity with the terminal end thereof are arranged inward of the forming area of the antenna coil 20, and the IC chip 3 is mounted on the substrate 2 in a manner that antenna connection electrodes formed on its major surface are connected to the first land 21 and second land 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC card having a built-in IC chip such as an ID card and provided with an information storage function, and an IC card module incorporated in the IC card and provided with the IC chip. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, some cards have an information storage function. Among them, there is a so-called IC card having an IC memory in addition to a magnetic stripe for storing information. .

[0003] Such an IC card has an advantage suitable for being constituted as a so-called non-contact type information storage card. Further, as compared with a magnetic stripe type card, the information storage capacity can be easily increased. In addition, there is an advantage that the forgery prevention effect is high. For this reason, it is expected that an IC card having a more advanced information processing function and communication function will appear by incorporating a memory chip, a CPU, and the like having a further increased storage capacity into the card. Are expected to be used as information carrying tools related to telephone cards and electronic money. Therefore, the IC card is required to be mass-produced and to be reduced in size and thickness in consideration of portability.

Some IC cards have a coil body made of a metal wire or the like embedded in a card body made of resin or the like. In this type of IC card, the winding coil functions as an antenna that transmits and receives radio waves to and from the outside, and also functions as a coil that generates induced electromotive force and supplies power to the IC chip. Therefore, this type of IC card has an advantage that it is not necessary to incorporate a power source such as a battery.

[0005]

However, usually,
The winding coil is formed so as to have substantially the same outer periphery as the outer peripheral edge of the card body, for example, being wound with about 50 turns, so that the thickness of the winding coil naturally increases. . Further, in order to reduce the thickness, the number of windings must be reduced, and in this case, there is a concern that the characteristics of the winding coil may deteriorate. That is, there is a certain limit to reducing the thickness of an IC card using a winding coil.

In addition, in the IC card having the above configuration, the winding coil formed separately and the IC chip must be electrically connected, but this operation is extremely complicated. That is, for example, while bonding an IC chip on a substrate on which a predetermined circuit pattern is formed,
The start and end of the winding coil must be bonded to the conductor pads that can conduct with the chip. The beginning and end of the winding coil are not always formed at the same position, and the metal wire constituting the winding coil is extremely thin, and this is automatically turned using a predetermined device. It is difficult to bond. Accordingly, it is extremely complicated to rely on a manual operation such as soldering for such an operation, and the production efficiency is extremely low. Further, since the metal wire is extremely thin, for example, the bonding portion may be easily broken by an external force such as bending stress,
In this case, power is not supplied to the IC chip, and the IC card cannot perform its original function.

The present invention was conceived under the circumstances described above, and its object is to meet the demand for a thin IC card having an antenna coil and to improve the manufacturing efficiency thereof. I do.

[0008]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical means.

That is, an IC module provided by the first aspect of the present invention is an IC module including a substrate, an IC chip mounted on the substrate, and an antenna coil electrically connected to the IC chip. A module, wherein the antenna coil is formed by patterning a spiral conductor line on one surface of the substrate, and is connected to a first land and a terminal which are electrically connected to a start end of the spiral conductor line and a terminal. The land is disposed inside the antenna coil forming area of the substrate, and the IC chip has an antenna connection electrode formed on the main surface thereof on the first land and the second land. It is characterized in that it is mounted on the substrate so as to be connected.

The antenna coil can be formed by, for example, laminating a copper foil on a substrate surface, or forming a film of copper or the like by means of sputtering, vapor deposition, CVD or the like and then performing an etching treatment. The first land and the second land can also be formed simultaneously in the same step as the step of patterning the antenna coil. Further, the IC chip can be automatically mounted using an existing chip mounting device. That is, in the present invention, the antenna coil and the land are formed on the substrate, and the IC chip is mounted on the land without the need for a complicated operation such as bonding the starting end and the end of the separately formed winding coil. It is possible to achieve electrical continuity between the IC chip and the antenna coil by a simple operation such as mounting the IC chip, and to realize automation of these steps.

Further, according to the above configuration, since the antenna coil is formed on the substrate in a pattern, the thickness of the antenna coil can be made extremely small. Therefore, the thickness of the antenna coil becomes smaller than that of the IC chip mounted on the substrate. It cannot be larger than the thickness. Therefore, a situation does not occur in which the thickness of the IC card incorporating the IC module becomes large due to the large thickness of the antenna coil.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, a conductor bundle forming the antenna coil is bent and extended in a concave shape toward the inner portion into the antenna coil forming region at a predetermined position in a circumferential direction of the antenna coil forming region. By arranging the start end and the end of the spiral conductor wire at the bent extension portion of the conductor wire bundle, the first land and the second land are arranged inside the antenna coil forming region on the substrate. Further, the start and end of the spiral conductor may be arranged so as to sandwich the conductor at the inner end of the bent extension of the conductor.

That is, as described above, by devising the formation pattern of the antenna coil, the start and end of the spiral conductor can be positioned at the center where the IC chip is mounted. The number of turns of the wire can be increased. Therefore, the conductive connection between the IC chip and the antenna coil can be easily achieved by locating the start and end of the conductor wire at the center, and the characteristics of the antenna coil can be improved by increasing the number of turns of the conductor wire. Can be improved.

In a preferred embodiment, the antenna connection electrode formed on the main surface of the IC chip further comprises:
It comprises a first electrode and a second electrode arranged at corners along a diagonal line on a main surface of a rectangular IC chip, and the first electrode and the second electrode are the first electrode on the substrate. And the second land.

According to the above configuration, the distance between the electrodes can be maximized by arranging the electrodes at the corners along the diagonal line, and the electrodes formed corresponding to the electrodes can be arranged at the maximum. The distance between lands can also be maximized. As described above, since each land is arranged so as to sandwich the inner end of the bent extension portion of the conductor wire bundle, the number of turns of the conductor wire is reduced by maximizing the distance between the lands. You will be able to do more. Therefore, if the number of turns of the conductor wire can be set large, the characteristics of the antenna coil can be further improved.

In a preferred embodiment, the IC
One or more dummy electrodes are further formed on the main surface of the chip, and dummy lands corresponding to the dummy electrodes are formed on the substrate, and the dummy electrodes are connected to the dummy lands. Have been.

As described above, two lands are formed on the substrate, and the IC chip is mounted so that two electrodes formed on the IC chip are supported on the lands. In the above configuration, in addition to the above, the IC chip is supported by dummy electrodes formed on the IC chip on dummy lands formed on the substrate. That is, the IC chip is supported at least at three points, in other words,
Since the IC chip is connected to the land of the substrate at at least three points, the mounting state of the IC chip can be further stabilized. In mounting the IC chip on a substrate, the IC chip is temporarily placed on the substrate. In this case also, there is an advantage that the state of the IC chip can be stabilized.

The dummy electrode can be formed simultaneously in the step of forming the electrode, and the dummy land can be formed together with the land at the same time as the antenna coil pattern is formed.

In a preferred embodiment, the substrate is a flexible substrate having a resin film as a base material, and at least an IC chip on the substrate may be sealed with a sealing member.

As the sealing member, for example, a resin package formed so as to enclose the IC chip by molding such as injection molding or transfer molding, or a cap-shaped member having a concave portion capable of covering the IC chip is formed. A member can be considered. If the IC chip is sealed with the sealing member, the IC chip can be protected. In particular, when the substrate is sealed in the resin package in addition to the IC chip, the IC chip is protected. Can also be effectively protected. In this case, since the antenna coil is patterned on the substrate,
Since the antenna coil is resin-packaged, it is expected to avoid a situation in which the conductor wire forming the antenna coil is disconnected. further,
By packaging and integrating the substrate, antenna coil and IC chip with an epoxy resin or the like, the handling becomes convenient.

I provided by the second aspect of the present invention
The C card is characterized by including the IC module described in the first aspect described above, and a card body having a through hole or a concave portion into which the IC module is fitted.

In a preferred embodiment, a cover sheet is attached to at least one surface of the card body.

Since the IC card includes the IC module according to the first aspect, it goes without saying that the effects of the IC module can be enjoyed. Also, the surface of the card body is adhered to a cover sheet having excellent elasticity so that the IC card, especially the I
The C module can be effectively protected.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an example of an IC module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the IC module, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a substrate constituting the IC module.

[0027] As shown in FIG.
Comprises a circular substrate 2, an IC chip 3 mounted on the substrate 2, an antenna coil 20 formed on the surface of the substrate 2, and a resin package 4 enclosing the substrate 2 and the IC chip 3. , Are formed in a columnar shape as a whole.

The IC chip 3 is, for example, an EEPRO
A memory chip such as M and other capacitors are integrally formed, and have a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The IC chip 3 is mainly used as a memory having an information storage function. Antenna connection electrodes 30, 30 are formed on the main surface 3a of the IC chip 3, and these electrodes 30, 30 are electrode pads (not shown).
It is formed so as to protrude from the main surface 3a by, for example, applying gold plating. As shown in FIG. 3, the electrodes 30, 30 are disposed at corners along a diagonal line on the main surface 3a of the IC chip 3, and
Dummy electrodes 30a, 30a, which are formed in the same manner as the electrodes 30 and are insulated from the IC chip 3, are arranged in the corners where no is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate 2 has flexibility such as a polyimide film,
It is formed in a circular shape by an insulating resin or the like. The substrate 2 is not limited to a circular shape, but may be an elliptical shape, an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, or the like, and the shape may be appropriately selected. As shown in FIG. 3, a predetermined pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate 2, and the pattern is a conductor wire bundle 2 forming the antenna coil 20.
The predetermined portion 2 is bent and extended concavely inward in the radial direction of the substrate 2 and has a spiral shape as a whole. The start and end of the conductor wire 20a are:
It is arranged at the mounting position of the IC chip 3 at the center so as to sandwich the inner end of the bent extension 23 of the conductor wire bundle 22, and is electrically connected to the lands 21, 21 formed at the center of the substrate 2. Have been. Although not shown, the substrate 2 is covered with, for example, a polyimide resin so that the lands 21, 21 and the dummy lands 21a, 21a are exposed and the pattern is protected.

As described above, the antenna coil 2
By devising the formation pattern of 0, the start and end of the spiral conductor line can be positioned at the center where the IC chip 3 is mounted. Further, according to the above configuration, since the antenna coil 20 is formed on the substrate 2 in a pattern, the thickness of the antenna coil 20 can be made extremely small. It cannot be larger than the thickness of. For this reason, the situation where the thickness of the IC card 7 incorporating the IC module 1 becomes large due to the large thickness of the antenna coil 20 does not occur.

Further, by disposing the electrodes 30 and 30 at the corners along a diagonal line, the electrodes 3
The distance between the lands 21 and the lands 21 formed corresponding to the electrodes 30 and 30 can be maximized.
The distance between the ones can also be maximized. As described above, since the lands 21 and 21 are arranged so as to sandwich the inner end of the bent extension portion 23 of the conductor bundle 22, the distance between the lands 21 and 21 is maximized. Accordingly, the number of turns of the conductor wire 20a can be further increased. Therefore, the conductor wire 20a
By setting a large number of turns, the characteristics of the antenna coil 20 can be improved.

Further, the IC chip 3 is provided on the substrate 2.
Dummy land 2 corresponding to dummy electrodes 30a, 30a of
1a and 21a are formed. The antenna coil 20 is formed by, for example, sputtering on the surface of the substrate 2.
The lands 21 and 21 and the dummy lands 21 are formed by performing an etching process after forming a film such as copper by means such as evaporation or CVD.
a and 21a can also be formed simultaneously in the same step. As described above, the substrate 2 has two lands 2
1 and 21 are formed, and the two electrode electrodes 30 formed on the IC chip 3 are connected to the lands 21 and 21.
The IC chip 3 is mounted so as to be supported on the upper side. In the above configuration, in addition to the above, the IC chip 3 is formed on the dummy lands 21 a formed on the substrate 2. The IC chip 3 is supported by the dummy electrodes 30a, 30a. That is, the IC chip 3 is supported at four points, in other words, since the IC chip 3 is connected to the lands 21, 21, 21a, and 21a of the substrate 2 at four points, The mounting state can be further stabilized.

As shown in FIG. 2, the IC chip 3
The electrodes 30, 30 and the lands 2 formed on the substrate 2
1 and 21, and the dummy electrodes 30a, 30
a is connected to the dummy lands 21a, 21a. For mounting the IC chip 3, for example, an anisotropic conductive film 6 is used. The anisotropic conductive film 6 has a structure in which conductive particles 60 are dispersed in a resin film 61 having adhesiveness. IC using the anisotropic conductive film 6
The chip 3 is mounted by interposing an anisotropic conductive film 6 between the substrate 2 and the IC chip 3 and then applying a predetermined pressure between the IC chip 3 and the substrate 2 in a heated state. This is done by: Since the IC chip 3 can be automatically placed on the substrate 2 using an existing chip mounting device, the mounting process of the IC chip 3 can be automated. In mounting the IC chip 3 on the substrate 2, the IC chip 3 is temporarily placed on the substrate 3.
Four lands 21, 21, 21a, 21 including dummy
Since a is formed, the temporary placement state of the IC chip 3 can be stabilized. In mounting the IC chip 3, a so-called solder reflow technique may be employed.

The antenna coil 20 conductively connected to the IC chip 3 as described above functions as a device for transmitting and receiving a radio wave between the outside and the IC chip 3. Signals are transmitted and received. On the other hand, since the antenna coil 20 has a spiral shape, the antenna coil 20 also functions as a coil that generates an induced electromotive force by an electromagnetic induction effect, and supplies the electromotive force to the IC chip 3. Then, the electromotive force supplied to the IC chip 3 is stored in the capacitor.

As is clearly shown in FIG.
The IC chip 3 is sealed with, for example, epoxy resin to form the resin package 4 to protect the IC chip 3. That is, needless to say, the IC chip 3 can be effectively protected, and the substrate 2 can also be effectively protected because the substrate 2 is also sealed. In this case, the substrate 2
Since the antenna coil 20 is formed in a pattern, the antenna coil 20 is also sealed in the resin package 4 to avoid a situation in which the conductor wire 20a constituting the antenna coil 20 is disconnected. It is expected to be. In addition, the substrate 2, the antenna coil 20, and the IC chip 3 are packaged and integrated with an epoxy resin or the like, so that the handling becomes convenient. In order to protect the IC chip 3, a cap-shaped member having a concave portion capable of covering the IC chip 3 may be used instead of the resin package 4.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of a substrate constituting an IC module according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. Although the basic configuration of the IC module 1 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the IC module 1 according to the first embodiment, the configuration of the antenna coil 20 formed on the surface of the substrate 2 is slightly different. This is different from the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, similarly to the first embodiment, the substrate 2 is formed in a circular shape from a resin having flexibility and insulating properties such as a polyimide film, for example. . On the surface of the substrate 2,
The conductor wire 20a is formed in a spiral shape so that the antenna coil 2
0 is pattern-formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the beginning and end 20b of the conductor wire 20a
At the mounting position of the chip 3, the lands 21 and 21 protruding from the center of the substrate 2 are electrically connected to each other.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the terminal end 20c of the conductor wire 20a reaches the back surface of the substrate 2 via a through hole 25a at the outer edge of the substrate 2, and On the back surface side, it extends in the radial direction of the substrate 2 and reaches near the mounting position of the IC chip 3. From there, it further reaches the surface of the substrate 2 again through the through hole 25b, extends in the radial direction of the substrate 2, and is electrically connected to the land 21.

Also in this embodiment, since the antenna coil 20 is patterned on the substrate 2, a complicated operation such as bonding the starting end and the end of the separately formed winding coil is not required. By forming the antenna coil 20 on the substrate 2, electrical continuity between the IC chip 3 and the antenna coil 20 can be achieved, and automation of these steps can be realized.

Also, in the above configuration, since the antenna coil 20 is formed on the substrate 2 in a pattern, the thickness of the antenna coil 20 can be extremely reduced. Therefore, the thickness of the antenna coil 20 is mounted on the substrate 2. It cannot be larger than the thickness of the IC chip 3. Therefore, the situation where the thickness of the IC card 7 incorporating the IC module 1 becomes large due to the large thickness of the antenna coil 20 does not occur.

FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of the IC card according to the present invention, FIG. 7 is an exploded plan view of the IC card 7, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. It is.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the IC card 7 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and has a thickness of, for example, 0, including an adhesive for attaching cover sheets 70, 70 described later. The IC module 1 according to any of the above-described embodiments, a card body 7A into which the IC module 1 is fitted, and a cover sheet adhered to the upper and lower surfaces of the card body 7A. 70, 70 are provided.

The card body 7A has a cylindrical portion corresponding to the shape of the IC module 1 and a through hole 71 into which the IC module 1 is fitted. For example, polyethylene terephthalate resin (hereinafter abbreviated as PET) or vinyl chloride (hereinafter abbreviated as P
VC), the thickness is set to about 0.45 mm.

The cover sheets 70 are made of a resin such as PET or PVC and have a thickness of 0.15.
The card body 7A is adhered to each of the upper and lower surfaces of the card body 7A using, for example, an adhesive. By sticking the cover sheets 70, 70, the influence of the external atmosphere on the IC module 1 can be reduced and the IC module 1 can be protected.

As shown in FIG. 8, the IC module 1
Is fitted into the through hole 71 of the card body 7A and is sandwiched between the cover sheets 70, 70, and as a result, is buried in the card body 7A. When the module 1 is fitted into the through hole 71, for example, an epoxy resin-based adhesive or the like may be used, and the means may be appropriately selected.

The IC card 7 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG.
Instead of the through hole 71, a card body having a recess 71a may be used as the card body 7A. In this case, the cover sheet 70 is at least
What is necessary is just to stick on only the surface on the opening side of 1a.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view illustrating an example of an IC module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the IC module.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a substrate constituting the IC module.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an example of a substrate constituting an IC module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of an IC card according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the IC card.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view showing a modification of the IC card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC module 2 Substrate 3 IC chip 3a Main surface (of IC chip) 4 Resin package (sealing member) 7 IC card 7A Card main body 20 Antenna coil 20a Conductive wire 21 Land 21a Dummy land 22 Conductive wire bundle 30 Antenna connection electrode 30a Dummy Electrode 70 Cover sheet 71 Through hole (of card body) 71a Recess (of card body)

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An IC module comprising a substrate, an IC chip mounted on the substrate, and an antenna coil electrically connected to the IC chip, wherein the antenna coil is provided on one surface of the substrate. A spiral land is formed by patterning a spiral conductor line, and a first land connected to a start end of the spiral conductor line and a second land connected to an end of the spiral conductor line are formed inside an antenna coil forming region on the substrate. And the IC chip is mounted on the substrate such that an antenna connection electrode formed on a main surface thereof is connected to the first land and the second land. An IC module, characterized in that: 2. A conductor wire bundle forming an antenna coil is bent and extended concavely toward an inner portion of the antenna coil formation region at a predetermined circumferential position of the antenna coil formation region, and the conductor wire bundle is bent and extended. By arranging the beginning and end of the spiral conductor wire at the entrance,
The first land and the second land are arranged in an inner part of the antenna coil forming region on the substrate.
The IC module according to claim 1. 3. The IC module according to claim 2, wherein a starting end and a terminating end of the spiral conductor wire are arranged so as to sandwich the conductor wire bundle at an inner end portion of the bent extension portion of the conductor wire bundle. 4. The antenna connection electrode formed on the main surface of the IC chip is formed from a first electrode and a second electrode arranged at a corner along a diagonal line on the main surface of the rectangular IC chip. 4. The I-terminal according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to a first land and a second land on the substrate, respectively.
C module. 5. A main surface of the IC chip further includes one or more dummy electrodes formed thereon, and a dummy land corresponding to the dummy electrodes is formed on the substrate. The IC module according to claim 4, wherein the dummy module is connected to the dummy land. 6. The IC module according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a flexible substrate having a resin film as a base material. 7. The IC module according to claim 1, wherein at least the IC chip on the substrate is sealed with a sealing member. 8. An IC, comprising: the IC module according to claim 1; and a card body having a through hole or a recessed portion into which the IC module is fitted. card. 9. The IC card according to claim 8, wherein a cover sheet is stuck to at least one surface of the card body.