KR101433674B1 - Structure of a loop antenna and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A loop antenna structure includes a base, a first antenna pattern disposed on the base and having a first conductive region, a dielectric layer disposed on the base to cover the first antenna pattern, the dielectric layer being comprised of a dielectric material and disposed on the dielectric layer And a second conductive region overlapping the first conductive region in a planar manner and capacitively coupled to form a loop.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a loop antenna structure and a method of manufacturing the same,

The present invention relates to a loop antenna structure and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a loop antenna structure that can be applied to an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a near field communication (NFC) technology capable of transmitting and receiving information using radio waves and a method of manufacturing the same .

Generally, the antenna structure applied to the short distance communication technology has a loop shape in order to increase the recognition distance. The loop antenna structure having a loop shape includes a first antenna pattern formed on one surface, an insulating layer formed on the first antenna pattern, a second antenna pattern having a loop shape on the insulating layer, And a via contact for electrically connecting the first and second antenna patterns to each other.

A via contact is formed by forming a via hole passing through the insulating layer in a region where the first and second antenna patterns overlap each other to form the via contact and filling the via hole with a conductive material.

A drilling process and a laser process are required to form the via hole passing through the insulating layer. Further, an electroplating process is required to fill the via hole with a conductive material. As a result, a complicated process for forming the via contact is required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a loop antenna structure that can eliminate via contacts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a loop antenna structure capable of manufacturing a loop antenna structure through a relatively simple process.

In order to accomplish one object of the present invention, a loop antenna structure according to embodiments of the present invention includes a base, a first antenna pattern disposed on the base and having a first conductive region, And a second conductive region disposed on the base, the dielectric layer being made of a dielectric material and disposed on the dielectric layer, the second conductive region overlapping the first conductive region in a planar manner and capacitively coupling to form a loop, . Here, the first and second antenna patterns may be electrically connected to each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween so as to have an electrostatic capacitance. In addition, the capacitance may have 100 to 250 pF.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second antenna patterns may include at least one of a conductive material such as copper, silver-coated copper, aluminum, and conductive carbon.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a loop antenna structure, comprising: forming a first antenna pattern on a base and having a first conductive region, 1 dielectric layer on the base to cover the antenna pattern. Thereafter, a second antenna pattern is formed on the dielectric layer to form a loop including a second conductive region overlapping the first conductive region in a planar manner and capacitively coupling. Here, the first and second antenna patterns may be electrically connected to each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween so as to have an electrostatic capacitance. In addition, the capacitance may have 100 to 250 pF.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first and second antenna patterns may be formed through an etching process, a electroplating process, a sputtering process, a conductive ink printing process, or a stamping process.

According to the present invention, the first and second antenna patterns may be electrically connected by capacitively coupling the first and second antenna patterns via a dielectric layer. Therefore, the via contact for electrically connecting the first and second antenna patterns to each other can be omitted. In addition, the manufacturing method of the loop antenna structure can be simplified by omitting the drilling process and the plating process for forming the via contact.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a loop antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the loop antenna structure of FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a plan view for explaining the first antenna pattern of FIG.
4 is a plan view for explaining the second antenna pattern of FIG. 2. FIG.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments of the invention. However, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in various other forms. The following examples are provided so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the scope of the present invention, rather than being provided so as to enable the present invention to be fully completed.

When an element is described as being placed on or connected to another element or layer, the element may be directly disposed or connected to the other element, and other elements or layers may be placed therebetween It is possible. Alternatively, if one element is described as being placed directly on or connected to another element, there can be no other element between them. The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various items such as various elements, compositions, regions, layers and / or portions, but the items are not limited by these terms .

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Furthermore, all terms including technical and scientific terms have the same meaning as will be understood by those skilled in the art having ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise specified. These terms, such as those defined in conventional dictionaries, shall be construed to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the related art and the description of the present invention, and are to be interpreted as being ideally or externally grossly intuitive It will not be interpreted.

Embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of ideal embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, changes from the shapes of the illustrations, such as changes in manufacturing methods and / or tolerances, are those that can be expected. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are not to be construed as being limited to the specific shapes of the areas described by way of illustration, but rather to include deviations in the shapes, the areas described in the drawings being entirely schematic and their shapes Are not intended to illustrate the exact shape of the regions and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a loop antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the loop antenna structure of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the first antenna pattern of FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining the second antenna pattern of FIG. 2. FIG.

1 to 4, a loop antenna structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a base, a first antenna pattern, a dielectric layer, and a second antenna pattern.

The base 110 may include a heat-resistant polymer resin. For example, the base 110 may include a polyimide-based resin, a polyethylene-based resin, or a polycarbonate-based resin. For example, the base 110 may be formed of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polycarbonate.

The first antenna pattern is disposed on the upper surface of the base. The first antenna pattern is formed to extend from the antenna contact. As shown, the first antenna pattern may include patterns extending from two antenna contacts. The first antenna pattern may include at least one of copper, silver-coated copper, aluminum, and a conductive material to which conductive carbon is attached.

The first antenna pattern has a first conductive region. The first conductive region overlaps the subsequent second antenna pattern in a planar manner.

The dielectric layer is disposed on the base to cover the first antenna pattern. The dielectric layer may be made of a dielectric material. The dielectric layer may include a polypolyimide resin, a polyethylene resin or a polycarbonate resin. For example, the dielectric layer 120 may be formed of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polycarbonate.

The dielectric layer may have a first thickness. The first thickness may be adjusted to obtain capacitance between the dielectric layer and the first and second antenna patterns. Further, the electrostatic capacitance is changed according to the dielectric material forming the dielectric layer. For example, when the dielectric layer is made of polyimide, the first thickness may have a thickness of 10 to 15 mu m.

The second antenna pattern is disposed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer. The second antenna pattern has a loop shape. As shown in the figure, the second antenna pattern may have a spiral shape in which a plurality of loops are interconnected. The second antenna pattern may include at least one of copper, silver coated copper, aluminum, and a conductive material to which conductive carbon is attached.

The second antenna pattern has a second conductive region. The second conductive region overlaps the first antenna pattern in a planar manner. Accordingly, a dielectric layer interposed between the first and second conductive regions is interposed, so that the first and second conductive regions are capacitively coupled to each other. In this case, the first and second antenna patterns are electrically connected to each other in a state where the dielectric layer is interposed therebetween and have a capacitance. The capacitance may have a capacitance between 100 and 250 pF. The electrostatic capacity can be adjusted according to the thickness of the dielectric layer, the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer, and the overlapping area of the first and second conductive regions.

Therefore, a via contact for electrically connecting the first and second antenna patterns to each other may be omitted. Furthermore, the electrostatic capacity can be adjusted according to the thickness of the dielectric layer, the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer, and the overlapping area of the first and second conductive regions, so that the transmission / reception capability of the loop antenna structure can be easily changed.

Hereinafter, a process for fabricating a loop antenna structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, the base 110 is prepared. The base 110 may be formed of a heat-resistant polymer resin. The base 110 may include a polyimide-based resin, a polyethylene-based resin, or a polycarbonate-based resin. For example, the base 110 may be formed of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polycarbonate.

Next, a first antenna pattern 120 made of the first conductive material is formed on the base 110. The first antenna pattern includes a first conductive region.

The first antenna pattern 120 may be formed of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), silver coated copper, aluminum, or conductive carbon. When the first antenna pattern 120 is made of copper, a process of removing the oxide film may be performed due to the tendency of the copper to relatively form an oxide film on the surface thereof. In the step of removing the oxide film, a dilute strong acid solution in which a strong acid such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid or hydrochloric acid is diluted with pure water may be used.

Meanwhile, the process for forming the first antenna pattern 120 may include an etching process, a electroplating process, a sputtering process, a conductive ink printing process, or a stamping process.

In particular, examples of the conductive ink printing process include screen printing, flexo printing, rotary printing, gravure printing, and offset printing. Since the conductive paste used in the conductive ink printing process includes an organic substance, a heat treatment process for removing the organic substance may be performed subsequently.

Next, a dielectric layer made of a dielectric material is formed on the base so as to cover the first antenna pattern. The dielectric layer may be made of a dielectric material. The dielectric layer may include a polypolyimide resin, a polyethylene resin or a polycarbonate resin. For example, the dielectric layer 120 may be formed of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polycarbonate. The dielectric layer may be formed through a laminating process using a lyning film.

Then, a second antenna pattern 140 made of a conductive material is formed on the dielectric layer 130. The second antenna pattern includes a second conductive region. The first and second conductive regions are positioned to overlap each other in a plan view.

The second antenna pattern 120 may be formed of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), silver coated copper, aluminum, or conductive carbon. If the second antenna pattern 120 is made of copper, a process of removing the oxide film may be performed due to the tendency that an oxide film is formed relatively on the surface of the copper. In the step of removing the oxide film, a dilute strong acid solution in which a strong acid such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid or hydrochloric acid is diluted with pure water may be used.

Meanwhile, the process for forming the second antenna pattern 120 may include an etching process, an electroplating process, a sputtering process, a conductive ink printing process, or a stamping process.

In particular, examples of the conductive ink printing process include screen printing, flexo printing, rotary printing, gravure printing, and offset printing. Since the conductive paste used in the conductive ink printing process includes an organic substance, a heat treatment process for removing the organic substance may be performed subsequently.

Evaluation - Recognition distance measurement -

The first and second antenna patterns were formed on the polyimide base and the dielectric layer through the conductive ink printing process, respectively. The dielectric layer was made of a polyimide-based material. Capacitance (C _ant) of the loop antenna structure was respectively set to 180pF, 270pF, and 390pF, was controlling the capacitance of the matching circuit in accordance with the capacitance (C _ant), by electrically connecting the Damn, chip a local area circuit device .

We measured the recognition distance of a loop antenna structure in a reader mode and a tag mode for a short range communication device including a loop antenna structure. On the other hand, as a comparative example, the recognition distance of the loop antenna structure of the short-range communication device (comparative example) including the loop antenna structure formed with the copper contact copper-plated under the same conditions was measured. It can be confirmed that the local communication apparatus including the loop antenna structure according to the present invention has substantially the same or improved characteristics as the recognition distance of the loop antenna structure of the local communication apparatus (comparative example). The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below.

mode Card Standard / Reader Standard Request recognition distance (mm) Recognition distance (mm) specialty domestic Comparative Example 390 pF 270 pF 180 pF leader TOPAZ 20 52.5 64.0 65.8 61.0 Standard 1K 30 25 56.5 49.8 62.0 60.0 Standard 4K 51.7 65.8 56.0 58.0 Ultra Light 25 51.3 51.5 54.4 50.0 ISO 15693 40 80.3 98.0 85.6 87.0 Type4 Desfire 15 13 28.8 34.5 34.0 31.8 tag ACR 122 25 53.1 54.5 46.5 50.0 Type B 51.8 51.0 50.7 50.0

The loop antenna structure according to embodiments of the present invention and its manufacturing method can be applied to a short range communication device. For example, it can be applied to an antenna device of a mobile device or a computer device.

Claims (8)

Base;
A first antenna pattern disposed on the base and having first conductive regions each extending from two antenna contacts;
A dielectric layer disposed on the base to cover the first antenna pattern, the dielectric layer being made of a dielectric material; And
And a second antenna pattern disposed on the dielectric layer and including second conductive regions overlapping and capacitively coupled to each of the first conductive regions in a planar manner to form a loop,
Wherein the first and second antenna patterns are electrically connected to each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween so as to have a capacitance. delete The loop antenna structure of claim 1, wherein the capacitance has a capacitance between 100 and 250 pF. The loop antenna structure according to claim 1, wherein the first and second antenna patterns include at least one selected from the group consisting of copper, silver-coated copper, aluminum, and conductive carbon. Forming a first antenna pattern disposed on the base and having first conductive regions each extending from the two antenna contacts;
Forming a dielectric layer of a dielectric material on the base to cover the first antenna pattern; And
Forming a second antenna pattern on the dielectric layer to form a loop including second conductive regions overlapping and capacitively coupled to each of the first conductive regions in a planar manner,
Wherein the first and second antenna patterns are electrically connected to each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween so as to have a capacitance. delete 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the capacitance is between 100 and 250 pF. [6] The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second antenna patterns are formed through an etching process, an electroplating process, a sputtering process, a conductive ink printing process, or a stamping process.

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