WO1999023606A1

WO1999023606A1 - Method for producing contactless chip cards and corresponding contactless chip card

Info

Publication number: WO1999023606A1
Application number: PCT/EP1997/006088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Elke Zakel; Rolf Aschenbrenner; Frank Ansorge; Paul Kasulke
Original assignee: Smart Pac Gmbh Technology Services
Priority date: 1996-06-17
Filing date: 1997-11-04
Publication date: 1999-05-14

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a contactless chip card. In a first stage of the method, a card body with one or more recesses on one of its sides is produced from a thermoplastic, preferably by injection moulding. Printed conductors are then impressed directly onto surface areas of the side of the card body with the recesses using a hot-stamping technique. The printed conductors correspond to a coil which serves as the printed conductor pattern, and are impressed especially also onto surface areas inside the recesses. One or more chips are then aligned in the recesses and contacted with the printed conductors in the recesses. The inventive method for producing a chip card has the advantages of being simple and consisting of only a few stages, with the result that it is also economical. A chip card produced according to this method is both mechanically stable and reliable since it consists of very few individual layers and since the printed conductors of the coil are impressed directly onto the card body.

Description

METHOD FOR PRODUCING CONTACTLESS CHIP CARDS AND CONTACTLESS

CHIP CARD

DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The invention relates to a method for producing contactless chip cards with at least one chip and a contactless chip card.

Already today, chip cards are used in large numbers in all areas of private and public life. Their performance can be increased even further by using modern integrated circuits. By implementing application-specific functions in the chip, the area of application of chip cards can be expanded beyond identification and telecommunications to the following areas: In healthcare, for example, with the insurance card, the patient data card and the emergency fail card. In the communication area, chip cards can be used for access control to communication networks and for billing services, as well as for encryption and data protection. Chtp cards are very well suited for payment transactions as check cards, credit debit cards, electronic wallets and for charging fees in local traffic and on toll roads. Furthermore, chip cards are also suitable for access control and Jewish identification purposes, for example for pay TV, leisure services or production control.

SpekheNCs and microcontrollers are currently used for chip cards. Crypto controllers are also used, in which an encryption key or algorithm is implemented in Chip cards used. The data exchange is established through the contact areas with a reader or without contact by capacitive or inductive transmission. The performance of modern chip card systems requires ever increasing complexity and requires ever greater integration. In the beginning, it was only memory with minimal peripherals, but now there are more complex systems that require a microcontroller with a wide variety of functions and coils for contactless communication.

State of the art

In the known contactless chip cards, one or more coils are integrated in the card body and are connected to the chip. The transmission of energy and data takes place through capacitive or inductive coupling. The so-called ^* inlet technique "is used to build up these chip cards. The coil and chip are applied to a plastic carrier and fixed there. This carrier is then installed in the actual chip card. This can be done by overmolding or laminating the carrier. The carrier forms after the card has been installed an integral part of the chip card.

As is known, carrier foils are used as carriers on which wound, etched or printed coils are formed. In the wound coil, a baked enamel wire is wound into a coil and manually applied to the carrier film and then connected to the chip. The main disadvantages here are the difficult application of the coil to the chip card and the connections of the thick wires of the coil to the bare chip.

In contrast, the etched and printed coil on the carrier film have the advantage that the conductor tracks are an integral part of the carrier opening. The chip is then connected to the coil by wire bonding or flip-chip technology. Then the ver with coil and chip ^¬ provided support film is integrated into the card body disadvantage here are the high Herstellungsko ^¬ most of the coil and the difficulties in the lamination of the entire card body. The lamination is also disadvantageous for the thermal and mechanical resilience and thus for the life of the chip card. In particular, those prevailing during overmolding have an effect Temperatures adversely affect the function of the expensive semiconductor chips. In addition, in the event of defects in the encapsulation, that is to say defects in a comparatively inexpensive plastic part, the card with the expensive semiconductor chip is rejected.

From DE 4441 122 z. B. a method for producing contactless chip cards is known wherein electrolyte copper is laminated onto an approximately 50 μm thick film material and from this an antenna winding with connection surfaces is produced by photoetching. Furthermore, the film material is provided in a stamping process with a lowered chip receiving area with a connecting zone adjoining it in steps. In this area, the chip is then cemented and its contact surfaces connected with bonding wires to the connection surfaces of the antenna winding. With the exception of the chip receiving area, this populated film is then glued in between two equally thick plastic layers, which are formed as shells around the chip receiving area by approximately symmetrical cutouts. However, this process requires an additional embossing process for the chip receiving area and a complex laminating and laminating process.

Presentation of the invention

Starting from the prior art set out above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a contactless chip card and to develop a method for producing a contact chip card in such a way that the chip card, especially the coil, can be produced simply and inexpensively, and good mechanical strength and has reliability

An inventive solution to this problem consists in a method for producing contactless chip cards according to the features of claim 1 and a contactless chip card according to claim 16. Preferred further developments are listed in the subclaims

In the method according to the invention, an electrically insulating card body with one or more cutouts on one side of the card body is first produced at least one conductor track is applied directly to the surface of the card series provided with at least one recess in accordance with a predeterminable track pattern. Then e ⁱ n, or a plurality of chips or electronic components are directed in at least one of the recesses from ^¬ and electrically conductively connected to the conductor tracks.

In one embodiment of the invention, the card body is produced with one or more cutouts in a single step. This is advantageously achieved by injection molding, as a result of which the card body is formed in one piece. Are preferably ther ^¬ moplastische plastics such. B. PVC, ABS (AαylnitHlButadien.StyroO or polycarbonates, n consideration

In another embodiment, the conductor tracks according to a predetermined conductor pattern on the surface of the Kartenserte provided with at least one recess on both surface regions outside the recesses and are on SURFACE ^¬ chenbereiche applied within at least one of the recesses. D, it geschaht before ^¬ zugtermaßen in a single ArbehssAritt. for example, the Ute rbahnen by e ⁱ ne predetermined pattern under pressure and temperature to d, e Oberflachenbere ⁱ che, in particular also on the surface areas within at least one of the recesses, are listed shapes.

Embossing process is coordinated

toff,

also the application of at least one conductor track in accordance with a lefter track pattern to the card body surface, including the cutouts or depressions, in a single working step. This minimum number of manufacturing steps enables particularly cost-effective production and thus high-volume production. In addition, there is the advantage of high mechanical and thermal resilience since, firstly, the card made of card body and 'rt printed conductor card body consists of very few layers (minimum two layers: one-piece card body, layer made of conductor tracks) and secondly the conductor tracks directly on the one-piece and thus mechanically and especially thermally stable card body is applied. The Le ^{'rterbahnmuster} in one embodiment of the invention as a coil as an antenna for the contactless energy -and / or acts data transmission formed,

The recesses or depressions made in the card body have the advantage that they enable the chips to be installed in the so-called naked chip assembly. Naked chip assembly means that the bare chip, i.e. the unhoused chip, is installed. If, on the other hand, a chip with a housing were to be installed, the significantly larger height of the housing chip would cause it to protrude beyond the cutout and thus bring with it various disadvantages.

The depth of the cutouts is preferably selected such that the unhoused chips contacted to the impressed conductor tracks do not protrude beyond the depression. In one embodiment of the invention, the contact surfaces (English: Pads) is impressed across the chip mounting simultaneously with the application of the conductor tracks with or formed, these contact surfaces are thus an integral part of the ^{'rterbahnmuster} for a Le imprinted conductor tracks.

The invention can be used very flexibly. Depending on the application of the card so often ^¬ times associated modified contact surface geometries are easy to realize and depending on the arrangement of the contact surfaces the most suitable contacting technique for the chips, such as the wire bonding technique, the bonding or the flip chip technique can be used. The flip-chip technology also has the advantage of requiring little space. , n a further embodiment of the invention, for Kontakferung Ch ⁱ ps T on- clock hump to be used preferably nngen simultaneously with the Au ^ Le _rt erbahnen according to the wiring pattern through approximately shaped the die shape from the card body of plastic, and by means of one of the embossed conducting tracks with a Meta.leschungsschscht, provided.

Contact hackers also have the advantage that they give you a minimal amount of floor space before you can set them in the recesses, thereby reducing the risk of om * when aligning and assigning them. In addition, this checking of the contact does not have to be carried out by the contacting facility .

In a further example, the n * chips provided "* ^" protection against "flow" and thus to increase the life of the card m, e, a potting compound such as. 6. a KunsMoff or resin, poured out. Dabe, w, rd be the übhehen KAR __Ξ n * dl the Ve ^ ending of ungenausten chips Reach that the countered Ch ⁱ ps:,;, Upper extend the recess and after filling in the ^^ ^ ^ se each chip hermetically is included, and the recessed card surface has depressions and elevations.

that will. In principle | ed ° * <* labeling after the Ch ⁱ p-mounting on he e NEN done. In a further embodiment, the Le ^{'rterbahnmuster} shaped and the recesses is placed such that even at the recess side surface of the card outside the recesses and outside of the applied according to the conductor pattern or applied conductor tracks enough space remains on which a label is applied.

An embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous in which the card body is provided with a label during injection molding, which results in a one-piece card body with an integrated label. This saves at least one additional process step for labeling and is therefore particularly inexpensive.

Further advantages of the method according to the invention and the chip card according to the invention are listed below

The invention allows the production of a card body with at least one recess, in particular by injection molding the card body by means of thermoplastic materials, and with a structured metallization applied to the card surface on the recess side in very few process steps. This enables simple and inexpensive production of cards in large numbers. The chip cards produced by the invention are characterized by high mechanical strength and reliability. This is due to the small number of layers that make up the chip card and the direct application of the conductor tracks according to a conductor pattern, in particular a coil, to the one-piece card body. Material compatibility problems therefore do not occur with the chip card according to the invention. In addition, an intermediate carrier for the coil is saved in this way. Another advantage is the possibility of using the Ftip chip technology for contacting the chips, and thus using the advantages of a simple process sequence and a small overall size. In this case, no wire-bondable metallization is necessary. Another advantage is that the expensive and sensitive chips are installed only at a very late step in the card body and are thus exposed to the least possible steps of far less harmful thermal, chemical and physi ^¬ rule loads. In particular, the chips in the invention are not exposed to thermal stress in an injection molding process. Ultimately, this guarantees fewer rejects and greater reliability and durability of the cards produced.

The invention is described below with reference to drawings of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig. 1: Chip card (t) in supervision (recess-side surface) with coil (2) with 10 coil turns and in a recess (3) embedded chip (4)

Fig. 2: Chip card (1) from Fig. 1 in side view (section parallel to the longer card edge through the recess (3); section A-8)

3: Enlarged section of the recess (3) with contacted chip (4) from FIG. 2

Fig. 4: Enlarged section of the cross-sectional view of the recess (3) with contacted chip (4), the Schntttee is orthogonal to the cutting plane of Rg. 3 and the recess-side surface of the card body.

In one embodiment, the chip card (1) contains exactly one single recess (3) in which a square chip (4) is aligned and contacted with the letter tracks of the coil (2). The shape and size of the recess was adapted to the shape of the chip. From pg. 2 it can be seen that the depth of the cutout is chosen to be so large that the chip contacted completely dips into the cutout, in particular, does not protrude beyond the card surface (7). Rg. 3 shows the recess portion of the chip card in section in enlarged form (8), wherein the section plane is orthogonal to the conductor tracks (conductive paths in the direction of Normalenvek ^¬ tors of the cut surface). The cross section of the card body material (1) molded out Ps (5), the material used for the actual contact (6), an adhesive or a solder and the conductor tracks of the coil (2) are clearly visible. Fig. 4 shows a Querschnittsdar ^¬ position by the recess-impressed coil, wherein the cutting plane is orthogonal to the cutting plane of Rg. 3 and the recess-side surface of the card and by the Bump (5) expires. From Rg. 4 it can be seen that the picked-out conductor track (9) of the coil is embossed without interruption on the card surface outside the recess (9a), on the side bevels of the recess (9b) and on the (bottom) surface of the recess (9c) . At the location of the bump (5), the conductor track (9) runs over the bump (5) and thus causes metallization of the bump (5).

In one exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention for producing a contactless chip card, a card with a single recess or cutout is produced in the first step by injection molding with the plastic porycarbonate. The back of the card, that is to say that side or surface of the card which does not have any Indentation (and also no elevation) has to be printed with a label. In a further step for producing the card, the conductor tracks are embossed from a hot stamping film, which consists of a copper layer on a carrier film, according to a conductor track pattern onto the surface of the card body side (recess-side surface) of the card, in particular into the recess (MID- Technology: Forming conductor tracks on a three-dimensionally structured substrate; MIO: Molded Interconnect Device). Typical temperatures and contact pressures are approx. 130 ° C to 150 ° C in a few seconds. A isotrople ^'rtfähiger adhesive will be dispensed outside the contact surfaces, at least dispensed onto a portion of the surface in the recess, a further, electrically non-conductive adhesive to the chip fixing Subsequently, the chip is inserted into the recess on the contact surfaces of the impressed strip conductors in the recess of the card Aligned and bonded To protect against environmental influences, the bonded chip is used to fill the recess with a sealing compound (glob top). If necessary, another layer, such as a layer of sealing compound, is applied to the filled recess, so to speak as a lid.This multi-layer technique has the advantage of selecting the appropriate sealing materials to achieve the desired To be able to set properties in a more targeted and better way.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Method for producing a contactless chip card with the following method steps: producing an electrically insulating, flat card body with one or more cutouts on one side of the card body,

Applying at least one conductor track according to a predefined Leiteώahnmuster on the surface of the at least one recess containing Kartenköφerseite, wherein at least one conductor track is applied to both surface portions outside areas than on surfaces ^¬ within recesses

Aligning one or more chips in the recesses and contacting the chips with at least one conductor track.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the production of the Kartenköφers with one or more recesses takes place in a single operation

3. A method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the manufacturing of the Kartenkδφers is carried out with one or more recesses by injection ^¬ pour

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a label is applied to the card body side not provided with recesses.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the application of the conductor tracks takes place in a single Aώeitsgang.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the application of the guide tracks is carried out by applying pressure and temperature.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that a heated embossing stamp is used for pressure and temperature application.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the contacting of the chips is carried out by rip-chip technology.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the contacting of the chips is carried out by wire bonding technology or gluing.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a coil is used as Leiteώahnmuster.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a thermoplastic material is used as the material for the Kartenköφer.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that prior to aligning and contacting the chips bumps on the conductor tracks, which are embossed on surface areas in the recesses, who ^¬ the.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that at the same time with the application of one or more Leitenώahnen molded on the recess-side surface of the Kartenköφers in the recesses plastic contact blocks and are provided by the Leiteώahnen with a metallization layer.

14. The method according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the recesses, in which the chips contacted to the leads are inserted, are poured out with a casting compound, such as a plastic or resin.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the card body is provided with a label before contacting the chips.

16. Contactless chip card consisting of an electrically insulating, one-piece card body with one or more recesses on one side of the card body, with one or more guiding tracks according to a predetermined guiding tooth pattern and one or more chips, the guiding tracks directly on surface areas of those provided with at least one recess Kartenkδφerse ^'rte are applied and which are contacted with at least one conductor track in the recesses one or more chips are arranged.

17. Contactless chip card according to claim 16, characterized in that at least one conductor track is applied both to surface areas outside and to surface areas inside recesses

18. Contactless chip card according to claim 17, characterized in that at least one chip is rip-chip bonded.

19. Contactless chip card according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the depth of the recesses is so great that the contacted chips do not protrude beyond the recesses.

20. Contactless chip card according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the recesses are filled with a sealing compound.

21. Contactless chip card according to claim 20, characterized in that the recesses are filled with a potting compound such that the chips are hermetically sealed.

22. Contactless chip card according to one of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that the recesses are filled with a potting compound in such a way that the recess-side surface of the card body has neither ridges nor depressions.

23. Contactless chip card according to one of claims 16 to 22, characterized in that the material of the Kartenkδφers a thermoplastic material, such as. B. PVC, ABS or polycarbonate