RFID label technique

• US 20030136503A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
• Inventors: Benoit, Dennis Rene, Green, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 6,951,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/264
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/021 Making adhesive labels having a multilayered structure, e.g. provided on carrier webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/027 involving, marking, printing or coding
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/028 Applying RFID chips
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/105 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/02 RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0053 Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/145 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95085 being a liquid, e.g. for fluidic self-assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/95 : at chip-level, i.e. with connecting carried out on a plurality of singulated devices, i.e. on diced chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/07802 : not being an ohmic electrical conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 : the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15165 : Monolayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 : Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0097 : Processing two or more printed circuits simultaneously, e.g. made from a common substrate, or temporarily stacked circuit boards H05K3/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 : with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 : Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1057 : Subsequent to assembly of laminae
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 : Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1074 : Separate cutting of separate sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 : of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 : Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1092 : All laminae planar and face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1097 : Lamina is running length web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 : Chip component

Abstract

An RFID webstock containing a relatively high pitch-density array of semiconductive chips is provided and joined to a web bearing relatively widely spaced antennas in a continuous process. The RFID webstock is separated or cut into individual chip sections, with the spacing of the chips being increased as the RFID webstock is die cut. The individual chips on the sections are then joined to corresponding antennas to form an RFID inlay stock. This process is conducive to high speed roll-to-roll production of RFID tag and label roll stock.

Claims

1. A method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID webstock of polymeric material having a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses containing an RFID chip;

providing a second web having antennas as spaced thereon;

dividing the RFID webstock into a plurality of sections, each of the sections including one or more of the RFID chips;

indexing the pitch of the RFID sections from high density on said RFID webstock, to a relatively low density on an RFID inlay stock; and

attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, so that each of the RFID chips is adjacent to one of the antennas to form the RFID inlay stock.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the indexing step comprises correlating the RFID sections to the antennas in a down-web direction.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the indexing step comprises correlating the RFID sections to the antennas in a cross-web direction.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the sections are formed by die cutting.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the dividing and indexing steps are effected using a cutter member and a transport member, the RFID webstock being passed through a cutting location between the cutter member and transport member, wherein sections are cut from the RFID webstock and engaged by the transport member.

6. A method as described in claim 5, wherein the transport member conveys sections from the cutting location to a transfer location at which each of the sections are joined to an antenna.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the cutter member and transport member are rollers or belts.

8. A method as described in claim 5, wherein the transport member engages sections with vacuum holders or clamps.

9. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein in the indexing step the down-web spacing of RFID chips on the RFID webstock is increased in the separation of corresponding sections on the transport member, to match the spacing of antennas to which these chips are joined at the transfer location.

10. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the indexing step further includes the step of transporting the RFID webstock so as to effect indexing of the down-web pitch of the RFID relative to the pitch of these chips on the transport member.

11. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the attaching step comprises placing each of the sections on the transport member in contact with respective antennas on the antenna web, under pressure.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, further providing the step of shielding the RFID chips on the sections from pressure at a transfer location.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, further providing the step of bonding respective sections and antennas to each other using a conductive or non-conductive adhesive patterned on the antenna web.

14. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

unrolling a first facestock roll and laminating the first facestock roll to the RFID inlay stock and

unwinding a second roll of facestock, and attaching the facestock from the second roll to the RFID inlay stock opposite the first facestock.

15. A method as described in claim 1, wherein after the step of attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, the method further comprises the step of forming an adhesive label.

16. A method as described in claim 1, wherein antennas are formed on said second web by one of the group constituting:

(i) printing conductive ink;

(ii) sputtering metal;

(iii) laminating foil; and

(iv) hot-stamping.

17. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the step of indexing in the cross-web direction comprises slitting the RFID webstock of polymeric material into lanes.

18. A method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID webstock of polymeric material having a plurality of recesses, each of the recesses containing an RFID chip;

providing a second web having antennas as spaced thereon;

dividing the RFID webstock into a plurality of sections, each of the sections including one or more of the RFID chips;

indexing the pitch of the RFID sections from high density on said RFID webstock, to a relatively low density on the RFID inlay stock, in both the down-web and cross-web directions; and

attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, so that each of the RFID chips is adjacent to one of the antennas to form an RFID inlay stock.

19. A method as described in claim 18, wherein the sections are formed by die cutting.

20. A method as described in claim 18, wherein the dividing and indexing steps are effected using a cutter member and a transport member, the RFID webstock being passed through a cutting location between the cutter member and transport member, wherein sections are cut from the RFID webstock and engaged by the transport member.

21. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the transport member conveys sections from the cutting location to a transfer location at which each of the sections are joined to an antenna.

22. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the cutter member and transport member are rollers or belts.

23. A method as described in claim 20, wherein the transport member engages sections with vacuum holders or clamps.

24. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein in the indexing step, the down-web spacing of RFID chips on the RFID webstock is increased in the separation of corresponding sections on the transport member, to match the spacing of antennas to which these chips are joined at the transfer location.

25. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the indexing step further includes the step of transporting the RFID webstock so as to effect indexing of the down-web pitch of the RFID relative to the pitch of these chips on the transport member.

26. The method as described in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

unrolling a first facestock roll and laminating the first facestock roll to the RFID inlay stock, and

unwinding a second roll of facestock, and attaching the facestock from the second roll to the RFID inlay stock opposite the first facestock.

27. A method as described in claim 18, wherein after the step of attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, the method further comprises the step of forming an adhesive label.

28. A method as described in claim 18, wherein antennas are formed on said second web by one of the group constituting:

(i) printing conductive ink;

(ii) sputtering metal;

(iii) laminating foil; and

(iv) hot-stamping.

29. A method as described in claim 18, wherein the step of indexing in the cross-web direction comprises slitting the RFID webstock of polymeric material into lanes.

30. A method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID webstock of polymeric material having an array of RFID chips;

providing a second web having antennas as spaced thereon;

dividing the RFID webstock into a plurality of sections, each of the sections including one or more of the RFID chips;

indexing the pitch of the RFID sections from high density on said RFID webstock, to a relatively low density on an RFID inlay stock; and

attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, so that each of the RFID chips is adjacent to one of the antennas to form the RFID inlay stock.

31. A method as described in claim 30, wherein the indexing step comprises correlating the RFID sections to the antennas in a down-web direction.

32. A method as described in claim 30, wherein the indexing step comprises correlating the RFID sections to the antennas in a cross-web direction.

33. A method as described in claim 30, wherein the sections are formed by die cutting.

34. A method as described in claim 30, wherein the dividing and indexing steps are effected using a cutter member and a transport member, the RFID webstock being passed through a cutting location RFID webstock and engaged by the transport member.

35. A method as described in claim 34, wherein the transport member conveys sections from the cutting location to a transfer location at which each of the sections are joined to an antenna.

36. A method as described in claim 34, wherein the cutter member and transport member are rollers or belts.

37. A method as described in claim 34, wherein the transport member engages sections with vacuum holders or clamps.

38. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein in the indexing step the down-web spacing of RFID chips on the RFID webstock is increased in the separation of corresponding sections on the transport member, to match the spacing of antennas to which these chips are joined at the transfer location.

39. A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the indexing step further includes the step of transporting the RFID webstock so as to effect indexing of the down-web pitch of the RFID relative to the pitch of these chips on the transport member.

40. A method as described in claim 34, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

unrolling a first facestock roll and laminating the first facestock roll to the RFID inlay stock and

unwinding a second roll of facestock, and attaching the facestock from the second roll to the RFID inlay stock opposite the first facestock.

41. A method as described in claim 34, wherein after the step of attaching the sections to a plurality of antennas in an automatic continuous process, the method further comprises the step of forming an adhesive label.

42. A method as described in claim 34, wherein antennas are formed on said second web by one of the group constituting:

(i) printing conductive ink;

(ii) sputtering metal;

(iii) laminating foil; and

(iv) hot-stamping.

43. A method as described in claim 32, wherein the step of indexing in the cross-web direction comprises slitting the RFID webstock of polymeric material into lanes.

44. A method as described in claim 32, wherein the step of indexing in the cross-web direction further comprises slitting the RFID webstock into lanes having one RFID chip per lane.