UHF RFID tag and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20060103536A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwak, Jae-hyun, Kim, Soo-ho, Lim, Se-jin
• Granted Patent: US 7,382,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• 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 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00

Abstract

An ultra high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a method of manufacturing the tag are provided. The tag includes a substrate, a chip attached to the substrate and having a plurality of bumps for connecting a circuit formed therein with an external, and at least one UHF antenna extended in a longitudinal direction and responding to ultra high frequency transferred from the external, at least one end of the UHF antenna connected to the bump, and one portion of the antenna fixed to the substrate. Also, the method includes a) process of fixing a chip having a plurality of bumps to an upper surface of a substrate, b) process of installing a cutter between the bumps such that a blade portion of the cutter is placed at a certain height from the substrate, and c) process of installing a UHF antenna by lowering the UHF antenna having an extended portion to the cutter, with the antenna being positioned in a direction perpendicular to the blade portion, cutting the extended portion of the antenna by the cutter, and continuously lowering the antenna until a cut end of the antenna is connected to the bump. Since the UHF RFID tag employs a plurality of short UHF antennas instead of a loop-type antenna, the tag is integrated as much as it is required, due to a small volume, and a process of bonding the antenna to a chip is rapidly and easily performed.

Claims

1. An ultra high frequency RFID tag comprising:

a substrate;

a chip affixed to the substrate and having a plurality of contacts thereon; and

a plurality of UHF antennas extending away from the chip, wherein each UHF antenna of the plurality includes a first end that is electrically connected to one contact of the plurality of contacts and a second end that is distal from the first end and fixed to the substrate.

2. The ultra high frequency RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein each antenna of the plurality of UHF antennas is adhered to one contact of the plurality of contacts by a conductive paste.

3. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 2 wherein the conductive paste comprises silver.

4. The ultra high frequency RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein each of the second ends extends through the substrate to engage a target object thereunder.

5. The ultra high frequency RFID tag according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a target object to which the chip having the plurality of UHF antennas is fixed.

6. The ultra high frequency RFID tag according to claim 1 wherein each UHF antenna of the plurality of UHF antennas is generally L-shaped.

7. The ultra high frequency RFID tag according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of UHF antennas comprises:

at least one UHF antenna extending away from the chip in a first direction; and

at least one UHF antenna extending away from the chip in a direction opposite the first direction.

8. A method of manufacturing an ultra high frequency RFID tag, the method comprising:

a) fixing a chip having plural contacts to an upper surface of a target object;

b) disposing a cutter above the chip to a blade portion is oriented upward;

c) lowering a UHF antenna member onto the blade portion;

d) cutting the UHF antenna member into two mirror-image UHF antennas; and

e) affixing a first end of each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas to each of the plural contacts.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of affixing a second end of each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas to the target object.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of disposing a conductive paste on the each of the plural contacts.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

disposing a compressible tube proximate each of the plural contacts and under the base of the cutter, wherein the cutter has a generally triangular prism-shape and a base of the cutter is oriented between the plural contacts and above the chip;

configuring each compressible tube so that a discharge hole therethrough is oriented toward a proximate contact; and

filling the compressible tubes with a conductive material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the lowering step further comprises the step of moving the cutter downward to compress each compressible tube so that the conductive material is ejected through the discharge holes onto the plural contacts.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the filling step further comprises the steps of:

providing a storage tank;

disposing a conductive material in the storage tank;

connecting the storage tank to the compressible tubes with a supply pipe; and

pumping the conductive material into the compressible tubes.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the affixing step further comprises:

maintaining each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas in a fixed position;

curing the conductive material; and

removing the compressible tubes.

15. An ultra high frequency RFID tag made by the process of:

providing a nonconductive substrate;

affixing to the nonconductive substrate a microchip having first and second contacts thereon;

disposing a compressible tube on the microchip proximate each of the first and second contacts;

configuring each compressible tube so that a discharge hole is oriented toward a proximate contact;

filling the compressible tubes with a conductive material;

disposing a generally triangular prism-shaped cutter above the microchip so that a blade portion is oriented upward and a base of the cutter is oriented between the first and second contacts and above the compressible tubes;

providing an inverse, square U-shaped antenna member;

orienting the inverse, square U-shaped antenna member above the cutter for bisection by the cutter;

lowering the square U-shaped antenna member onto the blade portion;

cutting the UHF antenna member into two mirror-image UHF antennas; and

affixing a first end of each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas to one of the first and second contacts.

16. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 15 wherein the cutting step further comprises the step of moving the cutter downward to compress each compressible tube so that the conductive material is ejected through the discharge holes onto the contacts.

17. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 15 wherein the microchip is configured to receive a supply pipe to deliver the conductive material from a storage tank to the compressible tubes.

18. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 15 further comprising the step of affixing a second end of each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas to the substrate.

19. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 18 wherein each of the second ends extends through the substrate to engage a target object thereunder.

20. The ultra high frequency RFID tag of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining each of the two mirror-image UHF antennas in a fixed position;

curing the conductive material; and

removing the compressible tubes.