RFID inlays and methods of their manufacture

• US 20070040688A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: X-Cyte Inc.
• Original Assignee: X-Cyte Inc.
• Inventors: Reis, Antonio, Cocita, Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/263,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.700
• 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 19/07752 using an interposer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95085 being a liquid, e.g. for fluidic self-assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95122 by applying vibration
• 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 25/50 Multistep manufacturing processes of assemblies consisting of devices, each device being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00 or H01L29/00 H01L21/50 takes precedence
• 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 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01016 Sulfur [S]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0102 Calcium [Ca]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01072 Hafnium [Hf]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• 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 2201/0347 : Overplating, e.g. for reinforcing conductors or bumps; Plating over filled vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10727 : Leadless chip carrier [LCC], e.g. chip-modules for cards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0723 : Electroplating, e.g. finish plating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1545 : Continuous processing, i.e. involving rolls moving a band-like or solid carrier along a continuous production path
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/242 : characterised by using temporary conductors on the printed circuit for electrically connecting areas which are to be electroplated
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/246 : Reinforcing conductive paste, ink or powder patterns by other methods, e.g. by plating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/32 : electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits

Abstract

A method of manufacturing RFID inlay structures includes providing a strap substrate containing an RFID chip. Strap pad patterns are formed adjacent said recessed regions over contacts of the RFID chip using a directly electroplateable resin (DER). The strap substrate is attached to an inlay substrated having an electrically conductive antenna and antenna contact patterns. The DER strap pad patterns, antenna pattern, antenna contacts and chip contacts are electroplated, thereby forming a metal interconnect between the contacts of the RFID chip and the antenna contacts on the inlay substrate. The strap substrate may be obtained from a web of strap substrates formed by a casting process. The DER material may be in the form of a DER ink and applied using a pen-plotter apparatus to form strap pad patterns or antenna coil patterns on the strap substrate, and to form antenna features and antenna contact patterns on the inlay substrate.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays, comprising:

forming first electrical connections between antenna contacts on a substrate and contacts of a plurality of RFID chips of a first type; and

forming second electrical connections between antenna contacts on said substrate and contacts of RFID chips of a second type.

47. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 46 wherein at least said first electrical connections of said first and second electrical connections are formed using a directly electroplateable resin (DER).

48. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 46 wherein the antenna contacts corresponding to either said first or second RFID chip types are formed using a directly electroplateable resin (DER).

49. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 46, further comprising:

reading one or more RFID chips of the plurality of RFID inlays using a multi-protocol reader;

processing electrical signals received from said multi-protocol reader; and

based on results of processing said electrical signals, determining whether said one or more RFID chips of the plurality of RFID inlays complies with one or more predetermined specifications.

50. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 49, further comprising printing a mark or information on those RFID inlays determined to be in compliance with said one or more predetermined specifications.

51. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 49, further comprising printing a mark or information on those RFID inlays determined to be not in compliance with said one or more predetermined specifications.

52. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 50 wherein said printing a mark or information comprises printing using an inkjet printer.

53. The method of manufacturing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 51 wherein said printing a mark or information comprises printing using an inkjet printer.

54. A method of inspecting a plurality of RFID inlays formed on a substrate, comprising:

reading RFID chips of the plurality of RFID inlays, as the substrate is moved, using an RFID reader;

from signals generated by reading the RFID chips of said plurality of RFID inlays, determining whether the RFID chips comply with one or more predetermined specifications; and

printing the RFID inlays that comply with the one or more predetermined specifications with a mark or information read from or related to information stored in the associated RFID chip.

55. The method of inspecting a plurality of RFID inlays formed on a substrate according to claim 54 wherein the RFID chips of the plurality of RFID inlays comprise two or more different RFID chip types, and reading the RFID chips is performed by a multi-protocol reader.

56. The method of inspecting a plurality of RFID inlays formed on a substrate according to claim 54 wherein the RFID inlays being inspected include electrical connections between antenna contacts on said substrate and contacts of associated RFID chips, the electrical connections comprising electroplated directly electroplateable resin (DER) patterns.

57. An apparatus for testing a plurality of RFID inlays containing two or more types of RFID chips, comprising:

a multi-protocol reader;

a processor in communication with the multi-protocol reader adapted to receive electrical signals from said multi-protocol reader, said electrical signals comprising or relating to information read from two or more types of RFID chips of a plurality of RFID inlays; and

a printer in communication with said processor operable to print a mark or information on surfaces of selected ones of said plurality of RFID inlays.

58. The apparatus for testing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 57 wherein the processor is further operable to examine said electrical signals to determine which RFID chips of the plurality of RFID inlays comply with predetermined specifications.

59. The apparatus for testing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 58 wherein the selected ones of said plurality of RFID inlays include those RFID inlays determined to have RFID chips that are compliant with the predetermined specifications.

60. The apparatus for testing a plurality of RFID inlays according to claim 58 wherein the selected ones of said plurality of RFID inlays include those RFID inlays determined to have RFID chips that are not compliant with the predetermined specifications.