RF IDENTIFICATION DEVICE WITH NEAR-FIELD-COUPLED ANTENNA

• US 20120171953A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Finocchiaro, Alessandro, Girlando, Giovanni, Palmisano, Giuseppe, Ferla, Giuseppe, Pagani, Alberto
• Application Number:
  US13/415,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20120171953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06531 Non-galvanic coupling, e.g. capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 Stacked arrangements of devices
• 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

An embodiment of a RF identification device is formed by a tag and by a reader. The tag is formed by a processing circuit and a first antenna, which has the function both of transmitting and of receiving data. The reader is formed by a control circuit and by a second antenna, which has the function both of transmitting and of receiving data. The processing circuit is formed by a resonance capacitor, a modulator, a rectifier circuit, a charge-pump circuit and a detection circuit. The antenna of the tag and the processing circuit are integrated in a single structure in completely monolithic form. The first antenna has terminals connected to the input of the rectifier circuit, the output of which is connected to the charge-pump circuit. The charge-pump circuit has an output connected to the detection circuit.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A coupling circuit, comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna; and

a network operable to couple a first signal received by the first antenna to the second antenna for transmission by the second antenna, and to couple a second signal received by the second antenna to the first antenna for transmission by the first antenna.

32. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein:

the first antenna comprises a first loop; and

the second antenna comprises a second loop that is laterally disposed within the first loop.

33. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein the first antenna is substantially coplanar with the second antenna.

34. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein:

the first antenna comprises a first loop; and

the second antenna comprises a second loop that is in electrical series with the first loop.

35. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein:

the first antenna comprises a dipole; and

the second antenna comprises a loop.

36. The coupling circuit of claim 31, further comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a layer disposed over the substrate;

wherein the network is disposed in the substrate; and

wherein the first and second antennas are disposed in the layer.

37. The coupling circuit of claim 31, further comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

first and second layers disposed over the substrate;

wherein the network is disposed in the substrate; and

wherein the first and second antennas are respectively disposed in the first and second layers.

38. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein:

the first antenna comprises a first loop having first and second ends;

the second antenna comprises a second loop having a first end coupled to the first end of the first antenna and having a second end; and

the network comprises a capacitor serially coupled between the second ends of the first and second loops.

39. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein the network is operable to match an input impedance of one of the first and second antennas to an output impedance of the other of the first and second antennas.

40. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein the network is operable to match an input impedance of one of the first and second antennas to an output impedance of the other of the first and second antennas by presenting to the other antenna an impedance that is a complex conjugate of the output impedance of the other antenna.

41. The coupling circuit of claim 31 wherein the network is operable:

to match an input impedance of the first antenna to an output impedance of the second antenna; and

to match an input impedance of the second antenna to an output impedance of the first antenna.