Radio frequency identification tag

• US 6,078,259 A
• Filed: 10/28/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Cofino, Thomas, Walker, George Frederick, Heinrich, Harley Kent, Brady, Michael John, Moskowitz, Paul Andrew, Johnson, Glen Walden
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/959,182
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.7, 342/42, 342/44, 342/51, 343/701, 343/743, 343/792, 343/795, 343/797, 343/803, 343/804, 343/808, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• 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 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4813 Connecting within a semiconductor or solid-state body, i.e. fly wire, bridge wire
• 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 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• 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 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/16 with feed intermediate between the extremities of the antenna, e.g. centre-fed dipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1093 with covering of discrete laminae with additional lamina

Abstract

The invention is a radiofrequency identification tag comprising a semiconductor chip having radio frequency, logic, and memory circuits, and an antenna that are mounted on a substrate. The antenna may be used by the chip to modulate an incident RF signal to transfer information to a base station. The antenna comprises one or more lengths of thin wire that are connected directly to the chip by means of wire bonding. The chip and antenna combination are sealed with an organic film covering.

Claims

1. A radio frequency tag apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor comprising logic and a first and a second connection coupled to the logic;

a first wire having a bound end connected to the first connection by a wire bond connection, and the first wire having an unconnected end;

a second wire having a bound end connected to the second connection by a wire bond connection, and the second wire having an unconnected end; and

the first and second wire interacting with the logic of the semiconductor as an antenna.

2. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, the first wire and the second wire being of approximately equal length.

3. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 2, the lengths of the first and second wires being selected such that the antenna is resonant at a predetermined frequency.

4. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the semiconductor further comprising a third and a fourth connection coupled to the logic;

a third wire having a bound end connected to the third connection by a wire bond connection, and the third wire having an unconnected end;

a fourth wire having a bound end connected to the fourth connection by a wire bond connection, and the fourth wire having an unconnected end; and

the third and fourth wire interacting with the logic of the semiconductor as an antenna.

5. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third wire having a bound end connected to the first connection by a wire bond connection, and the third wire having an unconnected end;

a fourth wire having a bound end connected to the second connection by a wire bond connection, and the fourth wire having an unconnected end; and

the third and fourth wire interacting with the logic of the semiconductor as an antenna.

6. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 5, wherein the third wire is of a different length than the first wire, and wherein the fourth wire is of a different length than the second wire.

7. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulant material, the encapsulant material encapsulating at least part of the semiconductor, the first wire, and the second wire.

8. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured for use in an automated toll system.

9. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured for use in vehicle identification.

10. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a substrate, the semiconductor disposed on the substrate.

11. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 10, the unconnected ends of the first and second wires coupled to the substrate via an adhesive.

12. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 10, the unconnected ends of the first and second wires coupled to the substrate via local heating of the substrate.

13. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 10, the unconnected ends of the first and second wires coupled to the substrate via heating of the first and second wires.

14. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 10, wherein the semiconductor is fixed to the substrate via an adhesive.

15. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery coupled to the logic.

16. A radio frequency tag apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor comprising logic and second, third and fourth connections coupled to the logic;

a first wire having a first end connected to the first connection and a second end connected to the second connection;

a second wire having a first end connected to the third connection and a second end connected to the fourth connection; and

the first wire and the second wire interacting with the logic of the semiconductor as antennas.

17. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a substrate, the semiconductor disposed on the substrate; and

at least one of the first and second wires fixed to the substrate by a punched notch in the substrate.

18. The radio frequency tag apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a substrate, the semiconductor disposed on the substrate; and

at least one of the first and second wires fixed to the substrate by pillars formed on the substrate.