Automated RFID transponder manufacturing on flexible tape substrates

• US 6,140,146 A
• Filed: 08/03/1999
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Duan, Dah-Weih, Heinrich, Harley Kent, Brady, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Jey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simkovic, Viktor
• Application Number:
  US09/365,792
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 438/48, 438/57, 438/61, 438/62, 257/723, 340/572.1, 29/827, 29/854, 156/247, 156/64, 377/18
• US Class Current: 438/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

Processes and apparatus for manufacturing radio frequency transponders having substrates formed from a flexible tape or film are disclosed. The RF transponders are formed on the tape so that their longest dimension (e.g., their length ("L")) is oriented parallel to the length of the tape. This layout places few or no constraints in the transponder'"'"'s length allowing the length of the transponder'"'"'s antenna circuit to be adjusted to satisfy the requirements of various applications.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a radio frequency transponder, comprising the steps of:

forming a metallized pattern on a tape of insulating, flexible substrate material having a usable width, the metallized pattern comprising at least one area of characteristic geometry having a length and a width wherein the length is greater than the width and is oriented longitudinally along the tape; and

arranging said metallized pattern to achieve at least one of decreasing quantization error of said transponder and minimizing waste of said tape material.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of forming the metallized pattern further comprises the steps of:

forming a base layer of a first metal on the tape in the shape of the metallized pattern; and

plating at least one passivation layer of a second metal onto the base layer.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the base layer further comprises the step of forming an antenna circuit pattern having a desired geometry.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the base layer comprises the steps of:

providing a layer of the first metal onto the tape; and

etching the layer to form the shape of the metallized pattern.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein the step of plating at least one passivation layer further comprises plating using an electrolytic process.

6. The process of claim 4, wherein the step of providing a layer further comprising depositing said layer.

7. The process of claim 4, wherein the step of providing a layer further comprising laminating said layer.

9. The process of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

attaching a radio frequency circuit to the tape;

bonding the radio frequency circuit to the antenna circuit; and

singulating an area of the substrate material containing the antenna circuit and radio frequency circuit from the tape to form the radio frequency transponder.

11. The process of claim 2, wherein the first metal further comprises copper (Cu) and the second metal comprises at least one of nickel (Ni) and gold (Au).

12. The process of claim 2, wherein the step of plating at least one passivation layer further comprises plating using an electroless plating process.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein said metallized pattern further comprises plural ones of said area of characteristic geometry.

8. A process for manufacturing a radio frequency transponder, comprising the step of forming a metallized pattern on a tape of insulating, flexible substrate material having a usable width, the metallized pattern comprising at least one area of characteristic geometry having a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than the width and is oriented longitudinally along the tape, and wherein the step of forming the metallized pattern further comprises the steps of:

a. forming a base layer of a first metal on the tape in the shape of metallized pattern further comprising the steps of;

i. forming an antenna circuit pattern having a desired geometry;

ii. forming a bussing structure including a metallized area formed along an edge of the tape and at least one bussing line intersecting the antenna circuit pattern; and

iii. providing electrical contact, via the bussing structure, between the antenna circuit pattern and an electrode of an electroplating apparatus for plating the at least one passivation layer; and

b. plating at least one passivation layer of a second material onto the base layer.

10. A process for manufacturing a radio frequency transponder, comprising the step of forming a metallized pattern on a tape of insulating, flexible substrate material having a usable width, the metallized pattern comprising at least one area of characteristic geometry having a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than the width and is oriented longitudinally along the tape, and wherein the step of forming the metallized pattern further comprises the steps of:

forming a base layer of a first metal on the tape in the shape of metallized pattern further comprising the step of forming an antenna circuit pattern having a desired geometry and wherein the length of the antenna circuit pattern is greater than the usable width of the tape; and

plating at least one passivation layer of a second material onto the base layer.

14. A process for manufacturing a radio frequency transponder, comprising the steps of:

forming a base layer of a first metal on a tape of insulating, flexible substrate material having a useable width to form a pattern comprising a plurality of antenna circuits each having a length and a width wherein the length is greater than the width and wherein the length is oriented longitudinally along the tape;

plating at least one passivation layer of a second metal onto the pattern;

attaching a radio frequency circuit to the tape and bonding the radio frequency circuit to the antenna circuit; and

singulating an area of the substrate material containing the antenna circuit and radio frequency circuit from the tape to form the radio frequency transponder having a length which may be greater than the usable width of the tape.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the step of forming the base layer comprises the steps of:

providing a layer of the first metal onto the tape; and

etching the layer to form the shape of the metallized pattern.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the step of plating at least one passivation layer further comprises plating using an electrolytic process.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the base layer further comprises the steps of:

forming an antenna circuit pattern having the characteristic geometry of the antenna circuits;

forming a bussing structure including a metallized area formed along an edge of the tape and at least one bussing line intersecting the antenna circuit pattern; and

providing electrical contact, via the bussing structure, between the antenna circuit pattern and an electrode of an electroplating apparatus for plating the passivation layer.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein a length of the antenna circuit is greater than the usable width of the tape.

19. The process of claim 14, wherein the first metal comprises copper (Cu) and the second metal comprises at least one of nickel (Ni) and gold (Au).

20. The process of claim 14, wherein the step of plating a passivation layer further comprises plating using an electroless plating process.

21. A process for manufacturing radio frequency transponders having thin flexible substrates, comprising:

depositing a base layer onto a tape of insulating, flexible substrate material wherein the base layer is etched to form a generally continuous metallized pattern including a plurality of antenna circuits joined end-to-end along the tape;

plating an intermediate passivation layer onto the etched base layer;

plating an outer passivation layer onto the intermediate passivation layer;

attaching radio frequency circuits to the tape and bonding the radio frequency circuits to the antenna circuits; and

singulating areas of the substrate material containing an antenna circuit and a radio frequency circuit from the tape to form radio frequency transponders wherein the length of the area singulated is selected to tune the antenna circuit by adjusting its length.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein the step of plating an intermediate passivation layer further comprises plating using an electrolytic process.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the step of depositing the base layer further comprises the steps of:

forming an antenna circuit pattern having the characteristic geometry of the antenna circuits;

forming a bussing structure including a metallized area formed along an edge of the tape and at least one bussing line intersecting the antenna circuit pattern; and

providing electrical contact, via the bussing structure, between the antenna circuit pattern and an electrode of an electroplating apparatus for plating the passivation layer.

24. The process of claim 21, wherein said base layer is comprised of copper Cu), said intermediate passivation layer is comprised of nickel (Ni), and said outer passivation layer is comprised of gold (Au).

25. The process of claim 21, wherein the step of plating an intermediate passivation layer further comprises plating using an electroless plating process.