Method of manufacturing an enclosed transceiver

• US 6,375,780 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Tuttle, John R., Tuttle, Mark E., Lake, Rickie C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAYES, MELVIN C
• Application Number:
  US09/542,625
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 156/192, 156/227, 156/226, 156/277, 156/292, 156/301, 156/324, 156/290, 340/572, 340/572.1, 340/572.3, 340/572.4, 340/572.5, 340/572.7, 340/572.8
• US Class Current: 156/226
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/02 RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/758 using a signal generator powered by the interrogation signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/767 Responders; Transponders teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using reflecting targets or active targets F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• 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 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2402 Laminated, e.g. MCM-L type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24051 Conformal with the semiconductor or solid-state device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24226 the HDI interconnect connecting to the same level of the item at which the semiconductor or solid-state body is mounted, e.g. the item being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73267 Layer and HDI connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/7665 Means for transporting the components to be connected
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/24 of an individual high density interconnect connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/82 by forming build-up interconnects at chip-level, e.g. for high density interconnects [HDI] interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips H01L23/5389
• 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 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 : by structural association with other equipment or articles
• 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 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 : using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/28 : Conical, cylindrical, cage, strip, gauze, or like elements having an extended radiating surface; Elements comprising two conical surfaces having collinear axes and adjacent apices and fed by two-conductor transmission lines waveguide horns or mouths H01Q13/00; slot antennas H01Q13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/285 : Planar dipole H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 : Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 : Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 : involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 : for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 : Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5084 : Providing for device mobility network addressing or numbering for mobility support in wireless networks H04W8/26; mobile IP H04W80/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 : by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1049 : Folding only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 : by folding

Abstract

The present invention teaches a method of manufacturing an enclosed transceiver, such as a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag. Structurally, in one embodiment, the tag comprises an integrated circuit (IC) chip, and an RF antenna mounted on a thin film substrate powered by a thin film battery. A variety of antenna geometries are compatible with the above tag construction. These include monopole antennas, dipole antennas, dual dipole antennas, a combination of dipole and loop antennas. Further, in another embodiment, the antennas are positioned either within the plane of the thin film battery or superjacent to the thin film battery.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver, comprising the steps of:

providing a sheet of polymer film having first and second halves separated by a boundary;

mounting an RFID transceiver integrated circuit on the first half of the sheet; and

folding the sheet in half along the boundary so that the first half of the sheet overlies the second half of the sheet with the transceiver between the two halves.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

mounting a first electrical contact on the first half of the sheet; and

mounting a second electrical contact on the second half of the sheet;

wherein the folding step includes aligning the first and second halves of the sheet so that the first contact and the second contact abut so as to be electrically connected.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

sealing together the first and second halves of the sheet along a contour which encircles the RFID transceiver integrated circuit.

4. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transceiver, comprising:

a sheet of polymer film folded in half along a fold boundary, so that the sheet has first and second halves joined along the fold boundary;

an RFID transceiver integrated circuit and a first electrical contact mounted on the first half of the sheet; and

a second electrical contact mounted on the second half of the sheet;

wherein the first contact and the second contact abut so as to be electrically connected.

5. A method of manufacturing and storing a plurality of miniature radio frequency identification (RFID) transceivers, comprising the steps of:

mounting a plurality of RFID transceivers on a flexible sheet;

placing the sheet within an RF shielded dispensing enclosure which prevents RF signals outside the enclosure from being received by the transceivers within the enclosure; and

providing an opening in the enclosure through which selected ones of the transceivers can be removed while maintaining the RF shielding of any transceivers which are not removed.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the mounting step includes detachably mounting the transceivers to an electrically conductive sheet, whereby the conductive sheet shields the transceivers from RF signals until the transceivers are detached from the conductive sheet.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the placing step further includes rolling up the sheet and placing the rolled up sheet within the RF shielded dispensing enclosure.

8. Apparatus for storing and dispensing a plurality of miniature radio frequency identification (RFID) transceivers, comprising:

a plurality of RFID transceivers mounted on a flexible sheet; and

a dispenser enclosing the sheet, the dispenser having RF shielding to prevent RF signals outside the dispenser from being received by transceivers within the enclosure, and the dispenser having an opening through which selected ones of the transceivers can be removed while maintaining the RF shielding of any transceivers which are not removed.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the flexible sheet is electrically conductive and the transceivers are mounted to the sheet detachably, whereby the sheet shields the transceivers from RF signals until the transceivers are detached from the sheet.