Disposable electronic chip device and process of manufacture

• US 6,437,985 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemplus (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Blanc, Rene-Paul, Garnier, Pierre, Desoutter, Isabelle, Martin, Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, HUNG S
• Application Number:
  US09/533,825
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 361/749, 361/767, 361/772, 361/777, 361/783, 361/793, 361/820, 257/647, 257/679, 298/31, 298/46, 235/491, 235/492, 235/488, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/572.5, 340/572.7
• US Class Current: 361/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45124 Aluminium (Al) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• 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 2924/01012 Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49146 : with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.

Abstract

An electronic chip device includes an interface support film having a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, as well as a microcircuit connected to the interface. The interface support film possesses such properties that it can be creased or folded on itself without deterioration. The support film possesses a thickness of less than 75 μm, the best results being obtained with a thickness of between 10 μm and 30 μm. Preferably the support film is selected from among polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene teraphtalate (PET). In one embodiment, the device includes a compensation film placed on the support film. The compensation film has a recess containing the microcircuit and its connections. The recess can contain a material to encapsulate the microcircuit and its connections.

Claims

1. An electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein the support film and the interface can be creased or folded together with a curve radius of less than 2.5 mm without deterioration.

2. The device according to claim 1, further including a compensation film placed on the interface support film, said compensation film having a recess containing said microcircuit, its connections and an encapsulating material.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the encapsulating material is contained at least partly by said recess.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support film has at least one of an elongation at break of more than 80%, a Shore hardness of less than 80, a vitreous transition temperature Tg of less than 0°

, and a fusion temperature of less than 130°

C.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said curve radius is less than 1 mm.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the support film is made from a material selected from the group comprising PP, PE and PET.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface is aluminum.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface comprises turns of conductive material and the microcircuit is placed outside the turns.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises turns of conductive material and the microcircuit is placed in a corner of the support film and directly above the support film.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface has at least one antenna turn formed in such a way as to be able to communicate over a distance of more than 8 cm.

11. The device according to claim 10 wherein said antenna is formed such that the device can communicate over a distance more than 50 cm.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interface has connection pads.

13. The device according to claim 1, further including an encapsulating material over at least the microcircuit, its connections and a portion of the interface.

14. The device according to claim 1, further including at least one of a protection/personalization film and an adhesive film over at least one of the faces of the device.

15. The device according to claim 1, further including a resonance capacitor made up of two conductive plates placed on respective sides of the support film.

16. The device according to claim 15 wherein the capacitor has an adjustment facility.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the microcircuit contains at least one of an integrated capacitor and an emergency antenna.

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the microcircuit is powered and can communicate at close range via the emergency antenna if the interface of the support film fails.

19. An electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein the support film has a thickness of less than 75 μ

m.

20. The device according to claim 19 wherein the support film has a thickness between 10 μ

m and 30 μ

m.

21. An electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, further including a strap on the face of the film opposite the microcircuit to pull back at least one end of the interface in the vicinity of the microcircuit.

22. An electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein the interface comprises an antenna having turns of conductive material and wherein the width of the turns around the microcircuit are thinner than elsewhere in such a way as to directly connect the microcircuit to ends of the interface with a small length of connecting wire.

23. An electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein the interface comprises an antenna having turns of conductive material and wherein the microcircuit is placed between the turns directly over the support film.

24. A chip card comprising a card body on which an electronic chip device is fixed, the card body having an area greater than or equal to that of the device, said electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein the support film and the interface can be folded with a radius of curvature less than 2.5 mm without deterioration.

25. The chip card of claim 24, wherein said card body has an area which is at least double that of said electronic chip device.

26. The chip card of claim 24, comprising two external films between which the electronic chip device is sandwiched.

27. The chip card of claim 26 wherein one of said external films forms said card body.

28. The chip card of claim 24, wherein said card body has a cavity and the microcircuit is located in the cavity, and wherein the support film and the interface extend outside the cavity over the surface of the card body.

29. The chip card of claim 24, wherein the support film has at least one of an elongation at break of more than 80%, a Shore hardness of less than 80, a vitreous transition temperature Tg of less than 0°

, and a fusion temperature of less than 130°

C.

30. The chip card of claim 24, wherein said radius of curvature is less than 1 mm.

31. A chip card comprising a card body on which an electronic chip device is fixed, the card body having an area greater than or equal to that of the device, said electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat conductive interface placed on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being creased or folded over onto itself without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface, wherein said support film has a thickness less than 75 μ

m.

32. The chip card of claim 31 wherein said support film has a thickness between 10 μ

m and 30 μ

m.

33. A chip card comprising a card body on which an electronic chip device is fixed, the card body having an area greater than or equal to that of the device, said electronic chip device comprising an interface support film including a support film and at least one flat communication interface formed by plural turns of a conductive material on the support film, said interface support film having such properties that it is capable of being folded over onto itself with a radius of curvature less than 2.5 mm without deterioration, and a microcircuit connected to the interface.

34. The chip card of claim 33, wherein said microcircuit is disposed on said support sheet outside of said turns.

35. The chip card of claim 33, wherein said radius of curvature is less than 1 mm.

36. The chip card of claim 33, wherein said support film has a thickness less than 75 μ

m.

37. The chip card of claim 36, wherein said support film has a thickness between 10 μ

m and 30 μ

m.

38. The chip card of claim 33, wherein the support film has at least one of an elongation at break of more than 80%, a Shore hardness of less than 80, a vitreous transition temperature Tg of less than 0°

, and a fusion temperature of less than 130°

C.

39. The chip card of claim 33, further including a compensation film on the interface support film, said compensation film having a recess containing said microcircuit, its connections and an encapsulating material.

40. An electronic chip device comprising:

an interface support film including a support film and at least one communication interface formed by plural turns of a conductive material on the support film;

a microcircuit connected to the interface;

and a compensation film on the support film, said compensation film having a recess containing said microcircuit, its connections and an encapsulating material, wherein the interface support film including the communication interface and the support film can be folded or creased over onto itself without deterioration.

41. The device according to claim 40 wherein the support film has a thickness of less than 75 μ

m.

42. The device according to claim 41 wherein the support film has a thickness between 10 μ

m and 30 μ

m.

43. The device according to claim 40, wherein the support film has at least one of an elongation at break of more than 80%, a Shore hardness of less than 80, a vitreous transition temperature Tg of less than 0°

, and a fusion temperature of less than 130°

C.

44. The device according to claim 40, wherein said microcircuit is disposed on said support sheet outside of said turns.