Organic integrated circuit completely encapsulated by multi-layered barrier and included in RFID tag

• US 7,875,975 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Bernds, Adolf, Clemens, Wolfgang, Fix, Walter, Rost, Henning
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurley; Lynne A
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARENA, ANDREW OWENS
• Application Number:
  US10/344,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,448 Days
• Field of Search: 257/40, 257/679, 257/701, 257/702, 257/723, 257/724, 257/728, 257/729, 257/730, 257/787, 257/788, 257/E23.002, 257/E23.116, 257/E23.117, 257/E23.119, 257/E23.123, 257/E23.124, 257/E23.126, 340/572.1, 250/370.14, 428/690
• US Class Current: 257/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0773 the record carrier comprising means to protect itself against external heat sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07747 at least one of the integrated circuit chips being mounted as a module
• 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 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07786 the antenna being of the HF type, such as a dipole
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5388 for flat cards, e.g. credit cards cards per se G06K19/00
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 10/46 Field-effect transistors, e.g. organic thin-film transistors [OTFT] H10K10/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 19/901 Assemblies of multiple devices comprising at least one organic element specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/84 Passivation; Containers; Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/13 using printing techniques, e.g. ink-jet printing or screen printing
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/50 Forming devices by joining two substrates together, e.g. lamination techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 77/111 Flexible substrates

Abstract

An electronic circuit having at least one electronic component comprised of an organic material, and arranged between at least two layers forming a barrier, wherein the layers protect the at least one component against an influence of light, air or liquid.

Claims

1. An organic electronic integrated circuit comprising:

at least two continuous multi-layered barrier layers exhibiting no openings therethrough,

each of said at least two barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film,

a first of said barrier layers forming a substrate;

first and second electrical contacts on the substrate;

a plurality of electronic components on the substrate,

at least a portion of said electronic components comprising organic material;

a plurality of interconnections, said plurality of electronic components being electrically interconnected by said interconnections to form a circuit,

said circuit being coplanar with and ohmically connected to said first and second electrical contacts on the substrate,

at least a second of said barrier layers formed on the substrate such that said circuit is completely enclosed by and protected against said ambient environmental influence by said at least two barrier layers; and

said first and second electrical contacts being external said at least second barrier layer.

2. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further including an antenna comprising a conductor track on the substrate and terminating at said first and second electrical contacts.

4. The electronic circuit of claim 2 wherein the antenna is ohmically coupled to the first contact and includes a third contact, at least a portion of the antenna is folded over with the third contact in ohmic engagement with the second contact of the electronic circuit.

10. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of electronic components is selected from passive components.

11. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of electronic components is selected from the group consisting of passive components comprising resistors, capacitors or coils.

12. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a coil arrangement external the barrier layers and electrically combined with the electronic components to form an antenna coupled to the contacts on the substrate.

17. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic component is included in an RFID transponder tag circuit.

18. The electronic circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic component comprises an electronic sensor for applying sensed information electrical signals to the circuit.

21. The electronic circuit of claim 1 further including:

an antenna on the substrate, the antenna comprising a conductor track and terminating at first and second terminals;

the substrate including a folded over portion to electrically engage the first terminal with the first contact juxtaposed therewith;

the second terminal being in ohmic engagement with the second contact;

the folded over substrate portion being adhesively attached to the juxtaposed portion of the substrate with an electrically insulating adhesive layer.

3. An electronic circuit comprising:

at least two continuous multi-layered barrier layers exhibiting no openings therethrough,

each of said at least two barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film,

one of said barrier layers forming a substrate;

first and second electrical contacts on the substrate;

at least one electronic component on the substrate,

said at least one electronic component forms an organic field-effect transistor including source and drain electrodes above a first of said at least two continuous multi-layered barrier layers and embedded in a semiconducting layer with an adjoining layer of uncrosslinked polymer insulating material, a gate electrode embedded in the uncrosslinked polymer layer of insulating material, followed by the second of said continuous multi-layered barrier layers;

at least one interconnection electrically connected to said at least one electronic component to form a circuit,

said circuit being coplanar with and ohmically connected to said first and second electrical contacts on the substrate,

at least a second of said barrier layers formed on the substrate such that said circuit is completely enclosed by and protected against said ambient environmental influence by said at least two barrier layers; and

said first and second electrical contacts being external said at least second barrier layer.

5. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein at least one of said components comprises:

a superstructure comprising a first upper substrate;

a gate electrode embedded in the first substrate;

a first polymer uncrosslinked insulating layer with the gate electrode embedded in the first insulating layer which underlies the first substrate; and

a substructure comprising;

a second polymer uncrosslinked insulating layer insulation layer;

a semiconductor layer underlying the second insulation layer;

spaced source and drain electrodes embedded in and underlying the semiconductor layer; and

a second lower substrate juxtaposed with and underlying the semiconductor layer and the source/drain electrodes;

the substructure and the super structure being attached to each other forming an interface therebetween

wherein adjustment marks are integrated in the polymer uncrosslinked insulating layers for aligning the superstructure to the substructure

with the gate electrode operatively coupled to the source/drain electrodes.

6. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein a first of said at least two barrier layers comprises a metallic layer below the semiconductor layer and laminated to a plastic film layer.

7. The electronic circuit of claim 6, wherein the metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper or chromium.

8. The electronic circuit of claim 3 wherein:

the at least one electronic component is selected from active components; and

further comprises a plurality of interconnected electronic components; and

further including an antenna comprising a conductor track on the substrate and terminating at said first and second electrical contacts.

9. The electronic circuit of claim 8, wherein the at least one component comprises an integrated circuit or a rectifier diode.

13. The electronic circuit of claim 3, further including an antenna comprising an electrically conductive track on the substrate external the barrier layers and terminating at said first and second contacts.

14. A method for producing an electronic circuit having electronic components comprised of organic material comprising:

forming a first continuous multi-layered barrier layer exhibiting no openings therethrough,

arranging a plurality of electronic components of an electronic integrated circuit on the first barrier layer;

forming first and second electrical contacts on the first barrier layer coplanar with the electronic components;

forming a plurality of coplanar electrical conductor tracks on the first barrier layer, thereby interconnecting the plurality of electric components to each other and to the contacts through said tracks;

forming at least a second continuous multi-layered barrier layer exhibiting no openings therethrough,

applying said at least a second barrier layer onto said first barrier layer over only a first portion of the interconnected electronic components and their interconnecting conductor tracks, thereby defining a second portion of the interconnected electronic components external the second barrier layer,

each of said barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film,

said first portion of electronic components being completely enclosed by and protected against said ambient environmental influence by said at least two barrier layers,

said first and second electrical contacts being external said at least second barrier layer,

said second portion of the interconnected electronic components extending beyond the region between said first and second barrier layers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an RFID transponder tag for transmission of an RFID signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an electrical sensor for sensing an external parameter and converting the sensed parameter to an electrical signal.

19. A method for producing an electronic circuit having electronic components comprised of organic material comprising:

constructing a first continuous multi-layered barrier layer exhibiting no openings therethrough;

arranging electronic components to form an integrated electronic sensor circuit on said first barrier layer;

connecting electrical conductor tracks to electrical contacts on said first barrier layer and coupled to said electronic components to form said circuit;

applying a second continuous multi-layered barrier layer exhibiting no openings therethrough over the electronic components and their circuit,

said second barrier layer cooperating with the first barrier layer to protect the components and their circuit against light and external environmental atmospheric influences including at least one of air or liquid;

each of said barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film,

forming first and second contacts on said first barrier layer external the region between said first and second barrier layers and ohmically connecting said contacts to said circuit;

forming an antenna having first and second electrical terminals on said first barrier layer external the region between said first and second barrier layers for connection to respective corresponding ones of said first and second contacts; and

interconnecting the first and second contacts respectively with the first and second terminals by folding over a portion of the first barrier to interconnect at least one of said first and second contacts with a corresponding terminal.

20. The method of claim 19 including adhering the folded over first barrier to a portion of the first barrier with an electrically insulating adhesive.

22. An electronic circuit comprising:

at least two continuous multi-layered barrier layers exhibiting no openings therethrough,

each of said at least two barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film;

a first component comprising at least one electronic component;

a second component comprising at least one electronic component;

a further component comprising at least one electronic component;

interconnections electrically connecting said first component to said second component and to said further component;

said first component comprising organic material;

said first and said second components both being arranged between said at least two barrier layers;

wherein said at least two barrier layers protect said first component, said second component and said interconnections against said ambient environmental influence;

at least one conductor forming a portion of said interconnections,

said conductor being electrically connected to and coplanar with said first and second components,

said conductor being electrically connected to said further component,

said further component and at least a portion of said conductor being external the region between the at least two barrier layers;

two electrical contacts external the region between the barrier layers and coplanar with the electronic component and the interconnections; and

an antenna external the region between the at least two barrier layers ohmically connected to the two electrical contacts.

23. An electronic circuit comprising:

a plurality of electronic components,

at least one of said components comprises organic material;

interconnections electrically interconnecting said electronic components;

an output of said electronic components,

said output for outputting an electrical current signal;

at least two continuous multi-layered barrier layers exhibiting no openings therethrough,

each of said at least two barrier layers comprising three sublayers,

each of said three sublayers forming a continuous barrier to ambient environmental influences, said ambient environmental influences including at least one of air, liquid or light,

said three sublayers being a lowermost sub layer of plastic film, a second sublayer of metallic film, and a third sublayer of plastic film;

said electronic components and said interconnections being arranged between said at least two barrier layers;

wherein said at least two barrier layers cooperate to protect said plurality of components and said interconnections from said ambient environmental influence;

a pair of electrical contacts external the region between said at least two barrier layers,

said pair of electrical contacts being coplanar with the electronic components; and

an electrical device on one of said barrier layers and electrically coupled to said contacts,

said electrical device for receiving said electrical current signal from said output of said electronic components.

24. The circuit of claim 23 wherein the electrical device is an antenna.

25. The circuit of claim 24 wherein the antenna and the plurality of components are on a common substrate and one of the barrier layers comprises a multilayer construction of different materials.

26. The circuit of claim 24 wherein:

the antenna is an elongated conductor terminating at a further electrical contact;

the substrate having a fold for electrically connecting the further electrical contact to one of said pair of electrical contacts in juxtaposed relation.