RFID integrated circuit with integrated antenna structure

• US 8,199,017 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/092,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.7, 340/539.11, 340/10.1, 340/10.3, 340/10.32, 235/487, 235/488, 343/700.MS, 343/741, 343/767, 343/895
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• 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: G06K 7/10237 the reader and the record carrier being capable of selectively switching between reader and record carrier appearance, e.g. in near field communication [NFC] devices where the NFC device may function as an RFID reader or as an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6627 Waveguides, e.g. microstrip line, strip line, coplanar line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/023 Redistribution layers [RDL] for bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• 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 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/06 of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• 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 2924/0001 Technical content checked by a classifier
• 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 2924/01005 : Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 : Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 : Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01031 : Gallium [Ga]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01032 : Germanium [Ge]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0106 : Neodymium [Nd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 : Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01083 : Bismuth [Bi]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1903 : including wave guides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19104 : on the semiconductor or solid-state device, i.e. passive-on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• 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 1/2283 : mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• 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 23/00 : Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 : Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407

Abstract

An integrated circuit for use in an RFID tag includes an integrated circuit die having a circuit, a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface for providing communication between the circuit and a remote RFID reader via RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader. An antenna section facilitates the RF signaling between the RFID and the remote RFID reader. A substrate is coupled to support the first integrated circuit die and at least a portion of the antenna section.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit for use in an RFID tag, the integrated circuit comprising:

an integrated circuit die including;

a circuit that generates first data; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface, coupled to the circuit, for providing communication between the circuit and a remote RFID reader via RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader, wherein the RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader includes millimeter wave RF signals that carry the first data in a V-band range of frequencies;

an antenna section, coupled to the integrated circuit die, for facilitating the RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader, wherein the antenna section includes at least one bonding wire that connects the integrated circuit die to couplers for electrically connecting the integrated circuit to at least one external device and further operates as at least a portion of the antenna section;

a substrate coupled to support the first integrated circuit die and at least a portion of the antenna section.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader includes reception of a millimeter wave RFID signal from the remote RFID reader and backscattering of the millimeter wave RFID signal by the RFID interface.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one bonding wire includes:

a first bonding wire that couples first signals between the circuit and the substrate; and

a second bonding wire that couples second signals between the circuit and the substrate.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one bonding wire further provides impedance matching to the RFID interface and the antenna section.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the at least one bonding wire further provides a transmission line.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the antenna section includes at least one power supply line for coupling power to the integrated circuit from a direct current power source and that further operates as at least a portion of an antenna.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6 wherein the at least one power supply line includes:

a first power supply line for coupling a power signal to the circuit; and

a second power supply line for coupling the power signal to the circuit.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein the at least one power supply line further provides impedance matching to the RFID interface and the antenna section.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein the at least one power supply line further provides a transmission line.

10. An integrated circuit for use in an RFID tag, the integrated circuit comprising:

an integrated circuit die including;

a circuit; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface, coupled to the circuit, for providing communication between the circuit and a remote RFID reader via RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader in a millimeter wave band of frequencies;

an antenna section, coupled to the integrated circuit die, for facilitating the RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader, wherein the antenna section includes at least one bonding wire that connects the integrated circuit die to couplers for electrically connecting the integrated circuit to at least one external device and further operates as at least a portion of the antenna section;

a substrate coupled to support the first integrated circuit die and at least a portion of the antenna section.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 10 wherein the RF signaling between the RFID interface and the remote RFID reader includes reception of a millimeter wave RFID signal from the remote RFID reader and the backscattering of the millimeter wave RFID signal by the RFID interface.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 10 wherein the at least one bonding wire includes:

a first bonding wire that couples first signals between the circuit and the substrate; and

a second bonding wire that couples second signals between the circuit and the substrate.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein the at least one bonding wire further provides impedance matching to the RFID interface and the antenna section.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 12 wherein the at least one bonding wire further provides a transmission line.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 10 wherein the antenna section includes at least one power supply line for coupling power to the integrated circuit from a direct current power source and that further operates as at least a portion of an antenna.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15 wherein the at least one power supply line includes:

a first power supply line for coupling a power signal to the circuit; and

a second power supply line for coupling the power signal to the circuit.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 16 wherein the at least one power supply line further provides impedance matching to the RFID interface and the antenna section.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 16 wherein the at least one power supply line further provides a transmission line.