RFID tags and processes for producing RFID tags

• US 8,350,703 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RUIZHANG TECHNOLOGY LIMITED COMPANY
• Original Assignee: Alien Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Gengel, Glenn W., Hadley, Mark A., Schatz, Kenneth D., Drzaic, Paul S., Pounds, Torn
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/987,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20110186640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 298/25, 298/29, 298/46, 438/106, 438/107, 438/110, 257/678, 257/734, 235/492, 361/737, 361/749, 361/760, 361/761, 361/764
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/18 including electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/027 the material being suitable for use as a textile, e.g. woven-based RFID-like labels designed for attachment to laundry items markings attached to laundry items in general D06F93/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07722 the record carrier being multilayered, e.g. laminated sheets flat articles in general, see B32B37/00
• 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 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24227 the HDI interconnect not connecting to the same level of the item at which the semiconductor or solid-state body is mounted, e.g. the semiconductor or solid-state body being mounted in a cavity or on a protrusion of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/76155 Jetting means, e.g. ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82039 using a laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/82102 using jetting, e.g. ink jet
• 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 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01051 Antimony [Sb]
• 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 2924/07802 : not being an ohmic electrical conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 : the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15165 : Monolayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 : with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag. The RFID tag comprises a flexible substrate and an integrated circuit embedded within the flexible substrate. The top surface of the integrated circuit is coplanar with the flexible substrate. At least one conductive element is formed on the flexible substrate. The conductive element is electrically connected to the integrated circuit. The conductive element serves as an antenna for the RFID tag.

Claims

1. An RFID tag comprising:

a flexible substrate having a form factor of a thread;

an integrated circuit at least partially embedded within the flexible substrate, a top surface of the integrated circuit being coplanar with the flexible substrate;

at least one conductive element formed on the flexible substrate, the at least one conductive element being electrically connected to the integrated circuit, the at least one conductive element serving as an antenna for the RFID tag; and

wherein the flexible substrate length is at least ten times the width of the integrated circuit and the at least one conductive element comprises at least one of metal particles, organic particles, and semiconducting particles, wherein the structure of the antenna is configured to be designed to substantially match the impedance of the antenna to the input impedance of the integrated circuit.

2. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive element is at least one of a printed conductive element, evaporated metal, sputtered metal, plated metal, and a laminated conducting foil.

3. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the top surface of the integrated circuit shares essentially the same plane as a top surface of the flexible substrate.

4. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive element formed on the substrate is connected to a pad on the top surface of the integrated circuit.

5. The RFID tag of claim 4 wherein the at least one conductive element and a second conductive element formed on the substrate are electrically connected.

6. The RFID tag of claim 5 wherein the at least one conductive element and the second conductive element are electrically connected through an electrical connection configured to be designed to prevent static discharge damage to the integrated circuit.

7. The RFID tag of claim 5 wherein the at least one conductive element and the second conductive element form an inductive loop structure of the RFID tag.

8. The RFID tag of claim 1 wherein the antenna structure has a non-linear form factor.

9. An RFID tag comprising:

a flexible substrate having a form factor of a thread;

an integrated circuit embedded within the flexible substrate, a top surface of the integrated circuit being below a top surface of the substrate;

at least one conductive element formed on the flexible substrate, the at least one conductive element being electrically connected to the integrated circuit, the at least one conductive element serving as an antenna for the RFID tag; and

wherein the flexible substrate length is at least ten times the width of the integrated circuit and the at least one conductive element comprises at least one of metal particles, organic particles, and semiconducting particles.

10. The RFID tag of claim 9 wherein the at least one conductive element is at least one of a printed conductive element, evaporated metal, sputtered metal, plated metal, and a laminated conducting foil.

11. The RFID tag of claim 9 wherein the at least one conductive element has a non-linear form factor.

12. The RFID tag of claim 9 wherein the at least one conductive element formed on the substrate is connected to a pad on the top surface of the integrated circuit and the at least one conductive element is further connected to a second conductive element formed on the substrate through an electrical connection configured to be designed to prevent static discharge damage to the integrated circuit.

13. The RFID tag of claim 9 wherein the flexible substrate comprises a receptor for the integrated circuit and wherein an angular orientation of the integrated circuit is not fixed by the receptor.

14. The RFID tag of claim 13 wherein the angular orientation is capable of being a plurality of different orientations.