Transferring an antenna to an RFID inlay substrate

• US 8,613,132 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US13/027,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20120080527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 296/01, 29/33.M, 296/00, 297/39, 297/48, 297/53, 298/27, 298/29, 298/43, 298/45, 298/50, 340/539.1, 340/568.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.7
• US Class Current: 29/601
• 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 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• 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 19/0775 arrangements for connecting the integrated circuit to the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45014 Ribbon connectors, e.g. rectangular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• 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 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/78301 Capillary
• 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 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/206 : Length ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/20758 : larger or equal to 80 microns less than 90 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/20759 : larger or equal to 90 microns less than 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/2076 : equal to or larger than 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/001 : Manufacturing waveguides or transmission lines of the waveguide type
• 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 1/40 : Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 : Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 : with other electrical component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 : On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49149 : by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49153 : with shaping or forcing terminal into base aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49162 : by using wire as conductive path

Abstract

Forming antenna structures having several conductor turns (wire, foil, conductive material) on a an antenna substrate (carrier layer or film or web), removing the antenna structures individually from the antenna substrate using pick & place gantry or by means of die punching, laser cutting or laminating, and transferring the antenna structure with it'"'"'s end portions (termination ends) in a fixed position for mounting onto or into selected transponder sites on an inlay substrate, and connecting the aligned termination ends of the antenna structure to an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip or chip module disposed on or in the inlay substrate. A contact transfer process is capable of transferring several antenna structures simultaneously to several transponder sites.

Claims

1. A method of forming a transponder site comprising an inlay substrate, an RFID chip module and an antenna structure connected to the chip module comprising:

preparing a plurality of transponder sites on an inlay substrate, each transponder site comprising a defined area of the inlay substrate;

forming a plurality of antenna structures on an antenna substrate which is separate from the inlay substrate; and

removing given antenna structures from the antenna substrate and transferring them to selected ones of the transponder sites;

wherein removing the antenna structures comprises;

causing antenna structures to be released from the antenna substrate using one or more of the processes selected from the group consisting of;

applying a mechanical force to the antenna substrate;

directing a laser beam at the antenna substrate;

heating a portion of the antenna substrate;

softening a portion of the antenna substrate;

distorting a portion of the antenna substrate;

causing a temperature differential between the antenna substrate and the inlay substrate;

bringing the antenna substrate and the inlay substrate into face-to-face contact with one another;

selecting physical properties of the antenna substrate and inlay substrate to facilitate release of the antenna structures from the antenna substrate onto the inlay substrate; and

performing a laminating process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing a plurality of transponder sites comprises:

installing RFID chips or chip modules in recesses at the transponder sites.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after transferring antenna structures to transponder sites, connecting termination ends of the antenna structures to terminal areas of the RFID chip or chip module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the antenna structures individually from the antenna substrate and transferring given antenna structures to selected ones of the transponder sites comprises:

individually picking the antenna structures off of the antenna substrate and placing them on the inlay substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring antenna structures comprises a contact transfer process.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to forming the antenna structures on the antenna substrate, forming channels for forming portions of an antenna structure in the antenna substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the antenna substrate is formed of PVC and the inlay substrate is formed of Teslin™

.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the antenna substrate is in the form of a web, and the antenna structures are formed in a single row on the web.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a wide trench in the inlay substrate for accepting the antenna structure; and

installing the antenna structure in the wide trench.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of antenna structures are transferred one-by-one from the antenna substrate to selected ones of the transponder sites.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of antenna structures are transferred all at once from the antenna substrate to selected ones of the transponder sites.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

perforating an area of the antenna substrate which carries the antenna structure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the antenna substrate is formed of a material which is different from the material of the inlay substrate.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

an array of antenna structures are formed on the antenna substrate.