RFID antenna modules and methods of making

• US 8,789,762 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AmaTech Group Limited (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Féinics AmaTech Teoranta (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Finn, David, Carr, Lionel
• Primary Examiner(s): Haupt, Kristy A
• Application Number:
  US13/594,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07754 the connection being galvanic
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07794 the record carrier comprising a booster or auxiliary antenna in addition to the antenna connected directly to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) 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 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• 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 2924/00014 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 2924/2076 equal to or larger than 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• 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 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

Abstract

A winding core (WC) having a tubular body portion (B) and two ends is mounted by one of its ends to a module tape (MT), a module antenna (MA) is wound around the winding core (WC), a chip (CM) is disposed on the module tape (MT) within the winding core (WC). Connections (wb) are made, and glob-top (GT) is applied over the chip (CM), substantially filling the interior area of the winding core (WC). The module antenna (MA), winding core (WC) and chip (CM) may subsequently be overmolded with a mold mass (MM). The winding core (WC) may have a flange (F) at one end. Using the module antenna (MA) itself as a dam for the glob-top is disclosed. Double-sided and single-sided module tapes (MT) having vias, openings, or vias and openings are disclosed.

Claims

1. An antenna module (AM) for a smart card (SC) comprising:

a module tape (MT);

a chip (CM) disposed on a surface of the module tape (MT); and

a module antenna (MA) disposed on the surface of the module tape (MT), and connected with the chip (CM);

characterized by;

a support structure (DS, WC) secured to the surface of the module tape (MT), serving as a winding core for the module antenna (MA) and as a dam for glob-top (GT) covering the chip (CM);

wherein the support structure (DS, WC) comprises a tubular body portion (B) having two opposite open ends, one of which is secured to the surface of the module tape (MT), the other of which is a free end; and

the support structure (WC) has only one flange (F) which is disposed around the free end of the body portion (B) and the end of the support structure (WC) which is secured to the module tape (MT) does not have a flange.

2. The antenna module (AM) of claim 1, wherein:

the support structure has a flange (F) disposed around the free end of the body portion (B).

3. The antenna module (AM) of claim 1, wherein:

the module antenna (MA) is disposed external to the body portion (B); and

the chip (CM) is disposed on the module tape (MT) internal to the body portion (B);

further comprising;

at least one slot (S) extending through the body portion (B) to allow corresponding at least one end of the module antenna (MA) to pass through the body portion (B) from external the body portion (B) to internal the body portion (B).

4. The antenna module (AM) of claim 1, further comprising:

glob-top (GT) covering at least the chip (CM), within the support structure.

5. The antenna module (AM) of claim 1, further comprising:

a mold mass (MM) covering the chip (CM), the support structure (DS, WC) and the module antenna (MA).

6. The antenna module (AM) of claim 1, further comprising:

contact pads (CP) on an opposite surface of the module tape (MT) for a contact interface.

7. A smart card (SC) comprising the antenna module (AM) of claim 1, and further comprising:

a card body (CB);

a booster antenna (BA) having an outer portion disposed around a periphery of the card body (CB); and

a coupler coil (CC) disposed at an interior area of the card body (CB);

wherein the antenna module (AM) is disposed at the interior area of the card body (CB) for inductive coupling of the module antenna (MA) with the coupler coil (CC).

8. The smart card (SC) of claim 7, wherein:

a recess (R) is provided in the card body (CB) for receiving the antenna module (AM).

9. The smart card (SC) of claim 8, wherein:

at least a portion of the coupler coil (CC) is embedded in the recess (R).

10. A method of making an antenna module (AM) comprising:

affixing a tubular support structure (DS, WC) having two opposite open ends on a surface of a module tape (MT);

after affixing the support structure to the module tape, filling an interior area of the support structure with glob-top potting compound (GT) to protect a chip (CM) disposed therein; and

after affixing the support structure to the module tape, winding a wire for a module antenna (MA) around the tubular support structure (DS, WC).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

winding the module antenna (MA) using a flyer winding technique.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising, before winding the wire around the support structure:

securing a first end of the wire for forming the module antenna (MA) to a first pin; and

passing a first end portion of the wire over a first bond pad (BP) on the module tape (MT).

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, after winding the wire around the support structure:

passing a second end portion of the wire over a second bond pad (BP) on the module tape (MT); and

securing a second end of the wire for forming the module antenna (MA) to a second pin.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

connecting the first and second end portions to the first and second bond pads.

15. A method of making an antenna module (AM) comprising:

mounting a module antenna (MA) to a module tape (MT);

mounting and connecting a chip (CM) to the module tape (MT);

covering the chip (CM) and its connections with resin (GT);

characterized by;

the chip (CM) and its connections are covered with resin (GT) by filling an interior area of the module antenna (MA) with resin after mounting the module antenna (MA) and after mounting and connecting the chip (CM).

16. An antenna module (AM) for a smart card (SC) comprising:

a module tape (MT) having a top surface and a bottom surface;

contact pads (CP) for a contact interface disposed on the top surface;

a chip (CM) disposed on the bottom surface of the module tape (MT); and

a module antenna (MA) disposed on the bottom surface of the module tape (MT);

further comprising;

openings extending through the module tape (MT) from the bottom surface to the top surface thereof for connecting at least one of ends (a, b) of the module antenna and wire bonds (wb) extending from terminals (CT) of the chip (CM) to back surfaces of selected ones of the contact pads.

17. The antenna module (AM) of claim 16, wherein:

the module tape has metallization on both of the top and bottom surfaces.

18. The antenna module (AM) of claim 17, wherein:

the module tape has vias extending from portions of the metallization on the bottom surface to corresponding portions of the metallization on the top surface.

19. The antenna module (AM) of claim 16, wherein:

the module tape has metallization on only the bottom surface.

20. The antenna module (AM) of claim 19, wherein:

the module tape has plated through holes extending from the bottom surface to portions of the metallization on the top surface.