RFID tag assembly methods

• US 9,317,799 B1
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Impinj, Inc.
• Inventors: Koepp, Ronald L., Oliver, Ronald A., Colleran, William T., Ma, Yanjun, Fassett, Jay M., Moretti, Vincent C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hoanganh
• Application Number:
  US14/141,406
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 343/700.MS, 343/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07754 the connection being galvanic
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07756 the connection being non-galvanic, e.g. capacitive
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

RFID tags are assembled through affixing an antenna to an integrated circuit (IC) by forming one or more capacitors coupling the antenna and the IC with the dielectric material of the capacitor(s) including a non-conductive covering layer of the IC, a non-conductive covering layer of the antenna such as an oxide layer, and/or an additionally formed dielectric layer. Top and bottom plates of the capacitor(s) are formed by the antenna traces and one or more patches on a top surface of the IC.

Claims

1. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) integrated circuit (IC) assembly, the IC assembly comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC) comprising;

a rectifier circuit;

a demodulator circuit;

a modulator circuit; and

a first electrical bus coupled to the rectifier circuit, the demodulator circuit, and

the modulator circuit;

a dielectric material including a covering layer of the IC assembly; and

a plurality of distinct conductive patches for coupling electrical circuitry of the IC to a tag antenna through the dielectric material, wherein;

the plurality of conductive patches covers a substantial portion of a surface of the IC; and

at least a first one of the conductive patches is capacitively coupled to the first electrical bus.

2. The IC assembly of claim 1, further comprising an additional dielectric layer formed on the IC.

3. The IC assembly of claim 1, wherein the first conductive patch is suitable for galvanic coupling to the antenna.

4. The IC assembly of claim 1, wherein the first electrical bus is galvanically coupled to at least one of the rectifier circuit, the modulator circuit, and the modulator circuit.

5. The IC assembly of claim 1, wherein the IC further comprises a first capacitor providing the only coupling between the first conductive patch and the first electrical bus.

6. The IC assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the IC further comprises a second electrical bus and a second capacitor,

the second capacitor provides the only coupling between a second one of the plurality of conductive patches and the second electrical bus; and

the first and second electrical busses are coupled to the rectifier circuit, demodulator circuit, and modulator circuit.