Microelectronic smart tags

• US 9,684,862 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Andry, Paul S., Knickerbocker, John U., Wisnieff, Robert L., Denneau, Monty Montague
• Primary Examiner(s): ELLIS, SUEZU Y
• Application Number:
  US14/927,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20170124446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0707 the arrangement being capable of collecting energy from external energy sources, e.g. thermocouples, vibration, electromagnetic radiation G06K19/0702 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• 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: G06K 19/07775 the antenna being on-chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/244 Tag manufacturing, e.g. continuous manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/78 with subsequent division of the substrate into plural individual devices cutting to change the surface-physical characteristics or shape of semiconductor bodies H01L21/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54426 for alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0547 comprising light concentrating means of the reflecting type, e.g. parabolic mirrors, concentrators using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/52 PV systems with concentrators

Abstract

A smart tag comprises a processor, a non-volatile memory, at least one of an internal power source and an external power source, and a transceiver configured for two-way communication with a reader external to the smart tag. The smart tag is formed as an integrated circuit chip less than 10 cubic millimeters in size to less than 0.000125 cubic millimeters in size. An apparatus comprising the smart tag may further include an antenna connect to the smart tag.

Claims

1. A smart tag comprising:

a processor;

a non-volatile memory;

an internal power source; and

a transceiver configured for two-way communication with a reader external to the smart tag;

wherein the smart tag is formed as an integrated circuit chip less than 10 cubic millimeters in size;

wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises;

a silicon die comprising at least the processor;

a dielet formed over the silicon die and comprising at least a portion of the internal power source via one or more capacitors formed therein; and

a photovoltaic reflector formed over the dielet, the photovoltaic reflector comprising a photovoltaic layer comprising at least a portion of the internal power source and a reflector providing at least a portion of the transceiver; and

wherein the silicon die, the dielet and the photovoltaic reflector are interconnected using at least one micro controlled-collapse chip-connection interconnect.

2. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is less than 1 cubic millimeter in size.

3. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a length less than 0.5 millimeters, a width less than 0.5 millimeters and a height less than 0.5 millimeters.

4. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a length less than 0.05 millimeters, a width less than 0.05 millimeters and a height less than 0.05 millimeters.

5. The smart tag of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors.

6. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is configured to receive power from one or more external power sources using one or more of radio frequency, light, sound, photovoltaics, vibration, capacitors and batteries.

7. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is configured for two-way communication using light, wherein data is received at the smart tag by modulating an intensity of a light beam and wherein data is received from the smart tag by selectively reflecting an incident light beam.

8. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein:

the processor comprises one of a microprocessor and a microcontroller; and

the non-volatile memory comprises one of flash memory, phase change memory, ferroelectric memory and magnetoresistive random-access memory.

9. The smart tag of claim 1, wherein one or more of the capacitors formed in the dielet comprise deep trench capacitors.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a smart tag comprising;

a processor;

a non-volatile memory;

an internal power source; and

a transceiver configured for two-way communication with a reader external to the smart tag; and

an antenna connected to the smart tag;

wherein the smart tag is formed as an integrated circuit chip less than 10 cubic millimeters in size;

wherein the integrated circuit chip comprises;

a silicon die comprising at least the processor;

a dielet formed over the silicon die and comprising at least a portion of the internal power source via one or more capacitors formed therein;

a photovoltaic reflector formed over the dielet, the photovoltaic reflector comprising a photovoltaic layer comprising at least a portion of the internal power source and a reflector providing at least a portion of the transceiver; and

wherein the silicon die, the dielet and the photovoltaic reflector are interconnected using at least one micro controlled-collapse chip-connection interconnect.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna is configured to provide two-way communications between the transceiver of the smart tag and the reader.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna is configured to provide power to the integrated circuit chip.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit chip is less than 1 cubic millimeter in size.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a length less than 0.5 millimeters, a width less than 0.5 millimeters and a height less than 0.5 millimeters.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a length less than 0.05 millimeters, a width less than 0.05 millimeters and a height less than 0.05 millimeters.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the smart tag further comprises one or more sensors.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integrated circuit chip is configured to receive power from one or more external power sources using one or more of radio frequency, light, sound, photovoltaics, vibration, capacitors and batteries.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured for two-way communication using light, wherein data is received at the smart tag by modulating an intensity of a light beam and wherein data is received from the smart tag by selectively reflecting an incident light beam.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the processor comprises one of a microprocessor and a microcontroller; and

the non-volatile memory comprises one of flash memory, phase change memory, ferroelectric memory and magnetoresistive random-access memory.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the antenna is larger than the integrated circuit chip.