Manufacturing method for wireless devices

• US 9,748,631 B2
• Filed: 07/04/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twenty Twenty Therapeutics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Etzkorn, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Tho G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLECEK, PATRICK R
• Application Number:
  US14/324,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 343728, 343732, 343741, 343743, 343744, 343748, 343788, 343842, 343855, 343866
• 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 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A manufacturing method for a wireless device may involve placing a plurality of antennas on a plastic layer, wherein each of the antennas comprises one or more conductive loops positioned within an inner diameter and an outer diameter; placing a plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer such that each sensor chip is interconnected to a respective antenna on the plastic layer and is positioned within the inner diameter and outer diameter of the respective antenna, wherein each sensor chip has a respective sensor facing away from the plastic layer and has respective electrical contacts interconnected with the respective antenna; and providing an encapsulation layer over the plurality of antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

placing a plurality of loop antennas on a plastic layer, wherein each respective loop antenna of the plurality of loop antennas comprises an inner edge and an outer edge;

placing a plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer such that each sensor chip is interconnected to the respective loop antenna on the plastic layer and is positioned within the inner edge and the outer edge of the respective loop antenna, wherein each sensor chip has a respective sensor facing away from the plastic layer and has respective electrical contacts interconnected with the respective loop antenna; and

providing an encapsulation layer over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer includes holes over the sensor chips such that the sensors of the sensor chips are exposed through the holes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing a loop antenna and an interconnected sensor chip along with a portion of the plastic layer and a corresponding portion of the encapsulation layer; and

exposing a sensor of the associated sensor chip by removing a piece of the encapsulation layer covering the sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein removing the loop antenna and the interconnected sensor chip along with the portion of the plastic layer and the corresponding portion of the encapsulation layer comprises laser cutting.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein removing the piece of the encapsulation layer covering the sensor is performed such that a portion of the encapsulation layer remains on at least an edge of the sensor chip so as to seal the sensor chip against moisture.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

winding the plastic layer having the plurality of loop antennas, the sensor chips, and the encapsulation layer thereon into a roll.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the encapsulation layer over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer comprises:

laminating a sheet material over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality sensor chips on the plastic layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the encapsulation layer over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer comprises:

applying a liquid material over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the liquid material is an epoxy material.

10. A package comprising:

a plastic layer;

a plurality of loop antennas placed on the plastic layer, wherein each respective loop antenna of the plurality of loop antennas comprises an inner edge and an outer edge;

a plurality of sensor chips placed on the plastic layer such that each sensor chip is interconnected to the respective loop antenna on the plastic layer and is positioned within the inner edge and the outer edge of the respective loop antenna, wherein each sensor chip has a respective sensor facing away from the plastic layer and has respective electrical contacts interconnected with the respective loop antenna; and

an encapsulation layer provided over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer.

11. The package of claim 10, wherein the encapsulation layer includes holes over the sensor chips such that the sensors of the sensor chips are exposed through the holes.

12. The package of claim 11, wherein a portion of the encapsulation layer remains on at least an edge of the sensor chip so as to seal the sensor chip against moisture.

13. The package of claim 10, wherein the respective loop antenna comprises at least three conductive loops.

14. The package of claim 13, wherein the at least three conductive loops have a substantially uniform spacing between adjacent conductive loops.

15. The package of claim 13, wherein the at least three conductive loops have a substantially uniform thickness.

16. The package of claim 10, wherein the respective loop antenna spans less than 360 degrees so as to provide a space for the plurality of sensor chips to be interconnected to the respective loop antenna.

17. The package of claim 10, wherein the plastic layer having the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips, and the encapsulation layer are wound into a roll.

18. The package of claim 10, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a lamination sheet provided over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality sensor chips on the plastic layer.

19. The package of claim 10, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a cured material provided over the plurality of loop antennas and the plurality of sensor chips on the plastic layer.

20. The package of claim 19, wherein the cured material is an epoxy material.