RFID LABEL TECHNIQUE

• US 20120297609A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC (Avery Dennison Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alan Green, Dennis Rene Benoit
• Inventors: Green, Alan, Benoit, Dennis Rene
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/600
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/021 Making adhesive labels having a multilayered structure, e.g. provided on carrier webs
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/027 involving, marking, printing or coding
• CPC Class Codes: B31D 1/028 Applying RFID chips
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/105 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/02 RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0053 Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/145 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07718 the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 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: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07779 the inductive antenna being a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07783 the coil being planar
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/95085 being a liquid, e.g. for fluidic self-assembly
• 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 24/95 : at chip-level, i.e. with connecting carried out on a plurality of singulated devices, i.e. on diced chips
• 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 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/07802 : not being an ohmic electrical conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15153 : the die mounting substrate comprising a recess for hosting the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15165 : Monolayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 : Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0097 : Processing two or more printed circuits simultaneously, e.g. made from a common substrate, or temporarily stacked circuit boards H05K3/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 : with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 : Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1057 : Subsequent to assembly of laminae
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 : Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1074 : Separate cutting of separate sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 : of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 : Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1092 : All laminae planar and face to face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1097 : Lamina is running length web
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 : Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 : Chip component

Abstract

An RFID webstock containing a relatively high pitch-density array of semiconductive chips is provided and joined to a web bearing relatively widely spaced antennas in a continuous process. The RFID webstock is separated or cut into individual chip sections, with the spacing of the chips being increased as the RFID webstock is die cut. The individual chips on the sections are then joined to corresponding antennas to form an RFID inlay stock. This process is conducive to high speed roll-to-roll production of RFID tag and label roll stock.

Claims

1. A method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising:

providing an RFID webstock of polymeric material, the webstock having a plurality of RFID chips attached to the polymeric material at a first pitch and each RFID chip having an associated set of conductive pads on the polymeric material, and wherein the RFID chips are connected to the associated set of conductive pads;

dividing the RFID webstock into a plurality of sections without stopping movement of the RFID webstock, each section including one or more of the RFID chips and the associated set of conductive pads;

securing at least some of the separated sections to a transport member at a second pitch;

transferring the sections on the transport member to an antenna web, wherein the antenna web includes a plurality of antennas disposed thereon at the second pitch; and

attaching the sections to the antenna web without stopping movement of the web during or between successive attaching steps such that the associated set of conductive pads are operatively coupled to successive antennas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material is an amorphous thermoplastic material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the separated sections are secured to the transport member by vacuum pressure or clamps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pitch is smaller than the second pitch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport member is a roller or belt.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID webstock is divided into a plurality of sections by die cutting, butt cutting, laser cutting, slitting, perforating, or punching.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID chips are attached to the RFID webstock by a pick and place device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein two or more lanes of RFID webstock are substantially simultaneously transferred and attached to a corresponding number of antenna webs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an indexing device controls the relative speed of the RFID webstock, relative to the speed of the antennas webs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lateral position of the transport member may be electronically controlled.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sections are transferred to the antenna web by gravity.

12. The method of claim 1, where the sections are transferred to the antenna web by mechanical force or air pressure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID chips are embedded in the polymeric substrate.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID chip and associated conductive pads are attached as a flip chip.

15. A method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising:

dividing an RFID webstock into a plurality of sections, wherein the RFID webstock includes a plurality of electrical connectors, each electrically coupled to one of a plurality of RFID chips, wherein each of the sections includes one or more of the electrical connectors and one of more of the RFID chips;

securing at least some of the separated sections to a transport web;

indexing the sections on the transport web to a plurality of spaced antennas disposed on a moving antenna web;

attaching the sections on the transport web to the plurality of spaced antennas disposed on the moving antenna web without stopping the transport web or antenna web, wherein the antenna web and transport web have substantially the same speed and direction for an extended zone during attachment; and

releasing the section from the transport web.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the extended zone is a zone of elevated pressure.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the extended zone is a zone of elevated temperature.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transport web and antenna web pass through at least one additional extended zone of elevated pressure or elevated temperature.

19. An intermediate method of forming an RFID article, the method comprising:

dividing an RFID webstock, having a first pitch between a plurality of RFID chips, into a plurality of sections, wherein the RFID webstock includes a plurality of electrical connectors, each electrically coupled to one of the plurality of RFID chips, and wherein each of the sections includes one or more of the electrical connectors and one of more of the RFID chips;

securing at least some of the separated sections to a transport member at a second pitch; and

transferring the sections on the transport member to a second web at the second pitch; and

attaching the sections to the second web without stopping movement of the web during or between successive attaching steps.

20. The method of claim 19, further including a step of forming or attaching an antenna after the step of attaching the sections to the second web.