TRANSPONDER FOR OBJECT IDENTIFICATION AND METHOD FOR ITS FABRICATION

• US 20140117096A1
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optosys SA
• Original Assignee: Peter Heimlicher
• Inventors: HEIMLICHER, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,384,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07728 the record carrier comprising means for protection against impact or bending, e.g. protective shells or stress-absorbing layers around the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0773 the record carrier comprising means to protect itself against external heat sources
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transponder for object identification comprising at least one semiconductor component (36) for storing information and at least one antenna (11) for communicating the information with an external unit, the antenna (11) being formed by a conductor on a circuit board (7) and the semiconductor component (36) being mounted on the circuit board (7), the circuit board (7) being included in a housing (2), and it relates to a fabrication method of a generic kind. In order to improve the resistance of the transponder against harmful external influences, such as high temperatures, and to prolong its life cycle, the invention suggests that the semiconductor component (36) is included in an enclosure (18) that is hermetically sealed and fixed on a surface (12, 13) of the circuit board.

Claims

1. A transponder for object identification comprising at least one semiconductor component for storing information and at least one antenna for communicating the information with an external unit, the antenna being formed by a conductor on a circuit board and the semiconductor component being mounted on the circuit board, the circuit board being included in a housing, wherein the semiconductor component is included in an enclosure that is hermetically sealed and fixed on a surface of the circuit board.

2. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is under vacuum or filled with an inert gas and the enclosure is hermetically sealed to maintain an inert atmosphere.

3. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a support section with a side on which the semiconductor component is fixed and with an opposed side fixed to the circuit board, the support section consisting of a material that matches the temperature coefficient of the circuit board by less than 50 ppm/°

C., more preferred by less than 10 ppm/°

C.

4. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure substantially consists of one or more inorganic materials.

5. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure is mounted on the opposed side of the circuit board with respect to the side of the circuit board on which the antenna is provided.

6. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises at least two connection pads electrically connected to a conductor on the circuit board, the semiconductor component being electrically connected to the connection pads, wherein the connection pads comprise a gold metallization layer.

7. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board comprises a thermoresistant polyimide.

8. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is fixed on a carrier plate, the carrier plate comprising a recess for receiving the enclosure.

9. The transponder according to claim 8, wherein the carrier plate substantially consists of at least one inorganic material.

10. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is overmolded by a molding compound.

11. The transponder according to claim 8, wherein the housing is constituted by the molding compound and/or the carrier plate.

12. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein a protecting cap is arranged on the surface of the circuit board around the enclosure.

13. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein a contact circuit for contacting the semiconductor component to the antenna is provided on the circuit board, the enclosure being arranged on top of the contact circuit, wherein the contact circuit laterally protrudes over the adjoining surface of the enclosure and the contact circuit is enclosed in the protecting cap.

14. The transponder according to claim 12, wherein a volume filler is arranged in an inner volume of the protecting cap.

15. The transponder according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor component is an integrated circuit.

17. The transponder according to claim 7, wherein the thermoresistant polyimide is—

a poly-(diphenyl oxide)-pyromellitimide.

18. The transponder according to claim 9, wherein the inorganic material is a liquid crystal polymer.

16. A method of fabricating a transponder for object identification, in which at least one semiconductor component for storing information and at least one antenna for communicating the information with an external unit is provided, wherein the antenna is formed by providing a conductor on a circuit board, the semiconductor component is mounted on the circuit board, and the circuit board is included in a housing, wherein the semiconductor component is inserted in a hermetically sealed enclosure and the enclosure is fixed on a surface of the circuit board.