Wireless devices including printed integrated circuitry and methods for manufacturing and using the same

• US 9,004,366 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ensurge Micropower ASA
• Original Assignee: Thin Film Electronics ASA
• Inventors: Smith, Patrick, Choi, Criswell, Pavate, Vikram, Cleeves, James Montague, Subramanian, Vivek, Young, Richard, Biviano, Vince
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUDORF, LAURA A
• Application Number:
  US12/249,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20090095818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/482, 340/10.1, 3405721-5729, 438/455, 257/679
• US Class Current: 235/492
• 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 19/07752 using an interposer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.

Abstract

Printed integrated circuitry and attached antenna and/or inductor for sensors, electronic article surveillance (EAS), radio frequency (RF) and/or RF identification (RFID) tags and devices, and methods for its manufacture. The tag generally includes printed integrated circuitry on one carrier and an antenna and/or inductor on another carrier, the integrated circuitry being electrically coupled to the antenna and/or inductor. The method of manufacture generally includes of printing an integrated circuit having a plurality of first pads on a carrier, forming an antenna and/or inductor having a plurality of second pads on a substrate, and attaching at least two of the first pads of the printed integrated circuit to corresponding second pads of the antenna and/or inductor. The present invention advantageously provides a low cost RFID tag capable of operating at MHz frequencies that can be manufactured in a shorter time period than conventional RFID tags that manufacture all active electrical devices on a conventional wafer.

Claims

1. An identification device, comprising:

a) printed integrated circuitry on a first substrate, the printed integrated circuitry comprising a plurality of electrically active devices, the plurality of electrically active devices including a plurality of thin films, the plurality of thin films comprising a lowest layer in physical contact with a surface of said first substrate, a first successive layer on the lowest layer, and a second successive layer on the first successive layer, wherein the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers taken together comprise an insulating thin film, a metal thin film, and a semiconductor thin film and at least one of the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers is a printed thin film;

b) first and second pads on the first substrate and/or the printed integrated circuitry, the first and second pads electrically connected to the printed integrated circuitry, at first and second locations, respectively; and

c) a single-layer antenna and/or inductor on a second substrate consisting essentially of a conductive line having a first and second ends thereon, the first and second ends being physically connected to the first and second pads, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the printed integrated circuitry comprises CMOS circuitry.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the printed integrated circuitry comprises a plurality of printed layers.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a glass, a polyimide, a glass/polymer laminate, a high temperature polymer, or a metal foil.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is flexible.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna and/or inductor comprises a metal.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the second substrate comprises glass, a glass/polymer laminate, or a high temperature polymer.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna and/or inductor is on a surface of the second substrate facing toward the first substrate.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the printed integrated circuitry is facing toward the second substrate.

34. A method of reading an identification device, comprising:

a) causing or inducing a current in the device of claim 1 sufficient for the device to radiate, reflect or modulate a detectable electromagnetic signal; and

b) detecting said detectable electromagnetic signal.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of processing information conveyed by the detectable electromagnetic radiation.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of attaching or affixing the present device to an object to be detected.

10. A method of manufacturing an identification device, comprising:

a) forming printed integrated circuitry on a first substrate, the printed integrated circuitry comprising a plurality of electrically active devices, the plurality of electrically active devices including a plurality of thin films, the plurality of thin films comprising a lowest layer in physical contact with a surface of said first substrate, a first successive layer on the lowest layer, and a second successive layer on the first successive layer, wherein the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers taken together comprise an insulating thin film, a metal thin film, and a semiconductor thin film and forming the printed integrated circuit comprises printing at least one of the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers;

b) forming first and second pads electrically connected to the printed integrated circuitry at first and second locations, respectively;

c) forming a single-layer antenna and/or inductor consisting essentially of a conductive line having first and second ends on a second substrate; and

d) physically connecting the first and second pads to the first and second ends of the single-layer antenna and/or inductor, respectively.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein physically connecting the first and second pads to the first and second ends comprises applying a conductive adhesive to at least the first and second pads or the first and second ends.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein physically connecting the first and second pads to the first and second ends comprises bump-bonding, ultrasonic bonding, welding, soldering, or crimping.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the single-layer antenna and/or inductor comprises printing the conductive line on the second substrate.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the single-layer antenna and/or inductor comprises:

a) printing an antenna precursor layer on the second substrate; and

b) plating a bulk metal conductor onto the antenna precursor layer.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying a non-conductive adhesive to at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the printed integrated circuitry comprises printing at least one layer of a first material in a first pattern on the first substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first material comprises a semiconductor precursor or a metal precursor.

18. A method of manufacturing radio frequency identification devices, comprising:

a) forming a plurality of printed integrated circuits on a first substrate stock to form a printed integrated circuit (PIC) stock, the printed integrated circuit stock comprising a plurality of electrically active devices, the plurality of electrically active devices including a plurality of thin films, the plurality of thin films comprising a lowest layer in physical contact with a surface of said first substrate, a first successive layer on the lowest layer, and a second successive layer on the first successive layer, wherein the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers taken together comprise an insulating thin film, a metal thin film, and a semiconductor thin film, and forming the plurality of printed integrated circuits comprises printing at least one of the lowest layer and the first and second successive layers;

b) forming a plurality of single-layer antennas and/or inductors on a second substrate stock to form an antenna stock, each of the plurality of single-layer antennas and/or inductors having first and second opposed ends; and

c) attaching the PIC stock to the antenna stock, each of the plurality of PICs being physically connected at first and second locations to the first and second ends of a corresponding one of the plurality of single-layer antennas, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second substrates comprises sheet stock.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second substrates comprises roll stock.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein one of the first and second substrates comprises sheet stock and the other of the first and second substrates comprises roll stock.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising applying a backing material onto the plurality of printed integrated circuits.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising removing a portion of the first substrate from the PIC stock to create a plurality of pads.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising dividing the PIC stock.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after attaching the PIC stock to the antenna stock, dividing the antenna stock.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming one or more rolls of PIC stock from the PIC stock.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein attaching the PIC stock to the antenna stock comprises a sheet-to-sheet process, a roll-to-roll process, a pick-and-place process, or a tape-and-reel process.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the plurality of printed integrated circuits on the first substrate stock comprises printing each of the plurality of layers of the printed integrated circuits.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein forming the plurality of single-layer antennas and/or inductors comprises printing the plurality of antennas and/or inductors.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein each printed integrated circuit in the plurality of printed integrated circuits comprises first and second pads, and each single-layer antenna and/or inductor in the plurality of single-layer antennas and/or inductors comprises first and second ends, and attaching the PIC stock to the antenna stock comprises physically connecting the first and second pads to the first and second ends.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and second pads are physically connected to the first and second ends by a process that comprises applying a conductive adhesive to the first and second pads or the first and second ends.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and second pads are physically connected to the first and second ends by a process that comprises bump-bonding, ultrasonic bonding, welding, soldering, or crimping.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein forming a plurality of printed integrated circuits comprises providing each printed integrated circuit with a unique identifier.