Stacked body, card, card manufacturing method, card production method, card information recording sheet, and card using the same

Abstract

The laminate of the present application has: a transfer foil configured by sequentially stacking at least a patch base, a relief forming layer, a reflective layer, and an adhesive layer in the thickness direction; a protective sheet provided on the first side in the thickness direction of the transfer foil; and an information recording sheet provided on the second side of the transfer foil, that is, the opposite side of the protective sheet in the thickness direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a laminate having an embossed structure, a card, a method for manufacturing the card, a method for making the card, an information recording chip for the card, and a card using the information recording chip for the card.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-132592 filed on August 4, 2020, Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-067112 filed on April 12, 2021, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-095146 filed on June 7, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] An embossed structure is known to be embedded within cards containing authentication information, such as ID cards, passports, and driver's licenses, and possesses diffraction, scattering, and reflection properties. The embossed structure consists of periodic or random concave-convex structures with micrometer to nanometer dimensions. Compared to a structure where the embossed structure is located on the outside of the card, embedding such an embossed structure within the card provides chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and tamper resistance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The structure in which the embossed structure is enclosed within the card can be configured as follows: In the card, the anti-counterfeiting transfer foil containing the embossed structure is sandwiched between two sheets and located on the inner side of the outer edge of each sheet.

[0005] When embossed designs are used as a means of verifying authenticity, items and valuables with embossed designs can have enhanced anti-counterfeiting and tamper-proof capabilities, and can also demonstrate the item's intrinsic value. This thus guarantees the item's worth.

[0006] Conventionally, methods for mass-producing relief structures by continuously replicating them have included "pressing" (see Patent Document 2), "casting" (see Patent Document 3), and "photopolymerization" (see Patent Document 4) using thermoplastic resins. As disclosed in Patent Document 4, the photopolymerization method involves casting a radiation-curable resin, which is cured by irradiation with broad radiation such as ultraviolet (UV) or electron beam (EB), between a mold for replicating the relief structure and a flat substrate such as a plastic film. The resin is then cured by radiation to create a cured film, which is then peeled off from the mold along with the flat substrate. Compared to relief structures produced by pressing and casting, the photopolymerization method produces relief structures with higher mechanical strength, better heat and chemical resistance, and better forming accuracy of the raised and recessed shapes.

[0007] In addition, laser engraving is a known method for preventing counterfeiting / tampering of ID cards. This method involves incorporating pigments and additives that can be colored by irradiating a polycarbonate-based substrate with a laser (YAG, CO2, etc.) into the substrate, and then laser engraving personal information onto each ID card. Because the color is developed inside the card substrate, laser engraving is more difficult to tamper with than inkjet printing (Patent Document 5).

[0008] Existing technical documents

[0009] Patent documents

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6107137

[0011] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4194073

[0012] Patent Document 3: Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2524092

[0013] Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 4088884

[0014] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-271561 Summary of the Invention

[0015] The problem to be solved by the present invention

[0016] However, while embossed structures made using photopolymerization with radiation-cured resin exhibit excellent strength, they can be removed from the card while retaining their shape. In many cards of the same type, transfer foils displaying the same image are used. In such cards, when the entire transfer foil, or at least a laminate containing the embossed structure that retains its shape, can be removed from a genuine card, the removed transfer foil or laminate may be reused to create counterfeit cards containing altered authentication information. When authentication of a counterfeit card is based on the reused transfer foil, it is difficult to distinguish the counterfeit card because the transfer foil itself originated from a genuine card. Therefore, it is possible to forge the embossed structure again after altering the authentication information. Considering this situation, cards with anti-counterfeiting and anti-tampering measures for the embossed structure are needed.

[0017] Furthermore, in Patent Document 5, the following alteration occurred: the surface of the card substrate was scratched to erase personal information and other information was printed. The following alteration also occurred: other images were rewritten using a laser engraving device, or information was rewritten using gravure printing, inkjet printing, laser printing, etc.

[0018] In addition, the following method is known: embedding personal information displayed on the ID card into an IC chip, encrypting the digital data within the IC chip, reading it with a reader, and analyzing and comparing the information to detect and prevent tampering. However, this method requires a reader and processing time, thus necessitating considerable effort in verification.

[0019] In addition, attaching foils or seals with embossed surface diffraction gratings or holograms to articles is widely used as an anti-counterfeiting measure. When the embossed surface diffraction gratings or holograms are transferred to and laminated onto a card or a transparent substrate inside the card, the foil is present inside the card, making it difficult to tamper with.

[0020] When light shines on the embossed layer inside the transparent substrate of the card, the incident light passes through the transparent substrate and is interfered with by the unevenness, so that image information can be reproduced at a certain angle or within a certain range relative to the incident light.

[0021] This relief-type diffraction grating structure or hologram can be mass-produced by creating an original that records image information in relief and then embossing it. It can be made into a seal or into foil, thus applying it to a variety of uses.

[0022] However, this relief-type diffraction structure or hologram has not yet reached the point of completely eliminating tampering such as peeling foil or seals off the substrate and reusing them.

[0023] In view of the above, the object of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a medium in which the embossed structure is difficult to be improperly reused, a laminate of transfer foil having an embossed structure in which the embossed structure is difficult to be improperly reused, a card, and a method for manufacturing the card.

[0024] In addition, embodiments of the present invention provide an information recording film in which, by improving the adhesion between the embossed diffraction grating or hologram structure and the card substrate, it becomes more difficult to peel off or separate the security patch made of the embossed type or the like.

[0025] Solution for solving the problem

[0026] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the laminate comprises: a transfer foil consisting of at least a patch substrate, an embossing layer, a reflective layer, and an adhesive layer stacked sequentially along a thickness direction; a protective sheet disposed on a first side of the transfer foil in the thickness direction; and an information recording sheet disposed on the opposite side of the protective sheet, i.e., a second side of the transfer foil, in the thickness direction. The embossing layer forms an embossed structure with concave and convex shapes on at least a portion of the first surface in contact with the reflective layer. The second surface of the reflective layer in contact with the first surface is formed in a shape corresponding to the embossed structure. The embossed layer is formed from any one or a combination of thermoplastic resin, thermosetting resin, and UV-curable resin. When viewed from the thickness direction, the embossed structure has a plurality of island regions and sea regions formed in a predetermined pattern on the first surface. The island regions of the embossed layer have a combination of any one or a combination of functional groups containing hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups and rough surfaces. The sea regions do not contain the functional groups and the rough surfaces, or the content of the functional groups is less than that of the island regions, or the degree and area of ​​the rough surfaces are smaller than those of the island regions.

[0027] In the above-described laminate, the relief forming layer comprises: a first relief region having a first relief structure and a second relief region having a second relief structure, wherein, in the first relief structure, each of the recesses and protrusions extends along a first direction of the thickness direction, and the recesses and protrusions are alternately formed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the plane formed by the first and second directions, the second relief structure is formed with orientation in a direction at least 30 degrees different from the first direction, or the recesses and protrusions are irregularly formed, and when viewed from the thickness direction, the first relief region may overlap with the sea region, and the second relief region may overlap with the island region.

[0028] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the laminate comprises: a transfer foil consisting of at least a patch substrate, an embossing layer, a reflective layer, and an adhesive layer sequentially laminated along a thickness direction; a protective sheet disposed on a first side of the transfer foil in the thickness direction; and an information recording sheet disposed on the opposite side of the protective sheet, i.e., a second side of the transfer foil, in the thickness direction. The embossing layer forms an embossed structure of concave and convex shapes on at least a portion of a first surface in contact with the reflective layer. The second surface of the reflective layer in contact with the first surface is formed to conform to the embossed structure. The relief structure is formed by one or more of thermoplastic resin, thermosetting resin, and UV-curable resin. When viewed from the thickness direction, the relief structure has multiple island areas and sea areas formed as a predetermined pattern on the first surface. The contact angle of the coating liquid of the adhesive layer with respect to the reflective layer in the island area is smaller than the contact angle of the coating liquid of the adhesive layer with respect to the reflective layer in the sea area. The breaking strength of the adhesive layer is greater than the interfacial bonding strength and breaking strength between the patch substrate and the relief forming layer.

[0029] In the above-described laminate, the relief forming layer comprises: a first relief region having a first relief structure in which each of the recesses and protrusions extends along a first direction in the thickness direction, and the recesses and protrusions are alternately formed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a second relief region having a second relief structure, which, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the surface formed by the first and second directions, is formed in an orientation that differs from the first direction by at least 30 degrees, or the recesses and protrusions are irregularly formed, and when viewed from the thickness direction, can be configured such that the first relief region overlaps with the sea region and the second relief region overlaps with the island region.

[0030] In the above-mentioned stacked structure, the area occupied by the island region can be more than 50% and less than 80% relative to the total area of ​​the region where the island region and the sea region are located.

[0031] In the above-mentioned stacked structure, the island regions can have the same shape and be regularly arranged, and the center-to-center distance between adjacent island regions can be more than 40 μm and less than 400 μm.

[0032] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the laminate comprises: a transfer foil consisting of at least a patch substrate, an embossing layer, a first reflective layer, a second reflective layer, and an adhesive layer stacked sequentially along a thickness direction; a protective sheet disposed on a first side of the transfer foil in the thickness direction; and an information recording sheet disposed on the opposite side of the first side, i.e., a second side of the transfer foil, in the thickness direction. At least one of the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer is made of a light-transmitting material with a refractive index higher than that of the embossing layer and the adhesive layer. The embossing layer forms an embossed structure with concave and convex shapes on at least a portion of a first surface in contact with the first reflective layer. The second surface of the first reflective layer in contact with the first surface is formed in a shape corresponding to the embossed structure. At the interface where the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer contact, corresponding surface shapes are formed. When viewed from the thickness direction, the transfer foil has a plurality of first and second regions formed as a predetermined pattern. The first and second reflective layers are disposed in the first regions, and only the first reflective layer is disposed in the second regions. The interfacial adhesion strength between the first reflective layer and the adhesive layer is different from the interfacial adhesion strength between the second reflective layer and the adhesive layer. Among the first and second regions, the region with relatively large interfacial adhesion strength at the interface with the adhesive layer is an island region scattered in the other region, and the region with relatively small interfacial adhesion strength at the interface with the adhesive layer is a sea region surrounding the region with relatively large interfacial adhesion strength at the interface with the adhesive layer.

[0033] In the above-mentioned laminate, the interfacial bonding strength of each layer of the transfer foil at the interface may be less than the interfacial bonding strength between the transfer foil and the protective sheet or the information recording sheet, and the interfacial bonding strength between the patch substrate and the embossing layer and the fracture strength of the embossing layer may be less than the interfacial bonding strength between the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer and the interfacial bonding strength between the embossing layer and the first reflective layer.

[0034] In the above-mentioned laminate, the first reflective layer or the second reflective layer and the adhesive layer both have hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface properties in the island region, have different surface properties from each other in the sea region, or have the same surface properties as the island region, and the contact angle of the coating liquid of the adhesive layer relative to the first reflective layer or the second reflective layer in the island region can be small.

[0035] In the above-described laminate, in the island region, the first reflective layer or the second reflective layer and the adhesive layer are bonded together by chemical interactions of at least one of ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and hydrogen bonds; in the sea region, the first reflective layer or the second reflective layer and the adhesive layer are bonded together by physical interactions generated by intermolecular forces.

[0036] In the above-mentioned stacked structure, the area occupied by the island region can be more than 50% and less than 80% relative to the total area of ​​the region where the island region and the sea region are located.

[0037] In the above-described stack, the island regions have the same shape and are regularly arranged, and the center-to-center distance between adjacent island regions can be between 40 μm and 400 μm.

[0038] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the card further comprises: the aforementioned laminate and a support layer disposed on the first side of the transfer foil.

[0039] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a card, wherein the card comprises: a transfer foil having at least a patch substrate, an embossing layer, a first reflective layer, a second reflective layer, and an adhesive layer along a thickness direction; a protective sheet and a support layer disposed on a first side of the transfer foil in the thickness direction; and an information recording sheet disposed on the opposite side of the protective sheet in the thickness direction of the transfer foil, i.e., a second side of the transfer foil, the method comprising: a step of fabricating the transfer foil on which the patch substrate, the embossing layer, the first reflective layer, the second reflective layer, and the adhesive layer are sequentially stacked; a step of transferring the transfer foil onto the protective sheet or the information recording sheet; and a step of laminating a transfer object containing the information recording sheet onto the protective sheet. The bonding process on the protective sheet and the support layer, and the process of making the transfer foil, include: forming an embossed structure having recesses and protrusions on at least a portion of the surface of the embossed forming layer that contacts the first reflective layer; forming the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer, wherein the first reflective layer has a concave-convex shape following the embossed structure, and the second reflective layer has a concave-convex shape corresponding to the surface shape of the first reflective layer; and in the transfer foil, when viewed from the thickness direction, in a plurality of first and second regions formed as a predetermined pattern, the first region has the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer, and the second region removes the second reflective layer so that the second region has only the first reflective layer.

[0040] In the above-described card manufacturing method, the process of making the transfer foil may further include: a process of setting an etching mask layer in the first region after forming the second reflective layer; and a process of further removing the etching mask layer after removing the second reflective layer in the second region.

[0041] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the medium comprises: a security patch having an adhesive layer, a fracture layer, and a verification layer sequentially stacked along the thickness direction, and having an embossed structure between the fracture layer and the verification layer; a protective sheet adhered to the adhesive layer in the thickness direction of the security patch; and an information recording sheet disposed on the opposite side of the adhesive layer in the thickness direction of the security patch and adhered to the verification layer of the security patch, wherein the security patch is enclosed by the protective sheet and the information recording sheet, the fracture layer having a fracture strength of 15 N / 25 mm or more and less than 45 N / 25 mm in a 90-degree peel bond strength test, and the adhesive strength between the security patch and the information recording sheet and the adhesive strength between the security patch and the protective sheet being at least 5 N / 25 mm greater than the fracture strength of the fracture layer and less than 5 times the fracture strength of the fracture layer.

[0042] In the aforementioned medium, the fracture layer may also be composed of: an optically transparent resin and a filler formed of particles with an average particle size of less than 1 μm.

[0043] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the card comprises: the aforementioned medium, and other material layers disposed for storing information.

[0044] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the method for manufacturing the medium comprises: a step of transferring the security patch onto the surface of either the information recording film or the protective film and bonding it thereto; and a step of applying external force to the other of the information recording film and the protective film and the security patch in a manner that covers the security patch, so as to bond them together.

[0045] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the card information recording chip is a card information recording chip used in the above-described laminate or the above-described medium, wherein the information recording chip is a polycarbonate mixed with polyester.

[0046] In the aforementioned card information recording chip, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polyester can be -20℃ to 110℃.

[0047] According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the card uses the aforementioned card information recording chip.

[0048] Invention Effects

[0049] Based on the above method, a laminate containing a transfer foil with an embossed structure, a card, and a method for manufacturing the card can be provided, which are difficult to improperly reuse. Additionally, a medium and a card that are difficult to improperly reuse due to their embossed structure can be provided. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing such a medium can be provided. A card can be provided whose manufacturing process is not complicated or cumbersome, and whose security patch implemented to prevent counterfeiting or alteration is difficult to separate and reuse. Attached Figure Description

[0050] [ Figure 1 [A plan view illustrating the laminate of the present invention.]

[0051] [ Figure 2A To illustrate along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the AI-AI line stack.

[0052] [ Figure 2B To illustrate along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the AI-AI line stack.

[0053] [ Figure 3 This is a plan view illustrating the structure of the transfer foil.

[0054] [ Figure 4 To illustrate along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the laminated body along line 1A-1A.

[0055] [ Figure 5A A plan view illustrating an example of the shape and configuration of an island region.

[0056] [ Figure 5B This is a plan view illustrating an example of the shape and configuration of an island area.

[0057] [ Figure 5C A plan view illustrating other examples of the shape and configuration of island areas.

[0058] [ Figure 5D A plan view illustrating other examples of the shape and configuration of island areas.

[0059] [ Figure 5E A plan view illustrating other examples of the shape and configuration of island areas.

[0060] [ Figure 5F A plan view illustrating other examples of the shape and configuration of island areas.

[0061] [ Figure 6A The plan and cross-sectional views are shown schematically to illustrate an example of a relief structure.

[0062] [ Figure 6B Plan and cross-sectional views are shown to schematically illustrate other examples of relief structures.

[0063] [ Figure 6C Plan and cross-sectional views are shown to schematically illustrate other examples of relief structures.

[0064] [ Figure 6D Plan and cross-sectional views are shown to schematically illustrate other examples of relief structures.

[0065] [ Figure 6E Plan and cross-sectional views are shown to schematically illustrate other examples of relief structures.

[0066] [ Figure 6F Plan and cross-sectional views are shown to schematically illustrate other examples of relief structures.

[0067] [ Figure 7A [A cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the state after separation of a laminate.]

[0068] [ Figure 7B [A cross-sectional view illustrating other examples of the state after separation of a laminate.]

[0069] [ Figure 8 [A plan view illustrating the structure of the transfer foil of the present invention.]

[0070] [ Figure 9 To illustrate along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the laminated body along line 2A-2A.

[0071] [ Figure 10A [A diagram illustrating the contact angle.]

[0072] [ Figure 10B [A diagram illustrating the contact angle.]

[0073] [ Figure 10C [A diagram illustrating the contact angle.]

[0074] [ Figure 11 [A plan view illustrating the laminate of the present invention.]

[0075] [ Figure 12A To illustrate along Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of an example of the structure of a laminate along the AII-AII line.

[0076] [ Figure 12B [A cross-sectional view illustrating other examples of the structure of a laminated body.]

[0077] [ Figure 13[A plan view illustrating the structure of the transfer foil of the present invention.]

[0078] [ Figure 14 To illustrate along Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of an example of the structure of a 3A-3A line stack.

[0079] [ Figure 15 [A cross-sectional view illustrating other examples of the structure of a laminated body.]

[0080] [ Figure 16 This is a plan view showing an example of how island and sea areas are formed.

[0081] [ Figure 17 The image shows a plan view of other examples illustrating the formation of island and sea areas.

[0082] [ Figure 18 [A schematic diagram illustrating an example of the observation method for the laminated body of the present invention.]

[0083] [ Figure 19 [A plan view illustrating an example of the appearance of the laminate of the present invention.]

[0084] [ Figure 20 [A plan view illustrating an example of a card having the laminate of the present invention.]

[0085] [ Figure 21 To illustrate along Figure 20 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the BI-BI line card.

[0086] [ Figure 22 [A plan view illustrating the composition of the medium of the present invention.]

[0087] [ Figure 23 ] for along Figure 22 A cross-sectional view of the medium along line AA.

[0088] [ Figure 24 [For illustrative purposes only] Figure 23 The described cross-section is a cross-sectional view of the state after the security patch has separated from the protective sheet.

[0089] [ Figure 25 [A plan view illustrating the structure of the card according to the present invention.]

[0090] [ Figure 26 ] for along Figure 25 A cross-sectional view of the BB line of the card involved.

[0091] [ Figure 27A [Figure showing the method for manufacturing the medium of the present invention]

[0092] [ Figure 27B [Figure showing the method for manufacturing the medium of the present invention]

[0093] [ Figure 27C [Figure showing the method for manufacturing the medium of the present invention]

[0094] [ Figure 28A [A cross-sectional photograph illustrating the composition of the medium according to various embodiments of the present invention.]

[0095] [ Figure 28B [A cross-sectional photograph illustrating the composition of the medium according to various embodiments of the present invention.]

[0096] [ Figure 29 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the card information recording chip of the present invention.

[0097] [ Figure 30 [This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the card of the present invention.] Detailed Implementation

[0098] The embodiments of the present invention are a set of embodiments based on a single, unique invention from the background. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention are aspects of a set of embodiments based on a single invention. Various configurations of the present invention can have aspects of the present invention. Various features of the invention can be combined to form various configurations. Therefore, the various features of the present invention, the various configurations of the present invention, the various aspects of the present invention, and the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined, and this combination has a synergistic function and can exert a synergistic effect.

[0099] In this specification, the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the structure of the invention. The dimensions shown in the drawings may differ from the actual structure, such as the thickness and proportions of each layer, and should not be construed as limiting the dimensional ratios shown in the drawings to those indicated. Furthermore, for ease of explanation, the same symbols are used to describe the same components in each embodiment, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0100] Furthermore, to clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, embodiments 1 to 7 are described respectively, but this does not mean that different inventions are described. In addition, for the sake of explanation, physical elements and means such as medium, layer, component, structure, and shape are sometimes given different names.

[0101] (First Embodiment)

[0102] The following is for reference Figure 1Figure 7 shows the laminate and card according to an embodiment of the present invention as a first embodiment. The embodiments described herein are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and unless specifically limited in the following description, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the design of the embodiments described below.

[0103] (Layered structure)

[0104] Figure 1 A plan view illustrating the structure of the laminate 10. (See diagram below.) Figure 1 As shown, the laminate 10 is formed in a sheet shape. An example of the outline shape of the laminate 10 is a rounded rectangle, but it can also be a circle or an ellipse, etc., in addition to a rectangle. In a planar view opposite to the surface 10S, i.e., when viewed from the thickness direction of the laminate 10, the laminate 10 has a transfer foil 11 on the inner side of its outer edge. An image 12 serving as authentication information is recorded on the transfer foil 11. Figure 1 The image shows an example where the transfer foil 11 is circular, but it can also be rectangular or elliptical, etc., in addition to being circular.

[0105] Figure 2 shows the route along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the AI-AI line laminate 10. The transfer foil 11 is constructed by sequentially laminating a patch substrate 13, an embossing layer 14, a reflective layer 16, and an adhesive layer 17. The embossing layer 14 has an embossed structure 15 on its surface, and the reflective layer 16 is disposed following the concave-convex shape of the embossed structure 15. It should be noted that the transfer foil 11 has at least the above-described layers in the order described, but it may also have a configuration that includes layers other than these layers between these layers. The transfer foil 11 is encased within a protective sheet 18 and an information recording sheet 19 such that the transfer foil 11 is not exposed to the outside of the laminate 10. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The image is obtained by inverting the layer configuration of the transfer foil 11 contained within the laminate 10; any configuration is acceptable. Figure 2A In the case of this configuration, the transfer foil 11 is transferred to the protective sheet 18 via the adhesive layer 17, and then laminated. On the other hand, in Figure 2B In this configuration, the transfer foil 11 is transferred to the information recording film 19 via the adhesive layer 17 and then laminated.

[0106] There may be fracture layers 108 and 202 between the adhesive layer and the relief forming layer 14.

[0107] This allows it to be configured to adjust the adhesive strength between the transfer foil 11 and the protective sheet 18 and the information recording sheet 19. The security patch 102, described later, can also serve as the transfer foil 11. The protective sheet 18 is described as a protective substrate layer 18 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-095146. The patch substrate 13 is described as a release layer 13 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-095146.

[0108] Through the optical effects of the relief structure 15, an image 12 that is visually recognizable to an observer of the stacked body 10 can be displayed. For image 12, in Figure 1 Examples of symbols include stars, but can also be portraits, landmark motifs, natural motifs, calligraphy, geometric patterns, characters, numbers, signals, signs, symbols, emblems, coats of arms, or codes, or combinations thereof. Examples of symbols include flags, shields, swords, spears, crowns, flowers, leaves, plants, birds, fish, arthropods, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, legendary creatures, mythical gods, and mythical goddesses. Examples of natural motifs include creatures, stars, the moon, the sky, mountains, valleys, and rocks. Examples of creature motifs include patterns of flowers, leaves, grains, fruits, birds, wings, fish, arthropods, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Codes can be one-dimensional or two-dimensional. Examples of one-dimensional codes can be barcodes, serial numbers, or a combination of both. Examples of two-dimensional codes can be QR codes (registered trademarks). Examples of geometric motifs include guilloche patterns. Examples of legendary creatures include unicorns, dragons, and phoenixes. Examples of symbols are those representing countries, regions, states, groups, parliaments, treaties, alliances, coalitions, and pivots.

[0109] (Island Area / Sea Area)

[0110] The island region R1, the sea region R2, and the relief structure 15 that constitute the layered body 10 will be described below.

[0111] Figure 3 A plan view showing the structure of the transfer foil 11 is provided. Island regions R1 and sea regions R2 are provided on the transfer foil 11. In the example in the figure, the island regions R1 and sea regions R2 are distributed across the entire surface of the transfer foil, but they may also be provided only on a portion of the transfer foil 11.

[0112] Figure 4 For along Figure 3A portion of the cross-sectional view along line 1A-1A shows the morphology of the relief-forming layer 14 and the relief structure 15 corresponding to the island region R1 and the sea region R2. In the island region R1, the surface of the relief-forming layer 14 where the relief structure 15 is formed is composed of a thermoplastic resin or a UV-curable resin having at least one of the functional groups of hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), or carbonyl (C=O) on its side chains. Alternatively, the surface of the relief-forming layer 14 is roughened. On the other hand, the sea region R2 does not possess these functional groups and roughened surfaces, or the content of functional groups present on the surface of the relief-forming layer 14 is less than that in the island region R1, or the roughness and area of ​​the roughened surface are less than those in the island region R1.

[0113] It is known that most resins, especially polyolefin synthetic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, generally lack polar groups on their surface and are hydrophobic, thus lacking affinity for adhesives, inks, etc. Therefore, in the secondary processing of resins, polar functional groups, as described above, are introduced to the resin surface through corona treatment, plasma treatment, etc., to improve hydrophilicity. In corona treatment or plasma treatment, oxygen molecules in the air are dissociated by discharge in the air, and oxygen atoms are excited to generate plasma containing oxygen ions and free electrons. The electrons, ions, and free radicals of the generated plasma break the chemical bonds between molecules on the resin surface, generating hydrophilic functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups, depending on the type of resin. This facilitates bonding with other materials, thereby improving adhesion. Furthermore, by physically damaging the resin surface through discharge to roughen the surface and ensure sufficient surface area, the adhesion of adhesives, inks, etc., can also be improved. Other effects of corona treatment and plasma treatment include the removal of organic contaminants from the resin surface. In the transfer foil 11 according to the first embodiment, if the resin constituting the relief forming layer 14 does not contain polar functional groups, the adhesion between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 can be improved by performing surface modification using corona treatment or plasma treatment to generate polar functional groups on the surface.

[0114] Functional groups are applied or roughened only in the island region R1 on the surface of the relief forming layer 14, while these treatments are not performed in the sea region R2. This creates a difference in the interfacial adhesion strength between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 in the island region R1 and the sea region R2. Here, "interfacial adhesion strength" can be defined as the bond strength at the interface between the two layers. The purpose of this invention is to prevent the improper reuse of the transfer foil 11. However, as an attempt by a counterfeiter to remove the transfer foil 11, it is assumed that the surface of the laminate 10 is cut open, and the area containing the image 12 within the transfer foil 11 is peeled off using cellophane tape, or the area containing the image 12 within the transfer foil 11 is peeled off using tools such as tweezers. In this case, as a test method that can measure the adhesion strength (including interfacial failure and cohesion failure) under forces close to those acting on the transfer foil 11, the 90-degree peel adhesion strength test method specified in JIS K6854-1 (ISO 8510-1) can be cited. The aforementioned interfacial bonding strength can be determined using methods based on this.

[0115] As described above, even if the interfacial adhesion strength between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 differs in the island region R1 and the sea region R2, it is impossible to separate the transfer foil 11 from the laminate 10 while maintaining the shape of the relief structure 15 if it is attempted to improperly remove it from the laminate 10. Therefore, the above-mentioned effect can be achieved even if relief structures 15 with the same shape and orientation are formed in the island region R1 and the sea region R2.

[0116] Figures 5A to 5F An example of the shape and configuration of island region R1 is shown. More specifically, Figures 5A to 5E An example of regularly configured island region R1 is shown. Figure 5F An example of an irregularly configured island region R1 is shown. Furthermore, regions with irregularly configured island regions R1 can be configured in a regular manner. Figure 5A In the diagram, adjacent island regions R1 are configured such that the center-to-center distance D1 is in the X direction and the center-to-center distance D2 is in the Y direction. The center-to-center distances D1 and D2 of adjacent island regions R1 can be equal or different. Figure 5B and Figure 5C It shows Figure 5A The example shown is a modified version of the structure. Figure 5B and Figure 5C In the diagram, two axes regularly arranged in the island region R1 are shown by dashed lines. Figure 5B and Figure 5C The center-to-center distances D1 and D2 in two axial directions are shown for adjacent island regions R1. Furthermore, in Figure 5B and Figure 5C In this context, the center-to-center distances D1 and D2 are the shortest distances between adjacent island regions R1. Figure 5B In the middle, island regions R1 are adjacent to each other via sea region R2, but in Figure 5C In the above two axes, a portion of island region R1 is connected. Island regions R1 are discretely distributed within sea region R2. Island regions R1 can be separate from each other, partially in contact with each other, or both separate and partially in contact island regions R1.

[0117] The shape of island region R1 is in Figures 5A to 5C The shape in the middle is represented as a rounded rectangle, but it is not limited to this; it can also be... Figure 5D Such an oval or round shape Figure 5E Such polygons.

[0118] like Figure 5F As shown, island region R1 can be randomly configured. Here, as... Figures 5A to 5E As shown, random configuration refers to a configuration where two axes are not regularly arranged in an island region R1. Therefore, Figure 5F Only two examples, D1 and D2, are shown as the center-to-center distances between adjacent island regions R1, but there are more than two possible center-to-center distances between different island regions R1.

[0119] The center-to-center distances D1 and D2 of island region R1 are preferably 40 μm to 400 μm, and the dimensions are preferably 20 μm to 300 μm. Here, "dimensionality" is defined as: when island region R1 has edges in both the X and Y directions, it is the length between the two furthest edges on the outer perimeter of island region R1; when island region R1 does not have edges in both the X and Y directions, it is the length between the two furthest points on the outer perimeter of island region R1. Therefore, as... Figure 5A As shown, if it is a rectangle with sides in both the X and Y directions, then the length of the side in the X direction (or the length direction of the Y direction) is set as dimension L; for example... Figure 5D As shown, if it is an ellipse that has no sides in the X and Y directions, then the length between the two farthest points is set as the dimension L.

[0120] The area occupied by the island region R1 is preferably 50% to 80% of the total area of ​​the region containing the island region R1 and the sea region R2. By setting the area occupied by the island region R1 in this way, the separation state in the island region R1 is reflected in more than half of the surface when the transfer foil 11 is separated from the laminate 10. In the event that the transfer foil 11 is to be improperly removed, the optical effect from the relief structure 15 is impaired, thereby improving the effect of preventing reuse.

[0121] The area occupied by island region R1 is determined by the size L of island region R1 and the center-to-center distance between adjacent island regions R1. In addition to these two parameters, the surface state when separating the above-mentioned transfer foil 11 is also affected by the area of ​​the sea region R2 existing between adjacent island regions R1 and whether the configuration of island regions R1 is regular or random.

[0122] (Relief Structure)

[0123] The relief structure 15 is composed of multiple fine concave and convex shapes in the thickness direction of the transfer foil 11, with a height difference of 0.02 μm to 5 μm between the bottom surface of the concave portion and the upper surface of the convex portion. These shapes are spaced apart by 0.1 μm to 20 μm in the width direction (orthogonal to the thickness direction) of the transfer foil 11. Hereinafter, the center-to-center distance between adjacent concave portions and the center-to-center distance between adjacent convex portions will be referred to as the "period".

[0124] like Figure 4 As shown, the first relief structure 15a formed in the first relief area SR1 runs along... Figure 3 The first relief structure 15b extends along a first direction (Y direction) and has a shape in which concave and convex portions alternately arranged in a second direction (X direction) orthogonal to the first direction. On the other hand, the second relief structure 15b formed in the second relief area SR2 extends along a third direction different from the first direction and has a shape in which concave and convex portions alternately arranged in a fourth direction orthogonal to the third direction. Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view, so it is difficult to see that the extension directions of the first relief structure 15a and the second relief structure 15b are different. However, the third direction of the extension of the second relief structure 15b is more than 30 degrees different from the first direction (Y direction).

[0125] exist Figure 4In this configuration, the first embossed area SR1 is configured to correspond to the sea area R2, and the second embossed area SR2 is configured to correspond to the island area R1. That is, the first embossed area SR1 can be set as the sea area R2, and the second embossed area SR2 can be set as the island area R1. In the case where the two are inconsistent, it is preferable that the first embossed area SR1 is included in the sea area R2 and the second embossed area SR2 is included in the island area R1. It is particularly preferable that the sea area R2 is framed by the first embossed area SR1 and the island area R1 is framed by the second embossed area SR2. According to this configuration, when it is desired to remove the transfer foil 11 from the laminate 10 along the first direction, in the island area R1, in addition to the high interfacial adhesion strength between the embossed forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16, resistance (anchoring effect) is applied by the second embossed structure 15b extending along a direction different from the direction of force application (the first direction) (the third direction). Therefore, the interfacial adhesion strength of the two layers is further improved, and the possibility of separation at the interface of the two layers is reduced. On the other hand, in the sea region R2, except that the interfacial bonding strength between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 is less than that in the island region R1, the first relief structure 15a extends along a first direction that is the same as the direction of force application. Therefore, the anchoring effect generated by the first relief structure 15a is small, and the possibility of separation at the interface between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 is higher. Therefore, in the island region R1 and the sea region R2, when it is desired to remove the transfer foil 11 from the laminate 10, the separated or broken layers are different, making it difficult to maintain the shape of the relief structure 15. As a result, the optical effect of the image 12 is impaired and it is difficult to reuse.

[0126] The relief structure 15 does not need to be formed in all of the multiple island areas R1 and sea areas R2; a portion of each area can be a flat surface without structure. The area where the relief structure 15 is formed can be determined based on the design in Figure 12.

[0127] Above, refer to Figure 4 The relief structure 15 set in the island region R1 and the sea region R2 has been described. However, in this invention, the relief structure 15 can be formed by a combination of one or more optical structures, such as a light diffraction structure, a non-reflective structure, an isotropic or anisotropic scattering structure, a lens structure, and a polarized selective reflection structure. It also includes... Figures 6A to 6F The structure shown.

[0128] Figures 6A to 6F The diagram illustrates an example of the relief structure 15. More specifically, it includes a plan view and a cross-sectional view. Figure 6A and Figure 6B This is an example of the first relief structure 15a. Figure 6C~F is an example of the second relief structure 15b. In the figure, the parts indicated by black are concave parts, and the parts indicated by white are convex parts. It should be noted that, for convenience, the concave and convex parts are shown in rectangular or pyramidal shapes in the cross-sectional view, but the shapes are not limited to these; they can also be wavy, serrated, trapezoidal, or other conical shapes.

[0129] The first relief structure 15a can be any segment consisting of concave and convex parts extending along the first direction. Figure 6A In the example, recesses of constant width are arranged alternately with protrusions at irregular intervals in the second direction. The width of the recesses does not have to be constant. Furthermore, the recesses and protrusions arranged in the second direction can be arranged alternately at irregular intervals in a specific region, and this region can be configured with a constant period. Furthermore, as... Figure 6B As shown in the example, if the configuration is oriented in the first direction, rectangular recesses can be partially connected in a plan view to form polygonal recesses. Furthermore, the recesses and protrusions can extend discontinuously (intermittently). The ratio of the extension length of the recess in the first direction to its width is preferably 2 or more.

[0130] The second relief structure 15b can be any structure that extends along the same first direction as the first relief structure 15a. Figure 6C An example is a configuration where the concave and convex portions extend along a third direction different from the first direction. Here, the third direction differs from the first direction by more than 30 degrees. The greater the angle difference from the first direction, the higher the suppression effect on the improper use of the transfer foil 11, and the case where the angle difference is 90 degrees (extending along the second direction) is most preferred.

[0131] The second relief structure 15b can be as follows: Figure 6D It consists of multiple recesses arranged irregularly. Figure 6D In the example shown, the concave portion is displayed as a square in the plan view, but the invention is not limited to this. The concave portion can also be rectangular or circular in the plan view. Furthermore, by irregularly arranging the concave portions, diffracted light can be suppressed. The concave portions can be of the same shape. Additionally, the concave and convex portions arranged in the second direction can be arranged alternately at irregular intervals in a specific region, and this region can be arranged with a constant period.

[0132] The period between adjacent recesses is preferably 0.2 μm or more. Furthermore, the depth of the recess can be set to a predetermined value within the range of 0.05 μm to 5 μm, or it may not be a constant value. Figure 6DIn the structure shown, the depth of the recess can change the optical effect, especially the hue. When the depth of the recess is set to be constant within a certain area, a specific color can be displayed, while when the depth of the recess is random, white can be displayed.

[0133] exist Figure 6E In the structure shown, in the plan view, recesses composed of combinations of one or more squares or rectangles are randomly arranged. For example... Figure 6E As shown, the dimensions of the multiple squares or rectangles do not need to be constant, and they can partially overlap. The depth of the recesses can be set to 0.05μm to 1μm, and the deviation of the depth of all the recesses is preferably less than 0.05μm.

[0134] exist Figure 6F In the structure shown in (A), the relief structure 15b is a cross-shaped grating where a recess extending along the first direction intersects with a recess extending along the second direction in a plan view. For example, along the 1G-1G line... Figure 6F As shown in the cross-sectional view of (B), the relief structure 15b is a structure with protrusions formed at regular intervals. In this example, a cross-sectional view along the second direction is shown, but the same shape is also shown in the first direction, with pyramidal or conical protrusions with rounded corners formed at regular intervals. Figure 6F The example shown depicts a convex portion with a rectangular base and a conical shape, but the invention is not limited thereto. The base of the convex portion can be circular or polygonal, and its shape can be cylindrical or bell-shaped. The period of the concave and convex portions can be set to 0.1 μm to 2 μm, particularly in the subwavelength case, to function as a moth-eye structure.

[0135] (The function of layered structures)

[0136] The following is for reference Figure 7A and Figure 7B The function of the laminate 10 is explained. Figure 7A and Figure 7B A cross-sectional view is shown schematically illustrating the state of the transfer foil 11 after separation. When the laminate 10 is damaged and an attempt is made to remove the transfer foil 11 by improper means, interlayer peeling occurs between layers with weak interfacial adhesion strength within the laminate 10, or agglomeration occurs within layers with weak fracture strength, thereby separating the transfer foil 11. Hereinafter, the explanation assumes that the interfacial adhesion strength between the patch substrate 13 and the information recording sheet 19, and the interfacial adhesion strength between the adhesive layer 17 and the protective sheet 18, are greater than the interfacial adhesion strength between the protective sheet 18 and the information recording sheet 19. It should be noted that the example in FIG. 7 shows a configuration where the adhesive layer 17 and the protective sheet 18, and the patch substrate 13 and the information recording sheet 19 are in contact; however, as shown in FIG. 2, a configuration where the transfer foil 11 is inverted is also possible.

[0137] When removing the transfer foil 11 from the laminate 10, the protective sheet 18 is first separated from the information recording sheet 19. At this time, separation occurs between or within the layers containing the transfer foil 11, where the interfacial adhesion strength or breaking strength is lowest. As described above, in the first embodiment, the characteristics (presence and degree of functional groups and / or roughness) of the surface of the embossed layer 14 in contact with the reflective layer 16 differ in the island region R1 and the sea region R2. Consequently, the adhesion between the embossed layer 14 and the reflective layer 16, i.e., the interfacial adhesion strength, differs between the island region R1 and the sea region R2. As described above, most resins typically have low surface wettability and weak adhesion to other materials in their original state; therefore, the interface between the embossed layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 in the sea region R2 has the lowest interfacial adhesion strength in the transfer foil 11, making separation easy to occur. On the other hand, as described above, the wettability and anchoring effect of the island region R1 are improved through corona treatment or plasma treatment, resulting in high adhesion between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16. Therefore, in the island region R1, it is possible to generate... Figure 7A Cohesion failure in the adhesive layer 17 as shown, or Figure 7B Cohesion failure in the relief forming layer 14 as shown. The separated layers may cause interlayer delamination between the relief forming layer 14 and the patch substrate 13, and cohesion failure in the patch substrate 13, depending on the relationship between the interfacial bonding strength and fracture strength of each layer.

[0138] like Figure 7A and Figure 7B As shown, a portion of the separated transfer foil 11 remains on the protective sheet 18 side, and a portion remains on the information recording sheet 19 side. One method of improperly reusing the transfer foil 11 is to remove the transfer foil 11 together with the protective sheet 18 and embed it in a counterfeit card. Therefore, the least desirable situation is when the separated transfer foil 11 remains on the protective sheet 18 side while maintaining the shape of the embossed structure 15; rather, the preferred situation is... Figure 7A At least a portion of the shape of the relief structure 15 shown is damaged.

[0139] like Figure 7B As shown, the transfer foil 11 remaining on the side of the protective sheet 18 maintains the same shape as the reflective layer 16 as the relief structure 15 throughout the entire island region R1 and sea region R2. Therefore, theoretically, the optical effect produced by the relief structure 15 can be reproduced by coating the surface with resin. However, as mentioned above, the island region R1 is a region with one side or a diameter of 20 μm to 300 μm, such as Figure 3 As shown, it is set together with the sea area R2 within a large area of ​​the transfer foil 11. Therefore, multiple [materials] are actually formed. Figure 7BThe island region R1 and the sea region R2 are separated or fractured, forming an uneven surface. When resin is applied to this finely uneven surface (tens to hundreds of μm), the resin cannot completely penetrate the fine bottom portion, or it easily contains air bubbles. This results in the following phenomena: the optical effect cannot be reproduced due to the unfilled portions of resin, and light incident on the transfer foil 11 is scattered; even if reused, the optical effect of the transfer foil 11 as a whole is significantly reduced, making it easily identifiable as a counterfeit.

[0140] By setting tiny island regions R1 and sea regions R2, the interfacial adhesion strength between specific layers (between the embossing layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 according to the first embodiment) can be altered. Therefore, when the transfer foil 11 is to be separated, the forces acting on the island regions R1 and sea regions R2 in the specific layers (the embossing layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 in the example of the first embodiment) are different, and adjacent regions are affected by each other, resulting in uneven forces causing separation or breakage within each region. Consequently, in Figure 7A and Figure 7B In the sea area R2, the points where the relief forming layer 14 is locally extracted to the protective sheet 18 side and the points where the reflective layer 16 is extracted to the information recording sheet 19 side are alternately generated. Therefore, the surface of the transfer foil 11 after separation becomes rough and cannot achieve the same optical effect as before separation.

[0141] (Second Implementation)

[0142] The following is for reference Figure 8-1 0. The embodiments of the present invention will be described as the second embodiment.

[0143] Figure 8 A plan view of the laminate 10 according to the second embodiment is shown for illustrative purposes. The structure of the laminate 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment. The similarities between the first and second embodiments lie in the layer structure and the different interfacial bonding strengths in the island region R1 and the sea region R2, but the layers with different interfacial bonding strengths differ. In the first embodiment, the interfacial bonding strength between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 is considered, but in the second embodiment, the interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 is considered.

[0144] There are three known mechanisms for bonding adhesives to their substrates (materials being bonded): mechanical bonding, chemical bonding, and physical bonding. The characteristics of each of these three bonding mechanisms will be explained below.

[0145] Mechanical bonding refers to the bonding process where an adhesive is applied to a substrate with many small pores on its surface. The adhesive penetrates into the pores and cures, thus becoming bonded to the substrate and unable to detach. This is also known as the anchoring effect, fastener effect, or anchoring effect. Porous materials can be paper, wood, fibers, or even metal surfaces that have undergone etching or chemical conversion treatment.

[0146] Chemical bonding refers to the bonding of functional groups on the surfaces of the adhered objects with the functional groups of the adhesive through chemical bonds. These chemical bonds are called primary bonds, corresponding to the covalent or ionic bonds with the strongest expected binding force.

[0147] Physical adhesion is the bonding of polar molecules through intermolecular forces generated by electrostatic attraction. This physical bond is also called a secondary bond; the higher the polarity, the stronger the bonding force. Examples of intermolecular forces include hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. Hydrogen bonds are the force that attracts highly polar hydrogen atoms to highly electronegative atoms, and are generally stronger than van der Waals forces. On the other hand, van der Waals forces have three types: orientation forces (forces generated by the charge bias between polar molecules), induction forces (forces generated by polar molecules inducing dipoles in nonpolar molecules), and dispersion forces (forces generated by the instantaneous charge bias between all molecules). However, it is believed that they only work when the molecules on the surfaces of the adhered objects and the adhesive molecules are very close. To obtain strong intermolecular forces, the molecules need to be brought closer together. The following distance. Ordinary adhesives have high viscosity, and when applied alone, they cannot penetrate the fine irregularities on the surface of the materials being bonded. Therefore, the following methods are used: applying pressure or temperature during application, or diluting the adhesive with a solvent as a primer to lighten the irregularities. In addition, improving the affinity, or wetting properties, between the two materials can also allow intermolecular forces to take effect.

[0148] It is known that the mechanisms at play in actual bonding are not just any one of the three bonding mechanisms mentioned above, but a combination of them. Among them, physical bonding has a particularly significant impact.

[0149] The physical bonding strength between the island region R1 and the sea region R2 in the second embodiment will be described below.

[0150] (Island Area / Sea Area)

[0151] Figure 9 For along Figure 8 A portion of the cross-sectional view along line 2A-2A shows the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 corresponding to island region R1 and sea region R2. In island region R1 and sea region R2, the wettability of reflective layer 16 and adhesive layer 17 differs. Figure 9The presence or absence of a dashed line at the interface between the two is used to schematically illustrate this situation. As mentioned above, wettability is a property that contributes to intermolecular forces, therefore, differences in wettability result in differences in adhesive force. In the second embodiment, the wettability of the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 in the island region R1 is greater than that in the sea region R2. Hereinafter, the factors that determine the wettability of solids and liquids will be explained.

[0152] Figures 10A to 10C A cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a liquid droplet on a solid surface. (e.g.) Figure 10A As shown, when a solid surface comes into contact with a liquid and a gas, at the boundary of this three-phase contact, the surface tensions γS and γL of the solid and liquid (the former being referred to as "surface free energy"), as well as the interfacial tension γLS between the solid and liquid, come into play. Wettability is determined by the balance between them, a relationship known as Young's formula shown below.

[0153] [Mathematical Expression 1]

[0154] γ s =γ L cosθ+γ LS

[0155] Here, θ is the angle between the solid surface and the liquid surface dripping onto the solid surface, known as the contact angle. It is generally believed that the smaller the surface tension γL and the larger the surface free energy γS, the higher the wettability. However, as shown in the above mathematical formula, it is not only affected by the wettability of the liquid and the solid themselves, but also by the affinity between the liquid and the solid, that is, the interfacial tension γLS between them.

[0156] Surface tension and surface free energy are composed of intermolecular forces, namely, the sum of the dispersion component, polar component, inductive component, and hydrogen bond component, which are the four components: dispersion force, orientation force, inductive force, and hydrogen bond force. The inductive component is very weak and can be ignored, while the hydrogen bond component is often attributed to the polar component. The closer the ratio of the dispersion component to the polar component in a solid and liquid is, the lower the interfacial tension γLS between the solid and liquid (the higher the affinity).

[0157] The wettability of solids and liquids can be determined by... Figures 10A to 10C The contact angle θ shown is used to quantitatively determine the contact angle. Figures 10A to 10C Three examples with different contact angles θ are shown. Within the range of 0–180°, the closer the contact angle θ is to 0°, the higher the wettability; the closer it is to 180°, the lower the wettability. That is, in… Figure 10A In the example shown, the wettability is highest, and the droplet wets and spreads on the solid. On the other hand, in Figure 10C In the example shown, the wettability is minimal; the droplet does not spread out on the solid but retains its original shape. Figure 10B In the example shown, the degree to which the droplet wets and spreads on the solid is Figure 10A and Figure 10C The examples shown represent an intermediate level. When a solid surface is easily wetted by water, the solid is considered hydrophilic; conversely, when a solid surface repels water, the solid is considered hydrophobic.

[0158] Hydrophilicity can be defined as a contact angle θ < 90°, and hydrophobicity can be defined as θ ≥ 90°. Furthermore, a contact angle θ < 10° can be defined as superhydrophilic, and θ ≥ 150° as superhydrophobic. As an example, θ < 90° for glass or metal oxide materials, θ = 90° for carbon or silicon dioxide materials, and θ > 90° for Teflon (registered trademark) or fluorine-based materials.

[0159] Here, mathematical expression 1 is transformed into mathematical expression 2.

[0160] [Mathematical Expression 2]

[0161]

[0162] According to the above mathematical formula 2, the method to improve wettability, that is, to make the contact angle θ close to 0°, can be either the method of reducing the surface tension γL of the liquid or the method of increasing the surface free energy γS of the solid. To reduce the surface tension of the liquid, there is a method of adding a surfactant to the liquid. To increase the surface free energy γS of the solid, there is a method of improving wettability by chemically or physically modifying the solid surface. In the second embodiment, the local surface modification of the reflective layer 16 will be described as an example.

[0163] Physical modification of solid surfaces specifically refers to surface roughening, which requires a combination of chemical hydrophilization to achieve superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity. The Wenzel model and the Cassie-Baxter model are known models representing the relationship between surface micro-unevenness and wettability. The former is considered to assume that the droplet enters the concave portion of the uneven surface and wets the entire solid surface. The surface area of ​​the solid-droplet interface increases by a factor of r due to the unevenness, as expressed by the following mathematical formula 3. Here, θw is the apparent contact angle of the uneven surface.

[0164] [Mathematical Expression 3]

[0165]

[0166] In this mathematical formula 3, since r > 1, through roughening treatment, the hydrophilic surface becomes more hydrophilic, and the hydrophobic surface becomes more hydrophobic.

[0167] In contrast, the Cassie-Baxter model assumes that air enters the concave areas of the uneven surface instead of the droplet. While not discussed in detail here, it is believed that the unevenness on the solid surface reduces the actual contact area between the droplet and the solid surface, resulting in a larger contact angle compared to the absence of unevenness. This theory is valid for constructing hydrophobic solid surfaces.

[0168] Although the application of any of the above models is affected by the size of the droplet, the shape of the solid surface, and the wettability of the material, the Wenzel model has been reported to be superior when the size of the droplet is increased or the weight is increased to increase the pressure entering the recess.

[0169] As described above, hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity have been discussed, but the methods for measuring the contact angle, which serves as an evaluation index, include static contact angle measurement and dynamic contact angle measurement. Static contact angle measurement only measures the contact angle; examples include the commonly used droplet method, the Vr method used for measurements on large-area sample surfaces, and the minimal droplet method using a minimal contact angle meter. Dynamic contact angle measurement determines the droplet's velocity, adhesion, etc., and examples include the slip method, the expansion-contraction method, and the Wilhelmy method. With advancements in image analysis technology using software, the Young-Laplace method and the elliptic method, which offer more accurate measurements, are now widely used.

[0170] The following describes a method for making the wettability of the island region R1 higher than that of the sea region R2 on the surface of the reflective layer 16. As described above, chemical modification or physical modification can be cited as methods to change the wettability of a solid surface. For example, the case where the reflective layer 16 is made of silicon dioxide can be considered as a chemical modification. Silicon dioxide has silanol groups (≡Si-OH) covered with hydroxyl groups on its surface, thus exhibiting hydrophilicity. By having hydroxyl groups, it can form the strongest hydrogen bonds among intermolecular forces with the hydroxyl groups (-OH), water (HOH), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), carboxyl groups (-COOH), carbonyl groups (C=O), etc. of the adhesive, thereby achieving a strong bond. By replacing the hydroxyl groups on the surface of this hydrophilic silicon dioxide with methylsilanes, hydrophobicity can be achieved. Examples of surface treatment agents used for hydrophobicity include: polydimethylsiloxane, methylchlorosilane, and hexamethyldisilazane. By selectively hydrophobizing the sea region R2 while keeping the island region R1 hydrophilic, the wettability (contact angle) of the two regions can be altered.

[0171] Furthermore, the reflective layer 16 can be titanium dioxide (TiO2). Titanium dioxide has the property of being easily wetted by oil (oleophilic) but not by water (hydrophobic). However, it is known that titanium dioxide becomes hydrophilic when irradiated with ultraviolet light in the presence of oxygen, thus it can be used as a photocatalyst in various fields. As a mechanism, it is believed that this is because the holes created by irradiating the surface of titanium dioxide with ultraviolet light break the chemical bond (Ti-O-Ti) between titanium atoms and oxygen atoms, and the oxygen atom reacts with water to form a hydroxyl group. The surface of titanium dioxide immediately becomes superhydrophilic after light irradiation, but when the ultraviolet light irradiation is stopped and it is placed in the dark, the surface of titanium dioxide gradually returns to its original surface state, thus losing its hydrophilicity. In the case where the reflective layer 16 is titanium dioxide, after the reflective layer 16 is formed, by irradiating only the island region R1 with ultraviolet light while physically covering the sea region R2, the island region R1 can be made hydrophilic, and the sea region R2 can be made hydrophobic. In this case, as described above, it is necessary to apply the adhesive layer 17 before losing hydrophilicity.

[0172] Furthermore, when the reflective layer 16 is made of aluminum, the metal surface is covered by an oxide layer, so water and other contaminants adhere to the oxide layer. Therefore, sufficient adhesion cannot be achieved in this state, and surface treatment is preferred. Surface treatment may include: (1) removing contaminants using organic solvents or ultraviolet irradiation; (2) forming an oxide film suitable for adhesion using acid or alkali treatment; (3) applying a silane coupling agent. By performing such surface treatment only on the island region R1 described in the first embodiment, the wettability of the island region R1 can be made higher than that of the sea region R2.

[0173] (Relief Structure)

[0174] The relief structure 15 will be described below.

[0175] Here, relief structure and use Figures 6A-6F The first embodiment described herein is identical, and therefore the description is omitted. However, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it is configured such that the first relief area SR1 overlaps with the island area R1, and the second relief area SR2 overlaps with the sea area R2.

[0176] If the laminate 10 is damaged and the transfer foil 11 is to be removed by improper means, interlayer peeling will occur between layers with weak interfacial adhesion in the laminate 10, or coagulation failure will occur within layers with weak tensile strength, thereby separating the transfer foil 11. The following explanation assumes that the interfacial adhesion strength between the patch substrate 13 and the information recording film 19, and the interfacial adhesion strength between the adhesive layer 17 and the protective film 18, are greater than the interfacial adhesion strength between the protective film 18 and the information recording film 19.

[0177] The aforementioned micro-unevenness contributes to wettability and, consequently, adhesion; the embossed structure 15 in the second embodiment also exhibits this effect. However, it is anticipated that, even with the same chemical bonding state between contacting layers, the force resisting peeling will differ between structures parallel and non-parallel to the direction of applied force when peeling is desired. This can also manifest as a difference in the anchoring effect of the embossed structure 15.

[0178] In the second embodiment, a linear first relief structure 15a arranged in one direction is provided in the island region R1, where the wettability of the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 is higher than that in the sea region R2 and the interfacial adhesion strength is high. Therefore, in particular, when it is desired to peel the transfer foil 11 from the laminate 10 along the first direction, separation easily occurs at the interface between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 in the island region R1, where the adhesive force generated by the first relief structure 15a, i.e., the anchoring effect, is weak. On the other hand, in the sea region R2, due to the anchoring effect generated by the second relief structure 15b, the interfacial adhesion strength between the relief forming layer 14 and the reflective layer 16 is greater than that of the first relief structure 15a, and therefore separation easily occurs between the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17, where the interfacial adhesion strength is weak.

[0179] During separation, the structure in which the adhesive layer 17 contacts the protective sheet 18 (see reference). Figure 2A In the case of ), the relief forming layer 14 remains on the side of the information recording film 19; the structure in which the adhesive layer 17 contacts the information recording film 19 (see reference). Figure 2B In the case of the former, the embossed layer 14 remains on the protective sheet 18 side. In the former case, in order to improperly reuse the separated transfer foil 11, it is necessary to separate the embossed layer 14 from the information recording sheet 19. However, relative to the information recording sheet 19 (thickness of 50μm to 800μm), the thickness of the embossed layer 14 and the patch substrate 13 combined is only a few μm, which is very thin. It is difficult to separate it from the information recording sheet 19 without damaging the embossed structure 15, and therefore it is difficult to reuse. On the other hand, in the latter case, the embossed structure 15 remains on the protective sheet 18 side, and therefore it may be improperly reused depending on its surface condition. Specifically, in each of the island region R1 and the sea region R2, if the embossed layer 14 is completely peeled off at the interface between the embossed layer 14 and the reflective layer 16, and at the interface between the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17, although there is a difference in the presence or absence of the reflective layer 16 in the separated surfaces, it still retains the shape of the embossed structure 15, and therefore it may be reused.

[0180] As described in the first embodiment above, the island region R1 is a small region with one side or a diameter of 20 μm to 300 μm, such as Figure 8As shown, island regions R1 are scattered across sea regions R2 within a large area of ​​the transfer foil 11. When the transfer foil 11 is to be separated, the forces acting on the island regions R1 and sea regions R2 in specific layers (reflective layer 16 and adhesive layer 17 in the description of the second embodiment) are different, and adjacent regions are greatly affected by each other, so the forces for separation or breakage in each region also become uneven. As a result, the reflective layer 16 is actually partially extracted to the protective sheet 18 side, or the adhesive layer 17 is extracted to the information recording sheet 19 side, and the surface of the transfer foil 11 after separation becomes rough, thus failing to obtain the same optical effect as before separation.

[0181] Assuming that even if the embossed structure 15 is completely preserved on the separated surface, due to the difference in the presence or absence of the reflective layer 16, when the separated transfer foil 11 and the protective sheet 18 are directly used on a counterfeit card, the island region R1, lacking the reflective layer 16, cannot exhibit optical effects, making it easily identifiable as a counterfeit. Furthermore, even if it is desired to reproduce the optical effects of the island region R1 by re-applying a reflective layer to the embossed structure 15 side of the separated transfer foil 11, the thickness of the reflective layer differs between the island region R1 without the reflective layer 16 and the sea region R2 with the remaining reflective layer 16. This results in uneven optical effects, reduced brightness, and other issues, making it difficult to completely reproduce the original state. In particular, if the reflective layer 16 is a light-transmitting material, and the refractive indexes of the original material and the newly applied reflective layer material are different, two reflective layers are actually formed in the sea region R2. Due to multilayer interference, it exhibits different optical effects than the island region R1. This leads to changes such as displaying a different color than with a single layer, or a decrease in brightness.

[0182] In the second embodiment, by making the interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 in the island region R1 and the sea region R2 different, even if the transfer foil 11 is removed from the laminate 10 and improperly reused, the original optical effect cannot be reproduced, thereby deterring such behavior, or even if it is reused, it is easy to identify as a counterfeit.

[0183] (Third Implementation)

[0184] (Layered structure)

[0185] The following is for reference Figures 11-13 The embodiments of the present invention will be described as the third embodiment.

[0186] Figure 11 This is a plan view illustrating the laminate 10 of the third embodiment. Similar to the first and second embodiments, a portion of the laminate 10 includes a transfer foil 11 for displaying the image 12. Figure 12 shows a plan view along... Figure 11 A cross-sectional view along line AII-AII. The laminate 10 is constructed by sequentially layering a patch substrate 13, an embossing layer 14, a first reflective layer 161, a second reflective layer 162, and an adhesive layer 17. An embossed structure 15 is formed on the surface of the embossing layer 14. The first reflective layer 161 is configured to follow the unevenness of the embossed structure 15, and the second reflective layer 162 is configured to follow the unevenness of the first reflective layer 161. It should be noted that the transfer foil 11 has the above-described layers at least in the order described, but it may also have a configuration that includes layers other than these layers between these layers. The transfer foil 11 is encased in such a way that it is not exposed outside the laminate 10 as it is laminated with a protective sheet 18 and an information recording sheet 19. Figure 12A and Figure 12B This diagram is obtained by inverting the layer configuration of the transfer foil 11 contained within the laminate 10, but either configuration is acceptable. Figure 12A In the case of this configuration, the transfer foil 11 is transferred to the protective sheet 18 via the adhesive layer 17, and then laminated. On the other hand, in Figure 12B In this configuration, the transfer foil 11 is transferred onto the information recording film 19 via the adhesive layer 17 and then laminated.

[0187] (Island Area / Sea Area)

[0188] The first region S1, the second region S2, and the relief structure 15 constituting the laminate 10 will be described below. Figure 13 This is a plan view showing the structure of the transfer foil 11. The transfer foil 11 has a first region S1 and a second region S2. In the example shown in the figure, the first region S1 and the second region S2 are distributed across the entire surface of the transfer foil, but they may also be provided in a portion of the transfer foil 11.

[0189] Figure 14 It is along Figure 13A portion of the cross-sectional view along line 3A-3A shows the arrangement of the relief-forming layer 14, the first reflective layer 161, the second reflective layer 162, and the adhesive layer 17 corresponding to the first region S1 and the second region S2. The first region S1 is formed by stacking the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162, while the second region S2 only has the first reflective layer 161. Furthermore, at least one of the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162 is made of a light-transmitting material that has a higher refractive index than the relief-forming layer 14 and the adhesive layer 17 at a typical wavelength in the visible light range, such as 532 nm. Thus, compared to the case where the refractive indices of the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162 are both lower than those of the relief-forming layer 14 and the adhesive layer 17, a higher reflective effect can be obtained. Therefore, in both the first region S1 and the second region S2, the observer can easily visually identify the image 12 displayed as an optical effect.

[0190] exist Figure 14 In this context, when the interfacial bonding strength between the first reflective layer 161 and the adhesive layer 17 is set as T1, and the interfacial bonding strength between the second reflective layer 162 and the adhesive layer 17 is set as T2, T1 and T2 are different. More specifically, when T1 is greater than T2, the second region S2 corresponds to the island region R1, and the first region S1 corresponds to the sea region R2. On the other hand, when T1 is less than T2, the first region S1 corresponds to the island region R1, and the second region S2 corresponds to the sea region R2. Figure 13 and Figure 14 The example shown is where T1 is less than T2, the first region S1 corresponds to the island region R1, and the second region S2 corresponds to the sea region R2. However, as mentioned above, the correspondence between the first region S1 and the second region S2 and the island region R1 and the sea region R2 may change depending on the relationship between the interfacial bonding strength T1 and T2.

[0191] The composition of the transfer foil 11 is not limited to Figure 14 It can also be Figure 15 As shown. In Figure 15 In the example, region S1 is composed of a first reflective layer 161 and a second reflective layer 162 stacked together, but region S2 is... Figure 14 The example shown differs, with only a second reflective layer 162 provided. In this case, the second reflective layer 162 contacts the adhesive layer 17 in both the first region S1 and the second region S2, but the layer in contact with the embossing layer 14 is different. More specifically, in the first region S1, the first reflective layer 161 contacts the embossing layer 14, and in the second region S2, the second reflective layer 162 contacts the embossing layer 14. The first reflective layer 161 may not be a light-transmitting material and may be a metallic material. Examples of metallic materials include aluminum or silver.

[0192] exist Figure 15 In this context, when the interfacial adhesion strength between the first reflective layer 161 and the relief forming layer 14 is set to T1, and the interfacial adhesion strength between the second reflective layer 162 and the relief forming layer 14 is set to T2, T1 and T2 are different. When T1 is greater than T2, the second region S2 corresponds to the island region R1, and the first region S1 corresponds to the sea region R2. On the other hand, when T1 is less than T2, the first region S1 corresponds to the island region R1, and the second region S2 corresponds to the sea region R2.

[0193] exist Figure 14 and Figure 15 In the configuration shown, the interfaces where the bonding strength differs in region S1 and region S2 are different. However, in island region R1 and sea region R2, the differences in bonding strength between reflective layers 161 and 162 and adhesive layer 17, or with relief forming layer 14, are caused by the materials of the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162. This will be explained below.

[0194] (Reflective layer)

[0195] As described above, three examples of methods for creating a difference in interfacial adhesion strength between island region R1 and sea region R2, specifically as characteristics of the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162, are shown below. It should be noted that the methods are not limited to these three; the mechanism is not limited to reflective layers 161 and 162 that achieve a difference in interfacial adhesion strength. Furthermore, in the following description... Figure 14 Taking the structure as an example, the interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layers 161 and 162 and the adhesive layer 17 is described. However, if it is Figure 15 If the composition is such that "adhesive layer 17" can be replaced with "embossing layer 14", then the "adhesive layer 17" can be replaced with "embossing layer 14".

[0196] As an example, the configuration of region S1 corresponding to sea region R2 and region S2 corresponding to island region R1 will be described. In region S1, the second reflective layer 162 ( Figure 15In the case of the first reflective layer 161, it is made of an inorganic compound with hydrophobic or oleophobic properties. If the surface of the adhesive layer 17 in contact with the second reflective layer 162 is hydrophilic, a hydrophobic material can be selected; if it is oleophilic, an oleophobic material can be selected. Alternatively, a material with both properties can be used. Furthermore, if the adhesive layer 17 has both hydrophilic and oleophilic properties, either a hydrophobic or oleophobic material is acceptable, but it is preferable to select a material that further reduces the interfacial adhesion strength between the second reflective layer 162 and the adhesive layer 17. Materials with hydrophobic / oleophobic properties can be fluorinated compounds. An example of a fluorinated compound is magnesium fluoride (MgF2). By using a hydrophobic / oleophobic material for the second reflective layer 162, the adhesion between the second reflective layer 162 and the adhesive layer 17, i.e., the interfacial adhesion strength, is reduced in the first region S1 (region R2). On the other hand, in the second region S2, which is a material with high affinity to the adhesive layer 17, the interfacial bonding strength (island region R1) between the first reflective layer 161 and the adhesive layer 17 is greater than that in the first region S1. For example... Figure 14 As shown, when the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162 are formed on the relief forming layer 14, the second reflective layer 162 cannot be sufficiently adhered to the first reflective layer 161, which may prevent the formation of the layer. However, this can be eliminated by continuously vapor-depositing the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162 in a vacuum environment.

[0197] As another example, the first region S1 is described as island region R1 and the second region S2 as sea region R2. In this example, the surface of the second reflective layer 162 in contact with the adhesive layer 17 is modified. This improves the interfacial adhesion strength between the second reflective layer 162 and the adhesive layer 17. As surface modification, the following methods can be used as described in the first and second embodiments: 1) improving hydrophilicity, removing organic matter from the object surface, and removing oxide film by corona treatment or plasma treatment; 2) imparting functional groups that can bind to the adhesive layer 17; 3) roughening to improve the anchoring effect, etc. On the other hand, the first reflective layer 161 is an inorganic compound with an interfacial adhesion strength at least less than that of the surface-modified second reflective layer 162. The reason for the low interfacial adhesion strength may be the material's own characteristics, such as wettability to the adhesive layer 17 or differences in intermolecular forces with the adhesive layer 17, or a naturally formed oxide film on the surface.

[0198] For ease of explanation, the following example illustrates an instance where the first region S1 corresponds to the island region R1 and the second region S2 corresponds to the sea region R2. However, the first region S1 can correspond to the sea region R2, and the second region S2 can correspond to the island region R1. In this example, the difference in interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layers 161, 162 and the adhesive layer 17 arises from the difference in the bonding force between each reflective layer and the adhesive layer 17. In the bonding mechanism described in the second embodiment, particular attention is paid to physical and chemical bonding, assuming that the wettability (or contact angle) of the adhesive layer 17, the presence and magnitude of the bonding forces (intermolecular forces, ionic forces, covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds) acting between the two layers differ in the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162. When the adhesive layer 17 is an oleophilic material, by making the first reflective layer 161 an oleophobic material and the second reflective layer 162 an oleophilic material, the interfacial adhesion strength between the reflective layers 161 and 162 and the adhesive layer 17 in the first region S1 and the second region S2 can be made different. Furthermore, the above characteristics can also be achieved by using a material in which the first reflective layer 161 is bonded to the adhesive layer 17 by ionic bonds and the second reflective layer 162 is bonded to the adhesive layer 17 by intermolecular forces.

[0199] According to the above method, the interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layers 161 and 162 and the adhesive layer 17 in the first region S1 and the second region S2 can be made different. With this configuration, in the event that the transfer foil 11 is to be improperly removed from the laminate 10, it is assumed that in the island region R1 where the interfacial bonding strength between the layers is high, the interlayer separation of the patch substrate 13 or the relief forming layer 14 occurs, or coagulation and destruction occur inside these two layers or the adhesive layer 17. On the other hand, in the sea region R2 where the interfacial bonding strength is low, the interlayer separation between the reflective layer (161 or 162) and the adhesive layer 17 is more likely to occur. As a result, in the island region R1 and the sea region R2, the layers that are separated or destroyed are different, and the relief structure 15 cannot be displayed in a state where the shape is completely maintained on one of the separation surfaces of the two transfer foils 11, that is, reuse can be prevented.

[0200] (image)

[0201] The configuration of image 12 will now be described. The configuration of image 12 can also be applied to any of the embodiments described in the first to third embodiments. In the transfer foil 11, the image 12 displayed as an optical effect of the relief structure 15 can be a single pattern or two patterns that can be observed from different angles. Figure 16This illustrates a scenario where, when light from a light source is incident on the transfer foil 11, the relief structure 15 formed in the island region R1 and the sea region R2 emits reflected light at a specific angle, thereby forming a first pattern 121. If the relief structure 15 satisfies the condition of forming the first pattern 121 at a specific angle, then regardless of the island region R1 and the sea region R2, the design can be the same in terms of periodicity, height, shape, orientation, etc., throughout the entire region, or one or more of the designs can be locally different within the first pattern 121. In the latter case, the designs in the island region R1 and the sea region R2 can be different. Figure 16 In the configuration shown, in an embodiment of the present invention, if the transfer foil 11 is improperly removed from the laminate 10, as described in the first to third embodiments, the different layers in the island region R1 and the sea region R2 separate or are damaged within the layers. As a result, the relief structure 15 cannot be completely maintained in the separated transfer foil 11, and the optical effect (e.g., brightness, color rendering) of the first pattern 121 weakens. Even if it is reused, the original visual effect cannot be obtained.

[0202] Figure 17 The following scenario illustrates that when light from a light source is incident on the transfer foil 11, the first relief structure 15a formed in the island region R1 emits reflected light at a specific angle α to form the first pattern 121, and the second relief structure 15b formed in the sea region R2 emits reflected light at a specific angle β different from α to form the second pattern 122. The first relief structure 15a and the second relief structure 15b are not necessarily limited to being arranged in their respective island regions R1 and sea regions R2. However, with the above configuration, when the transfer foil 11 is to be removed from the laminate 10, the optical effect of either the first pattern 121 or the second pattern 122 is significantly reduced, and it can be easily identified as a counterfeit even if the separated transfer foil 11 is reused. Therefore, this configuration is preferred. The first relief structure 15a and the second relief structure 15b can be selected from the structure shown in FIG. 6, or any structure can be used, as long as the angle of the reflected light α ≠ β.

[0203] For the first relief structure 15a and the second relief structure 15b, the former can be configured as a subwavelength grating and the latter as a directional scattering structure. In this configuration, the first pattern 121 can be a color image and the second pattern 122 can be a non-color image. When the refractive index of the reflective layer 16 is higher than that of the relief forming layer 14 and the adhesive layer 17, the subwavelength grating displays color, and the color can be displayed in the positive reflection direction according to the period, orientation, and refractive index of the reflective layer 16. Furthermore, examples of directional scattering structures include... Figure 6CThe structure shown displays a non-color image with a specific grayscale when the orientation of the grating is the same; when the orientation of the grating changes locally according to the depth of the pattern, it displays a three-dimensional non-color image with shadows, like a painting.

[0204] The correspondence between the island region R1 and the sea region R2 and the first relief structure 15a and the second relief structure 15b may differ from the correspondence described above. However, when a subwavelength grating is used in the first relief structure 15a, when the transfer foil 11 is to be removed from the laminate 10, the shape of the subwavelength grating cannot be maintained on the surface of the transfer foil 11 remaining on the protective sheet 18 side, resulting in color loss caused by the subwavelength grating and improved suppression of improper reuse, which is therefore preferable.

[0205] Because the reduction in color intensity, or chroma, is easily visually identifiable, counterfeits are easily detected. Therefore, even in... Figure 16 In the configuration shown, by using a subwavelength grating in the relief structure 15, the color development of the first pattern 121 is reduced when the transfer foil 11 is removed, thereby improving the effect of suppressing improper use of the transfer foil 11.

[0206] Figure 18 and Figure 19 To illustrate, the observer's observation has Figure 16 and Figure 17 The diagram shows the situation of the stacked card 20 and its visually recognizable appearance at this time. (See diagram for reference.) Figure 18 As shown, the observer views card 20 at an angle that captures the light incident from the light source onto card 20 and reflected from it. Figure 16 In the case of the configuration, the first pattern 121 is observed in state A, with the horizontal plane Ph1 as the reference and the card 20 tilted only at an angle θ1. On the other hand, in Figure 17 In the case of the configuration, the first pattern 121 is observed in state A, and the second pattern 122 is further observed in state B, where card 20 is tilted only at an angle θ2 from the horizontal plane Ph1. It should be noted that in card 20 where states A and B are observed as in the latter case, Figure 18 The example illustrates the operation of tilting card 20 back and forth relative to the observer, but the operation is not limited to this. Depending on the reflection direction or the direction in which the first and second relief structures (15a, 15b) forming the first pattern 121 and the second pattern 122 exhibit the desired optical effect, states A and B can be observed, for example, by other operations such as rotating the medium 90 degrees from state A. Furthermore, in Figure 18 In the example, card 20 is observed under the condition that the light from the light source is incident perpendicularly onto the horizontal plane Ph1. However, the light source does not necessarily have to be in this positional relationship. Card 20 can also be observed under the condition that the light source is incident obliquely onto the horizontal plane Ph1.

[0207] (Card)

[0208] Figure 20 This is an example of a card 20 containing the transfer foil 11 described in embodiments 1 to 3. In Japanese Patent Application 2021-095146, the card 20 is described as a medium or personal information medium 20. A schematic diagram of the card 20 is shown. The card 20 can be an identity card, ID card, driver's license, etc. Furthermore, the card 20 can be a passport or visa data page with the same structure. Additionally, the card 20 can be a label or gift card. Identification information is recorded in these cards. It should be noted that in Japanese Patent Applications 2020-132592, 2021-067112, and 2021-095146, the identification information is recorded as personal information. Identification information includes biometric information, hash values ​​of biometric data, names, ID numbers, codes, etc. Examples of biometric information include facial images and signatures. The hash value of biometric data can be set as the hash value of data from face, fingerprint, iris, or vein feature points. Codes can be set as barcodes or QR codes. The code can be encrypted. The code can contain error correction symbols. An example of a QR code is a registered trademark. Tampering with personal information can be prevented by affixing a transfer foil 11 with an embossed structure in a manner that overlaps at least a portion of this personal information.

[0209] Figure 21 It shows along Figure 20 A cross-sectional view of the BI-BI line. (See figure.) Figure 21 As shown, card 20 is configured such that a support layer 21 of the reinforcing laminate 10 is laminated on the side of the laminate 10 that contacts the information recording sheet 19. Identification information as described above can be recorded on the information recording sheet 19 using a laser beam as a modified area 22. The support layer 21 can be white. Part or all of the support layer 21 can be a color other than white.

[0210] In card 20, the support layer 21 may have a printed texture 23 on the surface that contacts the information recording sheet 19. The printed texture 23 can be formed by printing ink. An example in the accompanying drawings is that card 20 has a surface 20a and a back surface 20b, both of which have modified areas 22 and some information as shown by the printed texture 23. When the card has information only on surface 20a, part or all of the layer shown on the back surface 20b may be omitted.

[0211] (Materials of laminated materials)

[0212] The following is a description of the materials used in each layer.

[0213] The protective sheet 18 needs to be transparent to the visible light wavelength range or the wavelength of the observed light. This allows for visual identification or photographing of the optical effects of the transfer foil 11 from the protective sheet 18 side, and the recording of identification information in the information recording film 19. The protective sheet 18 can be made of thermoplastic plastic. Thermoplastic plastic is preferably a material derived from polycarbonate or amorphous copolyester.

[0214] The thickness of the protective sheet 18 is preferably 50 μm to 800 μm. When the thickness of the protective sheet 18 is less than 50 μm, its physical strength is insufficient, making it difficult to process. On the other hand, when the thickness of the protective sheet 18 is greater than 800 μm, the effects of thickness inhomogeneity and deflection become greater during processing, making it difficult to process.

[0215] Information recording 19 is irradiated with a laser beam of a specific wavelength, absorbing the laser beam and thus modifying the material. This modification is a phenomenon resulting from any one or a combination of foaming, carbonization, and discoloration of the material. By irradiating information recording 19 with a laser beam whose intensity and the size of the irradiation point are adjusted within a certain range, information can be recorded by modifying the material. The laser used to record information can be a solid-state laser. An example of a solid-state laser is a semiconductor laser. The laser can be a pulsed laser. The wavelength of the laser beam can be a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths. The information recorded on information recording 19 can be identification information. Identification information can be personal information or attribute information. Examples of personal information are the owner's name, the owner's date of birth, the owner's signature, and the owner's portrait. Examples of attribute information are gender, nationality, affiliation, etc. The material of information recording 19 can be polycarbonate, to which an energy absorber is added to absorb the laser beam used to record information. The polycarbonate is modified by the heat generated by the absorption of the laser beam by such information recording 19. This modification can be carbonization or foaming. A specific example of information document 19 is SD8B94 of SABIC's LEXAN series (registered trademark).

[0216] In addition to polycarbonate, the material of the information recording chip 19 can also be polyvinyl chloride or amorphous copolyester. Among these, polycarbonate tends to improve the durability of the information recording chip 19 and the contrast during color development compared to the use of other materials.

[0217] The thickness of the information recording film 19 is preferably 50 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When the thickness of the information recording film 19 is less than 50 μm, the color development is insufficient due to the insufficient thickness, resulting in a poor contrast between the developed and undeveloped areas. On the other hand, when the thickness of the information recording film 19 is greater than 800 μm, the transparency is compromised, resulting in a stronger black appearance, which also leads to a poor contrast between the modified and unmodified areas.

[0218] The embossing layer 14 can be made of thermoplastic resin, thermosetting resin, or photocurable resin. These synthetic resins can be polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylate, acid-modified polyolefin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyimide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyamide-imide, cyclic polyolefin, melamine, inorganic particles, epoxy resin, and fibrous resin, as well as mixtures, composites, and copolymers of these materials. It should be noted that among the above materials, polymethyl methacrylate, acid-modified polyolefin, and melamine have excellent formability. It should also be noted that the embossing layer 14 is not limited to a single layer but can also be multilayered. A multilayered embossing layer 14 can be a laminate of a curable resin and a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin can be a resin containing polymethyl methacrylate and an acid-modified polyolefin. Alternatively, the multilayered embossing layer 14 can contain layers of thermoplastic resins with different physical properties. Alternatively, the embossed layer 14 may contain inorganic or polymer powder. By including powder, the interfacial adhesion strength between the embossed layer 14 and the patch substrate 13 can be adjusted. Therefore, the embossed structure 15 side of the embossed layer 14 can be a layer of curable resin, and the opposite side can be a layer of thermoplastic resin containing inorganic or polymer powder. In the laminate 10, the embossed layer 14 may contain a resin with a melting point higher than that of polycarbonate.

[0219] The material of the protective sheet 18 may include at least one substance from the second group consisting of polyurethane, polymethacrylate, polyester, acid-modified polyolefin, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin.

[0220] The material of the reflective layer 16 can be a metal or a dielectric. In the case of a metal, it can be a concealed reflective layer, while in the case of a dielectric, it can be a light-transmitting reflective layer. Examples of metals include aluminum or silver. Dielectrics can be metal compounds and silicon oxide. Metal compounds can be metal oxides, metal sulfides, and metal fluorides. Examples of metal compounds include zinc oxide, titanium oxide, niobium oxide (NbO2), and zinc sulfide. As in the third embodiment, when the reflective layer 16 is composed of two layers, a first reflective layer 161 and a second reflective layer 162, two of the above materials can be selected. For example, the first reflective layer 161 can be silicon dioxide, and the second reflective layer 162 can be titanium dioxide.

[0221] When the refractive index of the dielectric in visible light is 2.0 or higher, a refractive index difference with the relief layer 14 is easily obtained, increasing the reflectivity of reflected light generated according to the shape of the relief structure 15, thus making it easier for the observer to visually identify the image 12. The reflective layer 16 can be formed by deposition. The deposition method can be any one or both of physical deposition and chemical deposition. Physical deposition can be vacuum evaporation and sputtering. The film thickness of the reflective layer 16 is preferably formed to be 10 nm or more and 200 nm or less.

[0222] The material for adhesive layer 17 can be the same as that used to form embossed layer 14. This material may include at least one of polymethyl methacrylate, polyester, cyclic polyolefin, melamine, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin. These materials readily achieve sufficient interfacial bond strength between adhesive layer 17 and the polycarbonate-containing layer in contact with adhesive layer 17. Furthermore, the material used to form adhesive layer 17 can be a resin having carbonate bonds (-O-CO-O-), urethane bonds (-NH-CO-), or ester bonds (-O-CO-). In bonding with polycarbonate, resins with ester bonds or urethane bonds having a structure similar to carbonate bonds tend to have higher interfacial bond strength with polycarbonate. Furthermore, when the laminate 10 has the configuration described in the second and third embodiments, the material of the adhesive layer 17 can be selected based on the material properties of the reflective layer 16 or its surface-modified properties, so that the interfacial bonding strength between the reflective layer 16 and the adhesive layer 17 is increased due to the mechanism described in the second and third embodiments. In the laminate 10, the adhesive layer 17 may contain a resin with a melting point lower than that of polycarbonate.

[0223] The material used to form the support layer 21 can be a white material containing titanium dioxide in polyvinyl chloride, amorphous copolyester, or polycarbonate.

[0224] The thickness of the support layer 21 can be between 200 μm and 800 μm. Because the thickness is 200 μm or more, the chips, antennas, wiring, and other circuitry contained within the card 20 can be hidden from the observer's view. Identification information can be recorded as digital data on the circuit chips contained in the card 20. The recorded digital data can include personal information recorded on the information recording chip 19 as identification information. It should be noted that the recorded digital data can be encrypted. Furthermore, because the thickness of the support layer 21 is less than 800 μm, unevenness and flexing of the support layer 21's thickness can be reduced, which is beneficial in preventing defects such as warping during lamination processing.

[0225] The printed body 23 can be colored. Alternatively, it can be monochrome. It can also be black. The printed body 23 can be located on the entire surface of the support layer 21, or partially on characters, patterns, geometric patterns, numbers, symbols, codes, etc. The material used to form the printed body 23 can be ink. The ink described in the above embodiments can be used. Functional inks that change color according to the angle of light irradiation or viewing angle can be used in the printed body 23. The inks described in the above embodiments can be used as such functional inks. Using functional inks to form the printed body 23 can improve the anti-counterfeiting properties of the card 20.

[0226] The printed body 23 can be formed using a toner via an electrophotographic method. In this case, a toner containing graphite and pigment particles attached to charged plastic particles is prepared. The toner is transferred to the substrate using static electricity generated by the charged particles, and then heated and fixed to form the printed body 23.

[0227] In this embodiment, each layer constituting the transfer foil 11 and the protective sheet 18 can transmit a portion or the entire wavelength of infrared light, thereby allowing an infrared laser beam to pass through. The transmitted infrared light band can include the wavelength of the infrared laser. In particular, the transmitted infrared light band can include wavelengths between 900 nm and 1100 nm. Thus, a YAG laser beam can pass through. In this case, the infrared laser beam can cross the transfer foil 11 and irradiate the information recording film 19, thereby forming a modified region 22 on the information recording film 19.

[0228] (Method of card manufacturing)

[0229] use Figure 21 The manufacturing method of the transfer foil 11 and the card 20 equipped with the transfer foil 11 will be described. The transfer foil 11 is manufactured by sequentially layering a patch substrate 13, an embossing layer 14, a reflective layer 16 (as in the third embodiment, in the case where the reflective layer consists of two layers, a first reflective layer 161 and a second reflective layer 162), and an adhesive layer 17 on a carrier 24 (not shown). As described above, the reflective layer 16 can be formed by a deposition method. The deposition method can be any one of physical deposition, chemical deposition, or both. The physical deposition method can be vacuum evaporation or sputtering. Other layers can be formed by separately applying a coating solution and drying it in an oven.

[0230] In this embodiment, an embossed structure 15 is formed on the embossed forming layer 14. The embossed structure 15 can be obtained by applying a coating film containing a synthetic resin for forming the embossed forming layer 14, and then transferring the concave and convex shapes of the mold (embossing plate) on which the embossed structure 15 is formed onto the coating film.

[0231] The embossing plate used to transfer the relief structure 15 onto the relief forming layer 14 can be obtained by the following method. First, a photosensitive resist is coated on one surface of a flat substrate. Then, a light beam is irradiated onto the photosensitive resist to expose a portion of it. The master plate is then obtained by photolithography, which develops the photosensitive resist. Alternatively, a metal mold is manufactured from the master plate using electroplating or the like. This metal mold serves as the master mold for replicating the relief structure 15 on the relief forming layer 14. It should be noted that the metal mold can also be obtained by machining a metal substrate using lathe technology, but machining is difficult when the relief structure 15 has a complex shape or is a very fine microstructure on the subwavelength scale. Therefore, the above-described photolithography method is used.

[0232] In the transfer foil 11 containing the carrier 24, by applying appropriate external force (heat, pressure, etc.) from the carrier 24 side, the adhesive layer 17 is adhered to the information recording film 19, while the patch substrate 13 is separated from the carrier 24, thereby transferring the transfer foil 11, which consists of layers below the patch substrate 13, onto the information recording film 19. It should be noted that, as... Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the transfer foil 11 may not be transferred to the surface of the information recording film 19, but instead be transferred to the surface of the protective film 18. In this case, the positional relationship of the layers becomes an inverted configuration.

[0233] The carrier 24 is a layer provided to hold the transfer foil 11 before transfer, and is preferably a plastic film. Specifically, plastic films such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), and PP (polypropylene) can be used. However, it is preferable that the carrier 24 is formed of a material that is less susceptible to deformation or modification due to external forces such as heat or pressure applied when the transfer foil 11 is supported by the carrier 24. According to this embodiment, the thickness of the carrier 24 is preferably 4 μm or more. More preferably, the thickness of the carrier 24 is 12 μm or more and 50 μm or less. When the thickness of the carrier 24 is less than 4 μm, it is difficult to process due to insufficient physical strength.

[0234] The transfer process can be carried out using metal or resin molds under the following conditions: mold surface temperature of approximately 80℃~150℃, mold contact time of 0.1 seconds~3 seconds, and transfer pressure of 100~500 kg / cm². 2By setting each of the temperature, contact time, and transfer pressure below their respective upper limits, excessive heat can be prevented from transferring the portion surrounding the transfer foil 11 to the substrate, and excessive heat can also prevent deformation of the surface of the substrate. Furthermore, by setting each of the temperature, contact time, and transfer pressure above their respective lower limits, it can be prevented that a portion of the transfer foil 11 cannot be transferred to the substrate due to insufficient adhesion between the transfer foil 11 and the substrate.

[0235] The information recording sheet 19, on which the transfer foil 11 is transferred, has at least one support layer 21 with a printed body 23 on its surface on the side opposite to the transfer foil 11. By covering the top and bottom of these layers with a protective sheet 18 and applying heat and pressure to the whole, all the layers are bonded together, thereby embedding the transfer foil 11 between the information recording sheet 19 and the protective sheet 18. In this bonding process, when the information recording sheet 19 and the protective sheet 18 contain polycarbonate, the temperature of the heat source supplying heat to them can be set to 170°C or higher and 200°C or lower, and the contact time between the heat source and them can be set to 1 minute or higher and 30 minutes or lower. Thus, the information recording sheet 19 and the protective sheet 18 containing polycarbonate can be reliably bonded. Depending on whether the card 20 has only a surface 20a or also a back surface 20b, and depending on whether each surface 20a and the back surface 20b has a modified area 22 and a printed body 23, the layers constituting the card 20 are different, and therefore it is not necessary to include them. Figure 21 All the layers shown.

[0236] It should be noted that when the transfer foil 11 is transferred to the protective sheet 18 in the transfer process, in the bonding process, the protective sheet 18 with the transfer foil 11 can be covered by the information recording sheet 19.

[0237] When the bonding process is completed, a card is formed where all layers are integrated. A laser beam is then irradiated onto any location on the information recording film 19 via the surface of the card, i.e., the protective sheet 18. Through this irradiation process, a modified area 22 can be formed on the information recording film 19. The irradiated area is determined by the information displayed in the modified area 22, which can be characters or numbers representing personal information such as name, date of birth, or ID number, or images such as facial images or QR codes. Through the above processes, card 20 is formed.

[0238] The following describes the methods for forming the island region R1 and the sea region R2 in the process of making the transfer foil 11, as described in the first to third embodiments.

[0239] As a method for locally modifying the surface of the relief forming layer 14, i.e., setting island regions R1 and sea regions R2, a surface treatment method can be described where the surface of the relief forming layer 14 is physically covered by a mesh mask. This method is the simplest to perform as a manufacturing process. Alternatively, surface treatment can be performed with a mask layer formed on the surface of the relief forming layer 14 using resin, and then the mask layer can be removed. It should be noted that if the resin used for the mask layer is water-soluble, it can be removed by washing with water; if it is a resin with low acid / alkali resistance, it can be removed by cleaning with an acid / alkali solution. However, in the latter case, the relief forming layer 14 and the patch substrate 13 need to be resistant to the acid / alkali solution used.

[0240] As a method for locally modifying the surface of the reflective layer 16, i.e. setting the island region R1 and the sea region R2, a surface treatment method can be adopted in which the surface of the reflective layer 16 is physically covered by a mesh mask.

[0241] like Figure 14 Therefore, as a method for locally forming or partially removing the second reflective layer 162, the following three methods can be listed. The first method is a method that utilizes the orientation of the relief structure 15 and the material properties of the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162, and the method described in the following known document can be referred to. According to Japanese Patent Application 2017-521701, in a laminate having a first region and a second region, the first material and the second material, two reflective layers, are conveyed in a roll-to-roll manner and simultaneously vapor-deposited on the surface containing the uneven structure, wherein the first region has an uneven structure extending along a first direction or from the first direction to the left and right up to a direction of 10 degrees, and the second region has an uneven structure extending along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction or from the second direction to the left and right up to a direction of 65 degrees. In this patent, a material with low tolerance to alkaline solutions, such as aluminum, is used as the first material; a material with high tolerance to alkaline solutions, and which forms a columnar or porous structure through orthorhombic vapor deposition, such as silicon oxide (SiO2), is used. x The second material is used to align the film's transport direction with the first direction described above, and vapor deposition is performed in the order of the first material and the second material. In the first region, parallel to the film's transport direction, the second material forms a columnar or porous structure, while in the second region, orthogonal to or non-parallel to the film's transport direction, the second material is deposited along the uneven structure with almost no porosity. Depending on this deposition state, when etching the laminate containing the first and second materials using an alkaline solution, the following state can be achieved: the first and second materials are removed in the first region, while the first and second materials remain in the second region.

[0242] As the relief structure 15, utilizing the above mechanism, a grating structure (e.g., a subwavelength grating) extending along the first direction can be provided in the second region S2, and a grating structure extending along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction can be provided in the first region S1. A first reflective layer 161 is provided on the entire surface of the relief forming layer 14 on which the relief structure 15 is formed, and then a second reflective layer 162 is provided on the entire surface of the first reflective layer 161 opposite to the relief forming layer 14. By using a material with higher resistance to acid and alkali solutions than silicon oxide (e.g., titanium dioxide) in the first reflective layer 161 and silicon oxide in the second reflective layer 162, when the transfer foil 11 after the second reflective layer 162 is formed is immersed in an acidic or alkaline etching solution, the second reflective layer 162 can be removed faster in the second region S2, where the contact area with the etching solution is larger, than in the first region S1, when the transfer foil 11 after the second reflective layer 162 is formed is immersed in an acidic or alkaline etching solution. The balance between the removal speed and the amount of the second reflective layer 162 removed from the first region S1 and the second region S2 can be adjusted by the concentration of the etching solution, temperature, and etching processing time. In this method, the etching area can be controlled according to the orientation of the relief structure 15, so compared with the following two methods, etching can be performed with high precision and accuracy (small deviation between the etching position and the second region S2).

[0243] As a second method, by forming a first reflective layer 161 and a second reflective layer 162, then setting a mask layer resistant to the etching solution in the first region S1, and immersing the transfer foil 11 in the etching solution, only the second reflective layer 162 in the second region S2 can be removed. In this case, the etching solution can be a solution resistant to the first reflective layer 161 and the mask layer but not resistant to the second reflective layer 162, or it can be controlled by stopping the etching process at the moment when the second reflective layer 162 in the second region S2 is to be removed, regardless of the characteristics of the first reflective layer 161. After etching, the mask layer is removed to form... Figure 14 The composition of.

[0244] As a third method, by forming a first reflective layer 161 and a second reflective layer 162, and then irradiating a laser beam in a patterned manner, only the second reflective layer 162 in the second region S2 can be removed. However, this method is only effective when the second reflective layer 16 is a material that melts, evaporates, or sublimates when irradiated with a laser beam, and is not suitable for dielectrics that are light-transmitting to the laser beam. Therefore, for example, it is suitable for the following transfer foil 11: the first reflective layer 161 is made of titanium dioxide and the second reflective layer 162 is made of aluminum, etc., forming a dielectric and metal reflective layer in the first region S1 and a dielectric reflective layer in the second region S2, so that the metal reflection can be partially visually identified during observation.

[0245] like Figure 15As shown, two methods can be listed as methods for locally forming the first reflective layer 161 or locally removing the first reflective layer 161. As a first method, the first reflective layer 161 can be formed on the surface of the relief forming layer 14, then a mask layer that is resistant to etching solution can be formed in the first region S1, and the first reflective layer 161 in the second region S2 can be removed, the mask layer can be further removed, and then the second reflective layer 162 can be formed.

[0246] As a second method, a first reflective layer 161 can be formed on the surface of the relief forming layer 14, and then a laser beam can be irradiated only in the second region S2 to remove the first reflective layer 161, followed by the formation of the second reflective layer 162. This method is effective when the first reflective layer 161 is a material that reacts to a laser beam. Therefore, it is suitable for configurations where the first reflective layer 161 is a metallic material such as aluminum or silver, and the second reflective layer 162 is a light-transmitting dielectric.

[0247] In the case of removing the first reflective layer 161 with higher precision and finer detail than the two methods described above, by utilizing... Figure 14 The method described in the text is effective for constructing the relief structure 15. When both the first reflective layer 161 and the second reflective layer 162 are transparent reflective layers, in the second region S2, when the reflective layers 161 and 162 are deposited using a vapor deposition method, a relief structure 15 extending in a direction parallel to the film transport direction is formed; and in the first region S1, a relief structure 15 extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction is formed. The reflective layer in the second region S2 can be removed by etching after forming the silicon oxide that serves as the first reflective layer 161. Then, by forming the second reflective layer 162, a... Figure 15 The composition of.

[0248] When it is desired that the reflective layer contains a metallic material, following Japanese Patent Application 2017-521701, by providing aluminum in the first reflective layer and silicon oxide in the second reflective layer, removing the first and second reflective layers of the second region S2, and then further depositing a light-transmitting dielectric as the third reflective layer, a first region S1 consisting of three layers (one metallic layer and two dielectric layers) and a second region S2 (not shown) consisting of one dielectric layer can be formed. In this case, if the refractive index of the third reflective layer is high, the optical effect in the second region S2 becomes higher, and the visual recognizability of the displayed image 12 becomes higher. Furthermore, by controlling the refractive index difference between the second and third reflective layers, the optical effect (e.g., color value, brightness) in the first region S1 can be changed.

[0249] (Fourth implementation)

[0250] The following is for reference Figures 22-24 The embodiments of the present invention will be described as the fourth embodiment. Figure 22 A plan view illustrating the structure of the laminate (medium) 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Figure 23 For along Figure 22 A cross-sectional view of the laminate 101 along line AA in the figure. Figure 24 To illustrate in Figure 23 The cross-sectional view of the laminate 101 described herein shows the state after the security patch 102 has separated from the protective sheet 105. The aforementioned transfer foil 11 can serve as the security patch 102.

[0251] like Figure 22 and Figure 23 As described, the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment is configured to have a protective sheet 105, an information recording sheet 106, a security patch 102, a star-shaped surface relief 104, and a laser engraving 113. Figure 23 As described, the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106 are bonded to each other at their respective boundaries. Therefore, the security patch 102 in the laminate 101 is configured to be sandwiched between the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106. That is, the security patch 102 is enclosed within the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106 in a manner that prevents it from being exposed to the external atmosphere of the laminate 101. The aforementioned information recording sheet 19 can serve as the information recording sheet 106.

[0252] Because the protective sheet 105 is transparent in the visible light band, the security patch 102 and the surface embossing 104 can be directly observed from the protective sheet 105 side. The protective sheet 105 is provided to protect the enclosed security patch 102 and information recording chip 106. The protective sheet 105 can be constructed as a layer of thermoplastic plastic. The thermoplastic plastic is preferably constructed from polyvinyl chloride, amorphous copolyester, or polycarbonate as the base material.

[0253] The thickness of the protective sheet 105 is preferably 50 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When the thickness of the protective sheet 105 is less than 50 μm, its physical strength is insufficient and it is difficult to process. On the other hand, when the thickness of the protective sheet 105 is greater than 800 μm, the effects of thickness inhomogeneity and deflection become greater during the processing of the protective sheet 105, making it difficult to process.

[0254] Information recording chip 106 is made of a material that undergoes modification when it absorbs the wavelength of a laser used to record information. Modification is a phenomenon resulting from any one or a combination of foaming, carbonization, and discoloration of the material. By irradiating the information recording chip 106 with a laser whose intensity and irradiation point size are adjusted to predetermined values, information can be recorded through material modification. The laser used for recording information can be a solid-state laser. The laser can be a pulsed laser. The wavelength of the laser can be a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths. The information recorded by the information recording chip 106 is, for example, identification information. The information recording chip 106 can be made of polycarbonate with added energy absorbers for the laser used to record information. Such an information recording chip 106 will undergo modification due to a chemical change in the polycarbonate caused by absorbing the heat generated by the laser. A specific example of the information recording chip 106 is SD8B94 from SABIC's LEXAN series (registered trademark). In addition to the polycarbonate material described above, the material used for the information recording chip 106 can also be polyvinyl chloride or amorphous copolyester.

[0255] The thickness of the information recording film 106 is preferably 50 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When the thickness of the information recording film 106 is less than 50 μm, the color development is insufficient due to the insufficient thickness, and the contrast between the modified area and the unmodified area deteriorates. On the other hand, when the thickness of the information recording film 106 is greater than 800 μm, the transparency is compromised, resulting in a stronger black appearance, which further deteriorates the contrast between the modified and unmodified areas.

[0256] like Figure 23 As described, the security patch 102 is constructed by sequentially stacking an adhesive layer 109, a fracture layer 108, and a verification layer 107 from the protective sheet 105 toward the information recording sheet 106, i.e., along the thickness direction of the laminate 101, and has an embossed structure 103 between the fracture layer 108 and the verification layer 107. It should be noted that the embossed structure 103 is described as an embossed structure layer 103 in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-132592. Therefore, the embossed structure 103 can be referred to as the embossed structure layer 103. In the security patch 102, the fracture layer 108 and the adhesive layer 109 are formed in contact with the protective sheet 105. The verification layer 107 is formed in contact with the information recording sheet 106. The embossed structure 103 is composed of a surface embossing 104 and a reflective layer 110. Figure 23As described, the relief structure 103 is formed at the boundary between the fracture layer 108 and the proof layer 107. According to the fourth embodiment, in the thickness direction of the laminate 101, the protective sheet 105 is bonded to the adhesive layer 109 of the security patch 102. In the thickness direction of the laminate 101, the information recording sheet 106 is bonded to the proof layer 107 on the opposite side of the adhesive layer 109 formed in the security patch 102. In other words, the laminate 101 has the following structure: in its thickness direction, the protective sheet 105, the adhesive layer 109 of the security patch 102, the fracture layer 108, the relief structure 103, the proof layer 107, and the information recording sheet 106 are formed sequentially. The lamination of the relief forming layer 14 and the patch substrate 13 can serve as the proof layer 107. The information recording sheet can also serve as the information recording sheet 107.

[0257] like Figure 23 As described, the relief structure 103 consists of a surface relief 104 and a reflective layer 110. The surface relief 104 is configured such that multiple fine concave-convex shapes with a height difference of 0.1 μm to 10 μm in the thickness direction of the laminate 101 are spaced apart by 0.1 μm to 20 μm in the width direction (orthogonal to the thickness direction) of the laminate 101. The surface relief 104 is formed by a combination of one or more optical structures, such as a light diffraction structure, a non-reflective structure, an isotropic or anisotropic scattering structure, a lens structure, and a polarized selective reflection structure. Because the surface relief 104 has the above-described structure, forgery or tampering of information recorded on the information recording sheet 106 can be detected by visual inspection or a detection device. The surface relief 104 also provides a decorative quality to the laminate 101. The surface relief 104 can form patterns and images of patterns corresponding to the configuration of the above-described structure. Observers can observe the shape of the displayed pattern. In other words, the pattern is visually formed by the observer. Information such as proof can be recorded within the pattern. Instances of patterns can be formed from portraits, landmark patterns, art, natural patterns, calligraphy, text, marks, symbols, signals, signs, codes, geometric patterns, etc. Codes can be barcodes and QR codes. Instances of geometric patterns can be guilloche patterns. Instances of text are microtext. Instances of calligraphy include Western calligraphy, Islamic calligraphy, Georgian calligraphy, Chinese calligraphy, Japanese calligraphy, Korean calligraphy, Filipino calligraphy (Suyat), Thai calligraphy, Indian Orya script, and Nepalese calligraphy.

[0258] The relief structure 103, by providing a reflective layer 110, allows for easy observation of the pattern on the surface relief 104. The reflective layer 110 enhances the visual recognizability of the relief structure 103. The reflective layer 110 also enables complex visual effects resulting from the optical properties of the relief structure 103. The reflective layer 110 can be made from materials that are easy to process, inexpensive, and capable of producing high-gloss, opaque films. The reflective layer 110 can be formed from compounds such as aluminum, zinc sulfide (which has a high refractive index under visible light and is easy to process), or titanium dioxide. The reflective layer 110 can be formed by a deposition method. The deposition method can be either physical deposition or chemical deposition, or both. Physical deposition can be vacuum evaporation or sputtering. The reflective layer 110 is preferably formed with a film thickness of 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0259] The material of the reflective layer 110 can be a metal or a compound. The compound can be a metal compound and silicon oxide. When the reflective layer 110 is formed of a metal, it has concealment. When the reflective layer 110 is formed of a compound, it can be formed as a light-transmitting reflective layer. The reflective layer 110 can be formed as a single layer or multiple layers. When the reflective layer 110 is formed as a multiple layer, it can be formed by stacking multiple metal layers and a dielectric layer of the compound. When the reflective layer 110 is formed as a multiple layer, the metal layer can be formed to partially cover the surface relief 104, while the dielectric layer of the compound can be formed to completely cover the surface relief 104. Furthermore, when the reflective layer 110 is formed as a multiple layer, the metal layer can be formed to partially cover the surface relief 104, and the dielectric layer of the compound can also be formed to partially cover the surface relief 104. In other words, when the reflective layer 110 is formed as a multiple layer, the metal layer and the dielectric layer of the compound can be provided to cover the entire surface of the surface relief 104, or they can be provided to partially cover the surface relief 104. When the reflective layer 110 is formed by partially covering the surface relief 104 with either a metal layer or a compound dielectric layer, the peel strength between the metal layer and the portion with the compound dielectric layer differs from the peel strength between the metal layer and the portion without the compound dielectric layer. Therefore, when the laminate 101 is improperly damaged, the fracture mode of the fracture layer 108 becomes more complex, making it more difficult to improperly remove the security patch 102 and reattach it to other items. The outlines of the partially formed metal layer and / or compound dielectric layer in the reflective layer 110 can be patterned. Information can be recorded in the pattern. The information recorded in the pattern can be either certification information or identification information, or a combination thereof.

[0260] Information about the reflective layer 110 can be recorded using a laser beam. The laser used for the laser beam can be a solid-state laser. The solid-state laser can be a semiconductor laser.

[0261] The laser can be a pulsed laser. The wavelength of the laser can be a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths. The recording of information on the reflective layer 110 can be performed using the same process as the recording of information on the information recording sheet 106. The identification information recorded as the outline of the dielectric layer of the metal layer and / or compound can include part or all of the identification information recorded by the modification of the information recording sheet 106. Furthermore, the identification information recorded as the outline of the dielectric layer of the metal layer and / or compound can also be information that is encrypted, consisting of part or all of the identification information recorded by the modification of the information recording sheet 106. By using a laser beam to record the information of the information recording sheet 106 as the outline of the dielectric layer of the metal layer and / or compound, tampering with the information recording sheet 106, tampering caused by the re-attachment of the medium, etc., can be detected. Since the fracture shape of the fracture layer 108 leaves traces of the outline of the dielectric layer of the metal layer and / or compound, tampering can be detected.

[0262] The information described above includes, for example, text, marks, symbols, signals, signs, codes, geometric patterns, and calligraphy. Examples of symbols include flags, shields, swords, spears, crowns, stars, moons, flowers, leaves, plants, birds, wings, fish, arthropods, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, legendary creatures, mythological gods, and mythological goddesses. Codes include, for example, barcodes and QR codes. Examples of geometric patterns include guilloche patterns. Text can be microtext. Examples of calligraphy include Western calligraphy, Islamic calligraphy, Georgian calligraphy, Chinese calligraphy, Japanese calligraphy, Korean calligraphy, Filipino calligraphy (Suyat), Thai calligraphy, Indian Orya script, and Nepalese calligraphy.

[0263] The hybrid reflective layer 110, formed by stacking metal layers and dielectric layers of compounds, can be formed by three methods. The first method involves forming a soluble resin only in the desired area, then forming a metal layer, a dielectric layer, or both, and then removing the soluble resin, metal layer, and dielectric layer using a cleaning method. The soluble resin can be partially applied by printing. This allows for the partial formation of the dielectric layer. The second method involves using an acid- or alkali-resistant resin and partially applying it to the metal layer, then etching the metal layer using an acid or alkali. The acid- or alkali-resistant resin can also be partially applied by printing. This method offers excellent productivity, and the outline shape of the partially formed metal layer is clear. The third method involves coating a soluble or insoluble resin material, depending on the exposure conditions, exposing it through a mask with the desired pattern, and then removing the unwanted portions by cleaning or etching. In this method, the outline shape of the partially formed metal layer can be obtained with high precision. The above methods are examples of methods for forming a hybrid reflective layer 110 obtained by stacking metal layers and a dielectric layer of compounds. The embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. As long as a hybrid reflective layer 110 obtained by stacking metal layers and a dielectric layer of compounds can be formed, various known techniques can be appropriately utilized.

[0264] like Figure 23 As described, the proof layer 107 contacts the fracture layer 108 directly or via the reflective layer 110 in the thickness direction of the laminate 101, and the proof layer 107 contacts the information recording sheet 106. In the fourth embodiment, it is preferable that the information recording sheet 106 and the protective sheet 105 are bonded to the proof layer 107 of the security patch 102 with high adhesion strength. Preferably, the adhesion strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106, and the adhesion strength between the security patch 102 and the protective sheet 105, are both greater than 50 N / 25 mm.

[0265] In the fourth embodiment, when the adhesion strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording piece 106 is greater than 50N / 25mm width, it is easy to prevent the peeling of the security patch 102 and the information recording piece 106 when the relief structure 103 is removed by improper means, thereby easily reducing the possibility of tampering with the relief structure 103 and reusing it.

[0266] In the fourth embodiment, in the security patch 102, the fracture layer 108 in contact with the protective sheet 105 and the proof layer 107 in contact with the information recording sheet 106 form a surface relief 104, and can protect the surface relief 104. In the fourth embodiment, the proof layer 107, the fracture layer 108, and the adhesive layer 109 are provided to adjust the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106.

[0267] Materials used to form these compositions may include: polyesters, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, acid-modified polyolefins, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, polymethyl methacrylate, cyclic polyolefins, melamine, inorganic particles, epoxy resins, and cellulose resins. UV-curable resins may also be used as materials to form these compositions. These UV-curable resins are obtained from monomers, oligomers, polymers, etc., having olefinically unsaturated bonds or olefinically unsaturated groups as precursors. Examples of monomers include 1,6-hexanediol, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate, and dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate. Examples of oligomers include epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates, and polyester acrylates.

[0268] In the fourth embodiment, preferably, the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 in a 90-degree peel bond strength test is 15 N / 25 mm or more and less than 45 N / 25 mm, and the bond strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording film 106, and between the security patch 102 and the protective film 105, is 5 N / 25 mm or more greater than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108. Therefore, in the event of an attempt to improperly remove the security patch 102, fracture will occur in the fracture layer 108 or near the surface relief 104, thereby preventing improper use of the security patch 102. The adhesiveness between the reflective layer 110 formed on the surface relief 104 and the resin of the fracture layer 108 is low, and due to the unevenness of the surface relief 104 and the surface condition of the reflective layer 110, the adhesiveness easily becomes uneven. Therefore, stress concentration is likely to occur near the surface relief 104 during fracture, and similarly, fracture also occurs near the surface relief 104, just as it does in the fracture layer 108. It should be noted that the fracture may not necessarily be in the fracture layer 108; it can be in the proof layer 107 as long as it is near the surface relief 104. Furthermore, it is preferable to include both the fractured portion in the fracture layer 108 and the fractured portion in the proof layer 107. This reliably destroys the surface relief 104. If the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 is 45 N / 25 mm or more, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording piece 106, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the protective piece 105, is 5 N / 25 mm or more greater than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108, fracture will not occur near the surface relief 104, but will easily occur in the adhesive layer 109 and the proof layer 107. If fracture occurs in the adhesive layer 109, the remaining adhesive layer 109 may be used to replicate the shape of the surface relief 104. Furthermore, in the event of a breakage in the proof layer 107, the proof layer 107 may be improperly removed along with the protective sheet 105 and misappropriated for use in cards or similar devices where the proof layer 107 and the protective sheet 105 have been tampered with. On the other hand, when the fracture strength of the broken layer 108 is less than 15 N / 25 mm, the security patch 102, described later, cannot be properly transferred to the surface of the protective sheet 105, which can easily lead to poor transfer. In the fourth embodiment, it is preferable that the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the protective sheet 105, is at least 5 N / 25 mm greater than the fracture strength of the broken layer 108, and is less than 5 times the value of 5 N / 25 mm compared to the fracture strength of the broken layer 108.

[0269] In the fourth embodiment, the fracture layer 108 is formed with transparent resin and filler particles with an average particle size of 1 μm or less. In the fracture layer 108, when the average particle size of the filler is greater than 1 μm, light irradiating the laminate 101 may be scattered by the filler, thus hindering the reading of information stored in the relief structure 103. The average particle size of the filler can be 10 nm or more. When the average particle size of the filler is 10 nm or more, it is difficult to generate defects caused by filler agglomeration.

[0270] As described later, the filler in fracture layer 108 is provided to prevent the removal and reuse of the proof layer 107 in the event of improper damage to the laminate 101. Furthermore, by containing filler, the fracture strength of fracture layer 108 can be controlled. The filler content in fracture layer 108 can be in the range of 10% to 50%. If the filler content in fracture layer 108 is within this range, the fracture strength is easily controlled.

[0271] In the fourth embodiment, the filler material can be silica filler. When forming the safety patch 102 using a resin containing silica filler, the silica filler can be formed in a manner that is appropriately unevenly distributed within the fracture layer 108 during the coating process. Figure 28A As described in the photographs obtained using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), by appropriately and unevenly distributing silica filler within the fracture layer 108, irregular agglomeration and destruction occur in the fracture layer 108 when the evidence layer 107 is improperly removed, resulting in an irregular fracture surface within the fracture layer 108. More specifically, in Figure 28A In the state described in the SEM image, the adhesive layer 109 is formed as follows: a portion ( Figure 28A The amount of silica filler in the adhesive layer 1) is relatively large, while the amount in other parts ( Figure 28A The amount of silica filler in the adhesive layer 2) is small or absent. According to this configuration, because an irregular fracture surface is formed when the fracture layer 108 fractures, it is possible to prevent the reading of information stored in the relief structure 103. Furthermore, it is also impossible to improperly reuse the proof layer 107. On the other hand, as... Figure 28B As shown in the described SEM images, no irregular fracture surfaces formed in the fracture layer 108 can be observed in the adhesive layer 109 without silica filler. The silica filler can have a fixed shape, i.e., shaped or irregular. Shaped fillers can be spherical, needle-like, or flat.

[0272] In the security patch 102, in each of the adhesive layer 109 that contacts the protective sheet 105 and the verification layer 107 that contacts the information recording sheet 106, a filler different from the filler used for the fracture layer 108 can be used. By incorporating fillers into each component of the security patch 102, during the process described later of forming the security patch 102 onto the surface of the protective sheet 105 by transfer printing, burrs caused by peeling outside the desired range can be prevented. Furthermore, the material and shape of the fillers contained in the adhesive layer 109 and the verification layer 107 can differ from the material and shape of the fillers contained in the fracture layer 108. By making the properties of the fillers contained in the adhesive layer 109 and the verification layer 107 different from the properties of the fillers contained in the fracture layer 108, fracture can be generated more reliably in the fracture layer 108.

[0273] In the fourth embodiment, silica filler was described as an example of the filler contained in the fracture layer 108, but the filler contained in the fracture layer 108 is not limited to this. The filler can be formed from any of organic fillers and inorganic fillers, or a combination thereof. The filler can be formed as a mixture of particles with different average particle sizes, or can contain particles of different shapes. The filler can also be formed from organic materials such as polyethylene powder and acrylonitrile-based microparticles. Similarly, the fillers contained in the adhesive layer 109 and the proof layer 107 can also use any of organic fillers and inorganic fillers, or a combination thereof.

[0274] In security patch 102, the adhesive layer 109, the fracture layer 108, and the proof layer 107 do not necessarily have to be single-layered; they can also be multi-layered, with intermediate layers or the like in between.

[0275] Figure 24 To illustrate in Figure 23 The described cross-sectional view shows the state of the security patch 102 after it has separated from the protective sheet 105. (See diagram below.) Figure 24 As described, if the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment is damaged and an attempt is made to remove the proof layer 107 enclosed in the security patch 102 by improper means, cohesive failure occurs in the fracture layer 108 with low fracture strength (strength of 15N / 25mm or more and less than 45N / 25mm) or near the surface relief 104. At this time, a portion of the fracture layer 108, the proof layer 107, and the relief structure 103 enclosed in the fracture layer 108 and the proof layer 107 remain integrally attached to the information recording film 106. In the fourth embodiment, the security patch 102 is significantly thinner than the information recording film 106, making it difficult to separate the security patch 102 from the information recording film 106, which has a thickness of 50μm to 800μm, without damaging the relief structure 103 of the security patch 102. Therefore, as Figure 24As described, even if the stack 101 is damaged by improper means, it can prevent the information-containing proof layer 107 from being separated from the security patch 102 and the information record 106 and reused.

[0276] Previously, when unauthorized alteration of personal information was carried out on cards with embossed structures storing personal information, the following method was used: the verification layer 107 was completely separated from the personal information display portion of the genuine product and removed, and then reattached to the altered personal information. To prevent this method, the following countermeasure can be considered: a laser-developing material containing personal information is firmly bonded to the embossed structure to form an inseparable structure. Then, typically, when the verification layer 107 is removed from the card by unauthorized means, the security patch containing the embossed structure peels off from the interface with weak adhesive strength or breaks at a point with weak fracture strength.

[0277] According to the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment, the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 is 15 N / 25 mm or more and less than 45 N / 25 mm. Therefore, as described above, when the laminate 101 is damaged, cohesive failure occurs near the fracture layer 108 or the surface relief 104. Furthermore, according to the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment, it is preferable that the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording film 106, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the protective film 105, is at least 5 N / 25 mm greater than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108, and is less than 5 times the value of 5 N / 25 mm compared to the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108. Thus, when it is desired to remove the security patch 102 from the laminate 101, fracture can occur in the fracture layer 108 of the security patch 102 or near the surface relief 104. In addition, the fracture layer 108 of the laminate 101 described in the fourth embodiment is formed having transparent resin and filler with an average particle size of 1 μm or less. Therefore, even if the fracture layer 108 is damaged, it is difficult to extract the information stored in the relief structure 103 of the security patch 102 from the fracture surface. That is, according to the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment, as in the past, the possibility of damage to the bonding structure at the interface between the security patch and the protective sheet (protective material) and the possibility of damage to the bonding structure at the interface between the security patch and the information recording sheet (laser color developing material) can be eliminated.

[0278] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0279] The following uses Figure 25 and Figure 26 As a fifth embodiment of the present invention, the details of the card will be described. Figure 25 A floor plan illustrating the structure of Card 111. Card 111 can be a data page of a passport or visa with the same structure. Figure 26 For along Figure 25 A cross-sectional view of the BB line of the card 111 involved.

[0280] like Figure 26 As described, in the card 111 described in the fifth embodiment, a card-shaped protective sheet 105, an information recording sheet 106, a white material layer 114, and the protective sheet 105 are sequentially formed along the thickness direction of the card 111. Compared with the laminate 101 described in the fourth embodiment, in the card 111 of the fifth embodiment, the white material layer 114 and the protective sheet 105 are further sequentially formed inside the information recording sheet 106 along the thickness direction of the card 111. Furthermore, similar to the laminate 101 described in the fourth embodiment, the security patch 102 is constructed by sequentially laminating an adhesive layer 109, a fracture layer 108, and a proof layer 107 in the direction from the protective sheet 105 toward the information recording sheet 106, i.e., along the thickness direction of the card 111, and has an embossed structure 103 between the fracture layer 108 and the proof layer 107. The structure of the security patch 102 is the same as that in the fourth embodiment, so its detailed description is omitted.

[0281] In addition to the embossed structure 103 of the security patch 102, the card 111 also has a printed layer 112 and laser engraving 113 to record information. For example... Figure 26 As described, the security patch 102 and laser engraving 113 are formed at the boundary where the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106 are bonded. On the other hand, the printed layer 112 is formed at the boundary where the information recording sheet 106 and the white material layer 114 are bonded. That is, in the card 111 of the fifth embodiment, the security patch 102 and laser engraving 113 are enclosed within the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106. On the other hand, the printed layer 112 is enclosed within the information recording sheet 106 and the white material layer 114. Figure 25 As described, in the card 111 of the fifth embodiment, the laser engraving 113 and the printed layer 112 are confirmed by visual inspection or machine recognition, so the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106 are at least optically transparent to visible light. The information recording sheet 106 may also be light-transmitting.

[0282] In card 111, the printing layer 112 is a layer applied to the entire surface in any desired color or in the form of characters or patterns to convey the information to be conveyed. The printing layer 112 can be formed using ink. The printing of the printing layer 112 can affect the fracture state of the fracture layer 108. Depending on the printing method, the ink used here can be offset ink, letterpress ink, or gravure ink. Depending on the composition, the ink can be resin ink, oil-based ink, or water-based ink. Furthermore, depending on the drying method, it can be oxidative polymerization ink, impregnation drying ink, evaporation drying ink, or UV-curing ink. The printing layer 112 can also use functional inks whose color changes according to the angle of light exposure or viewing angle. Such functional inks can be optically variable inks, color-changing inks, and pearlescent inks. The printing layer 112 formed using the above-mentioned functional inks can improve the anti-counterfeiting properties of card 111.

[0283] The printed layer 112 can be formed using a toner via an electrophotographic method. In this case, a toner containing graphite and pigment particles attached to charged plastic particles is prepared. The toner is transferred to the substrate using the static electricity generated by the charged particles, and then heated and fixed to form the printed layer 112.

[0284] The white material layer 114 is formed to give the card 111 a white opacity. The white opacity makes it easy to observe the printed layer 112 and the laser engraving 113, and is used to conceal and store information such as IC chips. The white material layer 114 is preferably made of a material containing white materials such as titanium dioxide in polyvinyl chloride, amorphous copolyester or polycarbonate.

[0285] The thickness of the white material layer 114 is preferably 200 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When the thickness of the white material layer 114 is less than 200 μm, the white opacity becomes insufficient, making it difficult to achieve the desired performance. On the other hand, when the thickness of the white material layer 114 is greater than 800 μm, the effects of thickness inhomogeneity and flexural deformation of the white material layer 114 become greater during processing, making processing difficult, and therefore this is not preferred.

[0286] If the card 111 involved in this invention is damaged by improper means and the security patch 102 containing the embossed structure 103 is removed, cohesive damage will occur in the fracture layer 108 with low fracture strength or near the surface embossing 104. Therefore, the embossed structure 103 can remain attached to the information recording sheet 106. Furthermore, according to the card 111 of the fifth embodiment, the printed layer 112 for recording information and the laser engraving 113 are also formed on the side of the information recording sheet 106, so in the event of tampering with the information recorded in the card 111 and making improper use, it is necessary to separate the security patch 102 from the information recording sheet 106. However, similar to the laminate 101 involved in the fourth embodiment described above, it is very difficult to separate the security patch 102 from the thick information recording sheet 106 while keeping the embossed structure 103 within the thin security patch 102. On the other hand, the protective sheet 105 separated from the security patch 102 does not contain any recorded information or only retains incomplete information, so there is no risk of improper misappropriation.

[0287] (Sixth Embodiment)

[0288] The following is for reference Figures 27A to 27C The methods for manufacturing the laminate 101 according to the fourth embodiment and the card 111 according to the fifth embodiment will be described. Figures 27A to 27C A cross-sectional view illustrating the method for manufacturing the laminate 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0289] Figure 27A The process of forming a security patch 102 by transfer on the surface of a protective sheet 105 is shown. More specifically, for the security patch 102 held by the carrier 116, the adhesive layer 109 of the security patch 102 is adhered to the protective sheet 105 by applying an appropriate external force (heat, pressure, etc.) 115 from the carrier 116 side, and a portion of the security patch 102 is separated from the carrier 116 and transferred to the surface side of the protective sheet 105. Figure 27A The process of transferring the security patch 102 onto the surface of the protective sheet 105 is shown, but in the sixth embodiment, the security patch 102 may also be transferred onto the surface of the information recording sheet 106.

[0290] In the process of transferring the security patch 102 onto the surface of the protective sheet 105, it is preferable to use a metal or resin mold and perform the transfer under the following conditions: a mold surface temperature of approximately 80°C to 150°C, a mold contact time of 0.1 to 3 seconds, and a transfer pressure of 100 to 500 kg / cm². 2Excessive heat, especially at higher temperatures for longer periods or under excessive pressure, can cause unintended transfer of the safety patch 102. Furthermore, excessive heat can lead to unintended thermal deformation of the surface of the protective sheet 105, which is the object to be transferred. Conversely, insufficient temperature for short periods or under insufficient pressure may prevent the safety patch 102 from being properly bonded to the protective sheet 105. Therefore, appropriate transfer conditions must be selected in a timely manner to suppress partial or complete transfer defects during the transfer process. Based on the aforementioned transfer conditions, the safety patch 102 according to the above embodiments of the present invention can be well transferred to the surface of the protective sheet 105.

[0291] The carrier 116 is configured to hold the security patch 102 before transfer. The carrier 116 is preferably a plastic film. More specifically, the carrier 116 can be a plastic film such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), or PP (polypropylene). However, it is preferable that the carrier 116 is formed of a material that is less susceptible to deformation or modification due to the external force 115 of heat and pressure applied when the security patch 102 is supported by the carrier 116. Furthermore, depending on the application and purpose, the carrier 116 can also be formed using paper, synthetic paper, multi-layer plastic paper, resin-impregnated paper, etc. According to the sixth embodiment, the thickness of the carrier 116 is preferably 4 μm or more. More preferably, the thickness of the carrier 116 is 12 μm or more and 50 μm or less. When the thickness of the carrier 116 is less than 4 μm, it is difficult to process due to insufficient physical strength.

[0292] Although Figures 27A to 27C Although not shown in the diagram, the security patch 102 and the carrier 116 do not need to be in direct contact. An intermediate layer can be further provided between the carrier 116 and the security patch 102. In this case, the magnitude of the force used to peel the security patch 102 from the carrier 116 can be adjusted according to the thickness, material, and other conditions of the intermediate layer.

[0293] Figure 27B It shows that by applying an appropriate external force 115, the force will be generated by... Figure 27A The process shown involves transferring the security patch 102, made in the illustrated step, onto the protective film 105, and then bonding it to the information recording film 106. (As shown...) Figure 27B As described, the protective sheet 105, the security patch 102, and the information recording sheet 106 are bonded together by sandwiching the security patch 102 between the protective sheet 105 and the information recording sheet 106.

[0294] exist Figure 27B In the described process, sufficient heat is required to fully bond the protective sheet 105, the security patch 102, and the information recording sheet 106, enough to soften and deform these components. Figure 27ACompared to the heat in the transfer process shown, in Figure 27B In the described bonding process, the heat applied to bond the protective sheet 105, security patch 102, and information recording sheet 106 together must be sufficiently large. More specifically, in the case where these components are made of a polycarbonate-containing material, a time of approximately 1 to 30 minutes and heat generated by a heat source temperature of 170°C to 200°C are required to soften and deform the polycarbonate. The laminate 101 according to the various embodiments of the present invention is not damaged under the conditions of the bonding process and functions well after the bonding process.

[0295] In the sixth embodiment, Figure 27B The diagram shows a configuration consisting only of a security patch 102, a protection chip 105, and an information recording chip 106. On the other hand, in the production... Figures 25 to 26 When describing the card 111 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the following method can be used: a white material layer 114, on which a printed layer 112 is provided, is further laminated on the side of the information recording film 106, and then an external force 115 is applied to bond the components together. Furthermore, according to the sixth embodiment, when the security patch 102 is transferred onto the information recording film 106, an external force 115 can be applied to the protective sheet 1105 to clamp the security patch 102 relative to the information recording film 106 on which the security patch 102 is transferred. Figure 27B After the described bonding process is completed, as follows Figure 27C As described, the security patch 102 is formed by being enclosed within the protection chip 105 and the information recording chip 106, thus becoming a single unit.

[0296] Next, in Figure 27C In the described process, laser engraving 113 is formed by irradiating the information recording film 106 with a laser beam 117. This allows the lamination 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention to be formed. Although not shown, the card 111 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be formed using the same method.

[0297] According to the sixth embodiment, the adhesive strength between the security patch 102, the protective sheet 105, and the information recording sheet 106 can be adjusted to be greater than 50 N / 25 mm. Therefore, if only the relief structure 103 is removed by improper means, the security patch 102 with the relief structure 103 will undergo coagulation failure in the fracture layer 108 or near the surface relief 104, making it difficult to tamper with the relief structure 103 and reuse it.

[0298] (Seventh Embodiment)

[0299] The following is for reference Figure 29 and Figure 30The seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described, and a card information recording chip and a card using the card information recording chip will be explained.

[0300] Figure 29 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the card information recording chip 201 of the present invention. A protective sheet 206 is stacked on top of the information recording chip 207, and a security patch 205 is embedded between the information recording chip 207 and the protective sheet 206. The aforementioned information recording chip 19 can serve as the information recording chip 206. The embossed structure layer 103 described later can serve as the embossed forming layer 14. The protective sheet 206 described later can serve as the protective sheet 18. The information recording chips 106 and 207 described later can serve as the information recording chip 19.

[0301] The information recording film 207 is made of a material that undergoes modification when it absorbs laser light of a specific wavelength for recording information. This modification can be a direct modification caused by the laser light or an indirect modification caused by the heat generated by absorbing the laser light; it can be a phenomenon resulting from material foaming, carbonization, discoloration, or a combination thereof. By irradiating the film with a laser whose intensity and irradiation point size are adjusted to predetermined values, the information recording film 207 changes color due to the modification of the material, thereby allowing information to be recorded as the modified area 208.

[0302] The laser used to record information can be a solid-state laser. Furthermore, the laser can be a pulsed laser or a continuous laser. Additionally, the laser wavelength can be a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths. It can also be an Nd-YAG wavelength-converting ultraviolet laser (wavelength 380nm), a fiber laser (wavelength 1064nm), or a YAG laser (wavelength 1064nm).

[0303] The information recorded on the information recording chip 207 may be identification information. The laser recording material may be a polycarbonate material with an energy absorber added to absorb the laser beam used to record the information. Such a material will undergo a chemical change and be modified due to the heat generated by absorbing the laser beam. A specific example of a laser recording material is SD8B94 from SABIC's LEXAN series (registered trademark).

[0304] The information recording chip 207 consists of a matrix phase and a dispersed phase. The matrix phase is composed of polycarbonate as a heat-resistant base material, and the dispersed phase is formed of a polyester resin that softens more easily than polycarbonate. By adding an energy absorber that absorbs the laser light used to record information to the polycarbonate, the polycarbonate itself undergoes a chemical change due to the heat generated by absorbing the laser light, resulting in a color change. The polyester resin can be an amorphous polyester resin with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of -20°C to 110°C, which provides good adhesion to the matrix phase. Furthermore, using an amorphous polyester resin can also improve adhesion to security patches.

[0305] The proportion of the dispersed phase composed of the polyester resin is preferably 5 wt% to 30 wt%. At 5 wt% or less, no substantial effect can be obtained; at 30 wt% or more, peeling will occur under stresses such as flexural stress. Furthermore, the average particle size of the dispersed phase region is preferably 0.1 μm to 10 μm.

[0306] When the polycarbonate resin in the matrix phase is modified by laser irradiation, its adhesion to the polyester resin in the dispersed phase decreases. Therefore, when the laser-engraved layer is peeled off for tampering purposes, the information recording film itself is damaged, making tampering impossible. On the other hand, the location where the security patch 205 is located is not irradiated by the laser, so its adhesion to the information recording film remains unchanged, making it difficult to peel off.

[0307] The thickness of the information recording film 207 is preferably 50 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When it is less than 50 μm, the contrast between the modified and unmodified areas deteriorates due to insufficient color development from laser engraving. On the other hand, when the thickness is greater than 800 μm, transparency is compromised, resulting in a stronger black appearance, which further deteriorates the contrast between the modified and unmodified areas.

[0308] The protective sheet 206 only needs to be transparent within the visible light wavelength range, so that the security patch 205 and modified area 208 disposed on the underlying layer can be visually identified. Transparent thermoplastics such as polycarbonate sheets can be used. The thickness of the protective sheet 206 is preferably 50 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When it is less than 50 μm, the physical strength is insufficient; when it is greater than 800 μm, the unevenness of thickness and the effects of flexural deformation become greater during the processing of the protective sheet 206, making processing difficult.

[0309] The security patch 205 can be configured as a laminate consisting of a patch substrate 204, an embossing layer 203, and a fracture layer 202. An embossing layer 203, composed of a diffraction grating or a hologram, is disposed on the patch substrate 204, and the fracture layer 202 is further laminated thereon. To improve the visual recognizability of the embossing, a metal thin film or a high-refractive-index oxide thin film can be laminated on the embossing layer 203. The fracture layer 202 can be made of an adhesive, for example, as long as it can destroy the embossing layer 203 when the security patch is removed or otherwise tampered with.

[0310] The embossed forming layer 203 can be a thermoplastic resin, a thermosetting resin, or a photocurable resin. As the synthetic resin forming the embossed forming layer 203, the synthetic resin used to form the embossed forming layer 14 according to the above embodiments can be used. It should be noted that the embossed forming layer 203 is not limited to a single layer, but can also be multilayered. In the case of multiple layers, it can be a laminate of a curable resin and a thermoplastic resin. The thermoplastic resin can be a resin containing polymethyl methacrylate or an acid-modified polyolefin. Alternatively, in the case of multiple layers, it can contain layers of thermoplastic resins with different physical properties. Alternatively, the embossed forming layer 203 can contain inorganic powder or polymer powder. By containing powder, the interfacial adhesion strength between the embossed forming layer 203 and the patch substrate 204 can be adjusted. Therefore, the side of the embossed forming layer 203 with the embossed structure can be a layer of curable resin, and the opposite side can be a layer of thermoplastic resin containing inorganic powder or polymer powder. The embossed forming layer 203 can contain a resin with a melting point higher than that of the protective sheet.

[0311] The relief forming layer 203 has concave or convex portions, or both, and possesses optical properties such as diffraction, light reflection suppression, isotropic or anisotropic light scattering, refraction, polarization / wavelength selective reflection, transmission, and light reflection suppression, thus serving as a stacked optical structure. For example, by providing a lacquer layer and setting regions of diffraction grating structures thereon with a spacing of 0.5 μm to 2 μm and a depth of 0.05 μm to 0.5 μm, the relief structure possesses the property of causing light diffraction. By setting moth-eye structures or deep grating structures on the relief forming layer 203 with a spacing of 0.1 μm to 0.5 μm and a depth of 0.25 μm to 0.75 μm, the relief forming layer 203 possesses the properties of light reflection suppression, polarization / wavelength selective reflection, transmission, and light reflection suppression. By setting regions of non-periodic linear or dot-like repeating structures on the relief forming layer 203 with an average spacing of 0.5μm to 3μm and a depth of 0.05μm to 0.5μm, the relief structure possesses the property of emitting isotropic or anisotropic scattered light. By setting regions of structures with an average spacing greater than 3μm and a depth greater than 0.5μm on the relief forming layer 203, making their refractive index different from that of adjacent layers, the relief forming layer 203 possesses refractive properties.

[0312] The optical properties of the embossed layer 203 can be perceived and detected visually or by machine. This enhances anti-counterfeiting and design capabilities. The optical effects of the embossed structure can display visually recognizable images. Examples of images can be portraits, landmark patterns, natural motifs, calligraphy, geometric patterns, characters, numbers, signs, symbols, emblems, coats of arms, or codes, or combinations thereof. Examples of symbols can be those described in the above embodiments.

[0313] The material of the fracture layer 202 may include at least one substance from the second group consisting of polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyester, acid-modified polyolefin, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin.

[0314] Furthermore, the relief forming layer 203 may have a reflective layer between it and the fracture layer 202. The material of the reflective layer can be a metal or a dielectric; in the case of a metal, it can be a concealed reflective layer, and in the case of a dielectric, it can be a light-transmitting reflective layer. Examples of metals include aluminum and silver. Dielectrics can be metal compounds and silicon oxide, etc. Metal compounds can be metal oxides, metal sulfides, and metal fluorides. Furthermore, examples of metal compounds include zinc oxide, titanium oxide, niobium oxide (NbO2), and zinc sulfide. When the reflective layer consists of two layers, a first reflective layer and a second reflective layer, two of the above materials can be selected; for example, the first reflective layer can be silicon dioxide, and the second reflective layer can be titanium dioxide.

[0315] When the refractive index of the dielectric in visible light is 2.0 or higher, a refractive index difference with the relief layer 203 is easily obtained. This increases the reflectivity of reflected light, which is determined by the shape of the relief structure, making the image easily visible to the observer. The reflective layer can be formed by deposition. The deposition method can be any one of physical deposition, chemical deposition, or both. Physical deposition can be vacuum evaporation or sputtering. The reflective layer is preferably formed with a film thickness of 10 nm to 200 nm.

[0316] The material of the patch substrate 204 can be the same as that used to form the embossed forming layer 203. This material may include at least one of polymethyl methacrylate, polyester, cyclic polyolefin, melamine, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin. These materials form an adhesive layer on the patch substrate, thereby easily achieving sufficient interfacial adhesive strength between the contacting polycarbonate-containing layers. Furthermore, the material used to form the adhesive layer can be a resin having carbonate bonds (-O-CO-O-), urethane bonds (-NH-CO-), or ester bonds (-O-CO-). In bonding with polycarbonate, the interfacial adhesive strength between resins with ester bonds having a similar structure to carbonate bonds or resins having urethane bonds tends to be higher.

[0317] Figure 30 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an example of a card 212 using a card sheet constructed according to the present invention. A white material layer 209 with a printing section 211 and a back protective sheet 210 are stacked together with the card sheet 201.

[0318] The white material layer 209 is formed to impart white opacity to the card 212. White opacity is a characteristic that makes it easy to observe the printed area 211 and the modified area 208, and is used to conceal and store information such as the IC chip. The white material layer 209 is preferably made of a material containing and appropriately adding white materials such as titanium dioxide to polyvinyl chloride, amorphous copolyester, or polycarbonate.

[0319] The thickness of the white material layer 209 is preferably 200 μm or more and 800 μm or less. When the thickness of the white material layer 209 is less than 200 μm, the white opacity becomes insufficient, making it difficult to achieve the desired performance. Furthermore, when the thickness is greater than 800 μm, the effects of thickness inhomogeneity and flexural deformation during processing become greater, which is therefore not preferred.

[0320] The printing section 211 can have any color. The printing section 211 can be located entirely or partially on characters, patterns, geometric patterns, numbers, symbols, codes, etc. Ink can be used as the material for forming the printing section 211. Depending on the printing method, offset ink, letterpress ink, and gravure ink can be used. Depending on the composition, the ink can be resin ink, oil-based ink, and water-based ink. Furthermore, depending on the drying method, it can be oxidative polymerization ink, impregnation drying ink, evaporation drying ink, and UV curing ink. In addition, the printing section 211 can use functional inks whose color changes according to the angle of light irradiation or viewing angle. Examples of such functional inks include optically variable inks, color-changing inks, and pearlescent inks. Functional inks can also be magnetic. Using the aforementioned functional inks to form the printing section 211 can improve the anti-counterfeiting properties of the card 212.

[0321] The back protective sheet 210 can use the same composition as the protective sheet 206.

[0322] Figure 29 The configuration shown can be applied to the first to sixth embodiments described above. The information recording sheet 106 can be used instead of the information recording sheet 207, and the protective sheet 105 can be used instead of the protective sheet 206. In this case, the material constituting the information recording sheet 207 can be applied to the information recording sheet 106.

[0323] Alternatively, the information recording film 19 described above can be used instead of the information recording film 207, and the protective film 18 described above can be used instead of the protective film 206. In this case, the material constituting the information recording film 207 can be applied to the information recording film 19.

[0324] (Manufacturing method)

[0325] The security patch 205 can be made of transfer foil, which is obtained by sequentially layering a patch substrate 204, an embossing layer 203, a reflective layer, and a fracture layer 202 on a carrier film. As described above, the reflective layer can be formed by a deposition method. The deposition method can be any one of physical deposition, chemical deposition, or both. Physical deposition can be vacuum evaporation or sputtering. The other layers can be formed by applying their respective coating solutions and drying them in an oven.

[0326] In this embodiment, the relief forming layer 203 has an uneven surface. The uneven surface can be obtained by coating a film containing a synthetic resin for forming the relief forming layer 203, and then transferring the uneven shape of the mold (embossing plate) with the uneven surface onto the film.

[0327] The embossing plate used for transferring relief onto the relief forming layer 203 can be obtained by the following method. First, a photosensitive resist is coated on one surface of a flat substrate. Then, a light beam is irradiated onto the photosensitive resist to expose a portion of it. The master plate is then obtained by photolithography, which develops the photosensitive resist. Alternatively, a metal mold is manufactured from the master plate using electroplating or the like. This metal mold serves as the master mold for replicating the relief. It should be noted that while the metal mold can also be obtained by machining a metal substrate using lathe technology, machining is difficult when the relief has a complex shape or extremely fine microstructures on the subwavelength scale. Therefore, the above-described photolithography method is used.

[0328] In a transfer foil on which a security patch is formed on a carrier, by applying appropriate external force (heat, pressure, etc.) from the carrier side, the fracture layer is bonded to the protective sheet, while the patch substrate 204 separates from the carrier, so that the security patch composed of the layer below the patch substrate 204 is transferred to the protective sheet.

[0329] The carrier is a film used to hold the safety patch before transfer, and is preferably a plastic film. Specifically, it can be formed using plastic films such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), and PP (polypropylene). The thickness of the carrier is preferably 4 μm or more. More preferably, the thickness of the carrier is 12 μm or more and 50 μm or less. When the carrier thickness is less than 4 μm, it is difficult to process due to insufficient physical strength.

[0330] The transfer process can be carried out using metal or resin molds under the following conditions: mold surface temperature of approximately 80℃~150℃, mold contact time of 0.1 seconds~3 seconds, and transfer pressure of 100~500 kg / cm². 2 By setting each of the temperature, contact time, and transfer pressure below its respective upper limit, excessive heat can be prevented from transferring the portion surrounding the transfer foil to the substrate, and excessive heat can also prevent deformation of the substrate's surface. Furthermore, by setting each of the temperature, contact time, and transfer pressure above its respective lower limit, it can be prevented that insufficient adhesion between the transfer foil and the substrate will prevent a portion of the transfer foil from failing to transfer onto the substrate.

[0331] The information recording film 207, on which a security patch 205 made of transfer foil is transferred, has at least one white material layer 209 with printed portions 211 on its surface as a support on the side opposite to the security patch 205. By covering the top and bottom of these laminates with a protective sheet 206 and a back protective sheet 210, and applying heat and pressure to the whole assembly, all the layers are bonded together, thereby embedding the security patch 205 between the information recording film 207 and the protective sheet 206. In this bonding process, the temperature of the heat source providing heat to them can be set to 170°C or higher and 200°C or lower, and the contact time between the heat source and them can be set to 1 minute or higher and 30 minutes or lower. Thus, the polycarbonate-containing information recording film 207 and the protective sheet 206 can be reliably bonded together.

[0332] After the bonding process is completed, a card is formed where all layers are integrated. A laser beam is then irradiated onto any location on the information recording film 207 through the surface of the card, i.e., the protective sheet. Through this irradiation process, a modified area 208 can be formed on the information recording film 207. The irradiated area is determined by the information displayed in the modified area 208, such as characters or numbers representing personal information like name, date of birth, or personal identification number, or images such as facial images or QR codes. Through the above processes, card 212 is formed.

[0333] Furthermore, by applying the material constituting the information recording chip 207 to the aforementioned information recording chip 106, the same effect as in the seventh embodiment can be obtained even in a structure containing the information recording chip 106.

[0334] Furthermore, by applying the material constituting the information recording chip 207 to the aforementioned information recording chip 19, the same effect as in the seventh embodiment can be obtained even in a structure containing the information recording chip 19.

[0335] Example

[0336] Hereinafter, embodiments and comparative examples are shown to further illustrate the laminate 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention and the card 111 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the specific contents of the embodiments described below. In the following description, unless otherwise stated, "parts" means "parts by mass" and "ratio" means "ratio by mass".

[0337] (Example 1)

[0338] Along Figures 27A to 27C The described processes produced Figure 25 and Figure 26 Card 111 is involved in the fifth embodiment shown.

[0339] (Laminated structure with carrier)

[0340] The following describes the method for manufacturing the laminate with a carrier. The carrier 116 is a PET film with a thickness of 25 μm. Ink A, obtained by dissolving the proof layer 107 in contact with the information recording chip 106 in a solvent, is applied to one side of the carrier 116 using gravure printing. The solvent contained in ink A is evaporated to remove it, so that the thickness of the proof layer 107 is 3 μm. Next, a metal cylindrical plate with an embossed structure consisting of raised and recessed shapes with predetermined height and spacing is used at 2 kgf / cm². 2 Pressing pressure, pressing temperature of 240℃, and pressing speed of 10m / min are used to press the proof layer 107 for roll forming processing.

[0341] Next, the reflective layer 110 is deposited onto one surface of the surface relief 104 formed on the proof layer 107 using a vacuum evaporation method. Then, ink B, obtained by dissolving the fracture layer 108 with a solvent, is applied using gravure printing. The solvent contained in ink B is evaporated to remove it, resulting in a thickness of 4 μm. Next, ink C, obtained by dissolving the adhesive layer 109 with a solvent, is applied using gravure printing. By setting the thickness after removing the solvent contained in the ink to 1 μm, a security patch 102 with a carrier 116 is fabricated.

[0342] (Carrier 116)

[0343] "Lumirror 25T60" (manufactured by "Toray Industries, Inc.")

[0344] (Ink A obtained by dissolving the proof layer 107 in contact with the information recording chip 106 using a solvent)

[0345] 20 parts acrylic resin

[0346] 20 parts of cellulose acetate

[0347] 60 parts of methyl ethyl ketone

[0348] (Reflective layer 110)

[0349] Zinc sulfide (ZnS) thickness

[0350] (Ink B obtained by dissolving fracture layer 108 with a solvent)

[0351]

[0352] (Ink C obtained by dissolving adhesive layer 109 with a solvent)

[0353]

[0354] like Figure 27A As described, the security patch 102 with carrier 116 was transferred to the protective sheet 105 (LEXAN SD8B14, 100 μm thick, melting point approximately 190°C (manufactured by "SABIC Corporation")) using a hot press transfer machine, and then the carrier 116 was removed. The transfer conditions were a transfer temperature of 140°C and a pressure of 200 kg / cm². 2 Transfer time: 1 second.

[0355] Next, to become Figure 26 The described layered structure involves bonding an information recording sheet 106 (LEXAN SD8B94, 100 μm thick, melting point approximately 190°C (manufactured by SABIC Corporation)) and a white material layer 114 (LEXAN SD8B24, 400 μm thick, melting point approximately 190°C (manufactured by SABIC Corporation)) with laser engraving 113 onto a protective sheet 105 with a security patch 102 transferred onto it. The bonding conditions are: a heat of 190°C and a pressure of 80 N / cm². 2 The pressure is applied for 15 minutes. This causes the protective sheet 105, the information recording sheet 106, and the white material layer 114 to bond together. Then, the card is punched and laser engraved 113 using a laser engraving machine (fiber laser type, emission wavelength 1064nm), thus producing the card 111.

[0356] (Example 2)

[0357] When making security patch 102, the ink obtained by dissolving the fracture layer 108 with a solvent was changed to ink D. Otherwise, security patch 102 and card 111 were made with the same configuration and process as in Example 1.

[0358] (Ink D obtained by dissolving fracture layer 108 with a solvent)

[0359]

[0360] (Comparative Example 1)

[0361] When making security patch 102, the ink obtained by dissolving the fracture layer 108 with a solvent was changed to ink E, and the ink obtained by dissolving the adhesive layer 109 with a solvent was changed to ink F. Otherwise, security patch 102 and card 111 were made with the same configuration and process as in Example 2.

[0362] (Ink E obtained by dissolving fracture layer 108 with a solvent)

[0363]

[0364] (Ink F obtained by dissolving adhesive layer 109 with a solvent)

[0365]

[0366]

[0367] The cards 111 manufactured in Examples 1 and 2, and Comparative Example 1, were evaluated according to the following criteria. For these cards, the 90° peel strength between the adhesive layer 109 and the protective sheet 105, the 90° peel strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106, and the 90° peel strength between the adhesive layer 109 and the fracture layer 108 were measured. Furthermore, the ease of improper reuse of the cards 111 was evaluated by assessing whether they could be separated without damage at each boundary surface. Additionally, any changes in visual effects caused by the optical properties of the embossed structure 103 in the cards 111 were confirmed.

[0368] Refer to Table 1 for an explanation of the results.

[0369] [Table 1]

[0370]

[0371] As described in Table 1, in the case of Example 1, the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 109 and the protective sheet 105, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106, are 5 N / 25 mm wider than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108, making separation impossible at the boundary. The fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 is 17 N / 25 mm wide, indicating cohesive failure. From these results, it can be seen that in the case of Example 1, it is difficult to separate the security patch 102 from the card 111, thus making improper reuse difficult (shown as "0" in Table 1). Furthermore, no change in visual effect was observed in the card 111 of Example 1 (shown as "0" in Table 1).

[0372] In Example 2, the bond strength between the adhesive layer 109 and the protective sheet 105, and the bond strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106, are 5 N / 25 mm wider than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108, making separation at the boundary impossible. The fracture layer 108 undergoes cohesive failure at a fracture strength of 42 N / 25 mm. These results indicate that the security patch 102 is difficult to separate from the card 111, thus hindering improper reuse (marked as "0" in Table 1). Furthermore, no visual changes were observed in the card 111 of Example 2 (marked as "0" in Table 1).

[0373] In Comparative Example 1, the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 109 and the protective sheet 105 is 5 N / 25 mm wider than the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108, making separation at the boundary impossible. On the other hand, the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106 is 4.6 N / 25 mm wide, allowing separation at their boundary. The fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 is 42 N / 25 mm wide, resulting in cohesive failure. These results indicate that the security patch 102 easily separates from the card 111, facilitating improper reuse (shown as "×" in Table 1). Furthermore, no visual changes were observed in the card 111 of Comparative Example 1 (shown as "〇" in Table 1).

[0374] When evaluating the cards 111 of Examples 1, 2, and Comparative Example 1, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted based on two indicators: the ease of improper reuse and the change in visual effect resulting from the optical characteristics of the embossed structure. That is, for these cards 111, a comprehensive evaluation of "pass" was only conducted if both indicators were satisfactory (shown as "0" in Table 1). On the other hand, if improper reuse was possible or no change in visual effect was observed, the comprehensive evaluation of "fail" was conducted. Therefore, the comprehensive evaluation of each card 111 of Examples 1 and 2 was satisfactory. On the other hand, the comprehensive evaluation of the card 111 of Comparative Example 1 was unsatisfactory.

[0375] The evaluation results of the cards 111 of Embodiments 1, 2, and Comparative Example 1 were examined. According to the laminate 101 of the fourth embodiment and the card 111 of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, if the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the protective sheet 105, and the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording sheet 106 are greater than 50 N / 25 mm, and the fracture strength of the fracture layer 108 is 15 N / 25 mm or more and less than 45 N / 25 mm, cohesive failure occurs at the fracture layer 108. Therefore, the security patch 102 containing the embossed structure 103 containing information is difficult to separate from the card 111. Therefore, the cards 111 of Embodiments 1 and 2 are difficult to be improperly reused.

[0376] On the other hand, in card 111 of Comparative Example 1, the adhesive strength between the security patch 102 and the information recording chip 106 is 4.6 N / 25 mm width, and the security patch 102 and the information recording chip 106 may separate at this boundary. Therefore, card 111 of Comparative Example 1 has the potential to be improperly reused. Therefore, card 111 of Comparative Example 1 is deemed unqualified because the possibility of improper reuse cannot be ruled out.

[0377] Next, Example 3 and Comparative Example 2 are shown to further illustrate the card sheet according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, "wt parts" refers to parts by mass.

[0378] (Example 3)

[0379] A 100μm polycarbonate sheet, LEXAN SD8B14 (manufactured by SABIC), is used as a protective sheet for the card sheet produced by this invention.

[0380] Prepare the following as an information record.

[0381] For polycarbonate resins, examples include polycarbonate resins with a Tg of 140°C, such as Iupilon (manufactured by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.). The amount of such polycarbonate resin is set at 80 wt parts.

[0382] For polyester resins, examples of amorphous and highly heat-resistant polyester resins include Vylon GK-360 (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.) (number-average molecular weight 16,000, glass transition temperature 56°C, amorphous). The amount of such polyester resin is set at 10 wt%.

[0383] Composite oxide pigments (e.g., Tomatec color, manufactured by TOMATEC Co., Ltd.) are used as laser-absorbing additives and laser-absorbing pigments. The amount of such composite oxide pigment is set to 1 wt parts.

[0384] As a refractive index modulating additive, an Epostar-based additive (e.g., manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.) is used. The amount of such a refractive index modulating additive is set to 1 wt parts.

[0385] The above materials were dry-mixed and then kneaded at 180°C and 10 m / min to obtain granular resin. The granular resin was then extruded at 180°C to obtain a sheet with a thickness of 100 μm.

[0386] A polycarbonate sheet (400 μm thick) containing 5 wt% white pigment, namely titanium dioxide, was used as the white material layer.

[0387] As a security patch, a holographic transfer foil consisting of a patch substrate (Lumirror 50μm, T60T PET film) and a fracture layer (DianalBR grade) is used.

[0388] Transfer the security patch from the transfer foil onto the information recording film prepared as described above. Then, overlap the protective film, the information recording film, the white material layer, and the protective film together, and incubate at 190°C and 2 kgf / cm². 2 The card was obtained by laminating under conditions of 5 minutes.

[0389] Next, laser engraving is performed on the protective sheet side of the pre-card under the following conditions.

[0390] Nd-YAG wavelength-converting ultraviolet laser (wavelength 380nm)

[0391] Power 0.05W

[0392] Scan interval 40μm

[0393] Alternatively, Fiber lasers (wavelength 1064nm) and YAG lasers (wavelength 1064nm) can also be used.

[0394] (Comparative Example 2)

[0395] As an information recorder, the same materials as in Example 3 were used, and the composition was set as follows: 98% polycarbonate, 1% laser absorption additive, and 1% refractive index modulation additive. Otherwise, the card was made in the same manner as in Example 3.

[0396] To remove the security patch from the laser-engraved card, a tool was used to peel it off. In Example 3, the security patch was damaged due to its high adhesion to the information recording chip, but in Comparative Example 2, the low adhesion allowed for complete peeling. Furthermore, when peeling the protective film from the information recording chip, the modified area of ​​the information recording chip in Example 3 was damaged, while in Comparative Example 2, the modified area could be peeled off without damage.

[0397] The various embodiments and multiple examples of the present invention have been described above. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications or deletions can be made to the constituent elements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, or the embodiments can be combined with the structure of the prior art.

[0398] Explanation of symbols

[0399] 10, 101...Layered structures

[0400] 10S···Surface

[0401] 11··· Transfer Foil

[0402] 12··· Images

[0403] 121··· Pattern 1

[0404] 122··· Pattern 2

[0405] 13···Patch Base

[0406] 14, 203... Relief Forming Layer

[0407] 15. Relief Structure

[0408] 15a···First Relief Structure

[0409] 15b···Second Relief Structure

[0410] 16, 110...reflective layer

[0411] 161···First Reflective Layer

[0412] 162···Second Reflective Layer

[0413] 17, 109... Adhesive layer

[0414] 18··· Protective Film

[0415] 19... Information Documentary

[0416] 20···cards

[0417] 20a···Surface

[0418] 20b...back

[0419] 21··· Support Layer

[0420] 22··· Improved Quality Zone

[0421] 23···Print

[0422] 24···Carrier

[0423] 102 Security Patch

[0424] 103··· Relief Structure

[0425] 104···Surface relief

[0426] 105, 206... Protective film

[0427] 106, 207... Information Documentary

[0428] 107···Proof Layer

[0429] 108, 202... fault layers

[0430] 111···card

[0431] 112··· Printing layer

[0432] 113··· Laser engraving

[0433] 114, 209... White material layer

[0434] 115···External Force

[0435] 116···Carrier

[0436] 117···Laser Beam

[0437] 201··· Card Sheet

[0438] 204 Patch Base

[0439] 205 Security Patch

[0440] 208···Modified Zone

[0441] 210··· Back Protective Sheet

[0442] 211 Printing Department

[0443] 212···card

[0444] R1···Island Area

[0445] R2···Sea Area

[0446] SR1···First Relief Area

[0447] SR2···Second Relief Area

[0448] S1··· Area 1

[0449] S2···Second District

[0450] T1, T2...interfacial bond strength

Claims

1. A medium having: The security patch has an adhesive layer, a fracture layer, and a proof layer stacked sequentially along its thickness direction, and has an embossed structure between the fracture layer and the proof layer; A protective sheet is bonded to the adhesive layer in the thickness direction of the security patch; as well as An information recording piece is disposed on the opposite side of the adhesive layer in the thickness direction of the security patch and is adhered to the proof layer of the security patch. The security patch is included within the protection chip and the information recording chip. The fracture strength of the fractured layer in the 90-degree peel bond strength test is greater than 15 N / 25 mm and less than 45 N / 25 mm. The bonding strength between the security patch and the information recording film, and the bonding strength between the security patch and the protective film, are at least 5 N / 25 mm greater than the fracture strength of the fracture layer, and are less than 5 times the fracture strength of the fracture layer.

2. The medium according to claim 1, wherein, The fracture layer is composed of: an optically transparent resin and a filler formed of particles with an average particle size of less than 1 μm.

3. A card comprising: the medium as described in claim 1 or claim 2, and other material layers disposed for storing information.

4. A method for manufacturing a medium, comprising the method for manufacturing the medium according to claim 1 or claim 2, and comprising: The process of transferring and affixing the security patch to the surface of either the information recording film or the protective film; and The process of applying external force and bonding the information recording film and the protective film together, in a manner that covers the security patch.

5. A card-based information recording chip, used in the medium described in claim 1 or claim 2, A protective layer is stacked on top of the information recording chip, and a security patch is embedded between the information recording chip and the protective layer. The security patch is constructed as a laminate consisting of a patch base, an embossing layer, and a fracture layer. The embossed layer is disposed on the patch substrate, and the fracture layer is further layered thereon. The information recording film is a polycarbonate mixed with polyester.

6. The card information recording chip according to claim 5, wherein, The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polyester is -20℃ to 110℃.

7. A card comprising a card information recording chip as described in claim 5 or claim 6.

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