Fingerprint sensor module and IC card

Abstract

To provide a fingerprint sensor module capable of contributing to inexpensively manufacturing an IC card with a fingerprint sensor that does not require contact communication.SOLUTION: A fingerprint sensor module 1 comprises: a substrate 10; a fingerprint sensor 30 that is electrically connected to the substrate; an IC chip 20 that is mounted on the substrate and functions as a secure microcontroller, wherein the secure microcontroller processes information acquired by the fingerprint sensor; and a coupling coil 50 that is formed of a conductor wire and connected to the substrate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fingerprint sensor module. A non-contact communicable IC card using such a fingerprint sensor module is also mentioned.

Background Art

[0002] A non-contact communicable IC card equipped with a fingerprint sensor for verifying whether the user is the true owner of the card is known. When such an IC card is a credit card or the like, there is a high need for a dual IC card that can perform both contact communication at an ATM or the like and non-contact communication with a reader / writer or the like.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a dual IC card equipped with a fingerprint sensor. In this dual IC card, the fingerprint sensor module is connected by wiring to an MCU to which a contact terminal and a non-contact communication antenna are connected, and the fingerprint sensor module interacts with the contact terminal and the non-contact communication antenna via the MCU.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The dual IC card described in Patent Document 1 is highly functional, and in applications other than the financial field, mounting of contact terminals may not be required in some cases. However, in the dual IC card described in Patent Document 1, even in such a case, it is necessary to form wiring between the IC module and the secure microcomputer. Therefore, although the function is reduced, the manufacturing cost does not change much, and there is a problem that it is difficult to provide at a low cost.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a fingerprint sensor module that can contribute to manufacturing an IC card with a fingerprint sensor that does not require contact communication at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a fingerprint sensor module including a substrate, a fingerprint sensor electrically connected to the substrate, an IC chip mounted on the substrate and functioning as a secure microcontroller that handles information acquired by the fingerprint sensor, and a coupling coil formed of element wires made of a conductor and connected to the substrate.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is an IC card including the fingerprint sensor module according to the first aspect and a card body having a non-contact communication antenna and an antenna-side coupling coil. In this IC card, the fingerprint sensor module is attached to the card body in a positional relationship where the coupling coil and the antenna-side coupling coil can be electromagnetically coupled.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] The fingerprint sensor module according to the present invention can contribute to manufacturing an IC card with a fingerprint sensor that does not require contact communication at low cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a fingerprint sensor module (hereinafter simply referred to as "module") 1 according to the present embodiment. The module 1 includes a substrate 10, an IC chip 20 and a fingerprint sensor 30 mounted on the substrate 10, and a coupling coil 50 formed around the fingerprint sensor 30.

[0012] The substrate 10 is formed of a material having insulation properties such as glass epoxy and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and various wirings are provided. The substrate 10 is rectangular in plan view and can have a thickness of about 50 μm to 500 μm. Since the thickness of the fingerprint sensor is about 100 μm to 300 μm, by setting the thickness of the substrate 10 within the above range, the thickness of the module 1 can be easily accommodated within the range of 680 μm to 840 μm defined by ISO / IEC 7810.

[0013] The IC chip 20 functions as a secure microcomputer that performs various processes on the data acquired by the fingerprint sensor 30. The IC chip 20 is electrically connected to the wiring formed on the substrate 10.

[0014] The periphery of the IC chip 20 is surrounded by a peripheral wall 21. At least a part of the peripheral wall 21 has conductivity over the height direction and functions as a wiring for electrically connecting the fingerprint sensor 30 and the substrate 10. Examples of such a structure include providing a conductor pattern on a part of the side surface, providing a hollow part and providing a conductor layer on its inner surface (via-like structure), etc. The space surrounded by the peripheral wall 21 is filled with an insulating resin 22.

[0015] The fingerprint sensor 30 is disposed on the peripheral wall 21 and the resin 22 and is electrically connected to the substrate 10 via the peripheral wall 21. Since the fingerprint sensor 30 is supported from below not only by the peripheral wall 21 but also by the resin 22, it is supported in a stable state in the module 1. With such a structure, in the module 1, in a plan view, the IC chip 20 is located within the range of the fingerprint sensor 30 and they are in a positional relationship of overlapping each other.

[0016] The coupling coil 50 is electrically connected to the substrate 10 and can be formed by winding a strand made of a conductor around the periphery of the peripheral wall 21. As the conductor serving as the material of the strand, copper is typical, but silver, gold, etc. can also be exemplified.

[0017] When manufacturing the module 1, the IC chip 20 is mounted, and the lower end portion of the peripheral wall 21 is electrically connected on the substrate 10 on which the coupling coil 50 is formed. Then, after filling with the resin 22, when the fingerprint sensor 30 is disposed on the peripheral wall 21 and the resin 22 and electrically connected to the lower end portion of the peripheral wall 21, the module 1 in which the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are integrated is completed. For the connection between the peripheral wall 21 and the substrate 10 and the fingerprint sensor 30, it is convenient to use solder. However, if the same solder is used, there is a possibility that the solder connecting the peripheral wall 21 and the substrate 10 melts when connecting the peripheral wall 21 and the fingerprint sensor 30. To prevent this, it is preferable to make the melting point of the solder used for the lower end portion of the peripheral wall 21 higher than the melting point of the solder used for the lower end portion of the peripheral wall 21.

[0018] By incorporating the module 1 according to this embodiment into the card body 100 as shown in FIG. 2, the non-contact communication card can be easily provided with the user authentication function. In one example, the card body 100 has an antenna sheet (not shown) in which an antenna for non-contact communication and a coupling coil with the module are formed, and a resin base material that sandwiches this in the thickness direction, and its basic configuration is known. As shown in FIG. 2, the base material 111 is provided with a stepped through-hole 112 for fitting the module, and an antenna-side coupling coil (not shown) is exposed at the peripheral edge portion 112a that is one step lower without passing through. As the non-contact communication antenna and the antenna-side coupling coil, in addition to the conductor element wire described above, an etching antenna using aluminum can also be used. As the base material 111, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, PET, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, etc. can be used.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, when the module 1 is inserted into the stepped through-hole 112 from the fingerprint sensor 30 side, the fingerprint sensor 30 enters the stepped through-hole 112 and is exposed on the opposite surface of the card body 100. On the other hand, the substrate 10 contacts the peripheral edge portion 112a, and the coupling coil 50 and the antenna-side coupling coil 122 provided on the antenna sheet 121 face each other. As a result, the coupling coil 50 and the antenna-side coupling coil 122 are electromagnetically coupled, and the IC chip 20 can perform non-contact communication with an external device such as a reader / writer. Thus, a non-contact communication IC card capable of user authentication by the fingerprint sensor 30 is completed.

[0020] The module 1 according to this embodiment is integrally incorporated with an IC chip 20 that functions as a secure microcontroller already connected to a substrate 10. Therefore, it becomes possible to manufacture a contactless communication IC card that can perform user authentication using a fingerprint sensor 30 without separately providing wiring or the like for connection to the secure microcontroller simply by attaching it to the card body. Accordingly, a contactless communication IC card with a fingerprint sensor can be efficiently manufactured both in terms of time and cost, and the occurrence of troubles such as disconnection of wiring can be suppressed even after manufacture.

[0021] In addition, there is also an advantage that the thickness of the module can be freely changed only by changing the dimensions of the peripheral wall 21 and the resin 22 in the height direction, so that the restrictions on the thickness of the fingerprint sensor that can be used are reduced.

[0022] The module 1 according to this embodiment is characterized in that the IC chip 20 is located within the range of the fingerprint sensor 30 in a plan view, but its specific structure is not limited to the above-described aspect, and various other configurations can be adopted. Some of the other configuration examples are shown below.

[0023] In the module 1A of the modification shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of copper-core solder balls 23 are used instead of the peripheral wall 21. The copper-core solder balls 23 support the fingerprint sensor 30 to prevent interference between the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30, and also contribute to the electrical connection between the fingerprint sensor 30 and the substrate 10. The resin 22 around the copper-core solder balls 23 can be arranged by an underfill technique. Note that it is not necessary for all the copper-core solder balls 23 to contribute to the electrical connection, and some of the copper-core solder balls 23 may function as spacers that only physically support the fingerprint sensor 30. In the configuration of the module 1A, since the mounting of the IC chip 20 and the installation of the copper-core solder balls 23 on the substrate 10 can be performed simultaneously, there is an advantage that the process can be simplified more than that of the module 1.

[0024] In the module 1B of the modification shown in FIG. 5, the fingerprint sensor 30 is connected to the cavity substrate 31, and the cavity substrate 31 is connected to the substrate 10. The IC chip 20 is positioned within the cavity of the cavity substrate 31, thereby preventing interference between the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30. From the viewpoint of satisfying the provisions of ISO / IEC 7810, the thickness dimension of the cavity substrate 31 is preferably about 500 μm to 700 μm.

[0025] In the module 1C of the modification shown in FIG. 6, a cavity substrate is used as the substrate 10A, and both the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are connected to the substrate 10A. By mounting the IC chip 20 within the cavity of the substrate 10A, the fingerprint sensor 30 is superimposed in the plan view of the module 1C. The coupling coil 50 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 10A. Since the module 1C has a smaller plan view dimension on the side where the IC chip 20 is provided than on the fingerprint sensor 30 side, when attaching to the card body 100 as shown in FIG. 2, it enters the stepped through hole 112 from the IC chip 20 side. Also, since the fingerprint sensor 30 is exposed just by being incorporated into the card body 100, it is not always necessary for the stepped hole to penetrate the card body, and a bottomed stepped hole can also be used.

[0026] Since the modules 1B and 1C use a cavity substrate, it is easy to stabilize the dimension in the thickness direction. As a result, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the manufacturing tolerance and improve the yield.

[0027] The module 1D of the modification shown in FIG. 7 has the same configuration as the module 1, but the plan view dimension of the substrate 10B is substantially the same as that of the fingerprint sensor 30, and the coupling coil 50 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 10B. The substrate 10B has through holes 11 with vias formed on the inner surface, and the coupling coil 50 is connected to the wiring on the upper side of the substrate 10B through the through holes 11.

[0028] When manufacturing a contactless communication IC card with a fingerprint sensor using Module 1D, the coupling coil 50 and the antenna-side coupling coil are electromagnetically coupled below Module 1D. Therefore, the hole provided in the card body does not need to be a stepped hole, and a bottomed hole without a step formed by milling or the like is sufficient. Therefore, the preparatory processing on the card body side can be made very simple, and this contributes to more efficient manufacturing in this respect. Furthermore, since the entire lower surface of the module is joined to the card body, the joining area can be increased compared to the case of attaching to a stepped through-hole. As a result, it has the advantage of improving the durability of the completed card. In Module 1D, similar to the change from Module 1 to Module 1A, a copper-core solder ball 23 may be used instead of the peripheral wall 21.

[0029] The second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. In the following description, the same components as those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing Module 2 according to this embodiment. In Module 2, the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are directly mounted on the substrate 10, and the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are in a positional relationship where they do not overlap in a plan view of Module 2. The IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are sealed with a resin mold 61 and are protected so that the user's finger does not directly touch the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30. Module 2 can be attached to a card body having a stepped through-hole in substantially the same manner as Module 1. At that time, the fingerprint sensor 30 and the IC chip 20 sealed with the mold 61 are exposed on the surface opposite to the card body. If a part for reading the potential of a fingerprint such as a grid-like thin copper foil pattern in the fingerprint sensor 30 is separated from an IC or the like that processes data and provided on the substrate 10, it is also possible to sense the fingerprint without exposing the side where the fingerprint sensor 30 is provided. In such a case, Module 2 may be inserted into the bottomed hole from the mold 61 side and attached to the card body.

[0031] Also in Module 2 according to this embodiment, similar to Module 1, an IC chip 20 that functions as a secure microcontroller is already integrally incorporated in a state of being connected to a substrate 10. Therefore, similar to Module 1, a contactless communication IC card with a fingerprint sensor can be efficiently manufactured in terms of both time and cost, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of troubles such as disconnection of wiring even after manufacturing.

[0032] Module 2 according to this embodiment has a feature that the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are arranged on the same surface of the substrate 10, but its specific structure is not limited to the above-described aspect, and various other configurations can be adopted. Some of the other configuration examples are shown below.

[0033] Module 2A of the modification shown in FIG. 9 has a configuration in which the IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are arranged on the same surface of the substrate 10 in a unitized state. The IC chip 20 and the fingerprint sensor 30 are mounted on a substrate 10B having through holes 11. As a result, an IC chip 20 and a fingerprint sensor 30 are mounted on the substrate 10B, and a fingerprint sensor unit 70 sealed with a mold 61 is configured. The fingerprint sensor unit 70 is mounted on a substrate 10 provided with a coupling coil 50 using copper core solder balls 23. The substrate 10 and the fingerprint sensor unit 70 are electrically connected via the copper core solder balls 23 and vias in the through holes 11. In Module 2A, since the substrate 10 and the fingerprint sensor unit 70 can be manufactured in parallel, there are advantages such as good manufacturing efficiency and easy production management. Also, the dimensions in the thickness direction of the module are easy to adjust.

[0034] Module 2B of the modification shown in FIG. 10 has a substrate 10B similar to Module 1D, and a coupling coil 50 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate 10B. Module 2B can be installed in a bottomed hole without steps formed by milling or the like, and has substantially the same effect as Module 1D.

[0035] As described above, each embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes configuration changes, combinations, etc. within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2, 2A, 2B Fingerprint sensor module 10, 10A, 10B Substrate 20 IC chip 30 Fingerprint sensor 50 Coupling coil 100 Card body 122 Antenna-side coupling coil

Claims

1. A substrate; a fingerprint sensor electrically connected to the substrate; an IC chip mounted on the substrate and functioning as a secure microcomputer that processes information acquired by the fingerprint sensor; a coupling coil formed of a conductor wire and connected to the substrate; Equipped with Fingerprint sensor module.

2. the IC chip is located within the range of the fingerprint sensor in a plan view of the fingerprint sensor module; The fingerprint sensor module according to claim 1 .

3. The fingerprint sensor and the IC chip are mounted on the same surface of the substrate. The fingerprint sensor module according to claim 1 .

4. A fingerprint sensor module according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a card body having a non-contact communication antenna and an antenna side coupling coil; Equipped with the fingerprint sensor module is attached to the card body in a positional relationship that allows electromagnetic coupling between the coupling coil and the antenna-side coupling coil; IC card.

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