IC card and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

To provide an IC card capable of stably acquiring a satisfactory adhesive force to an IC module by ensuring a degree of freedom of design for a layer structure of a card base, and its manufacturing method.SOLUTION: An IC card includes a card base 2 with a recessed part 9, and an IC module 70 including an external connection terminal 71 formed on one face of a substrate 72 and a mold part 74b including an IC chip arranged on the other face. The recessed part 9 is composed of a first recessed part 91 having first depth from the surface for storing the external connection terminal 71, and a second recessed part 92 having second depth for storing the mold part 74b. The card base 2 includes a first base material (an inner layer 41) and a second base material (a core layer 51) on a side farther than the first base material. A bottom surface of the recessed part 91 is formed by a part of the surface of the second base material on a side facing the first base material, and a fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed in an area including at least a portion of the outer periphery of the recessed part 9 in a planar view of the card base 2 between the first base material and the second base material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an IC card capable of contact communication with an external device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as IC cards, contact-type IC cards that input and output electrical signals through external connection terminals on the card surface, and non-contact-type IC cards that input and output electrical signals by electromagnetic induction or the like via an antenna have been used. In addition to these, contact-type and non-contact-type shared IC cards, that is, dual interface IC cards that can realize both the functions of contact-type IC cards and non-contact-type IC cards with a single IC chip provided in the card are also used.

[0003] By the way, the manufacturing of contact-type IC cards is carried out as follows. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a recess is formed at a predetermined position of a card substrate by milling, the recess including a first recess, a second recess, and a third recess having at least one curved convex portion on the side surface. Next, a hot melt adhesive sheet is temporarily fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the substrate around the mold resin portion side of the IC module, and an IC module with the hot melt adhesive sheet temporarily fixed to the peripheral portion of the substrate of the IC module is produced. Further, the IC module is arranged so that the first recess of the card substrate faces the hot melt adhesive sheet on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate around the mold resin portion side of the IC module, and the IC module is fixed and mounted in the recess of the card substrate by applying pressure and heat from the external connection terminal side of the IC module. However, usually, the third recess is not often formed.

[0004] Here, the recess for embedding the IC module generally includes at least a first recess having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate for accommodating the external connection terminals, and a second recess having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the molded portion enclosing the IC chip. The adhesion between the IC module and the card substrate is mainly achieved by providing a sheet-like or liquid adhesive layer between them in the first recess. By the way, the card substrate is usually composed of a plurality of base materials of the same or different resin materials laminated together. However, when the interface of the base materials of different materials is disposed near the depth of the bottom surface of the first recess, due to variations in the depth of the first recess, the thickness of each base material, thermal shrinkage, etc., the position of the interface of the base materials of different materials in the thickness direction of the card substrate may vary. For this reason, a case may occur where the upper-layer base material is exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess, and a case may occur where the lower-layer base material is exposed.

[0005] The design of the card substrate determines the base material configuration of each layer in consideration of the material cost, bending strength, heat resistance, processability, etc. of the IC card. If a base material that can be well adhered to the adhesive layer and a base material that cannot are laminated, it is necessary to ensure that the former base material is exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess. However, in this case, considering the variation in the position of the interface of the base materials of different materials in the thickness direction of the card substrate as described above, the thickness and arrangement of each base material must be determined so that the desired base material exists within a certain range in the thickness direction. As a result, the options for the materials and layer configurations constituting the card substrate are limited, and the degree of freedom in designing the card substrate is reduced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and when a card substrate such as a contact-type IC card is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials having different materials, while ensuring the design freedom of the layer structure of the card substrate, an object is to provide an IC card capable of stably obtaining a good adhesive force with an IC module and a method for manufacturing the IC card.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A first configuration of an IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to the present embodiment includes a card substrate having a recess, and an IC module including a substrate, external connection terminals formed on one surface of the substrate, and a mold portion disposed on the other surface of the substrate and enclosing an IC chip. The recess includes at least a first recess having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate for accommodating the external connection terminals, and a second recess having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the mold portion. The card substrate includes a first base material and a second base material on the side farther from the surface than the first base material. The bottom surface of the first recess is formed on a part of the surface of the second base material on the side facing the first base material, and a fusion inhibition layer is formed in a region between the first base material and the second base material and including at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess in a plan view of the card substrate.

[0009] Also, a second configuration of an IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be such that, in the first configuration, the fusion inhibition layer is formed in a region including the entire outer periphery of the recess in a plan view of the card substrate.

[0010] Also, a third configuration of an IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may be such that, in the first configuration or the second configuration, the fusion inhibition layer is formed on the surface of the first base material on the side facing the second base material with OP varnish.

[0011] Further, in a fourth configuration of the IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to another form of the present embodiment, in any one of the first to third configurations, the first recess is formed after the card substrate is cut to a third depth shallower than the first depth by cutting, and a first portion of the first base material corresponding to the region where the first recess is formed and a second portion of the fusion inhibition layer formed on the surface of the first portion on the side facing the second base material are peeled off from the second base material.

[0012] Moreover, in a fifth configuration of the IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to another form of the present embodiment, in any one of the first to fourth configurations, it may be a dual interface IC card.

[0013] A sixth configuration, which is a method for manufacturing an IC card capable of contact communication with an external device according to the present embodiment, includes a first base material, a second base material, and an IC module including a substrate, external connection terminals formed on one surface of the substrate, and a molded portion containing an IC chip disposed on the other surface of the substrate. The method comprises the steps of preparing the IC module; forming a fusion inhibition layer on one surface of the first base material; forming a laminate by laminating at least the first base material and the second base material such that the fusion inhibition layer is sandwiched between the first base material and the second base material; punching the laminate into a card-sized card substrate; forming, by cutting, a recess including at least a first recess having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate and a second recess having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the molded portion, with the first base material disposed closer to the surface and the second base material disposed farther from the surface; and embedding and fixing the IC module in the recess. After cutting the card substrate to a third depth shallower than the first depth by cutting, the first recess is formed by peeling off a first portion of the first base material corresponding to the region where the first recess is formed and a second portion of the fusion inhibition layer formed on the surface of the first portion on the side facing the second base material from the second base material.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present embodiment, when a card substrate such as a contact-type IC card is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials having different materials, it is possible to provide an IC card capable of stably obtaining a good adhesive force with an IC module while ensuring a high degree of freedom in designing the layer structure of the card substrate, and a method for manufacturing the IC card.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, an example of the IC card of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings and the like. However, the IC card of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples described below.

[0017] Note that the figures shown below are schematic. Therefore, the sizes and shapes of the respective parts are exaggerated as appropriate for ease of understanding. Also, in each figure, the hatching indicating the cross-section of the members is omitted as appropriate. The numerical values such as the dimensions of the respective members described in this specification and the material names are examples as embodiments and are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms specifying shapes and geometric conditions, such as terms like parallel, orthogonal, and perpendicular, shall include not only the strictly defined meanings but also substantially the same states.

[0018] 1. First Embodiment An example of the first embodiment of the IC card of the present disclosure will be described. Here, for convenience of explanation, an XYZ coordinate system is set for the IC card 1. First, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, etc., the Z-axis is taken in the normal direction of the main surface of the IC card 1. Then, from the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 is not arranged to the main surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 is arranged, the direction is defined as the +Z direction or the upward direction in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or the downward direction in the thickness direction.

[0019] Also, when the IC card 1 is viewed from the +Z direction, the X-axis is defined as a straight line perpendicular to the Z-axis and both short sides of the IC card 1. Also, the direction from one short side closer to the external connection terminal 71 to the other short side is defined as the +X direction or the right direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or the left direction. Further, an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Z-axis is defined as the Y-axis, and the direction from one long side farther from the external connection terminal 71 to the other long side is defined as the +Y direction or the upward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or the downward direction.

[0020] Here, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the IC card 1 viewed from the +Z direction. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the IC card 1 in FIG. 1, taken along the A-A line along the X-axis near the center in the direction along the Y-axis of the external connection terminal 71 and viewed from the -Y direction side. Also, FIG. 3 is a figure including the same cross-section as FIG. 2 for explaining the formation process of the recess 9.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the IC card 1 has a form of a substantially rectangular thin plate with rounded corners in a plan view from the +Z direction side. Further, on the surface of the IC card on the +Z direction side, an IC module 70 including external connection terminals 71 is arranged slightly to the upper left from the center, that is, closer to the -X direction and closer to the +Y direction than the center. As shown in FIG. 2, the IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card substrate 2, and is arranged such that the surface of the external connection terminal 71 on the +Z direction side is substantially flush with the surface of the card substrate 2 on the +Z direction side. Such a form of the IC card 1 complies with ISO / IEC 7816, which is an international standard for IC cards.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the card substrate 2 constituting the card body of the IC card 1 is formed by laminating and integrating an oversheet layer 32, an inner layer 44, core layers 52 and 51, an inner layer 41, and an oversheet layer 31 in this order when viewed from the -Z direction side. Typically, the oversheet layers 31 and 32 are transparent base materials, and the inner layers 41 and 44 and the core layers 51 and 52 are white base materials, but it is not limited thereto. Further, a fusion inhibition layer 60 is arranged between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41 so as to extend further to the left from the left end of the recess 9. In other words, the fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed in a region including at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess 9 in a plan view from the direction along the Z axis of the card substrate 2 between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41.

[0023] The fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is, for example, a UV-curable OP varnish, and is formed in advance on the surface facing the core layer 51 of the inner layer 41 by printing or the like. The card substrate 2 with the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 formed on the inner layer 41 can be explained as follows with reference to FIG. 3. First, as shown in FIG. 3(a), in a plan view along the Z-axis direction of the card substrate 2, the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is printed and formed on the surface facing the core layer 51 of the inner layer 41 so as to include a part or the whole of the recess 9, at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess 9, and a further outer region. Then, the over-sheet layer 32, the inner layer 44, the core layers 52 and 51, the inner layer 41, and the over-sheet layer 31 are laminated and thermally pressed at a predetermined temperature, pressure, and time. As a result, these base materials adhere to each other by thermal fusion between the layers and become an integrated laminate.

[0024] However, since the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is disposed in a part of the region between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51, the thermal fusion of the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 is inhibited in this region, and the two are either not adhered or are in a state of having only very weak adhesion. Here, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the recess 9 is formed by cutting with the end mill 200. Specifically, first, the deeper second recess 92 near the center is cut, and then the shallower first recess 91 that is the outer peripheral portion thereof is cut. Here, in the region corresponding to the first recess 91, first, cutting is performed so that the depth from the surface of the card substrate 2 becomes d11, which is shallower than the desired depth. At this time, it is assumed that the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is t11, which is a thickness within a predetermined range.

[0025] In the above-mentioned cutting process, when the end mill 200 cuts the card substrate 2, due to the cutting resistance between the end mill 200 and the card substrate 2, the card substrate 2 on the lower side of the first recess 91 receives a cutting resistance along the rotation direction of the end mill 200, and continuous vibration occurs. At this time, when the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is a thickness within a predetermined range, the fragment of the inner layer 41, which is a fragment of the card substrate 2, is not fused to the core layer 51 below it, so it is easily movable. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3(c), the remaining part 5, which is a fragment of the inner layer 41 loaded by the rotation of the end mill 200, is easily peeled off from the core layer 51 below and separated as if it is pulled off from the outer edge of the first recess 91 (the left end of the first recess 91 in Fig. 3(c)). The remaining part 5 also includes a remaining part 60a which is a part of the fusion-inhibiting layer 60.

[0026] Thus, in the IC card 1 of the present embodiment, when forming the recess 9 by cutting with the end mill 200, the depth of the first recess 91 is not strictly controlled. Even if the first recess is formed with a depth that varies within a range where the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is a thickness within a predetermined range, due to the cutting resistance of the cutting process, the remaining part of the card substrate 2 existing between the bottom surface of the first recess 91 and the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 can be easily separated and removed. As a result, the surface portion that becomes the interface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41 can be surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91. In other words, it can be surely made that the bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed by a part of the surface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41.

[0027] Thus, for example, in the inner layer 41, a material with relatively poor adhesiveness to a general adhesive for adhering the IC module 70 to the inner layer 41 is used, and in the core layer 51, a material with relatively good adhesiveness is used. Even in this case, risks such as a decrease in the degree of freedom in selecting the layer configuration of the card substrate 2 or an increase in the processing load due to the requirement for improved cutting accuracy can be reduced. That is, it is not necessary to limit the thickness and arrangement position of the inner layer 41 or the core layer 51 so that the core layer 51, rather than the inner layer 41, is surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91, and it is not necessary to require depth accuracy greater than necessary for forming the first recess 91. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a card substrate such as a contact-type IC card is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials having different materials, an IC card capable of stably obtaining a good adhesive force with an IC module while ensuring the degree of freedom in designing the layer configuration of the card substrate and a method for manufacturing the IC card can be provided.

[0028] Details of the configuration of the IC card 1 and its manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0029] (a) Card substrate The card substrate 2 refers to the card body excluding the IC module 70 that constitutes the IC card 1. As described above, the card substrate 2 typically has a configuration in which an oversheet layer 32, an inner layer 44, core layers 52 and 51, an inner layer 41, and an oversheet layer 31 are laminated in this order from one end on the -Z direction side in the thickness direction. A recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 is formed in the card substrate 2. The recess 9 includes a first recess 91 having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate 2, that is, the surface of the oversheet layer 31, and a second recess 92 having a second depth for accommodating the molded portion 74b of the IC module 70. The second depth is deeper than the first depth.

[0030] Further, a fusion inhibition layer 60 is disposed between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41 so as to extend further to the left from the left end of the first recess 91 which is the recess 9. Further, although not shown in FIG. 2, a fusion inhibition layer 60 is disposed between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41 so as to extend further to the right from the right end of the first recess 91. In other words, a fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41 in a region including at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess 9 and extending further outward from the outer periphery in a plan view from the direction along the Z-axis of the card substrate 2. The card substrate 2 may refer to both the one before the recess 9 is formed and the one after the recess 9 is formed.

[0031] Here, the layer configuration of the card substrate 2 is not limited to the one described above, and may be a three-layer configuration of an oversheet layer, a core layer, and an oversheet layer, or a two-layer configuration of a core layer and a core layer. Alternatively, the layer configuration of the card substrate 2 may be a multilayer configuration of eight or more layers such as an oversheet layer, a second inner layer, a first core layer, a first inner layer, a first inner layer, a second core layer, a second inner layer, and an oversheet layer. Further, printing or embedding of a magnetic stripe may be performed on the surface of the card substrate 2 opposite to the inner layer 41 or 44 of the oversheet layer 31 or 32, and printing may be performed on the adjacent surface of the inner layer 41 or 44 with the oversheet layer 31 or 32.

[0032] From the viewpoint of conforming to standards such as ISO / IEC 7816, the thickness of the card substrate 2 is preferably 0.76 mm or more and 0.84 mm or less, but it may be outside this range.

[0033] (i) Inner layer The inner layer is a layer that is provided, if necessary, between, for example, the core layer and the oversheet layer, but is not limited to this, and the inner layer can be freely applied. As the inner layers 41 and 44, various white or colored plastic sheets can be widely used, and single films or composite films thereof listed below can be used. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PET-G (terephthalic acid-cyclohexanedimethanol-ethylene glycol copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyimide, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, polystyrene-based, ABS, polyacrylate ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. The thickness of the inner layers 41 and 44 can be appropriately selected in consideration of the overall thickness of the card, but can be, for example, about 0.10 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less.

[0034] (ii) Core layer The core layer is, like the inner layer, one of the main base materials forming the card substrate 2. For the core layers 51 and 52, various plastic sheets similar to the inner layers 41 and 44 can be widely used. The core layers 51 and 52 may be made of the same material as the inner layers 41 and 44, or may be made of different materials from each other. The thickness of the core layers 51 and 52 can be appropriately selected in consideration of the overall thickness of the card, but can be, for example, about 0.10 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less.

[0035] (iii) Oversheet layer As the oversheet layers 31 and 32, materials of the same quality as the inner layer and the core layer are usually used, but transparent materials with a thickness of about 0.05 mm or more and 0.10 mm or less are often used. From the viewpoint of preventing the occurrence of curl when integrating the laminate of the inner layer, the core layer, and the oversheet layer by hot pressing or the like, it is preferable that the thicknesses of the oversheet layers 31 and 32 are the same, but they do not necessarily have to be the same. Also, this point is common to the aforementioned inner layers 41 and 44 and core layers 51 and 52.

[0036] The material of the oversheet layer may be any material having adhesiveness by heat. However, even when the oversheet layer itself does not have adhesiveness by heat, the two can be integrated by additionally forming a layer of a known adhesive that generates an adhesive force by heat or the like between the inner layer and the oversheet layer. Further, when the IC card 1 is used as a magnetic card, a magnetic stripe may be pre-embedded on the main surface side opposite to both or one of the inner layers 41 and 44 for either or both of the oversheet layers 31 and 32 by thermal transfer or the like.

[0037] (iv) Fusing inhibition layer A fusing inhibition layer 60 is disposed between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41. The fusing inhibition layer 60 can be formed in advance on the surface of the inner layer 41 facing the core layer 51 by printing or the like. The fusing inhibition layer 60 may be formed on the surface of either the inner layer 41 or the core layer 51. However, it is preferable to form the fusing inhibition layer 60 on the inner layer 41 side in that the remaining portion 60a of the fusing inhibition layer 60 can be removed from the card substrate 2 while remaining attached to the remaining portion 5 of the inner layer 41 during the cutting process for forming the recess 9. As will be described later, as a laminate in which at least the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 are laminated, by applying a hot press to the laminate, the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 are thermally fused to each other in a region where the fusing inhibition layer 60 does not exist.

[0038] The fusion inhibition layer 60 can be formed, for example, by offset printing or silk printing a UV-curable type of OP varnish on the inner layer 41. OP varnish is a highly transparent varnish used for surface protection of the printed layer and prevention of dirt adhesion, etc., and examples include "UV Release OP Varnish UP-2" and "UV L Carton OP Varnish" manufactured by T&K TOKA Co., Ltd., which is a UV-curable release varnish, and "UV Carton OP Varnish" manufactured by DIC Graphics Co., Ltd. As an example of the components and manufacturing method of the OP varnish, the OP varnish described in "Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-144333" can be cited. In addition, as the fusion inhibition layer 60, a material obtained by adding silicone rubber to an ultraviolet-curable ink for offset printing or a material obtained by adding silicone acrylate may be used.

[0039] When the fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed of an OP varnish by a printing method, for example, the film thickness after drying is preferably 1 μm or more and 5 μm or less. Also, considering misalignment in the lamination process of each base material, punching misalignment to the card size, variations in the position and size of the concave portion 9, etc., in a plan view along the Z-axis direction of the card base 2, the fusion inhibition layer 60 preferably protrudes outward by a region of 0.05 mm or more and 0.20 mm or less from the outer periphery of the concave portion 9. By protruding outward by 0.05 mm or more from the outer periphery of the concave portion 9, various processing variations described above can be absorbed, and the first concave portion 91 can be formed favorably. Also, by forming the fusion inhibition layer 60 within 0.20 mm or less outside the outer periphery of the concave portion 9, the risk of delamination between layers of the card base 2 due to poor fusion between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 can be reduced.

[0040] Furthermore, the fusion inhibition layer 60 is preferably formed in a region including the entire outer periphery of the concave portion 9 in a plan view along the Z-axis direction of the card base 2. Thereby, over the entire surface of the first concave portion 91, stable separation and removal of the remaining portion 5 of the card base 2 existing between the bottom surface of the first concave portion 91 and the fusion inhibition layer 60 due to the cutting resistance of the cutting process become possible. As a result, the value of the first depth, which is the depth of the first concave portion 91 from the surface of the card base 2, also becomes stable.

[0041] (b) IC module Next, each part of the main components of the IC module 70 will be described in the description of the IC module 70a of the dual-interface IC card according to the second embodiment described later, but will be briefly described here. FIG. 7(a) is a view of the external connection terminals 71 side of the IC module 70a as seen from the +Z direction side, similar to FIG. 1. FIG. 7(b) is a view of the IC module 70a as seen from the -Z direction side opposite to FIG. 7(a). Here, most of the molded portion 74b of the IC chip body 74 is omitted so that the inside can be seen through. Although the IC module 70 has a different structure from the IC module 70a, it will be described with reference to this figure.

[0042] The IC module 70 is fixed to the card substrate 2 by being embedded in the recess 9 formed in the card substrate 2 with the adhesive layer 12. The IC card 1 can perform contact communication with a contact type reader / writer or the like through the external connection terminals 71 provided in the IC module 70.

[0043] The substrate 72 is formed by pasting copper foils on the front and back of a flexible insulating resin film such as a glass epoxy resin or a polyimide resin via an adhesive, and leaving the copper foils pasted on the front and back surfaces of the resin film to form a predetermined pattern. Specifically, the photosensitive material is applied so as to form the external connection terminals 71 on one copper foil surface of the resin film, the film plate with a predetermined pattern is placed, exposed, and the non-photosensitive portions are etched away in sequence. As a result, the substrate 72 with a predetermined pattern of copper foils remaining partially on the front and back surfaces of the resin film is formed. Further, a plurality of bonding holes 76, which are through holes for wire bonding to the external connection terminals 71, are provided in the substrate 72 in advance.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the external connection terminal 71 has defined sections of the external terminal as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. As shown in Fig. 7(b), these sections are connected to the IC chip 74a by wires 75 such as gold wires through the above-described bonding holes 76 provided on the substrate 72. The IC module 70 does not have the terminals 73a and 73b, nor is there a connection by the wire 75 between these and the IC chip 74a. These bonding holes 76 and wires 75 are covered and protected by the mold portion 74b.

[0045] The IC chip body 74 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the surface where the external connection terminal 71 is formed. The IC chip body 74 is composed of an IC chip 74a adhered and fixed to the substrate 72 via an adhesive, a bonding wire 75 for connection, and a mold portion 74b which is a sealing resin for protecting these. The IC chip 74a includes a CPU for controlling both contact communication and non-contact communication operations, and storage devices such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, and flash memory. Further, the IC chip 74a includes various circuits such as an interface circuit and a power generation circuit for decoding input signals and generating output signals for contact communication and non-contact communication. Note that the various circuits may be provided as elements separate from the IC chip 74a.

[0046] The mold portion 74b is provided as a protruding portion for covering the IC chip 74a and the wire 75 in order to protect them from external force loads and environmental loads. As the mold portion 74b, an ultraviolet curable resin or a thermosetting resin or the like is used.

[0047] (c) Adhesive layer After forming a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 in the card substrate 2 by cutting with an end mill or the like, the IC module 70 is embedded and fixed in the recess 9, and the adhesive layer 12 for mechanically connecting will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the adhesive layer 12 is a liquid or tape-like member disposed so as to be sandwiched between the core layer 51 which is the bottom surface of the first recess 91 and the substrate 72 of the IC module 70.

[0048] The adhesive layer 12 may be previously applied or adhered to the surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 opposite to the external connection terminals 71, or may be applied or adhered to the bottom surface after cutting the recess 9 of the card substrate 2. The adhesive layer 12 can be made of a thermoplastic, thermosetting or other adhesive.

[0049] (d) Method for manufacturing an IC card Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the IC card 1 using the above-described card substrate 2, IC module 70, and adhesive layer 12 will be described. First, an oversheet layer 32, an inner layer 44, core layers 52 and 51, an inner layer 41, and an oversheet layer 31 are prepared. Further, an IC module 70 is prepared, which includes a substrate 72, external connection terminals 71 formed on one surface of the substrate 72, and an IC chip body 74 composed of an IC chip 74a disposed on the other surface of the substrate 72 and a mold portion 74b covering the same.

[0050] Next, a fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is formed on the surface of the inner layer 41 facing the core layer 51, which is one surface of the inner layer 41, by offset printing or silk printing of OP varnish in a predetermined range and with a predetermined thickness. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the oversheet layer 32, the inner layer 44, the core layers 52 and 51, the inner layer 41, and the oversheet layer 31 are stacked in this order from the lower side in the thickness direction. Thereafter, the laminate of the large-sized sheets in which the cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner in the vertical and horizontal directions is sandwiched from above and below in the thickness direction by stainless steel plates, and thermocompression is applied to the laminate through the stainless steel plates. Thereby, at least the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 are laminated to form a laminate such that the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is sandwiched between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51.

[0051] By undergoing such a hot press process, a card substrate in the form of a large-sized sheet unit in which each layer of the laminate is integrated can be obtained. Further, when any of the oversheet layer, inner layer, and core layer has heat resistance such that it does not thermally fuse at a predetermined temperature, an adhesive sheet that thermally fuses at the predetermined temperature is sandwiched between the layers, or an adhesive is applied. Then, by subjecting these to a hot press process, a card substrate in the form of an integrated large-sized sheet unit is obtained. Note that, as a laminate in which at least the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 are laminated, by applying a hot pressure to the laminate, the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 thermally fuse with each other in a region where the fusion inhibition layer 60 does not exist. On the other hand, in a region where the fusion inhibition layer 60 exists, the thermal fusion of the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 is inhibited, and the two are either not adhered or are in a state of having only a very weak adhesion.

[0052] The laminate, which is a card substrate in the form of a large-sized sheet unit in which cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner vertically and horizontally, obtained as described above, is punched out by a punching machine into a card substrate 2 having the card size of ISO / IEC 7816. Further, a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 is formed in the card substrate 2 by cutting with an end mill 200. Thereby, a cut card substrate 2 is obtained. As described above, the recess 9 is composed of two stages: a first recess 91 having a first depth for accommodating the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 70 and a second recess 92 having a second depth deeper than the first recess 91 for accommodating the convex IC chip body 74.

[0053] Here, as described above, the inner layer 41 is arranged closer to the surface of the card substrate 2, and the core layer 51 is arranged farther from the surface. Then, a recess 9 is formed by cutting, which is at least composed of a first recess 91 having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate 2 and a second recess 92 having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the mold portion 74b.

[0054] Here, since the fusion inhibition layer 60 is disposed in a partial region between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51, heat fusion of the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 is inhibited in this region, and the two are either not adhered or are in a state of very weak adhesion. Therefore, first, the card substrate 2 is cut by machining to a third depth shallower than the first depth. Thereafter, a first portion, which is a part of the inner layer 41 corresponding to the region where the first recess 91 is to be formed, and a second portion, which is a part of the fusion inhibition layer 60 formed on the surface of the first portion on the side facing the core layer 51, are peeled off from the second base material.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the recess 9 is formed by machining with the end mill 200. First, after machining the deeper second recess 92 near the center, the portion that will become the shallower first recess 91 on the outer peripheral portion thereof is machined to a third depth shallower than the first depth. In the region corresponding to the first recess 91, the cutting is performed so that the depth from the surface of the card substrate 2 becomes d11, which is a third depth shallower than the desired first depth. At this time, the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion inhibition layer 60 is t11. It is preferable that t11 is 0.005 mm or more and 0.03 mm or less. When t11 is within this range, it is possible to favorably cope with variations in depth during machining with the end mill 200 and variations in the thickness of each base material layer of the card substrate 2, and the remaining portion 5 of the inner layer 41 can be favorably separated and removed from the core layer 51 due to vibrations during cutting or the like. As a result, the first depth of the first recess 91 becomes the depth obtained by adding the values of d11 and t11, and a stable depth can be ensured.

[0056] In the above cutting process, when the end mill 200 cuts the card substrate 2, due to the cutting resistance during the cutting process between the end mill 200 and the card substrate 2, the card substrate 2 below the first recess 91 receives a cutting resistance along the rotation direction of the end mill 200, resulting in continuous vibration. Since the fragment of the inner layer 41, which is a fragment of the card substrate 2, is not fused to the core layer 51 below it, it is easier to move. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3(c), the remaining part 5 of the inner layer 41 that receives a load due to the rotation of the end mill 200 easily peels off from the core layer 51 below together with the remaining part 60a of the fusion-inhibiting layer 60. At this time, the outer edge of the first recess 91 (the left end of the first recess 91 in Fig. 3(c)) separates as if it is torn off from the card substrate 2.

[0057] In this way, first, the card substrate 2 is cut by machining to a third depth shallower than the first depth. Then, the remaining part 5, which is the first part of the inner layer 41 corresponding to the region where the first recess 91 is formed, and the remaining part 60a, which is the second part of the fusion-inhibiting layer formed on the surface of the first part on the side facing the core layer 51, are peeled off from the core layer 51. Thereby, the first recess 91 is formed. Then, the manufacturing of the IC card 1 is completed by embedding and fixing the IC module 70 in the recess 9. Specifically, for the card substrate 2 in which the recess 9 is formed, the IC module 70 with the adhesive layer 12 attached is embedded, and a predetermined heat block is pressed against the external connection terminal 71, and a predetermined thermal pressure is applied toward the card substrate 2 side for a predetermined time. Thereby, the adhesive layer 12 is melted to achieve a mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card substrate 2. Although there are differences in the time and thermal pressure conditions applied depending on the type and composition of the adhesive layer 12, as an example, the time can be 0.5 seconds or more and 10.0 seconds or less, the temperature can be 150°C or more and 250°C or less, and the pressure can be 20 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

[0058] (e) Regarding the IC card of the first embodiment Summarizing the above, the IC card 1 capable of contact communication with an external device according to this embodiment includes a card substrate 2 having a recess 9 and an IC module 70. The IC module 70 includes a substrate 72, external connection terminals 71 formed on one surface of the substrate 72, and a molded portion 74b that houses an IC chip 74a and is disposed on the other surface of the substrate 72. The recess 9 includes at least a first recess 91 having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate 2 for housing the external connection terminals 71 and a second recess 92 having a second depth deeper than the first depth for housing the molded portion 74b.

[0059] Here, if the inner layer 41 is used as the first base material and the core layer 51 is used as the second base material, the card substrate 2 includes the first base material and the second base material on the side farther from the surface than the first base material. The bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed as a part of the surface of the second base material facing the first base material, and a fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed in a region between the first base material and the second base material and including at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess 9 in a plan view along the Z-axis direction of the card substrate 2.

[0060] In the IC card 1 of this embodiment, when forming the recess 9 by cutting with an end mill 200, it is not necessary to strictly control the depth of the first recess 91. Even if the first recess 91 is formed with a depth that varies within a range where the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion inhibition layer 60 is within a predetermined range of thickness, the remaining portion 5 of the card substrate 2 existing between the bottom surface of the first recess 91 and the fusion inhibition layer 60 can be easily separated and removed by the cutting resistance of the cutting process. As a result, the surface portion that becomes the interface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41 can be surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91, and it can be ensured that the bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed as a part of the surface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41.

[0061] As a result, even when there are differences in the adhesiveness of the respective base materials that make up the card substrate 2, for example, a material with relatively poor adhesiveness is used for the inner layer 41 and a material with relatively good adhesiveness is used for the core layer 51, it becomes easier to handle. That is, risks such as a decrease in the degree of freedom in the layer structure of the card substrate 2 or an increase in the processing load due to the requirement for improved cutting accuracy can be reduced. With the above-described configuration, it is not necessary to limit the thickness or arrangement position of the inner layer 41 or the core layer 51 so that the core layer 51, rather than the inner layer 41, is surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91. This is because it is not necessary to require depth accuracy greater than necessary for the cutting process for forming the first recess 91. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a card substrate such as a contact-type IC card is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials having different materials, an IC card capable of stably obtaining a good adhesive force with an IC module while ensuring the design freedom of the layer structure of the card substrate and a method for manufacturing the IC card can be provided.

[0062] 2. Second Embodiment Next, the IC card 1a according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 4 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1 when the IC card 1a is viewed from the +Z direction. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 when the vicinity of the center in the direction along the Y axis of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC card 1a in FIG. 1 is cut along the B-B line along the X axis and this cross section is viewed from the -Y direction side. Further, FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view obtained by enlarging the portion of the recess 9 when the IC module 70a is removed in FIG. 4. The IC card 1a according to the second embodiment is different from the IC card 1 of the first embodiment in that it is a dual-interface IC card in which contact communication and non-contact communication can be shared by one chip.

[0063] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the card substrate 2a that constitutes the card body of the IC card 1a is integrally formed by laminating, in order from the -Z direction side, an oversheet layer 32, an inner layer 44, a core layer 52, inner layers 43 and 42, a core layer 51, inner layer 41, and an oversheet layer 31. Typically, the oversheet layers 31 and 32 are transparent base materials, and the inner layers 41, 42, 43, and 44 and the core layers 51 and 52 are white base materials, but it is not limited thereto. Further, a fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is disposed between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41 so as to extend further to the left from the left end of the recess 9. In other words, the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is formed in a region including at least a part of the outer periphery of the recess 9 in a plan view from the direction along the Z-axis of the card substrate 2 between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41.

[0064] On the other hand, between the inner layers 43 and 42, an antenna wire 83 that constitutes the antenna 80, and a first plate 110 and a second plate 120 which are plate-shaped ends 100 are arranged so as to be sandwiched therebetween. The antenna wire 83 that constitutes the antenna 80 is buried inside the card substrate 2a as shown by the broken line in FIG. 4 and is not exposed from the recess 9. The antenna wire 83 is wound around the periphery of a substantially rectangular card, and both ends thereof are electrically connected to a first plate 110 and a second plate 120 which are a pair of conductive plate-shaped ends 100.

[0065] On the surface of the IC module 70a facing the card substrate 2a, terminals 73a and 73b that are electrically connected to the encapsulated IC chip are provided as will be described later. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 73a is electrically connected to the first plate 110 via the conductive adhesive 13, and the IC module 70a is also mechanically joined to the card substrate 2a via the adhesive layer 12. The conductive adhesive 13 is composed of a member containing conductive particles such as silver or solder and a binder resin such as an epoxy resin that disperses these particles.

[0066] Even in the case of the IC card 1a which is such a dual interface IC card, the action and effect of the fusion inhibition layer 60 can be obtained in the same manner as the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the fusion inhibition layer 60 which is a UV curable type OP varnish or the like is formed in advance by printing or the like on the surface of the core layer 51 of the inner layer 41 facing the inner layer 41. Also, regarding the card substrate 2a in which the fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed on the inner layer 41, the content described with reference to FIG. 3 in the first embodiment can be applied.

[0067] Therefore, also for the IC card 1a of the present embodiment, when forming the recess 9 by cutting with the end mill 200, it is not necessary to strictly control the depth of the first recess 91. Even if the first recess is formed with a depth that varies within a range where the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion inhibition layer 60 is within a predetermined range of thickness, due to the cutting resistance of the cutting process, the remaining portion of the card substrate 2 existing between the bottom surface of the first recess 91 and the fusion inhibition layer 60 can be easily separated and removed. As a result, the surface portion that becomes the interface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41 can be surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91, and it can be surely ensured that the bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed by a part of the surface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41.

[0068] Thereby, also in the present embodiment, when the card substrate is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials having different materials, it is possible to provide an IC card and a method for manufacturing an IC card in which the design freedom of the layer structure of the card substrate is ensured and a good adhesive force with the IC module can be stably obtained.

[0069] Hereinafter, the configuration and manufacturing method of the IC card 1a of the present embodiment will be described centering on the points different from the first embodiment.

[0070] (a) Card substrate The card substrate 2 refers to the card body that constitutes the IC card 1a excluding the IC module 70a. However, since the base materials of the oversheet layers 31 and 32, the inner layers 41, 42, 43, and 44, and the core layers 51 and 52 have been described in the first embodiment, here, mainly the antenna sheet, the antenna, and the IC module will be described.

[0071] (i) Antenna sheet In this embodiment, an antenna 80 is formed on one surface of either the inner layer 43 or 42, and both ends of the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 are electrically connected to a first plate 110 and a second plate 120, which are plate-shaped conductive end portions 100. The formation of the antenna 80 on the inner layer 43 or 42 is performed as follows, for example. First, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are adhesively fixed to the surface of the inner layer 43 facing the inner layer 42 before lamination by applying thermocompression or the like. At this time, an adhesive may be applied to the surface of the inner layer 43 and then the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 may be arranged. The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction at the planned mounting position of the IC module 70a, and a part of them overlaps with the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70a at the time of mounting in a plan view along the Z-axis direction.

[0072] Thereafter, the tip of the antenna wire 83 is welded to either the first plate 110 or the second plate 120. Starting from this point, a predetermined thermocompression is applied to the antenna wire 83, and the antenna wire 83, which is a coated conductor covered with an insulating member, is embedded in the surface of the inner layer 43 by a winding machine. That is, while applying a predetermined thermocompression to the antenna wire 83, the antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in FIG. 4, and the antenna wire 83 supplied from the antenna supply head is sequentially embedded in the inner layer 43. The embedded antenna wire 83 is cut, and the tip of the cut antenna wire 83 is used as the end point and welded to the other of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120.

[0073] In this way, an inner layer 43 (antenna sheet 14) in which the antenna 80 is formed is obtained. An intermediate product in which the antenna 80 is embedded in the inner layer 43 or 42 may be referred to as the antenna sheet 14. The antenna sheet 14 can be distributed in the market as a component for manufacturing an IC card 1a which is a dual interface IC card by itself. Alternatively, there may exist a business form in which a sheet material such as an antenna holding layer is supplied to a processor, and the processor processes it into the antenna sheet 14 and delivers it to the supplier.

[0074] (ii) Antenna In the antenna 80 formed in the inner layer 43 or 42, terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70a are electrically connected to a first plate 110 and a second plate 120 which are a pair of ends 100 where a plurality of tips of the antenna wire 83 are electrically connected, respectively. Thereby, an IC chip included in the IC module 70a and the antenna 80 constitute a communication circuit for non-contact communication. The communication circuit may perform proximity communication using, for example, the 13.56 MHz HF frequency band defined by ISO / IEC 18092, ISO / IEC 144443, etc. Alternatively, it may perform communication using other frequency bands such as the 920 MHz UHF frequency band, the 125 KHz LF frequency band, or the 2.45 GHz frequency band of microwaves.

[0075] When the IC card 1a is held near an external device such as a reader / writer, an electromotive force or current is generated in the communication circuit by a magnetic field, radio wave, etc. formed by the reader / writer, and power is supplied to the IC chip. Thereby, the IC chip can be driven, and information can be transmitted and received non-contact with the reader / writer, and information can be read from and rewritten to the memory.

[0076] The antenna wire 83 that constitutes the antenna 80 is typically formed of a coated wire in which a copper wire is surrounded by an insulating member. In addition to this, copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum can also be selected. The dual interface type IC card 1a can be manufactured at a lower cost by using a coated wire as compared with, for example, a copper foil etching method. However, the IC card 1a of the present disclosure may also use an antenna wire formed by a copper foil etching method, a punching method of a metal foil, or the like.

[0077] The diameter of the antenna wire 83 is not particularly limited as long as the characteristics as a non-contact communication circuit can be ensured. For example, it can be 0.03 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, and preferably 0.05 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less. By setting it within the latter range, the durability against thermal pressure by embedding processing and external force by cutting processing can be improved, and good communication characteristics can be ensured.

[0078] (iii) End portion (first plate and second plate) Next, the details of the configuration of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are conductive end portions 100, will be described. Both the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are substantially rectangular plate-like members in a plan view along the Z-axis direction, which is the normal direction of the main surface of the IC card 1a. As shown in FIG. 6, in the plan view, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 have a region that overlaps with the first recess 91 and a region that is located outside the first recess 91 and does not overlap with the first recess 91.

[0079] In a plan view along the Z-axis direction, a part of each of the region of the first plate 110, the region of the terminal 73a when the IC module 70a is placed, and the region of the third recess 94 are in a positional relationship where they overlap with each other. In particular, as shown in FIG. 6, each of the region of the terminal 73a when the IC module 70a is placed and the region of the third recess 94 is included in the region of the first plate 110, and it is preferable that a part of each of the region of the terminal 73a and the region of the third recess 94 overlaps with each other. Thereby, the electrical connection between the terminal 73a and the first plate 110 when the conductive adhesive 13 is filled can be stably performed. This also applies to the region of the second plate 120, the region of the terminal 73b when the IC module 70a is placed, and the region of the third recess 94.

[0080] On the other hand, the positions of the +X-direction side end of the first plate 110 and the -X-direction side end of the second plate 120 are the same as the positions of the +X-direction side and -X-direction side ends of the first recess 91 that overlap with these, respectively. That is, the +X-direction side end of the first plate 110 and the -X-direction side end of the second plate 120 before the formation of the recess 9 are arranged so as to enter inside the second recess 92 in a plan view from the +Z direction. As will be described later, the second recess 92 is a recess region for accommodating an IC chip body that is cut deeper than the first recess 91 surrounding it. And during the formation process of the recess 9, the plate portion in the region of the second recess 92 is cut and removed. In other words, in the plan view, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 after the cutting process of the recess 9 are arranged in the region outside the second recess 92.

[0081] Furthermore, in a plan view from the +Z direction, substantially circular third recesses 94 are formed in regions overlapping the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, respectively. The third recess 94 is a recess deeper from the surface of the card substrate 2a than the first recess 91. Among the recesses 9, only in the third recess 94, a part of the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 can be visually recognized from the surface of the card substrate 2a before mounting the IC module 70a. In other words, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are exposed only in the third recess 94. Also, in a plan view from the +Z direction after mounting the IC module 70a, the third recess 94 partially overlaps with the terminals 73a and 73b, respectively. The third recess 94 is filled with a conductive adhesive 13, and the IC module 70a and the antenna 80 are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive 13.

[0082] By the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 having such an arrangement and size, even if a displacement occurs in the arrangement position of the plates along the X-axis direction, the contact area with the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 can be surely secured. However, the +X-direction side end of the first plate 110 may be displaced to the -X direction side from the +X-direction side end of the first recess 91 that overlaps it, and the -X-direction side end of the second plate 120 may be displaced to the -X direction side from the -X-direction side end of the first recess 91 that overlaps it. However, when the thickness of the IC chip body is sufficiently thin, the second recess 92 may have the same depth as the first recess, and it is not always necessary to provide a second recess having a depth different from that of the first recess.

[0083] The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 may be formed from a single member, or may have a laminated structure including at least two layers. In the case of a two-layer structure, one can be aluminum, iron, nickel or copper, and the other can be silver, palladium, platinum or gold. When formed from a single member, any of the above metals may be used. Also, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are not limited to members composed of a single metal, and may be an alloy or a non-metallic member such as carbon.

[0084] (b) IC module Next, each part of the main components of the IC module 70a will be described with reference to FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). FIG. 7(a) is a view of the external connection terminals 71 side of the IC module 70a seen from the +Z direction side, similar to FIG. 4. FIG. 7(b) is a view of the IC module 70a seen from the -Z direction side opposite to FIG. 7(a). Here, most of the mold part 74b of the IC chip body 74 is omitted for the sake of showing the interior.

[0085] The IC module 70a is embedded in the recess 9 formed in the card substrate 2a, and the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 are electrically connected to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 of the antenna 80 via the conductive adhesive 13, respectively. This enables the formation of a communication circuit for non-contact communication. Also, the IC module 70a can perform contact communication with a contact type reader / writer or the like through the external connection terminals 71.

[0086] The substrate 72 is as described in the first embodiment. The external connection terminals 71 are formed on one copper foil surface of the resin film constituting the substrate 72, and the terminals 73a and 73b are formed on the other copper foil surface. The steps of applying a photosensitive material, placing a film plate with a predetermined pattern formed thereon, exposing, and etching away the non-photosensitive parts are sequentially performed. As a result, a substrate 72 is formed in which copper foils with a predetermined pattern remain partially on the front and back surfaces of the resin film. Also, a plurality of bonding holes 76, which are through holes for wire bonding to the external connection terminals 71, are provided in the substrate 72 in advance.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 7(a), the external connection terminal 71 has each section of the external terminal defined according to the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. As shown in Fig. 7(b), these sections and the IC chip 74a are connected by a wire 75 such as a gold wire through the above-described bonding hole 76 provided on the substrate 72. Similarly, the terminals 73a and 73b and the IC chip 74a are also connected by the wire 75. These bonding holes 76 and wires 75 are covered and protected by the mold part 74b.

[0088] The IC chip body 74 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the surface where the external connection terminal 71 is formed. The IC chip body 74 is composed of an IC chip 74a adhered and fixed to the substrate 72 via an adhesive, a bonding wire 75 for connection, and a mold part 74b which is a sealing resin for protecting them.

[0089] (c) Conductive Adhesive After forming a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70a in the card substrate 2a by cutting with an end mill or the like, the IC module 70a is embedded and fixed in the recess 9, and the conductive adhesive 13 for electrically connecting them will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, the conductive adhesive 13 is a liquid adhesive having conductivity, which is filled in the third recess 94 so as to be sandwiched between the first plate 110 and the terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72 of the IC module 70a. The conductive adhesive 13 is typically a so-called conductive paste or solder paste in which silver particles are dispersed as a filler in an epoxy resin. Also, the conductive adhesive 13 may be an ACP (anisotropic conductive paste).

[0090] (d) Manufacturing Method of IC Card Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the IC card 1a using the above-described card substrate 2a, IC module 70a, conductive adhesive 13, and adhesive layer 12 will be described, focusing on the differences from the IC card 1 of the first embodiment. First, an oversheet layer 32, inner layer 44, core layer 52, inner layers 43 and 42, core layer 51, inner layer 41, and oversheet layer 31 are prepared. Further, the following IC module 70a is prepared. The IC module 70a includes a substrate 72, external connection terminals 71 formed on one surface of the substrate 72, terminals 73a and 73b formed on the other surface, and an IC chip body 74 disposed on the other surface of the substrate 72, the IC chip body 74 being composed of an IC chip 74a and a mold portion 74b covering the IC chip 74a.

[0091] Next, on the surface of the inner layer 41 on the side facing the core layer 51, which is one surface of the inner layer 41, a fusion inhibition layer 60 is formed by silk printing of OP varnish in a predetermined range and with a predetermined thickness. Separately from this, a first plate 110 and a second plate 120, which are plate-shaped ends 100, are adhered to the surface of the inner layer 43 adjacent to the inner layer 42. Both may be adhered and fixed to the surface of the inner layer 43 via an adhesive. Next, a coated conductor covered with an insulating member is used as an antenna wire 83, and starting from either the first plate 110 or the second plate 120 and ending at the other, it is embedded in the formation surface of the inner layer 43 where the end 100 is formed by a winding machine. Here, at the start and end points of the antenna wire 83, the winding machine welds the tip of the antenna wire 83 to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120.

[0092] Specifically, for example, while applying a predetermined thermocompression to the inner layer 43, the antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in FIG. 4, and the antenna wire 83 supplied from the antenna supply head is sequentially embedded in the inner layer 43. Note that the embedding surface of the plate-shaped end 100 and the antenna wire 83 is not limited to the surface of the inner layer 43 adjacent to the inner layer 42, and may also be the surface of the inner layer 42 adjacent to the inner layer 43.

[0093] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the oversheet layer 32, inner layer 44, core layer 52, inner layers 43 and 42, core layer 51, inner layer 41, and oversheet layer 31 are stacked in this order from the lower side in the thickness direction. Then, in units of a laminate of large sheets in which cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner vertically and horizontally, the laminate is sandwiched from above and below in the thickness direction with stainless steel plates, and thermocompression is applied to the laminate through the stainless steel plates. At this time, as described above, the fusion inhibition layer 60 is printed and formed so as to be sandwiched between the core layer 51 and the inner layer 41. Thereby, at least the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 are laminated to form a laminate so that the fusion inhibition layer 60 is sandwiched between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51.

[0094] By going through such a hot press process, a card substrate in units of large sheets in which each layer of the laminate is integrated can be obtained. The laminate, which is the card substrate in units of large sheets in which cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner vertically and horizontally and obtained as described above, is punched out by a punching machine into a card substrate 2a having the card size of ISO / IEC 7816. Further, a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70a in the card substrate 2a is formed by cutting with an end mill. Thereby, the cut card substrate 2a is obtained.

[0095] The recess 9 has a two-stage configuration including a first recess 91 having a first depth for accommodating the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 70a and a second recess 92 having a second depth deeper than the first recess 91 for accommodating the convex IC chip body 74. In addition to this, the recess 9 is provided with a third recess 94 for filling the conductive adhesive 13 having a fourth depth deeper than the first depth at a position overlapping the first recess 91 in a plan view along the Z-axis direction. The formation of the first recess 91, the second recess 92, and the third recess 94 can be carried out consistently during the cutting process with an end mill.

[0096] Here, since the fusion inhibition layer 60 is disposed in a partial region between the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51, the thermal fusion of the inner layer 41 and the core layer 51 is inhibited in this region, and the two are either not adhered or are in a state of very weak adhesion. First, the card substrate 2 is cut by machining to a third depth shallower than the first depth. Thereafter, a first portion, which is a part of the inner layer 41 corresponding to the region where the first recess 91 is to be formed, and a second portion, which is a part of the fusion inhibition layer 60 formed on the surface of the first portion on the side facing the core layer 51, are peeled off from the core layer 51.

[0097] If the cutting of the third recess 94 is continuously performed after the cutting of the first recess 91, after the cutting of the first recess 91, a first portion, which is a part of the inner layer 41, and a second portion, which is a part of the fusion inhibition layer 60 formed on the surface of the first portion on the side facing the core layer 51, are peeled off from the core layer 51. Then, the third recess 94 is cut further with respect to the bottom surface of the first recess 91 after the peeling.

[0098] Thereafter, the manufacturing of the IC card 1 is completed by embedding and fixing the IC module 70a in the recess 9. Specifically, in the card substrate 2a in which the recess 9 is formed, the conductive adhesive 13 is applied and filled in the third recess 94 where the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are the end portions 100, are exposed. Next, the IC module 70a with the adhesive layer 12 attached is embedded in the recess 9, a predetermined heat block is pressed against the external connection terminals 71, and a predetermined thermal pressure is applied toward the card substrate 2a side for a predetermined time. As a result, the conductive adhesive 13 is thermally cured, and the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70a and the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are the end portions 100, of the antenna 80 are electrically connected to each other.

[0099] Further, the adhesive layer 12 is melted, and the IC module 70a and the card substrate 2a are mechanically connected. Depending on the type and composition of the conductive adhesive 13 and the adhesive layer 12, there are differences in the time and thermocompression conditions applied. As an example, the time can be 0.5 seconds or more and 10.0 seconds or less, the temperature can be 150°C or more and 250°C or less, and the pressure can be 20 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

[0100] (e) Regarding the dual-interface IC card of the second embodiment Summarizing the above, the IC card 1a capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device according to this embodiment includes a card substrate 2a having a recess 9 and an IC module 70a. The IC module 70a includes a substrate 72, external connection terminals 71 formed on one surface of the substrate 72, and terminals 73a, 73b electrically connected to the IC chip 74a and a mold portion 74b enclosing the IC chip 74a, which are arranged on the other surface of the substrate 72. The recess 9 includes a first recess 91 having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate 2 for accommodating the external connection terminals 71, a second recess 92 having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the mold portion 74b, and a third recess 94 having a fourth depth deeper than the first depth. The third recess 94 overlaps with the first recess 91 in a plan view of the card substrate 2a.

[0101] Here, if the inner layer 41 is used as the first base material and the core layer 51 is used as the second base material, the card substrate 2a includes the first base material and the second base material on the side farther from the surface than the first base material. The bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed as a part of the surface of the second base material facing the first base material, and a fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is formed in the region between the first base material and the second base material and including the outer periphery of the recess 9 in a plan view along the Z-axis direction of the card substrate 2.

[0102] Further, if the inner layer 43 is used as the third base material, the card substrate 2a will further include the third base material on the side farther from the surface than the second base material. The third base material is provided with an antenna wire 83 and a plurality of plate-shaped ends 100 (first plate 110, second plate 120), and a plurality of tips of the antenna wire 83 and the plurality of ends 100 constitute an antenna 80 that are electrically connected to each other. Also, the terminals 73a, 73b are electrically connected to the ends 100 (first plate 110, second plate 120).

[0103] In the IC card 1a of the present embodiment, similar to the IC card 1 of the first embodiment, when forming the recess 9 by cutting with an end mill, it is not necessary to strictly control the depth of the first recess 91. Even if the first recess 91 is formed with a varying depth within a range where the distance from the bottom surface of the first recess 91 to the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 is within a predetermined range of thickness, due to the cutting resistance during cutting, the remaining portion of the card substrate 2a existing between the bottom surface of the first recess 91 and the fusion-inhibiting layer 60 can be easily separated and removed. As a result, the surface portion that becomes the interface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41 can be surely exposed on the bottom surface of the first recess 91, and it can be surely ensured that the bottom surface of the first recess 91 is formed by a part of the surface of the core layer 51 on the side facing the inner layer 41.

[0104] Thereby, risks such as a decrease in the degree of freedom of the layer structure of the card substrate 2a or an increase in the processing load due to the requirement for improving the accuracy of cutting can be reduced. Therefore, also in the present embodiment, when the card substrate such as a dual interface IC card is composed of a laminate of a plurality of base materials with different materials, the following can be realized. That is, it is possible to provide an IC card and a method for manufacturing an IC card that can stably obtain a good adhesive force with an IC module while ensuring the design freedom of the layer structure of the card substrate.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0105] 1, 1a IC card 2, 2a Card substrate 5 Remaining portion 9 Recess 12 Next layer 13 Conductive adhesive 14 Antenna sheet 31, 32 Overlay layer 41, 42, 43, 44 Inner layer 51, 52 Core layer 60 Fusion inhibition layer 60a Remaining part 70, 70a IC module 71 External connection terminal 72 Substrate 73a, 73b Terminals 74 IC chip body 74a IC chip 74b Molded part 74p Pad 75 Wire 76 Bonding hole 80 Antenna 83 Antenna wire 91 First recess 92 Second recess 94 Third recess 100 End portion 110 First plate 120 Second plate 200 End mill

Claims

1. An IC card capable of contact communication with an external device, comprising: a card substrate having a recess; an IC module comprising a substrate, external connection terminals formed on one surface of the substrate, and a molded portion containing an IC chip disposed on the other surface of the substrate; the recess being at least composed of a first recess having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate for accommodating the external connection terminals, and a second recess having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the molded portion; the card substrate comprising a first base material and a second base material on a side farther from the surface than the first base material; a bottom surface of the first recess being formed as a part of a surface of the second base material on a side facing the first base material; An IC card, wherein a fusion-inhibiting layer is formed between the first base material and the second base material in a region including at least a part of an outer periphery of the recess in a plan view of the card substrate.

2. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the fusion-inhibiting layer is formed in a region including the entire outer periphery of the recess in a plan view of the card substrate.

3. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the fusion-inhibiting layer is formed on a surface of the first base material on a side facing the second base material with an OP varnish.

4. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein after the card substrate is cut to a third depth shallower than the first depth by cutting, a first portion of the first base material corresponding to a region where the first recess is formed and a second portion of the fusion-inhibiting layer formed on a surface of the first portion on a side facing the second base material are peeled off from the second base material to form the first recess.

5. The IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a dual interface IC card.

6. A step of preparing a first base material, a second base material, and an IC module comprising a substrate, external connection terminals formed on one surface of the substrate, and a molded portion containing an IC chip disposed on the other surface of the substrate; a step of forming a fusion-inhibiting layer on one surface of the first base material; a step of forming a laminate by laminating at least the first base material and the second base material so that the fusion-inhibiting layer is sandwiched between the first base material and the second base material; a step of punching the laminate into a card-sized card substrate; The first base material is disposed closer to the surface of the card substrate, and the second base material is disposed farther from the surface, so that a first recess having a first depth from the surface of the card substrate and a second recess having a second depth deeper than the first depth for accommodating the mold part are formed by cutting at least a recess composed of these. A step of embedding and fixing the IC module in the recess. After cutting the card substrate by cutting to a third depth shallower than the first depth, a first part of the first base material corresponding to a region where the first recess is formed and a second part of a fusion inhibition layer formed on the surface of the first part on the side facing the second base material are peeled from the second base material to form the first recess. A method for manufacturing an IC card.

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