IC card and IC card manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide an IC card and an IC card manufacturing method for reducing a defect in a pattern layer and facilitating manufacturing even in a configuration with a conductive plate electrically connecting an IC chip and an antenna.SOLUTION: An IC card 1 includes: an IC chip 11; an antenna 20; conductive plates (33, 34) for electrically connecting the IC chip 11 and the antenna 20; pattern layers (5, 6); and inner sheet layers (320, 420) positioned between the conductive plates 33, 34 and pattern layer (5, 6). The inner sheet layer (320, 420) includes: a polycarbonate layer 321; and PETG layers 322, 323 arranged on both sides of the polycarbonate layer 321 so that the polycarbonate layer 321 is interposed between them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an IC card and a method for manufacturing an IC card. [Background technology]

[0002] In conventional IC cards, particularly in IC cards compatible with both contactless and contact, a conductive plate has been used to electrically connect a linear antenna made of conductive wire to the IC chip (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By using this conductive plate, it has become possible to easily electrically connect a thin antenna to a small terminal portion of the IC chip. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-8189 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the area where the antenna and conductive plate are overlapped, the image layer formed by printing, etc., can be significantly deformed during the heat press process in the IC card manufacturing process, causing the image layer to deform or crack. Although this phenomenon has occurred in the past, it was previously dealt with by sorting out cards with defective image layers so as not to be used.

[0005] However, in recent years, demand for both contactless and contactless IC cards has increased dramatically, and the traditional sorting method has become wasteful and inefficient, so there has been a demand for improvements to prevent deformation and cracking of the image layer.

[0006] The object of the present disclosure is to provide an IC card and a method for manufacturing an IC card that is easy to manufacture and is less likely to cause defects in the image layer, even when configured with a conductive plate that electrically connects the IC chip and the antenna. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure solves the above-mentioned problems by the following means: For ease of understanding, the following description will be given with reference numerals corresponding to the embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0008] The first disclosure is an IC card (1) comprising an IC chip (11), an antenna (20), conductive plates (33, 34) electrically connecting the IC chip (11) and the antenna (20), picture layers (5, 6), and inner sheet layers (320, 420) arranged between the conductive plates (33, 34) and the picture layers (5, 6), wherein the inner sheet layers (320, 420) have a polycarbonate layer (321) and PETG layers (322, 323) arranged on both sides of the polycarbonate layer (321) and sandwiching the polycarbonate layer (321).

[0009] The second disclosure is an IC card (1) characterized in that, in the IC card (1) described in the first disclosure, the pattern layers (5, 6) are provided with a front pattern layer (5) displayed on the front side and a back pattern layer (6) displayed on the back side, and the inner sheet layers (320, 420) are provided with a front inner sheet layer (320) arranged between the front pattern layer (5) and the conductive plates (33, 34) and a back inner sheet layer (420) arranged between the back pattern layer (6) and the conductive plates (33, 34).

[0010] The third disclosure is the IC card (1) described in the second disclosure, characterized in that it comprises a front core layer (330) arranged between the front picture layer (5) and the front inner sheet layer (320), and a back core layer (430) arranged between the back picture layer (6) and the back inner sheet layer (420), and the front core layer (330) and the back core layer (430) contain both polycarbonate resin and PETG resin.

[0011] The fourth disclosure is an IC card (1) described in the third disclosure, characterized in that it comprises a front center core layer (310) that contacts the front side of the antenna (20) and the conductive plates (33, 34) and is arranged on the back side of the front core layer (330), and a back center core layer (410) that contacts the back side of the antenna (20) and the conductive plates (33, 34) and is arranged on the front side of the back core layer (430), and the antenna (20) and the conductive plates (33, 34) are sandwiched between the front center core layer (310) and the back center core layer (410).

[0012] The fifth disclosure is an IC card (1) described in any one of the first to fourth disclosures, characterized in that the antenna (20) is a conductive metal wire, and the conductive plates (33, 34) are metal plates.

[0013] The sixth disclosure is a method for manufacturing an IC card (1) comprising an IC chip (11), an antenna (20), conductive plates (33, 34) electrically connecting the IC chip (11) and the antenna (20), pattern layers (5, 6), and inner sheet layers (320, 420) arranged between the conductive plates (33, 34) and the pattern layers (5, 6), wherein the inner sheet layers (320, 420) have a polycarbonate layer (321) and PETG layers (322, 323) arranged on both sides of the polycarbonate layer (321) to sandwich the polycarbonate layer (321), and the method for manufacturing an IC card (1) is characterized in that heat pressing is performed with the inner sheet layers (320, 420) arranged between the conductive plates (33, 34) and the pattern layers (5, 6).

[0014] The seventh disclosure is a method for manufacturing an IC card (1) according to the sixth disclosure, characterized in that the inner sheet layers (320, 420) are formed by three-layer extrusion molding in such a manner that the polycarbonate layer (321) is sandwiched between PETG layers (322, 323) on both sides. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an IC card and a method for manufacturing an IC card that are easy to manufacture and are less likely to cause defects in the picture layer, even when configured with a conductive plate that electrically connects the IC chip and the antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of an IC card 1 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1(d) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the IC module 10, showing the layer configuration of the front layer 3 and the back layer 4 in more detail. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram illustrating the layer configuration of a front inner sheet layer 320 and a back inner sheet layer 420. FIG. [Figure 4]2A and 2B are plan views and cross-sectional views illustrating a manufacturing process of the IC module 10 according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a card substrate 2 (before punching). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a plan view and a cross-sectional view of an IC card 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the IC card 1 (a view of the surface 2a from the normal direction). FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view of the IC card 1 (a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. 1(a)). FIG. 1(c) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the IC module 10 (an enlarged view of the C in FIG. 1(a)). FIG. 1(d) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the IC module 10 (an enlarged view of the D in FIG. 1(b)). Note that, in order to explain the internal configuration, electrical components housed therein are shown in perspective as appropriate. In the following description, the surface of the IC card 1 on which the external contact terminals 14 are provided is referred to as the surface 2a, and the left-right direction X (longer side direction), the vertical direction Y (short side direction), and the thickness direction Z (stacking direction) are defined based on the positioning of the external contact terminals 14 on the left side X1.

[0019] The IC card 1 conforms to, for example, ISO / IEC 14443 and ISO / IEC 7816, and is an IC card compatible with both contactless and contact communication, capable of both wireless communication (contactless communication) and contact communication. The IC card 1 has a rectangular shape in a plan view (hereinafter referred to as the "planar shape") that is long in the left-right direction X. The IC card 1 includes a card substrate 2, an IC module 10, an antenna 20, and conductive plates 33 and 34. Although not described further, the IC card 1 may also be provided with a hologram, a magnetic stripe, an embossed information section, a signature panel, etc., as needed.

[0020] The card substrate 2 is composed of a front layer 3 and a back layer 4. The front layer 3 and the back layer 4 are sheet members arranged on the front side Z2 and the back side Z1 in the thickness direction Z of the IC card 1. The specific layer configurations of the front layer 3 and the back layer 4 will be described later.

[0021] In accordance with ISO / IEC 7816, IC module 10 is arranged in the upper left area of card substrate 2 in plan view, and is housed in IC module housing hole 15 provided inside card substrate 2. IC module 10 includes mounting substrate 12 (IC chip mounting substrate) having IC chip 11, external contact terminals 14, and substrate-side connection portion 13.

[0022] The IC chip 11 is a semiconductor integrated circuit element and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit (not shown)) which is a control unit, and a memory device (for example, an EEPROM (not shown)). The memory device stores identification information and the like according to the intended use of the IC card 1. The IC chip 11 is mounted on the back surface of the mounting substrate 12 and is sealed (packaged) with resin or the like. The IC chip 11 is a both contactless and contact chip that has the function of performing contact communication with an external device via the external contact terminal 14 and the function of performing contactless communication with an external device via the antenna 20.

[0023] The main functions of contact communication can be exemplified by, for example, storing domestic and overseas credit card member information, bank account information, etc., and authenticating and rewriting this information. On the other hand, the main functions of contactless communication can be exemplified by, for example, storing information such as commuter passes for transportation, and authenticating this information when passing through a ticket gate. Note that the exemplified main functions of contact communication can be performed by contactless communication, or the exemplified main functions of contactless communication can be performed by contact communication.

[0024] The mounting board 12 is a printed wiring board, such as a rigid board, a film board, etc. The mounting board 12 includes external contact terminals 14 and board-side connecting portions 13, and has an IC chip 11 mounted thereon.

[0025] The substrate-side connection portion 13 is a conductive plate formed on the back surface of the mounting substrate 12. The substrate-side connection portion 13 is connected to the IC chip 11 via connection wiring 11a such as gold wire, and is also connected to the antenna 20 via conductive paste 30. The substrate-side connection portions 13 are arranged symmetrically on the left side X1 and the right side X2 of the mounting substrate 12 in a planar shape.

[0026] The external contact terminals 14 are formed on the surface of the mounting substrate 12 and are terminals exposed on the surface 2a of the IC card 1. The external contact terminals 14 are electrically connected to an external device during contact communication. The external contact terminals 14 are electrically connected to the IC chip 11 via the mounting substrate 12. In plan view, the external contact terminals 14 are arranged in the upper left area of the card substrate 2 in accordance with ISO / IEC 7816. The external contact terminals 14 are, for example, gold-plated copper plates.

[0027] Antenna 20 is an antenna through which IC chip 11 communicates with an external reader / writer (external device) during contactless communication. When IC card 1 is held over the reader / writer, a current is generated through antenna 20 due to the magnetic field formed by the reader / writer, and this current supplies power to IC chip 11. This enables IC chip 11 to be driven, and during contactless communication, it transmits and receives information to and from the reader / writer, rewrites information, and so on.

[0028] The antenna 20 is formed by a coated conductor 21, which is a conductive metal wire (conductor) covered with a coating made of an insulator. By using the coated conductor 21, the IC card 1 can reduce the forming processing costs compared to, for example, etching. The antenna 20 is embedded in the surface 4a of the back layer 4. The wire diameter of the antenna 20 can be, for example, 0.080 mm to 0.130 mm.

[0029] The antenna 20 includes a coil portion 22 and antenna-side connection portions 23 and 24. The coil portion 22 is formed by winding a coated conductor wire 21 in a coil shape (spiral shape) (approximately three turns in the example of FIG. 1), and is the portion that actually performs the above-mentioned communication function.

[0030] The conductive plates 33 and 34 are conductive metal plates connected to the antenna-side connection portions 23 and 24, respectively. The conductive plate 33 is connected to the antenna-side connection portion 23, and the conductive plate 34 is connected to the antenna-side connection portion 24. The conductive plates 33 and 34 are connected to the antenna-side connection portions 23 and 24 by welding. For this reason, the conductive plate 33 is formed, for example, by silver-plating a copper alloy to improve welding workability. Welding points 33a and 33b (connections) between the conductive plate 33 and the antenna-side connection portion 23 are provided at two locations, one above the other in the vertical direction Y, to prevent misalignment of the antenna-side connection portion 23. The conductive plate 34 and the antenna-side connection portion 23 are similarly welded at the welding points 34a and 34b (connections). The welding points 33a, 33b, 34a, and 34b are provided outside the IC module accommodating hole 15 so that no force is applied when forming the IC module accommodating hole 15.

[0031] The installation areas of the conductive plates 33 and 34, in plan view, encompass the left side 12c and the right side 12f of the mounting board 12 and cover the four corners of the mounting board 12. That is, the installation area of the conductive plate 33 provided on the left side X1 (outside of the card) overlaps with the board corners 12a and 12b and the left side 12c (outside side) of the mounting board 12, while the installation area of the conductive plate 34 provided on the right side X2 (inside of the card) overlaps with the board corners 12d and 12e and the right side 12f (outside side) of the mounting board 12. This is effective for improving the rigidity and physical durability of the IC card 1. From the viewpoint of improving the rigidity of the IC card 1, the conductive plates 33 and 34 are preferably formed of a material with higher rigidity than the card substrate 2. In addition to copper, metal materials such as aluminum are desirable. The thickness of the conductive plates 33 and 34 can be, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

[0032] 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the IC module 10 shown in FIG. 1(d), showing in more detail the layer configuration of the front layer 3 and the back layer 4. The front layer 3 is composed of a front center core layer 310, a front inner sheet layer 320, a front core layer 330, a front over-sheet layer 340, and a front pattern layer 5 stacked in this order from the back side.

[0033] The front center core layer 310 is in contact with the front side of the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34, and is located behind the front core layer 330. The antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34 are partially embedded in the front center core layer 310 during the manufacturing process, and are thermocompression bonded to the back center core layer 410 described below. Therefore, in the state of the IC card 1, the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34 are sandwiched between the front center core layer 310 and the back center core layer 410. The front center core layer 310 can be made of, for example, PETG (glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate), PCTG (transparent copolyester, glycol-modified polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride), etc. The thickness of the front center core layer 310 can be, for example, 0.100 mm to 0.230 mm.

[0034] The front inner sheet layer (inner sheet layer) 320 is disposed between the conductive plates 33, 34 and the front design layer 5. More specifically, the front inner sheet layer 320 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the front center core layer 310 and the front core layer 330. The front inner sheet layer 320 is an important component for suppressing deformation and cracking of the front design layer 5 during the manufacturing process of the IC card 1. Details of the front inner sheet layer 320 will be described later.

[0035] The surface core layer 330 is disposed between the surface pattern layer 5 and the surface inner sheet layer 320. More specifically, the surface core layer 330 is disposed between the surface over-sheet layer 340 and the surface inner sheet layer 320. The surface core layer 330 may be formed from, for example, PETG. To further enhance the effect of suppressing deformation and cracking of the surface pattern layer 5 (described later), the surface core layer 330 is preferably composed of both polycarbonate resin and PETG resin. The thickness of the surface core layer 330 can be, for example, 0.08 mm to 0.20 mm.

[0036] The front over-sheet layer 340 is laminated on the front side of the front core layer 330. A magnetic tape (not shown) may be transferred to the front over-sheet layer 340. The front over-sheet layer 340 may be formed of, for example, the same material as the front center core layer 310. The thickness of the front over-sheet layer 340 may be, for example, 0.03 mm to 0.15 mm.

[0037] The front design layer (design layer) 5 is laminated on the front side of the front over-sheet layer 340 and displays various designs, characters, figures, etc. that can be observed from the front side of the IC card 1. The front design layer 5 can be formed, for example, by placing a transfer layer provided on a transfer sheet (not shown) on the front side of the front over-sheet layer 340 and transferring the design from the transfer sheet to the front side of the front over-sheet layer 340 during a thermocompression bonding process during the manufacturing of the IC card 1, which will be described later. The front design layer 5 can be formed, for example, from vinyl chloride acetate (vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin), acrylic, etc. The thickness of the front design layer 5 can be, for example, 0.001 mm to 0.020 mm. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the front design layer 5 is partially provided to clearly show that the front design layer 5 is a layer that displays a design. However, the front design layer 5 may be provided to cover the entire front side of the IC card 1.

[0038] The back layer 4 is composed of a back center core layer 410, a back inner sheet layer 420, a back core layer 430, a back picture layer 6, and a back oversheet layer 440, which are stacked in this order from the surface side.

[0039] The back center core layer 410 is in contact with the back sides of the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34, and is located on the front side of the back core layer 430. During the manufacturing process, the back center core layer 410 is thermocompression bonded to the front center core layer 310 with the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34 sandwiched between the back center core layer 410 and the front center core layer 310. The material and thickness of the back center core layer 410 are the same as those of the front center core layer 310.

[0040] The rear inner sheet layer (inner sheet layer) 420 is disposed between the conductive plates 33, 34 and the rear picture layer 6. More specifically, the rear inner sheet layer 420 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the rear center core layer 410 and the rear core layer 430. The rear inner sheet layer 420 is an important component for suppressing deformation and cracking of the rear picture layer 6 during the manufacturing process of the IC card 1. The configuration of the rear inner sheet layer 420 is the same as that of the front inner sheet layer 320, and will be described in detail later.

[0041] The back core layer 430 is disposed between the back pattern layer 6 and the back inner sheet layer 420. More specifically, the back core layer 430 is disposed at a position sandwiched between the back oversheet layer 440 and the back inner sheet layer 420. The back core layer 430 may be formed of, for example, PETG. In order to further enhance the effect of suppressing deformation and cracking of the back pattern layer 6 (described later), the back core layer 430 is preferably configured to contain both polycarbonate resin and PETG resin. The layer thickness of the back core layer 430 is the same as that of the front core layer 330.

[0042] The rear design layer (design layer) 6 is laminated (printed) on the rear side of the rear core layer 430 and displays various designs, characters, figures, etc. that can be observed from the rear side of the IC card 1. The rear design layer 6 can be formed, for example, from vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, acrylic, etc. The thickness of the rear design layer 6 can be exemplified as 0.001 mm to 0.020 mm. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates a form in which the rear design layer 6 is partially provided to clearly show that the rear design layer 6 is a layer that displays a design, but the rear design layer 6 may be provided to cover the entire rear side of the IC card 1.

[0043] The rear design layer 6 may be provided on the rear side of the rear over-sheet layer 440. In this case, like the front design layer 5, the rear design layer 6 may be formed by, for example, superimposing a transfer layer provided on a transfer sheet (not shown) on the rear side of the rear over-sheet layer 440 described later, and transferring it from the transfer sheet to the rear side of the rear over-sheet layer 440 in a thermocompression bonding step during the manufacture of the IC card 1 described later.

[0044] The back over-sheet layer 440 is laminated on the back side of the back core layer 430 and the back design layer 6. A magnetic tape (not shown) may be transferred to the back over-sheet layer 440. The material and thickness of the back over-sheet layer 440 are the same as those of the front over-sheet layer 340.

[0045] 3 is a diagram illustrating the layer structure of the front inner sheet layer 320 and the back inner sheet layer 420. The front inner sheet layer (inner sheet layer) 320 and the back inner sheet layer (inner sheet layer) 420 have the same layer structure, so here, only the front inner sheet layer 320 will be described.

[0046] The front inner sheet layer 320 has a polycarbonate layer 321 and PETG layers 322 and 323 disposed on both sides of the polycarbonate layer 321 to sandwich the polycarbonate layer 321. The softening point of the polycarbonate layer 321 is higher than that of the PETG layers 322 and 323. Therefore, in the heat pressing step in the manufacturing process of the IC card 1 described below, the heat pressing step is performed at a temperature higher than the softening points of the PETG layers 322 and 323 but lower than the softening point of the polycarbonate layer 321, so that the heat pressing can be performed while the polycarbonate layer 321 maintains sufficient strength. The glass transition temperature Tg of the polycarbonate layer 321 is 110°C to 170°C, and the glass transition temperature Tg of the PETG layers 322 and 323 is 45°C to 90°C.

[0047] The front innersheet layer 320 may be formed, for example, by extrusion molding (three-layer extrusion molding) of a PETG layer 322, a polycarbonate layer 321, and a PETG layer 323 stacked in this order. By forming the front innersheet layer 320 by three-layer extrusion molding, the adhesion between the three layers is increased, making it less likely for delamination to occur.

[0048] The thickness ratio of the three layers constituting the front inner sheet layer 320, i.e., the thickness of the PETG layer 322: the thickness of the polycarbonate layer 321: the thickness of the PETG layer 323, is preferably between 1:1:1 and 1:4:1, and more preferably 1:2:1. By making the thicknesses of the PETG layer 322 and the PETG layer 323 equal, deformation (warping) due to temperature changes can be prevented. By making the thickness of the polycarbonate layer 321 equal to or greater than the thicknesses of the PETG layer 322 and the PETG layer 323, the thickness of the polycarbonate layer 321 can be increased, thereby enhancing the effect of reducing defects in the design layer.

[0049] It should be noted that the polycarbonate layer 321 and the PETG layers 322, 323 do not need to be 100% polycarbonate and 100% PETG, respectively, and may contain small amounts of impurities and additives.

[0050] When the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 are heat-pressed with the front design layer 5 and rear design layer 6 overlapping each other, the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 themselves do not soften, so in the area where the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 are provided, a force similar to a force pushing from the inside to the outside of the IC card 1 acts on the front design layer 5 and rear design layer 6. For this reason, in the past, deformation or cracks could occur in the front design layer 5 and rear design layer 6 in the area where the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 are provided, resulting in a defective product.

[0051] However, in this embodiment, a front inner sheet layer 320 is provided between the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 and the front design layer 5. A rear inner sheet layer 420 is also provided between the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 and the rear design layer 6. Therefore, by performing heat pressing at a temperature that does not soften the polycarbonate layer 321, defects such as deformation and cracking of the front design layer 5 and the rear design layer 6 can be suppressed. That is, since the front inner sheet layer 320 and the rear inner sheet layer 420 have PETG layers 322, 323 on their front and rear sides, the fusion temperature can be lowered. Furthermore, the centrally located polycarbonate layer 321 prevents unevenness in the areas of the antenna 20 and conductive plates 33, 34 from being transmitted to the card surface, preventing damage to the design layer and improving durability against bending, etc.

[0052] Next, a method for manufacturing the IC card 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating the manufacturing process of the IC module 10 of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the card substrate 2 (before punching). In FIG. 4(a), FIG. 4(a-1) is a plan view, and FIG. 4(a-1) is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4(a)). The same is true for FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d). The IC card 1 is manufactured according to the following steps. Note that the following steps explain an IC card 1 with the simplest configuration, and if a magnetic stripe, hologram, etc. are to be provided, separate steps for providing these are provided.

[0053] (Antenna formation process) The antenna formation process follows the steps below.

[0054] (1) A plate member 35 having an H-shaped planar shape and electrical conductivity is laminated on the rear surface of the surface layer 3 (see FIG. 4(a)). The plate member 35 is a member to be processed into the conductive plates 33, 34, as described below. Vertical portions 35a, 35b at both ends of the plate member 35 correspond to the conductive plates 33, 34 and are to be processed into the conductive plates 33, 34. The plate member 35 is integrally formed by the vertical portions 35a, 35b and a connecting portion 35c connecting them. The length of the connecting portion 35c in the left-right direction X is approximately the same as the size of the lower recess 15b (see FIG. 4(c)). The plate member 35 is arranged so that the connecting portion 35c crosses the planned formation area of the lower recess 15b (see FIG. 4(c)) of the IC module accommodating hole 15 in which the IC chip 11 of the IC module 10 is embedded, in the left-right direction X.

[0055] (2) The antenna 20 is embedded by thermocompression bonding on the back surface of the surface layer 3 before punching (see FIG. 1). In the region where the plate member 35 is provided, the antenna-side connecting portions 23 and 24 of the antenna 20 are laminated on the plate member 35 from the back side Z1.

[0056] (3) The antenna-side connection portions 23, 24 of the antenna 20 are welded to the vertical portions 35a, 35b of the plate member 35. This completes the formation of the antenna 20. In the antenna formation step, the antenna 20 may be formed on the back layer 4. In this case, the plate member 35 is provided on the surface 4a of the back layer 4, and the coil portion 22 is then laminated and embedded thereon.

[0057] (Card stacking process) The card stacking step is performed according to the following steps: In the following description, the card stacking step is described as being performed on all layers at once, but it may be performed in multiple steps as necessary.

[0058] (1) The front layer 3 on which the antenna 20 is formed and the back layer 4 are laminated together. More specifically, the front center core layer 310, the front inner sheet layer 320, the front core layer 330, and the front over-sheet layer 340 are laminated in this order from the back side to form the front layer 3. The back center core layer 410, the back inner sheet layer 420, the back core layer 430, and the back over-sheet layer 440 are laminated in this order from the front side to form the back layer 4. A transfer sheet (not shown) on which the pattern of the front pattern layer 5 is formed is also laminated on the surface of the front over-sheet layer 340. The back pattern layer 6 is printed and formed in advance on the back side of the back core layer 430.

[0059] (2) The front layer 3 and the back layer 4 are bonded by heat pressing. During this bonding, the layers constituting the front layer 3 and the layers constituting the back layer 4 are also bonded. The front design layer 5 is also transferred during the heat pressing process. As a result, the card substrate 2 (before punching) shown in FIG. 5 is formed. This heat pressing process is performed at a temperature at which the PETG softens and can be thermally bonded, but at a temperature at which the polycarbonate layer 321 does not soften. The card substrate 2 may be subjected to the card stacking process as a multi-faceted body in which card areas are attached using material larger than the actual card size, or the card may be stacked at card size from the beginning. Here, the card stacking process will be described as being performed as a multi-faceted body.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, inner sheet layers (front inner sheet layer 320 and back inner sheet layer 420) are provided which have a polycarbonate layer 321 and PETG layers 322, 323 arranged on both sides of the polycarbonate layer 321 and sandwiching the polycarbonate layer 321. This effectively suppresses deformation and cracking of the pattern layers (front pattern layer 5, back pattern layer 6), making it possible to significantly reduce the occurrence of defective products.

[0061] Furthermore, by using a composition containing both polycarbonate resin and PETG resin for at least one of the front core layer 330 and the back core layer 430, the effect of suppressing deformation and cracking of the design layers (front design layer 5, back design layer 6) can be further enhanced. This is an additional effect obtained by suppressing deformation using polycarbonate resin.

[0062] (Card punching process) The card substrate 2 (multi-faceted body) with the antenna 20 embedded therein is formed into a card shape by punching.

[0063] (Upper recess forming process) 4(b), the surface layer 3 of the card substrate 2 is cut to form an upper recess 15a that accommodates the mounting board 12 in the IC module accommodating hole 15. The upper recess 15a is, for example, 12 mm × 13 mm × 200 μm deep.

[0064] (Lower recess forming process) 4(c), the card substrate 2 is cut deeper than the plate member 35 to form a lower recess 15b that accommodates the IC chip 11 in the IC module accommodating hole 15, and at the same time, the connecting portion 35c of the plate member 35 is cut at the same time, and the plate member 35 is processed into the shape of the conductive plates 33, 34. The size of the lower recess 15b is, for example, 8.5 mm (vertical direction Y) × 8.5 mm (left-right direction X) × depth 650 μm.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4(d), the bottom of the upper recess 15a is cut down to the plate member 35 in a portion of the front layer 3 of the card substrate 2 that corresponds to the board-side connection portion 13, and a cut recess 15c is formed so that portions of the conductive plates 33, 34 are exposed on the front side Z2 in the thickness direction Z. The cut recess 15c is, for example, semicircular with a diameter of 3 mm and a depth of 400 μm. The order of the steps from the upper recess forming step to the conductive plate exposing step may be changed as needed so that the IC module receiving hole 15 is finally formed. For example, the upper recess forming step may be performed after the lower recess forming step.

[0066] (IC module mounting process) The IC module mounting process follows the steps below.

[0067] (1) A conductive paste 30 is applied to the conductive plates 33 and 34 exposed in the cut recess 15c (see FIG. 1(d)).

[0068] (2) An insulating adhesive is applied to the IC module 10, which is then housed in the IC module housing hole 15, and the IC module 10 and the card substrate 2 are integrated together. The conductive plates 33, 34 and the substrate-side connecting portion 13 are connected by the conductive paste 30. In this manner, the IC card 1 can be manufactured.

[0069] As described above, in the IC card 1 of this embodiment, inner sheet layers (front inner sheet layer 320 and rear inner sheet layer 420) are disposed between the conductive plates 33, 34 and the design layers (front design layer 5, rear design layer 6). This inner sheet layer includes a polycarbonate layer 321 and PETG layers 322, 323 disposed on both sides of the polycarbonate layer 321 to sandwich the polycarbonate layer 321. This effectively prevents deformation and cracking of the design layers (front design layer 5, rear design layer 6) during heat pressing in the manufacturing process of the IC card 1. Therefore, even in a configuration including conductive plates that electrically connect the IC chip and the antenna, it is possible to provide an IC card and a manufacturing method for an IC card that is easy to manufacture and is less likely to cause defects in the design layers.

[0070] (Variations) The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] (1) In the present embodiment, the IC card is an IC card for both contactless and contactless use, but is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may be applied to an IC card in which the contact communication function is removed from the IC card of the embodiment. That is, the present invention may be applied to a contactless IC card for sole use, which does not have an IC chip embedded in the card, but has a mounting board, an IC module mounted in an IC module accommodating recess on the surface of the card, and the IC module is connected to an antenna coil inside the card.

[0072] (2) In this embodiment, the form of the IC card 1 has been described by exemplifying a specific layer structure. However, the layer structure of the IC card is not limited to the exemplified form, and some layers may be omitted or other layers may be newly added.

[0073] (3) In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which two inner sheet layers are provided: a front inner sheet layer 320 and a back inner sheet layer 420. However, this is not limiting, and one of the front inner sheet layer 320 or the back inner sheet layer 420 may be omitted, for example, in cases where there is a side (front side or back side) where defects in the pattern layer are less likely to occur, or in cases where there is no pattern layer on one side.

[0074] (4) In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which printing is provided on the front and back sides, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, printing on either side may be omitted.

[0075] (5) In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which there is an overlap between the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33 and 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the conductive plates 33 and 34 may be omitted.

[0076] (6) In the present embodiment, specific examples of the arrangement of the antenna 20 and the conductive plates 33, 34 have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the antenna and the conductive plates may be arranged anywhere inside the front inner sheet layer 320 and the back inner sheet layer 420.

[0077] The embodiments and modifications may be used in combination as appropriate, but detailed description thereof will be omitted. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 IC card 2 Card substrate 2a surface 3 Surface layer 4 Lining 4a surface 5. Front pattern layer 6 Back layer 10 IC modules 11 IC chip 11a Connection wiring 12 Mounting board 12a Board corner 12b Board corner 12c Left side 12d Board corner 12e Board corner 12f right side 13 Board side connection part 14 External contact terminal 15 IC module housing hole 15a Upper recess 15b Lower recess 15c Cutting recess 20 Antenna 21 Insulated conductor 22 Coil section 23 Antenna side connection part 24 Antenna side connection part 30 Conductive paste 33 Conductive Plate 33a Welding point 33b Welding point 34 Conductive Plate 34a Welding point 34b Welding point 35 Plate members 35a vertical part 35b vertical part 35c connection part 310 Front center core layer 320 outer inner sheet layer 321 Polycarbonate layer 322 PETG layer 323 PETG layer 330 Surface core layer 340 Surface Oversheet Layer 410 Back center core layer 420 Back inner sheet layer 430 Under-core layer 440 Back oversheet layer

Claims

1. An IC chip, The antenna and a conductive plate that electrically connects the IC chip and the antenna; The picture layer and an inner sheet layer disposed between the conductive plate and the pattern layer; An IC card comprising: The IC card, wherein the inner sheet layer has a polycarbonate layer and PETG layers disposed on both sides of the polycarbonate layer to sandwich the polycarbonate layer.

2. 2. The IC card according to claim 1, The design layer is provided with a front design layer displayed on the front side and a rear design layer displayed on the rear side, the inner sheet layer is provided with a front inner sheet layer disposed between the front pattern layer and the conductive plate, and a back inner sheet layer disposed between the back pattern layer and the conductive plate; An IC card characterized by the above.

3. 3. The IC card according to claim 2, a surface core layer disposed between the surface pattern layer and the surface inner sheet layer; a back core layer disposed between the back pattern layer and the back inner sheet layer; Equipped with the front core layer and the back core layer contain both a polycarbonate resin and a PETG resin; An IC card characterized by the above.

4. 4. The IC card according to claim 3, a front center core layer in contact with the front sides of the antenna and the conductive plate and disposed on the rear side of the front core layer; a back center core layer that is in contact with the back side of the antenna and the conductive plate and is disposed on the front side of the back core layer; Equipped with the antenna and the conductive plate are sandwiched between a front center core layer and a back center core layer; An IC card characterized by the above.

5. 3. The IC card according to claim 1, the antenna is a conductive metal wire, the conductive plate is a metal plate; An IC card characterized by the above.

6. An IC chip, The antenna and a conductive plate that electrically connects the IC chip and the antenna; The picture layer and an inner sheet layer disposed between the conductive plate and the pattern layer; A method for manufacturing an IC card comprising: the inner sheet layer has a polycarbonate layer and PETG layers disposed on both sides of the polycarbonate layer to sandwich the polycarbonate layer, performing heat pressing in a state in which the inner sheet layer is disposed between the conductive plate and the pattern layer; A method for manufacturing an IC card, comprising the steps of:

7. 7. The IC card manufacturing method according to claim 6, the inner sheet layer is formed by three-layer extrusion molding in such a manner that the polycarbonate layer is sandwiched between PETG layers on both sides; A method for manufacturing an IC card, comprising the steps of:

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