IC card

Abstract

To adjust a self-resonance frequency of a coupling coil provided in an IC module in a metallic IC card including the IC module.SOLUTION: The IC card 2 includes a metal plate 50 having a through-hole 51 penetrating in the Z direction, a support member 80 made of a magnetic body disposed in the through-hole 51, and an IC module 60 supported by the support member 80 in the through-hole 51. The IC module 60 includes a coupling coil 63. The support member 80 has a hollow portion 81 that penetrates in the Z direction and accommodates a part of the IC module 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an IC card. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an IC card including a metal layer having a COB (chip on board) receiving space, a COB received in the COB receiving space, and an antenna coil. In the COB receiving space, the COB is held by a PVC insert, and the antenna coil provided on the antenna inlay layer is directly connected to the COB via the COB contact area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-010670 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when magnetically coupling an IC module such as a COB to an antenna coil without contact, if the IC module comes close to a metal member such as a metal plate, there is a problem in that the self-resonant frequency (SRF) of the coupling coil provided in the IC module becomes higher than the design value.

[0005] In this disclosure, a technique for adjusting the self-resonant frequency of a coupling coil provided in an IC module in an IC card having a metal plate is described. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An IC card according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a metal plate having a first through hole penetrating in the thickness direction, a support member at least a portion of which is disposed within the first through hole, and an IC module supported by the support member within the first through hole, wherein the IC module has a coupling coil, and the support member is made of a magnetic material and has a hollow portion penetrating in the thickness direction to accommodate a portion of the IC module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided for adjusting the self-resonant frequency of a coupling coil provided in an IC module in an IC card equipped with a metal plate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an IC card 2 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view for explaining the structure of the IC card 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the IC card 2. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the IC module 60 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the IC card 2 and the card reader 6 communicate with each other. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining the structure of the support member 80 housed in the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50, where (a) is a schematic perspective view and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating a first example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. Fig. 7(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a first example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60. [Figure 8]Fig. 8(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating a second example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. Fig. 8(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a second example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a third example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the resin layer 10 and the magnetic body 30. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the resin layer 10 and the magnetic body 30 according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a third modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a fourth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a fifth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of an IC card 2A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a sixth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a seventh modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an IC card 2 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] 1, the IC card 2 according to the first embodiment is a plate-like body with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction, the X direction as the lateral direction, and the Z direction as the thickness direction, and has a top surface 2a and a back surface 2b that form the XY plane. The IC card 2 has an IC module (described later) built in, and terminal electrodes E of the IC module are exposed on the top surface 2a of the IC card 2.

[0012] 2 and 3 are a schematic exploded perspective view and a schematic cross-sectional view, respectively, for explaining the structure of the IC card 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0013] 2 and 3, the IC card 2 according to the first embodiment has a structure in which a plastic plate 40, a coil component 1, and a metal plate 50 are layered in this order from the back surface 2b side toward the top surface 2a side. The coil component 1 is composed of a magnetic body 30, a coil pattern CP arranged on one surface side (+Z direction) of the magnetic body 30, and a resin layer 10. The coil pattern CP may be embedded in the resin layer 10. The other surface side (-Z direction) of the magnetic body 30 is covered with a metal plate 50. The magnetic body 30 may be a sheet-like member.

[0014] The magnetic body 30 and the metal plate 50 have through holes 31 and 51, respectively. These through holes 31 and 51 overlap in the Z direction, which is the stacking direction. The plastic plate 40 and the coil component 1 are bonded via an adhesive layer 71. The metal plate 50 and the coil component 1 are bonded via an adhesive layer 72. Examples of materials for the adhesive layers 71 and 72 include acrylic double-sided tape, thermosetting resin, and thermoplastic resin.

[0015] The plastic plate 40 is made of a resin material that does not interfere with magnetic flux. The outer surface of the plastic plate 40 forms the back surface 2b of the IC card 2. The metal plate 50 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or titanium. The outer surface of the metal plate 50 forms the top surface 2a of the IC card 2. A through hole 51 is provided in the metal plate 50, and at least a part of the support member 80 and the IC module 60 are disposed inside the through hole 51. In this way, the IC card 2 according to this embodiment is a card in which a metal plate is used for the main body.

[0016] 2 and 3, the coil pattern CP is configured by a conductor pattern consisting of multiple turns. Each of the multiple turns constituting the coil pattern CP has a first winding portion 21 that winds in a first direction along the outer edge of the magnetic body 30 so as to overlap with the magnetic body 30, and a second winding portion 22 that is located in an opening region 210 surrounded by the first winding portion 21 and winds in a second direction opposite to the first direction. At least a portion of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlaps with the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30. As a result, a portion of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlaps in the Z direction with the IC module 60 placed in the through hole 51 of the metal plate 50 via the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30.

[0017] The first winding portion 21 of the coil pattern CP functions as an antenna coil that magnetically couples with an external card reader during actual use. The second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP functions as a coupling coil that magnetically couples with the IC module 60. The second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP may function as part of an antenna coil that magnetically couples with an external card reader. For example, if the resonant frequency of the coil pattern CP is set to 13.56 MHz or a frequency band near 13.56 MHz, near-field communication (NFC) becomes possible between the external card reader and the IC card 2. [0]

[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the IC module 60 as seen from the rear side.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the IC module 60 includes a module substrate 61, an IC chip 62 mounted on or built into the module substrate 61, and a coupling coil 63. The IC chip 62 is protected by being covered with a dome-shaped protective resin 64. The protective resin 64 is made of an insulating material. Terminal electrodes E shown in FIG. 1 are provided on the front surface of the module substrate 61. The IC module 60 having such a configuration is housed in a through-hole 51 formed in a metal plate 50 and supported by a support member 80. When the IC module 60 is housed in the through-hole 51, the coupling coil 63 and a second winding portion 22, which is a part of the coil pattern CP, are magnetically coupled. The second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP is connected to a first winding portion 21, which is another part of the coil pattern CP that functions as an antenna coil. This enables the IC module 60 to communicate with the outside via the first winding portion 21 of the coil pattern CP.

[0020] 5, when the back surface 2b of the IC card 2 is faced to the card reader 6, communication can be performed between the card reader 6 and the IC chip 62. In other words, the card reader 6 is magnetically coupled to the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 via the coil pattern CP, thereby realizing communication with the IC chip 62.

[0021] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining the structure of the support member 80 housed in the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50, where (a) is a schematic perspective view and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view.

[0022] The support member 80 is a single member made of a magnetic material used to support the IC module 60 in the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50. The support member 80 may be composed of multiple magnetic material components, but if it is composed of a single material, the support member is stable and the IC module 60 is mounted in a stable position. The magnetic material constituting the support member 80 may be made of a bulk sintered ferrite body, or may be made of a composite magnetic material containing flat magnetic powder or metal magnetic powder and a resin binder. When the support member 80 is made of a bulk sintered ferrite body, an insulating coating 89 may be provided on the surface of the support member 80, as shown in FIG. 6(b), to prevent the ferrite powder from falling off or diffusing.

[0023] The IC module 60 is inserted into the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50 while being supported by, for example, a support member 80. The entire support member 80 may be disposed within the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50, or only a portion of the support member 80 may be disposed within the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50. As shown in FIG. 6( a), the support member 80 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape and a cylindrical shape having a cavity 81 penetrating in the Z direction. More specifically, the support member 80 has an upper surface 82 and a lower surface 83 that form an XY plane and are opposite each other, side surfaces 84 and 87 that form a YZ plane and are opposite each other, and side surfaces 85 and 86 that form an XZ plane and are opposite each other, and the cavity 81 is provided penetrating from the center of the upper surface 82 to the center of the lower surface 83.

[0024] 3, a part of the IC module 60, for example, a part of the protective resin 64, is housed in a hollow portion 81 of the support member 80. An upper surface 82 of the support member 80 is adhered to the resin layer 10 via an adhesive layer 73 provided at a position overlapping the through-hole 51 of the metal plate 50 and the through-hole 31 of the magnetic body 30. A lower surface 83 of the support member 80 is adhered to the module substrate 61 of the IC module 60 via an adhesive layer 74 made of a hot-melt resin or the like.

[0025] As described above, in this embodiment, the support member 80 made of a magnetic material is interposed on the magnetic path between the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60. The presence of a magnetic material between the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 reduces the self-resonant frequency (SRF) of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60. Meanwhile, the self-resonant frequency of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 is increased above the design value due to their proximity to the metal plate 50. This offsets the fluctuations in the self-resonant frequency, resulting in a self-resonant frequency close to the design value. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support member 80 is made of a single member, reducing the number of components.

[0026] Fig. 7(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating a first example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. Fig. 7(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a first example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60.

[0027] 7(a), in a plan view seen from the Z direction, which is the thickness direction, an inner peripheral edge 22A of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlaps with a hollow portion 81 of the support member 80, and an outer peripheral edge 22B of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlaps with the support member 80. In other words, the inner wall of the hollow portion 81 of the support member 80 is located between the inner peripheral edge 22A and the outer peripheral edge 22B of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP when seen from the Z direction.

[0028] 7(b), in a plan view seen from the Z direction, which is the thickness direction, an inner peripheral edge 63A of the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 overlaps with the hollow portion 81 of the support member 80, and an outer peripheral edge 63B of the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 overlaps with the support member 80. In other words, the inner wall of the hollow portion 81 of the support member 80 is located between the inner peripheral edge 63A and the outer peripheral edge 63B of the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 when seen from the Z direction.

[0029] According to the positional relationship shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), most of the magnetic flux linking the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 passes through the hollow portion 81 of the support member 80, making it possible to lower the self-resonant frequency while ensuring magnetic coupling between the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63.

[0030] Fig. 8(a) is a schematic diagram illustrating a second example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. Fig. 8(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating a second example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60.

[0031] 8(a), in a plan view seen from the Z direction, which is the thickness direction, the entire second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP is located outside the support member 80. In other words, when seen from the Z direction, the support member 80 is located within an opening region surrounded by the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP. In addition, both the inner peripheral edge 22A and the outer peripheral edge 22B of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP are located outside the support member 80.

[0032] 8(b), in a plan view seen from the Z direction, which is the thickness direction, an inner peripheral edge 63A of the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 is located in the hollow portion 81 of the support member 80, and an outer peripheral edge 63B of the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 is located outside the support member 80. In other words, the entire support member 80 overlaps with the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60.

[0033] According to the positional relationship shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), most of the magnetic flux linking the second winding part 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 passes outside the support member 80, making it possible to lower the self-resonant frequency while ensuring magnetic coupling between the second winding part 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a third example of the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP.

[0035] 9, in a plan view seen from the Z direction, which is the thickness direction, the entire second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlaps with the support member 80. In other words, both the inner peripheral edge 22A and the outer peripheral edge 22B of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP overlap with the support member 80. When the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP is the third example shown in FIG. 9, the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the coupling coil 63 of the IC module 60 may be either the first example shown in FIG. 7(b) or the second example shown in FIG. 8(b).

[0036] 9, a part of the magnetic flux linking the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63 passes outside the support member 80 and through the hollow portion 81, and therefore it is possible to lower the self-resonant frequency while ensuring magnetic coupling between the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP and the coupling coil 63. Moreover, according to the third example shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to further reduce the self-resonant frequency.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the resin layer 10 and the magnetic body 30. As shown in FIG.

[0038] 10, the coil pattern CP is embedded in a resin layer 10. The resin layer 10 has a structure in which a first layer 11 and a second layer 12 are stacked in the Z direction, but if the first layer 11 and the second layer 12 are made of the same material, the interface 13 between them is not necessarily clear.

[0039] The coil pattern CP includes a seed portion S containing resin and a main portion M made of a metal material laminated on the seed portion S. The metal material constituting the main portion M may be Cu. The seed portion S may contain a material that functions as a catalyst when plating the main portion M. The conductivity of the main portion M may be higher than the conductivity of the seed portion S. Furthermore, the thickness of the main portion M may be thicker than the thickness of the seed portion S. This makes it possible to reduce the resistance value of the coil pattern CP. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the entire surface of the coil pattern CP is covered with a resin layer 10 and is not exposed.

[0040] The coil pattern CP may be formed on the surface of a substrate (not shown), embedded with a first layer 11, and then the substrate is peeled off and a second layer 12 is formed. The resin layer 10 may contain particles and a binder resin R1. The particles contained in the resin layer 10 may be inorganic filler particles or black color pigment particles. Non-magnetic inorganic materials such as alumina, aluminum hydroxide, talc, magnesium hydroxide, silica, calcium carbonate, barium titanate, zirconium titanate, and zinc zirconate may be used as the inorganic filler particles. When inorganic filler particles are used as the particles contained in the resin layer 10, insulating inorganic filler particles F1 to F3 having different particle sizes may be used. In this way, using three types of inorganic filler particles F1 to F3 having different particle size distributions increases the filling rate of the inorganic filler particles in the resin layer 10.

[0041] The magnetic body 30 covers the first winding portion 21 of the coil pattern CP to prevent magnetic flux from being applied to the metal plate 50. The magnetic body 30 is not disposed in at least a portion of the area overlapping the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP, which is a coupling coil, and a through-hole 31 is provided instead. The magnetic body 30 may be a magnetic resin layer containing flat magnetic powder F4 and binder resin R2. The flat magnetic powder F4 may be composed of a metal magnetic material such as sendust, permalloy, Fe-Si-Cr-based alloy magnetic material, Fe-Si-Al-Cr-based alloy magnetic material, or Fe-Al-Cr-based alloy magnetic material. The thickness direction of the flat magnetic powder F4 is the Z direction, and the longitudinal direction is the XY plane direction perpendicular to the Z direction. The flat magnetic powder F4 is oriented so that the longitudinal direction is approximately parallel to the XY plane direction. This increases the magnetic permeability of the magnetic body 30 in the XY plane direction.

[0042] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the resin layer 10 and the magnetic body 30 according to a modified example.

[0043] In the modified example shown in FIG. 11 , the second layer 12 of the resin layer 10 is removed at a position overlapping the through-hole 31 of the magnetic body 30, thereby exposing the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP from the resin layer 10. Since the other basic configuration is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 10 , the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted. The structure shown in FIG. 11 makes it possible to prevent interference between the IC module 60 and the resin layer 10 even when the IC module 60 is thicker. Here, the surface of the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP that is exposed from the resin layer 10 is made of a seed portion S that has lower conductivity than the main body portion M, and therefore, a decrease in reliability due to exposure of the coil pattern CP is suppressed.

[0044] FIG. 12 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a first modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0045] The first modified example shown in FIG. 12 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 3 in that the adhesive layer 73 is omitted and a resin member 65 is included. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 3, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. The first modified example shown in FIG. 12 is applicable to the case where, as shown in FIG. 10, the coil pattern CP is not exposed at the position overlapping the through-hole 31 of the magnetic body 30, and the entire surface is made of the binder resin R1 of the adhesive resin layer 10. In this case, the support member 80 is directly bonded to the binder resin R1 of the resin layer 10. This not only eliminates the need for the adhesive layer 73, but also allows the thickness of the support member 80 in the Z direction to be increased by the thickness of the adhesive layer 73, thereby further reducing the self-resonant frequency. On the other hand, when the coil pattern CP is exposed at the position overlapping the through-hole 31 of the magnetic body 30, as shown in FIG. 11, the support member 80 can be bonded using the adhesive layer 73, as described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0046] 12 , a resin member 65 is filled in the gap between the metal plate 50 and the support member 80 in the through hole 51. The resin member 65 may be in contact with the magnetic body 30. By filling the through hole 51 with such a resin member 65, the IC module 60 is more reliably fixed in the through hole 51, and the insulation between the metal plate 50 and the support member 80 is also improved.

[0047] FIG. 13 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a second modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0048] The second modified example shown in FIG. 13 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 3 in that the adhesive layer 73 and the resin layer 10 are partially removed at a position overlapping the opening region surrounded by the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP in plan view, a resin member 65 is provided, and the size of the protective resin 64 is larger. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 3, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. The through hole 14 provided in the resin layer 10 overlaps with the through hole 51 of the metal plate 50 and the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30. According to the second modified example shown in FIG. 13, even if the height of the protective resin 64 of the IC module 60 in the Z direction is large, it is possible to prevent interference between the protective resin 64 and the resin layer 10.

[0049] FIG. 14 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a third modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0050] The third modified example shown in Fig. 14 differs from the structure shown in Fig. 12 in that the cavity 81 of the support member 80 has a tapered shape whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the IC module 60, and in that the size of the protective resin 64 is larger. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in Fig. 12, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted. According to the third modified example shown in Fig. 14, even if the size of the protective resin 64 of the IC module 60 in the XY plane direction is large, it is possible to prevent interference between the protective resin 64 and the support member 80.

[0051] FIG. 15 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a fourth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0052] The fourth modified example shown in FIG. 15 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 3 in that the adhesive layer 73 is omitted and the support member 80 is in contact with the magnetic body 30. In other words, the outer peripheral wall of the support member 80 is in contact with the inner peripheral wall of the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 3, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the fourth modified example, the support member 80 and the magnetic body 30 may be integrated. Integrating the support member 80 and the magnetic body 30 reduces the number of parts and makes it possible to fix the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the magnetic body 30.

[0053] FIG. 16 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a fifth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0054] The fifth modified example shown in FIG. 16 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 3 in that the support member 80 overlaps the magnetic body 30. The support member 80 and the magnetic body 30 are bonded via a ring-shaped adhesive layer 73. Other basic structures are the same as those shown in FIG. 3, so the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant descriptions are omitted. In the fifth modified example, the support member 80, like the magnetic body 30, may be formed of a magnetic resin layer containing flat magnetic powder and a binder resin. In this case, the flat magnetic powder and binder resin forming the support member 80 may be the same as or different from the flat magnetic powder and binder resin forming the magnetic body 30. With this structure, the support member 80 and the magnetic body 30 are integrated via the adhesive layer 73, thereby reducing the number of parts and enabling the positional relationship between the support member 80 and the magnetic body 30 to be fixed.

[0055] FIG. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of an IC card 2A according to the second embodiment.

[0056] 17, the IC card 2A according to the second embodiment differs from the IC card 2 according to the first embodiment in that the coil pattern CP is provided on one surface 91 of a substrate 90 made of a PET film or the like. The other surface 92 of the substrate 90 is adhered to the magnetic body 30 via an adhesive layer 75. Since the other basic structure is the same as that of the IC card 2 according to the first embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0057] As exemplified by the IC card 2A according to the second embodiment, it is not essential to embed the coil pattern CP in the resin layer 10, and it is also possible to use a coil pattern CP provided on the surface 91 of a base material 90 made of a PET film or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 17, a support member 80 is adhered to the adhesive layer 75.

[0058] FIG. 18 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a sixth modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0059] 18 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 17 in that the adhesive layer 75 is removed in the region overlapping the through hole 51 of the metal plate 50 and the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30, and instead another adhesive layer 76 is provided, and a resin member 65 is also provided. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 17, the same elements are given the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. According to the sixth modification shown in FIG. 18, different materials can be used for the adhesive layer 75 and the adhesive layer 76, and after the adhesive layer 76 is bonded to the support member 80, the IC module 60 can be housed in the through hole 51 of the metal plate 50.

[0060] FIG. 19 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view showing a seventh modified example of an IC module 60 and its surrounding structure.

[0061] The seventh modified example shown in FIG. 19 differs from the structure shown in FIG. 17 in that the adhesive layer 75 and the base material 90 are partially removed at a position overlapping the opening region surrounded by the second winding portion 22 of the coil pattern CP in plan view, a resin member 65 is provided, and the size of the protective resin 64 is larger. Since the other basic structure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 17, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. The through hole 93 provided in the base material 90 overlaps with the through hole 51 of the metal plate 50 and the through hole 31 of the magnetic body 30. According to the sixth modified example shown in FIG. 19, even if the height of the protective resin 64 of the IC module 60 in the Z direction is large, interference between the protective resin 64 and the base material 90 can be prevented.

[0062] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] The technology according to the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the following configuration examples.

[0064] An IC card according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a metal plate having a first through hole penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction, a support member at least a portion of which is disposed within the first through hole, and an IC module supported by the support member within the first through hole, the IC module having a coupling coil, and the support member being made of a magnetic material and having a cavity penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction and accommodating a portion of the IC module. This configuration allows the self-resonant frequency of the coupling coil to be lowered by the support member being made of a magnetic material.

[0065] The IC card may further include a coil pattern and a magnetic body located between the metal plate and the coil pattern in the thickness direction, the magnetic body having a second through hole overlapping the first through hole, the coil pattern having a first winding portion overlapping the magnetic body and a second winding portion connected to the first winding portion and winding along the second through hole of the magnetic body, and a coupling coil of the IC module may be magnetically coupled to the second winding portion of the coil pattern. This enables communication between the IC module and an external card reader via the first winding portion of the coil pattern.

[0066] The IC card may further include a resin layer supporting the coil pattern, and the resin layer may have a third through hole overlapping the first through hole and the second through hole, thereby reducing interference between the IC module and the resin layer.

[0067] In the IC card described above, the inner peripheral edge of the second winding portion of the coil pattern may overlap the hollow portion of the support member when viewed in the thickness direction, which allows the second winding portion of the coil pattern and the coupling coil to be magnetically coupled via the hollow portion of the support member.

[0068] In the IC card described above, the outer edge of the second winding part of the coil pattern may be located outside the support member when viewed in the thickness direction, which allows the second winding part of the coil pattern and the coupling coil to be magnetically coupled via the outer area of ​​the support member.

[0069] In the above IC card, the support member may be made of sintered ferrite, which makes it possible to further lower the self-resonant frequency of the coupling coil.

[0070] In the above IC card, the hollow portion of the support member may have a tapered shape with an inner diameter that increases toward the IC module, which makes it more unlikely that interference will occur between the IC module and the resin layer.

[0071] The IC card may further include a resin member that fills the gap between the metal plate and the support member in the first through hole, thereby fixing the support member in the first through hole and improving the insulation between the metal plate and the support member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 Coil parts 2,2A IC card 2a Top of IC card 2b Back of IC card 6. Card Reader 10 Resin layer 11 1st layer 12 2nd layer 13 Interface 14 Through holes 21 First Lap 22 2nd lap section 22A inner edge 22B outer edge 30 Magnetic material 31 Through hole 40 plastic plates 50 Metal Plates 51 Through hole 60 IC modules 61 Module Board 62 IC chips 63 Coupling coil 63A Inner edge 63B outer edge 64 Protective Resin 65 Resin parts 71~76 Adhesive layer 80 Support member 81 Cavity 82 Top surface 83 Bottom surface 84~87 Side 89 Insulation coating 90 Base material 91,92 Surface of the substrate 93 Through Hole 210 Opening area CP coil pattern E terminal electrode F1~F3 Inorganic filler particles F4 flat magnetic powder M Main body R1, R2 binder resin S Seed Section

Claims

1. a metal plate having a first through hole penetrating in a thickness direction; a support member at least partially disposed within the first through hole; an IC module supported by the support member in the first through hole; Equipped with the IC module has a coupling coil; the support member is made of a magnetic material, penetrates in a thickness direction, and has a hollow portion in which a part of the IC module is accommodated; IC card.

2. The coil pattern, a magnetic body located between the metal plate and the coil pattern in a thickness direction; Furthermore, the magnetic body has a second through hole overlapping with the first through hole, the coil pattern has a first winding portion that overlaps the magnetic body, and a second winding portion that is connected to the first winding portion and winds around the second through hole of the magnetic body, the coupling coil of the IC module is magnetically coupled to the second winding portion of the coil pattern; 2. The IC card according to claim 1.

3. Further, a resin layer is provided to support the coil pattern. the resin layer has a third through hole overlapping the first through hole and the second through hole; 3. The IC card according to claim 2.

4. an inner peripheral edge of the second winding portion of the coil pattern overlaps with the hollow portion of the support member when viewed from the thickness direction; 3. The IC card according to claim 2.

5. an outer peripheral edge of the second winding portion of the coil pattern is located outside the support member when viewed in the thickness direction; 3. The IC card according to claim 2.

6. The support member is made of a ferrite sintered body.

2. The IC card according to claim 1.

7. The hollow portion of the support member has a tapered shape whose inner diameter increases as it approaches the IC module.

2. The IC card according to claim 1.

8. The housing further includes a resin member that fills a gap between the metal plate and the support member in the first through hole. The IC card according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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