Dual interface IC card, intermediate body, and method for manufacturing dual interface IC card

Abstract

To suppress disconnection near the root of a welding part with a conductive plate at an antenna end part when a dual interface IC card is repeatedly bent.SOLUTION: The IC card includes a card base body having a recess 20G on a front surface, an IC module 30 disposed in the recess 20G, a conductive plate 40 disposed inside the card base body and having a portion exposed in the recess 20G, an antenna disposed inside the card base body, and a conductive adhesive layer disposed between the IC module 30 and an exposed portion 41 exposed in the recess 20G of the conductive plate 40, wherein the IC module 30 is located closer to a first long side 20C than to a center line of the card base body along a longitudinal direction X of the card base body. The end 51 of the antenna has a welded part 40A welded to a face 51A on the front side of the card base body in the conductive plate 40, and the tip 51B of the end 51 of the antenna is positioned closer to the first long side 51C side than the root side welded vicinity 20C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dual interface IC card, an intermediate, and a method for manufacturing the dual interface IC card. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, contact IC cards have been used, which communicate with external devices through contact terminals on the surface of the card, contactless IC cards which communicate with external devices through an antenna using electromagnetic induction or the like, and dual interface IC cards which can achieve both the functions of a contact IC card and a contactless IC card using a single IC chip on the card.

[0003] Of these, in a dual interface IC card, an IC module equipped with an IC chip is disposed in a recess provided on the surface of the card base and is electrically connected to an antenna disposed inside the card base.

[0004] However, when a recess for arranging an IC module is formed by cutting, if the end of the antenna is exposed in the recess, there is a risk that the end of the antenna may be broken by cutting.

[0005] For this reason, a part of the end of the antenna is welded to a conductive plate, and a part of the conductive plate is exposed in a recess, so that the conductive plate and the IC module are electrically connected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-91637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, if a portion of the antenna end is welded to a conductive plate, there is a risk that cracks will occur near the base of the weld between the antenna end and the conductive plate during repeated bending tests of a dual interface IC card, causing the antenna to break.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a dual interface IC card that can prevent breakage near the base of the weld between the antenna end and the conductive plate when the dual interface IC card is repeatedly bent, an intermediate product used in the manufacture of such a dual interface IC card, and a method for manufacturing such a dual interface IC card. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] [1] A dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, comprising: a card base having a recess on its surface; an IC module disposed in the recess; a conductive plate disposed inside the card base and having a portion exposed in the recess; an antenna disposed inside the card base; and a conductive adhesive layer disposed between the IC module and the portion of the conductive plate exposed in the recess, electrically connecting the IC module and the conductive plate; wherein, in a plan view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction of the surface of the card base, the outer edges of the card base are parallel to each other in a first direction. a dual interface IC card having a long side and a second long side, and two parallel short sides perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, the IC module being located closer to the first long side than a center line of the card body along the longitudinal direction of the card body, the end of the antenna having a weld welded to a surface of the conductive plate facing the front side of the card body, and in a planar perspective view of the dual interface IC card taken from a direction normal to the front side of the card body, a tip of the end of the antenna being located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity portion located near the weld at the end.

[0010] [2] The dual interface IC card described in [1] above, wherein, in the planar perspective view, the portion of the end of the antenna from the vicinity of the root side weld to the tip is arranged along the short side.

[0011] [3] The dual interface IC card according to [1] or [2] above, wherein, in the planar perspective view, the tip is located closer to the first long side than the welded portion.

[0012] [4] The dual interface IC card according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the conductive adhesive layer is an anisotropic conductive film.

[0013] [5] The dual interface IC card according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein the conductive adhesive layer is an anisotropic conductive paste layer.

[0014] [6] The dual interface IC card according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the thickness of the conductive plate is 70 μm or more and 150 μm or less.

[0015] [7] An intermediate body used in the manufacture of a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, the intermediate body comprising: a card base having a planned punching area; a planned recess area within the planned punching area and on the surface of which a recess for placing an IC module is formed; a conductive plate located within the planned punching area and arranged inside the card base; and an antenna located within the planned punching area and arranged inside the card base, wherein, in a plan view of the intermediate body from the normal direction of the surface of the card base, the outer edge of the planned punching area is aligned with a first long side that is parallel to each other. and a second long side, and two parallel short sides perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, the recess-planned area being located closer to the first long side than a center line of the intended punching area along the longitudinal direction of the intended punching area, the end of the antenna having a weld welded to the surface of the conductive plate on the front side of the card base, and when viewed from above in a perspective view of the intermediate from the normal direction of the front side of the card base, the tip of the end of the antenna being located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity portion located near the weld at the end.

[0016] [8] A method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, comprising the steps of: preparing the intermediate body described in [7] above; punching out the card base from the intermediate body along the outer edge of the intended punching area; cutting the card base from the front side of the card base to form a recess and expose a part of the conductive plate in the recess; arranging a conductive adhesive layer on the terminal of an IC module having an IC chip and a terminal electrically connected to the IC chip; and arranging the IC module in the recess so that the terminal and the conductive plate are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer. a method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card, wherein, in a plan view of the dual interface IC card taken from the normal direction to the surface of the card body, an outer edge of the card body has a first long side and a second long side that are parallel to each other and two short sides that are perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, the IC module is located closer to the first long side than a center line of the card body that is along the longitudinal direction of the card body, and, in a planar perspective view of the dual interface IC card taken from the normal direction to the surface of the card body, a tip of the end of the antenna is located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity portion that is located near the weld at the end. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a dual interface IC card that can suppress breakage near the base of the weld between the antenna end and the conductive plate when the dual interface IC card is repeatedly bent, an intermediate product used in the production of such a dual interface IC card, and a method for producing such a dual interface IC card. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a dual interface IC card according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view perspective view of a portion of the dual-interface IC card according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a multi-faceted intermediate body according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of each intermediate body according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan perspective view of a portion of an intermediate body according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing process of a dual-interface IC card according to an embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a schematic plan view showing a manufacturing process of a dual-interface IC card according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the manufacturing process of the dual-interface IC card according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of a dual-interface IC card according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams illustrating the manufacturing of a dual-interface IC card according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] A dual interface IC card and a manufacturing method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan perspective view of a portion of the dual interface IC card according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a multi-faceted intermediate body according to this embodiment, FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of each intermediate body according to this embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a plan perspective view of a portion of the intermediate body according to this embodiment. FIG. 9A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing process for a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a schematic plan view showing a manufacturing process for a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment. FIGS. 10A to 12B are schematic views showing the manufacturing process for a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment.

[0020] <<<Dual interface IC card>>> The dual interface IC card 10 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "IC card 10") shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a card base 20 having a recess 20G on its surface 20A, an IC module 30 arranged in the recess 20G, a pair of conductive plates 40 partially arranged inside the card base 20, and an antenna 50 arranged inside the card base 20, and also comprises a conductive adhesive layer 60 arranged between the IC module 30 and the conductive plate 40 and electrically connecting the IC module 30 and the conductive plate 40.

[0021] A part of the surface 10A of the IC card 10 is made up of the surface 20A of the card base 20. Specifically, the surface 10A is made up of the surface 20A and the surface of the IC module 30.

[0022] <<Card base>> For ease of explanation, an XYZ coordinate system is set for the card base 20. First, the normal direction of the front surface 20A of the card base 20 is defined as the Z axis (Z direction), the direction perpendicular to the Z direction is defined as the X axis (X direction), and the direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions is defined as the Y axis (Y direction). The direction from the back surface 20B opposite the front surface 20A of the card base 20 toward the front surface 20A is defined as the +Z direction or upward in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or downward in the thickness direction. The direction from the first short side 20E closer to the recess 20G toward the second short side 20F is defined as the +X direction or rightward, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or leftward. Furthermore, the direction from the second long side 20D farther from the recess 20G toward the first long side 20C is defined as the +Y direction or upward, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or downward.

[0023] In a plan view of the IC card 10 from the normal direction (Z direction) of the front surface 20A of the card base 20, the outer edge of the card base 20 has a first long side 20C and a second long side 20D that are parallel to each other, and a first short side 20E and a second short side 20F that are parallel to each other and have lengths shorter than the first long side 20C and the second long side 20D and are perpendicular to the first long side 20C and the second long side 20D. In FIG. 1, the first long side 20C and the second long side 20D extend linearly along the X direction, and the first short side 20E and the second short side 20F extend linearly along the Y direction.

[0024] 1 is rectangular, specifically, oblong, but may have other sides as long as it has a first long side 20C, a second long side 20D, a first short side 20E, and a second short side 20F. Also, like the card base 20 shown in FIG. 1, it may have arc-shaped curves between the first long side 20C and the first short side 20E, between the first long side 20C and the second short side 20F, between the second long side 20D and the first short side 20E, and between the second long side 20D and the second short side 20F.

[0025] The card base 20 has a recess 20G on the front surface 20A. The recess 20G is composed of a first recess 20H and a second recess 20I that is connected to the first recess 20H. The second recess 20I is located deeper than the first recess 20H in the depth direction (-Z direction) from the front surface 20A to the back surface 20B. The hole diameter of the second recess 20I is smaller than the hole diameter of the first recess 20H. The first recess 20H is a portion that mainly stores the substrate 31 and the like of the IC module 30, and the second recess 20I is a portion that mainly stores the molded portion 35 and the like.

[0026] 2 has a configuration in which an over-sheet layer 21, a core layer 22, an inner layer 23, a core layer 24, an inner layer 25, a core layer 26, and an over-sheet layer 27 are laminated in this order in the depth direction (-Z direction) from the front surface 20A toward the back surface 20B. For example, a magnetic stripe may be embedded on the surface of the over-sheet layer 21 opposite to the core layer 22, and a printing layer may be provided on the surface of the core layer 22 facing the over-sheet layer 21 or on the surface of the core layer 26 facing the over-sheet layer 27. This enhances the design of the card, and it can be used as a credit card that reads information from a magnetic stripe.

[0027] <Oversheet layer> The over-sheet layers 21, 27 are usually made of the same material as the inner layers 23, 25, but are often made of a transparent material with a thickness of about 0.03 mm to 0.18 mm. From the viewpoint of preventing curling when the laminate described below is integrated by heat pressing or the like, it is preferable that the over-sheet layers 21, 27 have the same thickness, but they do not necessarily have to be the same.

[0028] The material of the over-sheet layers 21 and 27 may be any material that is adhesive when heated, but even if the over-sheet layers themselves are not adhesive when heated, the two can be integrated by additionally forming a layer of a known adhesive that generates adhesive force when heated, etc., between the over-sheet layer 21 and the core layer 22 or between the over-sheet layer 27 and the core layer 26.

[0029] <Core layer> Examples of the core layers 22, 24, and 26 include, but are not limited to, plastic sheets. Examples of the plastic sheets that can be used include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PET-G (terephthalic acid-cyclohexanedimethanol-ethylene glycol copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, copolymer polyester, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyimide, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, polystyrene, ABS, polyacrylic ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and the like, as well as composite films thereof.

[0030] The thickness of the core layers 22, 24, 26 can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the overall thickness of the IC card 10, and may be, for example, approximately 0.03 mm to 0.45 mm. In this case, the thickness of the core layers 22, 24, 26 refers to the thickness of each of the core layers 22, 24, 26. The core layers 22, 24, 26 may have a laminated structure of two or more layers.

[0031] <Inner layer> The inner layers 23 and 25 are not particularly limited, but examples thereof include the plastic sheets described in the section on the core layers 22, 24, and 26. The thickness of the inner layers 23 and 25 can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the overall thickness of the IC card 10, and may be, for example, approximately 0.03 mm or more and 0.45 mm or less.

[0032] <<ICモジュール> > 1, in a plan view of the IC card 10 viewed from the normal direction (Z direction) of the surface 20A of the card base 20, the IC module 30 is located closer to the first long side 20C than the center line CL1 of the card base 20 that runs along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the card base 20. In this specification, the phrase "the IC module is located closer to the first long side than the center line of the card base that runs along the longitudinal direction of the card base" means that in the plan view, the center line of the IC module that runs along the longitudinal direction of the card base is located closer to the first long side than the center line of the card base that runs along the longitudinal direction of the card base.

[0033] 2, the IC module 30 includes a flat substrate 31, external connection terminals 32 arranged on a front surface 31A of the substrate 31, terminals 33 arranged on a rear surface 31B of the substrate 31, an IC chip 34 arranged on the rear surface 31B of the substrate 31, a molded portion 35 that covers the IC chip 34, and wires 36 such as gold wires that electrically connect the terminals 33 and the IC chip 34. Note that the wires that electrically connect the external connection terminals 32 and the IC chip 34 are not shown in the figure.

[0034] <Board, external connection terminals, and terminals> The substrate 31 can be made of a flexible resin film such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin. The external connection terminals 32 and terminals 33 are made of patterned copper foil. Specifically, copper foil is provided on the front surface 31A and back surface 31B of the substrate 31, and the copper foil is etched into a predetermined pattern to form the external connection terminals 32 and terminals 33. The substrate 31 is also provided with a plurality of through holes (not shown) in advance for wire bonding to the external connection terminals 32.

[0035] <ICチップ> The IC chip 34 is fixed via an adhesive (not shown) to the rear surface 31B of the substrate 31. Specifically, it is disposed in the center of the surface of the substrate 31 where the terminals 33 are formed. The IC chip 34 includes a CPU for controlling both contact and contactless communication operations, a storage device such as RAM, EEPROM, and flash memory, and various circuits such as an interface circuit for decoding input signals and generating output signals for contact and contactless communication, and a power generation circuit.

[0036] <Molded part> The molded portion 35 is intended to protect the IC chip 34 and the wires 36 from external force loads and environmental loads. The molded portion 35 is made of an ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like.

[0037] <<Conductive plate>> The conductive plate 40 is a plate-like member having electrical conductivity. A portion of the conductive plate 40 is exposed within the recess 20G, specifically within the first recess 20H. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the conductive plate 40 has an exposed portion 41 exposed within the first recess 20H and a non-exposed portion 42 located within the card base 20. The conductive plate 40 is electrically connected to the IC module 30 via a conductive adhesive layer 60.

[0038] The thickness of the conductive plate 40 is preferably 70 μm or more and 150 μm or less, and more preferably 80 μm or more and 120 μm or less. If the conductive plate is too thin, processing defects such as deformation and distortion may occur when the conductive plate is molded into a predetermined shape. However, if the thickness of the conductive plate 40 is 70 μm or more, such processing defects can be suppressed. Furthermore, if the conductive plate is too thick, the volume of the conductive plate as a foreign object relative to the plastic sheet such as the core layer increases during the heat pressing process described below. This may cause the portion corresponding to the conductive plate to bulge after the heat pressing process, resulting in a poor appearance. However, if the thickness of the conductive plate 40 is 150 μm or less, such poor appearance can be suppressed.

[0039] The shape of the conductive plate 40 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rectangular shape (e.g., a rectangular shape). When the conductive plate 40 is rectangular, in order to reliably ensure electrical connection with the IC module 30, the length (length in the X direction on the XY plane) of the exposed portion 41 of the conductive plate 40 is preferably 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, and the width (length in the Y direction on the XY plane) of the exposed portion 41 of the conductive plate 40 is preferably 4 mm or more and 8 mm or less. When the conductive plate 40 is rectangular, in order to reliably ensure connection with the end 51 of the antenna 50, the length (length in the X direction on the XY plane) of the unexposed portion 42 of the conductive plate 40 is preferably 1 mm or more and 6 mm or less, and the width (length in the Y direction on the XY plane) of the unexposed portion 42 of the conductive plate 40 is preferably 1 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

[0040] The material of the conductive plate 40 is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive material. Metallic materials such as copper and aluminum are preferred as such materials. Among these, copper is preferred from the viewpoints of cost and durability. Furthermore, the conductive plate 40 may be formed by silver-plating a copper alloy, for example, to improve weldability.

[0041] <<Antenna>> The antenna 50 is coil-shaped and is made of an antenna wire. The antenna 50 has a pair of end portions 51. The end portions 51 of the antenna 50 are electrically connected to the conductive plate 40, and therefore electrically connected to the IC module 30. This forms a communication circuit for contactless communication. The communication circuit may be one that performs close-proximity communication using an HF frequency band of 13.56 MHz, for example, or one that performs communication using another frequency band, such as a UHF frequency band of 920 MHz.

[0042] When a dual interface IC card is held over an external device such as a reader / writer, a magnetic field generated by the reader / writer generates a current in the communication circuit, which supplies power to the IC chip. This enables the IC chip to send and receive information contactlessly with the reader / writer, and to read and rewrite information from and to the memory.

[0043] The antenna wire constituting the antenna 50 is typically formed of a coated conductor wire in which the periphery of a copper wire is coated with an insulating member. Alternatively, copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, and Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum can also be selected. By using a coated conductor wire as the antenna wire, it can be manufactured more inexpensively than, for example, a copper foil etching method.

[0044] The diameter of the antenna wire is not particularly limited as long as it can ensure the characteristics required for a contactless communication circuit, but it can be, for example, 0.03 mm to 0.30 mm, and preferably 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm. By setting the diameter in the latter range, durability against heat and pressure during embedding and external forces due to cutting can be improved, ensuring good communication characteristics.

[0045] The end 51 of the antenna 50 has a welded portion 51A welded to the surface 40A of the conductive plate 40 on the front surface 20A side of the card base 20. By forming the welded portion 51A on the surface 40A of the conductive plate 40, the antenna 50 and the conductive plate 40 can be electrically connected. The end 51 of each antenna 50 is welded to the conductive plate 40 at one location as shown in Fig. 3, but may be welded at multiple locations to prevent the end 51 from shifting position.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the weld 51A is arranged along the first short side 20E and the second short side 20F (Y direction) in a planar perspective of the IC card 10 from the normal direction (Z direction) of the surface 20A of the card base 20, but it does not have to be arranged along the first short side 20E and the second short side 20F (Y direction). In this specification, "planar perspective" means seeing through an object (e.g., a weld) in the line of sight so that the line of sight is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the card base. The weld 51A has a tip end surface 51A1 that is on the tip 51B side of the end 51 of the antenna 50 and a base end surface 51A2 that is on the base side of the end 51 of the antenna 50.

[0047] The welded portion 51A is preferably located outside the recessed portion 20G in the X direction, specifically, in the non-exposed portion 42 of the conductive plate 40, so that no force is applied when forming the recessed portion 20G.

[0048] In a planar perspective view of IC card 10 from the normal direction (Z direction) of front surface 20A of card base 20, tip 51B of end 51 of antenna 50 is located closer to the first long side 20C than root-side weld-proximate portion 51C, which is located near weld 51A and closer to the base than weld 51A at end 51. End 51 of antenna 50 is retracted from the second long side 20D toward first long side 20C, i.e., in the +Y direction.

[0049] In the above planar perspective, it is preferable that tip 51B of end 51 be located outside welded portion 51A, specifically, closer to first long side 20C than welded portion 51A. By positioning tip 51B in this way, the weld length at end 51 can be reliably secured even if the welding position is shifted toward first long side 20C.

[0050] In the planar perspective view, the portion of end 51 from root side weld vicinity 51C to tip 51B is preferably arranged along first short side 20E and second short side 20F. If the end is misaligned with the card base, and the weld or root side weld vicinity enters the recess-planned area and is cut off, communication may become impossible. In contrast, by arranging the above portions in this manner, even if end 51 is misaligned with card base 20, it is possible to prevent weld 51A or root side weld vicinity 51C from entering the recess-planned area and being cut off. Note that the above portions do not have to be arranged along first short side 20E and second short side 20F (Y direction).

[0051] In the Z direction, which is the thickness direction of the card base 20, the ratio ((D2 / D1) × 100) of the depth D2 from the surface 20A of the card base 20 to the weld 51A between the end 51 of the antenna 50 and the conductive plate 40 to the depth D1 from the surface 20A of the card base 20 to the center position CP, which is halfway through the thickness of the card base 20, as shown in Fig. 4, is preferably 35% or more and 95% or less. This allows the weld 51A to be closer to the center position CP, thereby further preventing breakage of the end 51 of the antenna 50 near the base of the weld 51A between the conductive plate 40 and the conductive plate 40 when the dual interface IC card 10 is repeatedly bent. The lower limit of this ratio is more preferably 50% or more, and the upper limit is more preferably 80% or less.

[0052] <<Conductive adhesive layer>> The conductive adhesive layer 60 is disposed between the IC module 30 and the exposed portion 41 of the conductive plate 40. By disposing the conductive adhesive layer 60, the IC module 30 and the conductive plate 40 can be electrically and mechanically connected, and therefore the IC module 30 and the antenna 50 can be electrically connected.

[0053] The conductive adhesive layer 60 can be an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) or an anisotropic conductive paste (ACP). Alternatively, a conductive paste or solder paste, in which silver particles are dispersed as a filler in an epoxy resin, can also be used. Among these, if an anisotropic conductive film is used, the anisotropic conductive film can be thermally laminated to the entire back surface of the substrate 31 of the IC module 30. The IC module 30 can then be embedded in the recess 20G of the card base 20 after being cut, and then heat-pressed at a predetermined temperature and load. This facilitates electrical connection between the IC module 30 and the conductive plate 40. Furthermore, since the IC module 30 can be mechanically connected to the card base 20 at the same time, the process of mounting the IC module 30 on the card base 20 can be simplified.

[0054] The electrical connection between the IC module 30 and the conductive plate 40 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 30 and the card base 20 when an anisotropic conductive film is used as the conductive adhesive layer 60 can be explained as follows. The conductive adhesive layer 60 is composed of conductive particles, consisting of spherical resin or metal spheres surrounded by a metal film, dispersed in an adhesive binder containing adhesive components. The conductive particles may be resin coated with nickel or gold, or solder particles. Solder particles can be of various types, such as SnPb, SnAgCu, SnCu, SnZnBi, SnAgInBi, and SnZnAl, as well as alloys of these with other metals. These configurations are similar when an anisotropic conductive paste is used.

[0055] The inventors conducted extensive research into preventing wire breakage near the base of the weld where the antenna end is welded to the conductive plate when a dual interface IC card is repeatedly bent, and discovered that this breakage occurs due to metal fatigue caused by stress applied to the base of the weld due to the load of repeated bending, that this stress is greater near the first long side than near the center line of the card base along the longitudinal direction of the card base when viewed in a plane of the dual interface IC card, and that wire breakage can be prevented by positioning the tip of the antenna end closer to the first long side than near the base weld vicinity. Here, when the IC module is located closer to the first long side than the center line of the card base along the longitudinal direction of the card base, comparing a case where the tip of the antenna end is located closer to the first long side than the vicinity of the root side weld with a case where the tip of the antenna end is located closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the root side weld, if the distance from the first long side to the end face of the first long side of the weld is the same, when the tip of the antenna end is located closer to the first long side than the vicinity of the root side weld, the area near the root of the weld can be brought closer to the center of the card base than when the tip of the antenna end is located closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the root side weld.This reduces the stress applied to the area near the root of the weld between the antenna end and the conductive plate when the dual interface IC card is repeatedly bent. According to this embodiment, the IC module 30 is located closer to the first long side 20C than the second long side 20D, the end 51 of the antenna 50 has a weld 51A welded to the surface 40A of the conductive plate 40 facing the front surface 20A of the card base 20, and the tip 51B of the end 51 of the antenna 50 is located closer to the first long side 20C than the root side weld vicinity 51C. This allows the root of the weld 51A to be closer to the center line CL1 of the card base 20, which is aligned along the longitudinal direction of the card base 20, than when the tip of the antenna end is located closer to the second long side than the root side weld vicinity. This makes it possible to prevent breakage of the end 51 of the antenna 50 near the root of the weld 51A between the conductive plate 40 and the end 51.Even if a break occurs near the tip of the welded portion 51A, no problem will occur because the electrical connection between the antenna 50 and the conductive plate 40 is secured.

[0056] <<Dual Interface IC Card Manufacturing Method>> When manufacturing the dual interface IC card 10, first, a multi-faceted intermediate body 70 shown in Fig. 5 is prepared. The multi-faceted intermediate body 70 is formed by attaching two or more intermediate bodies 70A together as shown in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, the IC card 10 is manufactured using the multi-faceted intermediate body 70, but the IC card 10 may also be manufactured using the intermediate body 70A alone instead of the multi-faceted intermediate body 70.

[0057] Each intermediate 70A includes a card base 20 having a planned punching area 20J (see FIGS. 5 and 6) and a planned recess area 20K (see FIGS. 5 and 6) in which a recess 20G for placing an IC module 30 is formed in the planned punching area 20J and on the surface 20A, a conductive plate 40 (see FIGS. 5 and 7) located in the planned punching area 20J and inside the card base 20, and an antenna 50 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) located in the planned punching area 20J and inside the card base 20. Unless otherwise specified, the card base 20, conductive plate 40, and antenna 50 in the intermediate 70A have the same configurations as the card base 20, conductive plate 40, and antenna 50 in the IC card 10.

[0058] In a plan view of the preform 70A from the normal direction (Z direction) of the front surface 20A of the card base 20, the outer edge of the intended punching area 20J has a first long side 20J1 and a second long side 20J2 that are parallel to each other, and a first short side 20J3 and a second short side 20J4 that are parallel to each other and have lengths shorter than the first long side 20J1 and the second long side 20J2 and are perpendicular to the first long side 20J1 and the second long side 20J2, as shown in Fig. 6. The first long side 20J1, the second long side 20J2, the first short side 20J3, and the second short side 20J4 correspond to the first long side 20C, the second long side 20D, the first short side 20E, and the second short side 20F, respectively.

[0059] In the plan view of the preform 70A, as shown in FIG. 6, the recessed portion region 20K is located closer to the first long side 20J1 than the center line CL2 of the punching region 20J along the longitudinal direction of the punching region 20J.

[0060] The conductive plate 40 in the intermediate body 70A is not exposed in the intermediate body 70A because a portion of the conductive plate 40 is exposed in the recess 20G when the recess 20G is formed.

[0061] 8, in the intermediate body 70A, the end 51 of the antenna 50 has a welded portion 51A welded to the surface 40A of the conductive plate 40 on the front surface 20A side of the card base 20. In a planar perspective view of the intermediate body 70A from the normal direction (Z direction) of the front surface 20A of the card base 20, as shown in FIG. 8, the tip 51B of the end 51 of the antenna 50 is located closer to the first long side 20J1 than the base side weld vicinity 51C.

[0062] The multi-sided intermediate 70 can be obtained, for example, by the following manufacturing method. First, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a conductive plate 40 is placed on one surface 22A of a core layer 22 serving as a first substrate. Although the core layer 22 is used as the first substrate, the first substrate may have a layer other than the core layer 22 or a laminate structure of the core layer 22 and a layer other than the core layer 22. The conductive plate 40 may also be placed by being adhered to the surface 22A of the core layer 22.

[0063] After placing the conductive plate 40 on the surface 22A of the core layer 22, an antenna 50 having an end portion 51 is formed on the surface 22A of the core layer 22. Then, a part of the end portion 51 of the antenna 50 is welded to the surface 40A of the conductive plate 40 opposite the surface 40B that is in contact with the core layer 22, to form a welded portion 51A. This results in an antenna sheet 80. The conductive plate 40 and the portions of the antenna 50 other than the end portion 51 may be embedded in the surface 22A of the core layer 22.

[0064] 10A , the over-sheet layer 21, the core layer 22, the inner layer 23 as the second substrate, the antenna sheet 80, the inner layer 25, the core layer 26, and the over-sheet layer 27 are stacked in this order to obtain a multi-faceted intermediate precursor 90. The antenna sheet 80 is positioned so that the antenna 50 faces the inner layer 23. As a result, the antenna 50 and the conductive plate 40 are sandwiched between the core layer 22 and the inner layer 23. Although the inner layer 23 is used as the second substrate, the second substrate may have a layer other than the inner layer 23 or a laminate structure of the inner layer 23 and a layer other than the inner layer 23.

[0065] 10B, the multi-sided intermediate precursor 90 is sandwiched between heat-press plates 100 such as stainless steel plates from above and below in the thickness direction, and the multi-sided intermediate precursor 90 is heated and pressurized via the heat-press plates 100. By undergoing this heat-pressing process, an integrated multi-sided intermediate 70 can be obtained. Furthermore, if any of the layers constituting the multi-sided intermediate 70 are heat-resistant and do not heat-seal at a predetermined temperature, an adhesive sheet that heat-seals at a predetermined temperature can be sandwiched between the layers, or an adhesive can be applied, and then the heat-pressing process can be performed to obtain the integrated multi-sided intermediate 70.

[0066] After forming the multi-faceted intermediate body 70, the intermediate body 70A is punched out from the multi-faceted intermediate body 70 along the outer edge of the intended punching region 20J to separate it into individual pieces. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11A, a first recess 20H is formed along the outer edge of the intended recess region 20K of the card base 20 in the intermediate body 70A. Specifically, the card base 20 is cut from the surface 20A of the card base 20 in the depth direction of the card base 20 (-Z direction) along the outer edge of the intended recess region 20K. This cutting of the card base 20 is continued until a portion of the conductive plate 40 is exposed.

[0067] 11B, a portion of the bottom surface 20D1 of the first recess 20H is further cut to form the second recess 20I. This cutting is performed so that the diameter of the second recess 20I is smaller than the diameter of the first recess 20H. This results in a card base 20 having a recess 20G consisting of the first recess 20H and the second recess 20I, and having a step between the bottom surfaces 20DH1 and 20I1.

[0068] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 12A, a conductive adhesive layer 60 is formed on the terminals 33 of the IC module 30.

[0069] 12B, the terminals 33 and the conductive plate 40 are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer 60, and the IC module 30 is placed in the recess 20G so that the molded portion 35 is positioned in the second recess 20I. As a result, the IC module 30 and the antenna 50 are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer 60, and the dual interface IC card 10 is obtained. [Example]

[0070] In order to explain the present invention in detail, examples are given below, but the present invention is not limited to these descriptions.

[0071] Example 1 Two conductive copper plates, each 6 mm long, 6 mm wide, and 0.1 mm thick, were attached to a predetermined area on one surface of an inner core layer (Diafix PG-WHI, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) made of a 0.19 mm thick glycol-modified PET resin (PET-G resin). An antenna made of a copper wire with a diameter of 0.11 mm was then embedded in the above-mentioned surface of the core layer. A portion of the end of the antenna was then welded to the exposed surface of the conductive plate opposite the surface in contact with the inner core layer, forming a 2 mm long weld. This resulted in an antenna sheet.

[0072] Then, a transparent upper oversheet made of PET-G resin with a thickness of 0.05 mm ("Diafix PG-MCT" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), an upper core layer made of glycol-modified PET resin (PET-G resin) with a thickness of 0.19 mm ("Diafix PG-WHI" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), an antenna sheet, a lower inner layer made of PET-G resin with a thickness of 0.16 mm ("Diafix PG-WHI" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), a lower core layer made of PET-G resin with a thickness of 0.16 mm ("Diafix PG-WHI" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), and a transparent lower oversheet made of PET-G resin with a thickness of 0.05 mm ("Diafix PG-MCT" manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) were laminated in this order to form an intermediate precursor. In the intermediate precursor, the antenna sheet was positioned so that the antenna was on the upper inner layer side. The intermediate precursor was then sandwiched between heat press plates, heated to 140°C, and pressed at 2 MPa to integrate the precursor, resulting in an intermediate comprising a card base having an upper over-sheet layer, an upper core layer, a middle core layer, a lower inner layer, a lower core layer, and a lower over-sheet layer, a conductive plate, and an antenna.

[0073] After obtaining the intermediate, the intermediate was removed from the heat press plate and then punched out along the outer edge of the intended punching area to obtain a rectangular intermediate having first and second long sides parallel to each other with lengths of 85.60 mm each and first and second short sides parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second long sides with lengths of 53.98 mm each.

[0074] In the intermediate body, when viewed from a plane perspective of the intermediate body from the normal direction of the surface of the card base, the tip of the end of the antenna was located closer to the first long side than the root side weld vicinity, which was located near the weld and closer to the root side of the weld at the end of the antenna.

[0075] The intermediate body was then cut from the upper over-sheet layer side until the conductive plate was exposed, forming a first recess having dimensions of 13.0 mm wide x 11.8 mm long x 0.24 mm deep. The first recess was formed so as to be closer to the first long side than the center line of the card base along the longitudinal direction of the card base.

[0076] Next, in the intermediate body with the first recess formed, the bottom surface of the first recess was further machined to form a second recess measuring 9 mm in length, 9 mm in width, and 0.70 mm in depth, thereby forming a recess consisting of the first recess and the second recess.

[0077] On the other hand, an anisotropic conductive film was attached to the IC module. The IC module with the anisotropic conductive film was then embedded in the recess by applying heat and pressure so that the anisotropic conductive film was in contact with the exposed part of the conductive plate, and the terminals of the IC module and the conductive plate were electrically connected via the anisotropic conductive film. This resulted in a dual-interface IC card with a thickness of 0.80 mm.

[0078] In the dual interface IC card, in a plan view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction to the surface of the card base, the IC module was located closer to the first long side than the center line of the card base along the longitudinal direction of the card base. In a plan view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction to the surface of the card base, the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity located near the weld at the antenna end. In the dual interface IC card, the center depth D1 from the surface of the card base to the center, which is halfway through the thickness of the card base, was 0.40 mm, and the weld depth D2 from the surface of the card base to the weld between the antenna end and the conductive plate was 0.24 mm.

[0079] <Comparative Example 1> In Comparative Example 1, a dual interface IC card was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the antenna sheet was formed so that, when viewed from a plan view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction to the surface of the card base, the tip of the antenna end was positioned closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the base side weld.

[0080] <Example 2> In Example 2, a dual interface IC card was obtained in the same manner as Example 1, except that the thickness of the upper oversheet and the lower oversheet was changed from 0.05 mm to 0.20 mm, the upper core layer and the lower inner layer were removed, the thickness of the lower core layer was changed from 0.16 mm to 0.21 mm, and the weld depth D2 and the depth of the first recess were changed to 0.20 mm.

[0081] <Comparative Example 2> In Comparative Example 2, a dual interface IC card was obtained in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the antenna sheet was formed so that, when viewed from above in a perspective view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction to the surface of the card base, the tip of the antenna end was positioned closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the base side weld.

[0082] Example 3 In Example 3, a dual interface IC card was obtained in the same manner as Example 1, except that the thickness of the upper over-sheet and the lower over-sheet was changed from 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm, the upper core layer was removed, the thickness of the lower inner layer was changed from 0.16 mm to 0.12 mm, the thickness of the lower core layer was changed from 0.16 mm to 0.19 mm, and the weld depth D2 and the depth of the first recess were changed to 0.15 mm.

[0083] <Comparative Example 3> In Comparative Example 3, a dual interface IC card was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the antenna sheet was formed so that, when viewed from above in a perspective view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction to the surface of the card base, the tip of the antenna end was positioned closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the base side weld.

[0084] <Repeated bending test> The dual interface IC cards according to Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were subjected to a repeated bending test to evaluate whether or not breakage occurred at the welded portion between the antenna end and the conductive plate. Specifically, a wrapping test was conducted in accordance with the Mastercard (registered trademark) CQM requirement TM-422 test method, in which the dual interface IC cards were repeatedly bent 500 times, 1000 times, 1500 times, and 2000 times. Five dual interface IC cards were prepared and each was subjected to the bending test. The evaluation criteria were as follows. Note that if even one card received a result of "B," the repeated bending test was not conducted any further. A: No breaks occurred in the welds of any of the five dual interface IC cards. B: Disconnections occurred in the welds of 1 to 4 dual interface IC cards.

[0085] The results are shown in Table 1. In Table 1, "-" means that the repeated bending test was not performed. [Table 1]

[0086] In the dual interface IC card according to Example 1, the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the first long side than the vicinity of the root side weld, and therefore the result of the repeated bending test was better than that of the dual interface IC card according to Comparative Example 1, in which the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the root side weld. In the dual interface IC card according to Example 2, the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the first long side than the vicinity of the root side weld, and therefore the result of the repeated bending test was better than that of the dual interface IC card according to Comparative Example 2, in which the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the root side weld. In the dual interface IC card according to Example 3, the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the first long side than the vicinity of the root side weld, and therefore the result of the repeated bending test was better than that of the dual interface IC card according to Comparative Example 3, in which the tip of the antenna end was located closer to the second long side than the vicinity of the root side weld. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10...Dual interface IC card 20...Card base 20A…Surface 20C...recess 30...IC module 34...IC chip 40...Conductive plate 40A, 40B...plane 50...antenna 51...End 51A...welded section 51B…Tip 51C: Near the base weld 60…Conductive adhesive layer CL1, CL2…center line

Claims

1. A dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, a card base having a recess on its surface; an IC module disposed in the recess; a conductive plate disposed inside the card base and partially exposed within the recess; an antenna disposed inside the card base; a conductive adhesive layer disposed between the IC module and a portion of the conductive plate exposed in the recess, electrically connecting the IC module and the conductive plate; In a plan view of the dual interface IC card taken along a normal to the surface of the card body, an outer edge of the card body has a first long side and a second long side that are parallel to each other, and two short sides that are perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, and the IC module is located closer to the first long side than a center line of the card body along the longitudinal direction of the card body; an end of the antenna has a welded portion welded to the surface of the conductive plate on the front side of the card base, a dual interface IC card, wherein, in a planar perspective view of the dual interface IC card from the normal direction of the surface of the card base, the tip of the end of the antenna is located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity portion located near the weld at the end.

2. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein, in the planar perspective view, a portion of the end of the antenna from the vicinity of the base side weld to the tip is disposed along the short side.

3. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein, in the planar perspective view, the tip is located closer to the first long side than the welded portion.

4. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein the conductive adhesive layer is an anisotropic conductive film.

5. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein the conductive adhesive layer is an anisotropic conductive paste layer.

6. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said conductive plate is 70 [mu]m or more and 150 [mu]m or less.

7. An intermediate used in manufacturing a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, a card base having a punching area and a recess area within the punching area and on the surface of which a recess for arranging an IC module is to be formed; a conductive plate located within the punching area and disposed inside the card base; an antenna located within the punching area and disposed inside the card base; When viewed from above the intermediate body in a normal direction to the surface of the card base, the outer edge of the intended punching area has a first long side and a second long side that are parallel to each other, and two short sides that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, and the intended recess area is located on the first long side side of a center line of the intended punching area along the longitudinal direction of the intended punching area, an end of the antenna has a welded portion welded to the surface of the conductive plate on the front side of the card base, An intermediate body, wherein, when viewed from a plane perspective of the intermediate body from the normal direction of the surface of the card base, the tip of the end of the antenna is located closer to the first long side than the root side weld vicinity portion located near the weld and on the root side of the weld at the end.

8. A method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, comprising: Providing an intermediate according to claim 7; punching the card base from the intermediate body along the outer edge of the intended punching area; a step of cutting the card base from the front surface side of the card base to form a recess and expose a part of the conductive plate in the recess; a step of disposing a conductive adhesive layer on a terminal of an IC module having an IC chip and a terminal electrically connected to the IC chip; and placing the IC module in the recess so that the terminals and the conductive plate are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer, In a plan view of the dual interface IC card taken along a normal to the surface of the card body, an outer edge of the card body has a first long side and a second long side that are parallel to each other, and two short sides that are perpendicular to the first long side and the second long side, and the IC module is located closer to the first long side than a center line of the card body along the longitudinal direction of the card body; a tip of the end of the antenna is located closer to the first long side than a root-side weld vicinity portion located near the weld at the end, in a planar perspective view of the dual interface IC card from a normal direction to the surface of the card base.

Images