Dual interface card and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

To provide a dual interface card which secures reliability of electrical connection between an IC module and an antenna, and adhesion of the IC module to the card, and enables efficient antenna patterning, and a manufacturing method of the dual interface card.SOLUTION: A dual interface card 1 includes a card body 2, an antenna 8 having a plurality of ends 81, 82, and an IC module 7 having an IC chip and ends 73a, 73b electrically connected to the IC chip. The IC module 7 is arranged in a recess 9 formed in the card body 2 so that the ends 73a, 73b and the ends 81, 82, which face each other, are electrically connected, respectively. The ends 81, 82 each have a repeated folding structure with an antenna line 83 from a circumference 93 of the recess 9 toward the center, the folding structure being exposed partially to the recess 9. Portions of the folding structure other than a bent part are inclined with respect to straight lines along the circumference 93. The ends 81, 82 are formed along a contour of a rectangle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dual interface card capable of contact and non-contact communication with an external device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, IC cards include contact IC cards that input and output electrical signals through an external connection terminal on the surface of the card, and contactless IC cards that input and output electrical signals by electromagnetic induction through an antenna. In addition to these, contact and contactless IC cards, i.e., dual interface cards, are also used, which can realize both the functions of a contact IC card and a contactless IC card with a single IC chip. Among them, dual interface cards can be used as contact IC cards that are effective in preventing external leakage of input and output data during financial settlement, and as highly convenient contactless IC cards that exchange data in close proximity when entering and leaving a room or at a ticket gate at a station. For this reason, dual interface cards are also becoming more and more popular in the market.

[0003] Now, the dual interface card is manufactured as follows. First, as described in Patent Document 1, a card substrate including one or more core sheets is formed, and an area for embedding an IC module is cut from the surface of the card substrate. Then, the IC module is embedded in the area for embedding. Here, a conductor is arranged on one of the one or more core sheets, and the conductor forms a wound antenna part for providing the contactless communication function and a contact terminal part in electrical contact with a terminal of the IC module, and the contact terminal part is arranged, for example, in a meandering shape.

[0004] Also, in Patent Document 2, in the manufacture of the above-mentioned dual interface card, an electrode section is provided in a predetermined region corresponding to each terminal of an IC module mounted in the recess, where both ends of a covered conductor wire are densely arranged while bending in a meandering shape from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess. Here, in the electrode section, a trajectory of the covered conductor wire between a first turn point and a subsequent second turn point protrudes toward the center of the recess at a central portion compared to the first and second turn points, and for example, the trajectory is an arc or a broken line.

[0005] The configuration of the antenna end for electrically connecting with the terminal of the IC module is typically a meander shape as shown in Fig. 8(a) as described in Patent Document 1. Here, the upper and lower ends of the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 form approximately arc-shaped bent portions, and the portion other than the bent portions is approximately linear along the vertical direction. Here, the external shape of the IC module embedded in the card base is typically approximately rectangular, and when the recess for embedding the IC module is formed by cutting with an end mill, the direction of operation of the end mill for exposing the antenna end 81p is the vertical direction parallel to the linear portion of the antenna wire 83. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-219732 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6442003 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] At this time, as described in Patent Document 2, the blade of the end mill bites into a part of the antenna wire 83, causing a part of the antenna wire 83 to branch into a long and thin shape, as shown in FIG. 8(b), which is an enlarged view of part C of the antenna end 81p in FIG. 8(a). Such a branched part of the antenna wire 83 is sometimes called a whisker. If a whisker occurs, it may be pinched between the terminal of the IC module and the antenna end 81p, thereby impeding the electrical connection between the IC module and the antenna 8. Furthermore, pinching the whisker may cause the IC module to protrude from the surface of the card base, resulting in an IC card that does not comply with the standards.

[0008] On the other hand, as exemplified in Patent Document 2, it is possible to incline the straight portion of the antenna line at the antenna end with respect to the vertical direction as in antenna end 81q in FIG. 8(c). However, in this case, regions DS1 and DS2 where antenna line 83 is not arranged are formed at the upper left and lower right of antenna end 81q. Therefore, the region for achieving electrical connection with the IC module is substantially narrowed. Furthermore, when the IC module is bonded to the card base, the regions DS1 and DS2 have a gap corresponding to the absence of antenna line 83, which may impede adhesion between the IC module and the card base.

[0009] Furthermore, such an antenna requires the process of applying heat and pressure to the antenna wire while melting the resin sheet that is part of the card base and embedding the antenna in the resin sheet. Therefore, in order to increase the efficiency of the process of forming the antenna, it is preferable that the area of ​​the antenna end be kept small and the shape of the part excluding the bent part be as straight as possible and simple.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has as its objective the provision of a dual interface card and a manufacturing method thereof that can efficiently form an antenna while ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection between the IC module and the antenna, and the adhesion of the IC module to the card. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to this embodiment, a dual interface card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device comprises a card base, an antenna having multiple ends arranged inside the card base, and an IC module having an IC chip and multiple terminals electrically connected to the IC chip, the IC module is arranged in a recess provided in the card base so that the multiple terminals and the multiple ends facing each other are each electrically connected, the multiple ends are formed by a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery of the recess toward the center by an antenna wire that constitutes the antenna, and a portion of the folding structure is exposed in the recess, the portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folding structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the multiple ends are formed to follow the contour of a rectangle.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a dual interface card capable of contact and contactless communication with an external device comprises a card base, an antenna having multiple ends disposed inside the card base, and an IC module having an IC chip and multiple terminals electrically connected to the IC chip, the IC module is disposed in a recess provided in the card base so that the multiple terminals and the multiple ends facing each other are electrically connected to each other, the multiple ends are formed by a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery of the recess toward the center by an antenna wire constituting the antenna, and a portion of the folding structure is exposed in the recess, the portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folding structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the multiple ends are formed to follow the outline of a rectangle.

[0013] In addition, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the recess may be composed of a first recess of approximately the same depth formed on the outer periphery, and a second recess formed toward the center further than the first recess and deeper than the first recess.

[0014] In the dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the IC module may have the plurality of terminals and the plurality of end portions that face each other electrically connected to each other via an anisotropic conductive film.

[0015] Furthermore, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery may be a substantially rectangular shape having sides that are substantially parallel to the short and long sides of the card base, and the multiple ends may be configured by a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery, which is a side of the recess that is substantially parallel to the short sides of the card base, toward the center by an antenna wire that constitutes the antenna.

[0016] In addition, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, when a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a first portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that do not overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a second portion, the value of the arrangement pitch of a portion of the first portion may be smaller than the value of the arrangement pitch of a portion of the second portion.

[0017] In addition, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, when the multiple ends are a first end and a second end, the inclination of the first end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion and the inclination of the second end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion may be formed symmetrically with respect to each other.

[0018] In addition, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the angle of inclination of any of the ends relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion may be greater than or equal to 5 degrees and less than or equal to 20 degrees.

[0019] In addition, in a dual interface card according to another embodiment of the present invention, when a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portion that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a third portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portion that is closer to the center of the recess than the third portion is defined as a fourth portion, the value of the inclination angle of the fourth portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery may be greater than the value of the inclination angle of the third portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device includes an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire in a first substrate while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first substrate, a lamination step of laminating a second substrate on the first substrate on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna, a punching step of punching a laminate obtained by laminating the first substrate and the second substrate into a card-sized card base, a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module, and an IC chip forming step of forming an IC chip on the first substrate. and an IC module bonding process for bonding the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the opposing terminals and the ends are electrically connected to each other, the multiple ends being formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery to the center of the recess, a portion of which is exposed in the recess, a portion of the folded structure of the antenna other than the bent portion being inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the multiple ends being formed to follow a rectangular outline.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device includes an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire in a first substrate while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first substrate, a lamination step of laminating a second substrate on the first substrate on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna, a punching step of punching a laminate obtained by laminating the first substrate and the second substrate into a card-sized card base, a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module, and a method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, the method including the steps of: The method includes an IC module preparation process for preparing an IC module having a plurality of terminals electrically connected to a C chip, and an IC module adhesion process for adhering the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the plurality of terminals and the plurality of ends facing each other are electrically connected, wherein the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery of the recess toward the center by an antenna wire constituting the antenna, and a portion of the folding structure is exposed in the recess, and the portion other than the bent portion of the folding structure of the antenna is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the plurality of ends are formed to follow the contour of a rectangle. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a dual interface card and a manufacturing method thereof that can efficiently form an antenna while ensuring the electrical connection reliability between the IC module and the antenna and the adhesion of the IC module to the card. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the structure of the dual interface card according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2]2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a dual interface card corresponding to FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the details of the structure of the antenna end portion. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an IC module and a connection between the IC module and an antenna. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1(b) is a plan view illustrating the structure of a dual interface card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 and illustrating the structure of a dual interface card according to a third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 3 and illustrating the structure of a dual interface card according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an antenna end according to a conventional technique. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] An example of a dual interface card according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the dual interface card according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or example described below.

[0025] The figures shown below are schematic. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. In addition, hatching showing the cross section of a member is appropriately omitted in each figure. The numerical values ​​such as dimensions of each member and the material names described in this specification are examples of embodiments, and are not limited thereto, and can be appropriately selected and used. In this specification, terms that specify shapes and geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and vertical, are intended to include substantially the same state in addition to their strict meanings.

[0026] 1. First embodiment An example of a first embodiment of a dual interface card of the present disclosure will be described. Here, for convenience of description, an XYZ coordinate system is set for the dual interface card 1. First, as shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 2(b), the Z axis is taken as the normal direction of the main surface of the dual interface card 1. Then, the direction from the main surface on the side on which the external connection terminals 71 of the IC module 7 are not arranged to the main surface on the side on which the external connection terminals 71 are arranged is defined as the +Z direction or the upward direction in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or the downward direction in the thickness direction.

[0027] When dual interface card 1 is viewed from the +Z direction, the straight line perpendicular to both short sides of dual interface card 1 and the Z axis is defined as the X axis, the direction from one short side closer to external connection terminal 71 to the other short side is defined as the +X direction or rightward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or leftward direction. Furthermore, the axis perpendicular to the X and Z axes is defined as the Y axis, the direction from one long side farther from external connection terminal 71 to the other long side is defined as the +Y direction or upward, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or downward.

[0028] Here, FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the dual interface card 1 seen from the +Z direction, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the antenna 8 by enlarging the vicinity of the external connection terminal 71 in the dual interface card 1 of FIG. 1(a). However, in order to make the configuration of the antenna 8 easier to understand, the IC module 7 is omitted, and the antenna wire 83 embedded in the card base 2 is indicated by a solid line instead of a dashed line. In other words, the diagram is a perspective view of the antenna 8. Meanwhile, FIG. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the dual interface card 1 of FIG. 1(b) cut along the plane along the line AA, seen from the -Y direction. FIG. 2(a) is a diagram in which the IC module 7 is omitted, and FIG. 2(b) is a diagram in which the IC module 7 is mounted in FIG. 2(a).

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1(a), the dual interface card 1 has a shape of a substantially rectangular thin plate with rounded corners in a plan view from the +Z direction side. An IC module 7 including an external connection terminal 71 is visible on the surface of the dual interface card on the +Z direction side, slightly to the upper left of the center, that is, closer to the -X direction and closer to the +Y direction than the center. As shown in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), the IC module 7 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and is arranged so that the surface of the external connection terminal 71 on the +Z direction side is substantially flush with the surface of the card base 2 on the +Z direction side. Such a shape of the dual interface card 1 complies with ISO / IEC 7816, which is an international standard for IC cards.

[0030] 2(a), the card base 2 constituting the card body of the dual interface card 1 is formed by laminating and integrating, in order as viewed from the -Z direction side, an over-sheet layer 6, a core layer 5, a core layer 4, and an over-sheet layer 3. Typically, the over-sheet layers 6 and 3 are transparent base materials, and the core layers 5 and 4 are white base materials, but this is not limited thereto. In addition, an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 is disposed between the core layers 5 and 4 so as to be sandwiched between them.

[0031] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 is partially exposed in a region of the bottom surface 91a of the first recess 91, which is formed relatively shallowly in the recess 9, and is completely buried inside the card base 2 in the other regions. In other words, the antenna wire 83 is buried inside the card base 2, but in the process of cutting the card base 2 to form the recess 9, a part of the antenna wire 83 is cut together with the recess 9 to an extent that the wire is not broken, and the cut surface of the antenna wire 83 is exposed on the bottom surface 91a of the first recess 91. In addition to the first recess 91 of approximately the same depth formed on the outer periphery 93 side, the recess 9 further includes a second recess 92 formed closer to the center than the first recess 91 and deeper than the first recess 91.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the IC module 7 is embedded such that the external connection terminal 71 and the substrate 72 supporting the external connection terminal 71 are placed on the bottom surface 91a of the first recess 91 of the recess 9 described above, and the substrate 72 and the bottom surface 91a of the first recess 91 of the card base 2 are mechanically joined via the conductive adhesive layer 11. Incidentally, the second recess 92 houses the IC chip body 74, which is a protruding part of the IC module 7. Also, the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the external connection terminal 71 is provided with a terminal 73a electrically connected to the IC chip provided inside the IC module 7. At this time, due to the action of heat and pressure when embedding the IC module 7 in the recess 9 of the card base 2, the antenna wire 83 exposed on the bottom surface 91a and the terminal 73a are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer 11.

[0033] Here, both ends of the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 8, which is formed so that most of the antenna wire 83 is embedded inside the card base 2 and part of the antenna wire 83 is exposed from the first recess 91, have a shape as shown in the first end 81 and the second end 82 in FIG. 1(b). That is, the first end 81 and the second end 82, which are both ends of the antenna 8, are each formed by a structure in which the antenna wire 83 is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 93 of the first recess 91 toward the center of the recess 9. In other words, the first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed to have a structure called a zigzag shape, a meander shape, or a bellows shape. In this way, by increasing the exposed area of ​​the antenna wire 83 per unit area exposed in the recess 9, the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8 can be improved.

[0034] In addition, in the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna wire 83, the portions other than the bent portions at the upper and lower ends of the folded-back structure are inclined obliquely with respect to straight lines m1 and m2 parallel to sides 93a and 93b along the outer periphery 93 of the first recess 91, respectively, that is, with respect to a straight line parallel to the Y axis. As a result, when the recess 9, whose outer periphery is substantially rectangular and substantially the same as that of the IC module 7, is formed by cutting, the movement direction of the milling tool for cutting to expose the first end 81 and the second end 82 is a direction along a straight line parallel to the Y axis along the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. Here, since the above-mentioned predetermined portions of the first end 81 and the second end 82 are inclined, the problem of the antenna wire 83 unintentionally branching midway can be suppressed.

[0035] Furthermore, the first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed to generally follow a rectangular outline. Alternatively, the first exposed portion 84 and the second exposed portion 85 of the first end 81 and the second end 82, which are portions where the antenna wire 83 is exposed from the recess 9, are formed to generally follow a rectangular outline. Therefore, the first end 81 and the second end 82, or the first exposed portion 84 and the second exposed portion 85, can be formed relatively compactly, and therefore the operation of embedding the antenna wire 83 in the base material while applying heat and pressure can be efficiently performed.

[0036] Furthermore, because the terminals 73a of the IC module 7 are typically substantially rectangular, even if the relative positions of the first end 81 and the terminals 73a are misaligned, the two can be easily overlapped, thereby improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the IC chip of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8. The same is true for the second end 82. Meanwhile, because there are no uneven areas DS1 and DS2 without an antenna wire as described in FIG. 8(c), the distance between the IC module 7 and the card base 2 can be kept constant when they are bonded together with an adhesive, and a stable adhesive force between the IC module 7 and the card base 2 can be ensured.

[0037] The configuration of the dual interface card 1 of this embodiment and the manufacturing method thereof will be described in detail below.

[0038] (a) Card base The card base 2 refers to the card body excluding the IC module 7 that constitutes the dual interface card 1. As described above, the card base 2 typically has a configuration in which the oversheet layer 6, the core layer 5, the core layer 4, and the oversheet layer 3 are laminated in this order from one end on the -Z direction side in the thickness direction. In addition, an antenna 8 wound in a loop shape and formed of a coated conductor wire or the like is disposed between the core layer 5 and the core layer 4. The card base 2 may refer to both the card before the recess 9 is formed and the card after the recess 9 is formed, and may refer to both the card not including the antenna 8 and the card including the antenna. In addition, the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna 8 are disposed by processing the antenna wire 83 into a predetermined shape as described above.

[0039] However, the layer structure of the card base 2 is not limited to this, and may be a three-layer structure of an over-sheet layer, a core layer, and an over-sheet layer, a two-layer structure of a core layer and a core layer, or a five-layer structure of an over-sheet layer, a core layer, a core layer with an antenna formed thereon, a core layer, and an over-sheet layer, etc. Furthermore, printing or embedding of a magnetic stripe may be performed on the surface of the over-sheet layer 3 or 6 of the card base 2 opposite to the core layer 4 or 5, and printing may be performed on the surface of the core layer 4 or 5 adjacent to the over-sheet layer 3 or 6.

[0040] From the standpoint of conforming to standards such as ISO / IEC7816, the thickness of the card base 2 is preferably 0.76 mm or more and 0.84 mm or less, but may be outside this range.

[0041] (i) Core layer For the core layers 4 and 5, a wide variety of white or colored plastic sheets can be used, including the following single films or composite films. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PET-G (terephthalic acid-cyclohexanedimethanol-ethylene glycol copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyimide, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, polystyrene, ABS, polyacrylic ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. The thickness of the core sheet can be appropriately selected taking into account the overall thickness of the card, and can be, for example, about 0.25 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less. As will be described later, it is necessary to arrange the antenna 8 on the surface of either the core layer 4 or 5 so that it is sandwiched between the two core layers.

[0042] (ii) Oversheet layer The over-sheet layers 3 and 6 are usually made of the same material as the core layer, and are often made of a transparent material having a thickness of about 0.05 mm to 0.10 mm. From the viewpoint of preventing curling when the laminate of the core layer and the over-sheet layer is integrated by heat pressing or the like, it is preferable that the over-sheet layers 3 and 6 have the same thickness, but they do not necessarily have to be the same.

[0043] The material of the over-sheet layer may be any material that has adhesiveness when heated, but even if the over-sheet layer itself does not have adhesiveness when heated, the core layer and the over-sheet layer can be integrated by additionally forming a layer of a known adhesive that generates adhesive force when heated, etc., between the core layer and the over-sheet layer. Furthermore, when the dual interface card 1 is used as a magnetic card, a magnetic tape may be embedded in advance by thermal transfer or the like into either or both of the over-sheet layers 3 and 6 on the main surface side opposite the core layers 4 and 5.

[0044] (iii) Antenna sheet In this embodiment, as described later, the antenna 8 is formed on one surface of the core layer 5, and a first end 81 and a second end 82, which are ends of an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8, are processed into a predetermined shape and arranged. The formation of the antenna 8 on the core layer 5 is performed by applying a predetermined heat pressure to the antenna wire 83, and embedding the antenna wire 83 in the core layer 5 while melting the core layer 5 and the covering of the antenna wire 83. An intermediate product in which the antenna 8 is embedded in the core layer 5 may be referred to as an antenna sheet 12. The antenna sheet 12 can be distributed on the market by itself as a part for manufacturing the dual interface card 1, or a commercial form may exist in which a sheet material such as the core layer 5 is supplied to a processor, who processes it into an antenna sheet 12 and delivers it to a supplier.

[0045] The method of forming the antenna sheet 12 will be described in detail later, but the method is roughly as follows. First, a coated conductor wire coated with an insulating member is embedded in the surface of the core layer 5 by a winding former, starting from either one of the first ends 81 or 82 and ending at the other. That is, while applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the core layer 5, an antenna supply head is drawn in a loop shape as shown in FIG. 1(a), and the antenna wire 83 supplied from the antenna supply head is sequentially embedded in the core layer 5.

[0046] Here, the first end 81 and the second end 82, which are either the start point or the end point of the antenna wire 83, are arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the intended mounting position of the IC module 7 so as to form a predetermined shape described later, with parts of them overlapping with the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 7. Then, the winding forming machine cuts the antenna wire 83 after forming either the first end 81 or the second end 82, which is the end point of the antenna 8. In this manner, the antenna sheet 12 is completed.

[0047] (iv) Antenna Terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 7 are electrically connected to a first end 81 and a second end 82 of the antenna 8 formed in the core layer 5, respectively, so that the IC chip of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8 form a communication circuit for non-contact communication. The communication circuit may be one that performs close-proximity communication using, for example, a HF frequency band of 13.56 MHz, or may be one that performs communication using another frequency band, for example, a UHF frequency band of 920 MHz.

[0048] When the dual interface card 1 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 be driven and allows it to send and receive information contactlessly with the reader / writer and to read and rewrite information from and to the memory.

[0049] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 is typically formed of a coated conductor wire in which the periphery of a copper wire is coated with an insulating material. In addition to this, it is also possible to select copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum. By using a coated conductor wire, the dual interface card 1 can be manufactured more inexpensively than, for example, a copper foil etching method.

[0050] The diameter of the antenna wire 83 is not particularly limited as long as the characteristics as a non-contact communication circuit can be ensured, but it can be, for example, 0.03 mm or more and 0.30 mm or less, and preferably 0.05 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less. By setting the diameter in the latter range, durability against heat pressure due to embedding processing and external forces due to cutting processing can be improved, and good communication characteristics can be ensured.

[0051] Next, the configuration of the first end 81 and the second end 82 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating the configuration of the first end 81 of the antenna 8 in Fig. 1(b). In Fig. 3, one end of the antenna 8 extending from the -X direction side toward the +X direction subsequently forms a repeated folded structure from the outer periphery 93 of the recess toward the center. That is, the antenna wire 83 extends from the -X direction side toward the +X direction so that the folded structure is repeated multiple times.

[0052] The folded structure has a substantially arc-shaped bent portion at the ends on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side, i.e., at the upper end and the lower end, and the portion other than the bent portion connecting the bent portion at the upper end and the bent portion at the lower end is substantially straight or curved. However, from the viewpoint of the work efficiency of the embedding process of the antenna wire 83 in the core layer 5 and the saving of the material of the antenna wire 83, it is preferable to form the portion other than the bent portion as substantially straight as possible.

[0053] Moreover, the portion other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined clockwise by a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the Y axis, which is a straight line along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9, and the pitch p1 of the zigzag shape between adjacent portions other than the bent portion is substantially constant. Furthermore, the entire first end 81 is arranged to follow the outline of a rectangle whose width in the direction along the Y axis is H1 and whose width in the direction along the X axis is W1. That is, the length of the portion other than the bent portion of the folded structure is substantially the same in the vicinity of the approximately center of the first end 81 in the X direction. However, in the vicinity of the end on the -X direction side and the end on the +X direction side, the length of the portion other than the bent portion of the folded structure is gradually shortened toward the -X direction and the +X direction, respectively.

[0054] A typical contour shape of the IC module 7 in a plan view is a substantially rectangular shape with rounded four corners. In this case, the contour shape of the recess 9 is also substantially the same as the contour shape of the IC module 7, and more specifically, in consideration of the mounting position accuracy of the IC module 7 on the card base 2, the contour shape is often made larger than the contour shape of the IC module 7 by about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. In this case, the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9 is a substantially rectangular shape having sides substantially parallel to the short sides and long sides of the card base 2, and the first end 81 and the second end 82 are configured by a structure in which the antenna wire 83 is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 93, which is the side of the recess 9 substantially parallel to the short sides of the card base 2, toward the center.

[0055] On the other hand, when the contour shape of the IC module 7 and the recess 9 is an ellipse or the like, the straight line along the side of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9 indicates a tangent to the center of the side, since the side is a curve such as an arc. Usually, the contour of the IC module 7 is often configured to be symmetrical top-bottom and left-right, so when the first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed in the left-right direction, the straight line along the side of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9 is a straight line parallel to the Y-axis.

[0056] The inclination angle θ1 is preferably 2 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, and more preferably 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less. The inclination angle θ1 does not need to be strictly the same in all parts of the folded structure other than the bent parts, and may vary within the above-mentioned range. When the inclination angle θ1 is in the former range, the antenna wire 83 has an inclination with respect to the direction along the Y-axis, which is the moving direction of the end mill when cutting the recess 9, so that the antenna wire 83 can be prevented from unintentionally branching, that is, the generation of so-called whiskers.

[0057] In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 is an angle at which the portion other than the bent portion is inclined clockwise with respect to the Y-axis, which is a straight line along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. However, there is no problem with replacing the above-mentioned θ1 with an angle at which the portion other than the bent portion is inclined counterclockwise with respect to the Y-axis, which is a straight line along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. This is because even if the portion other than the bent portion is inclined counterclockwise, the same effect as when it is inclined clockwise can be obtained.

[0058] Furthermore, if the end of the first end 81 on the +X direction side is located on the +X direction side of the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92, the antenna wire 83 is cut when the second recess 92 is cut, and the antenna wire 83 is broken along the way. However, if the inclination angle θ1 is within this range, the broken area of ​​the antenna wire 83 can be reduced, and a reliable electrical connection can be achieved between the antenna 8 and the terminal 73a of the IC module 7.

[0059] On the other hand, by setting the inclination angle θ1 in the latter range, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of whiskers, which are branches of the antenna wire 83. Also, even if the end on the +X direction side of the first end portion 81 is located on the +X direction side of the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92, it is possible to further reduce the region of the antenna wire 83 that is broken due to cutting the antenna wire 83 when cutting the second recess 92. As a result, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the electrical connection between the antenna 8 and the terminal 73a of the IC module 7.

[0060] Furthermore, the pitch p1 depends on the capacity of the winding machine and the quality of the antenna sheet 12 after the antenna wire 83 is embedded in the core layer 5, but is preferably 0.50 mm or less, and more preferably 0.25 mm or less. When the pitch p1 is in the former range, the exposed area of ​​the antenna wire 83 per unit area at the first end 81 can be improved, and the area of ​​electrical connection with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 can be expanded. This improves the reliability of the electrical connection and reduces the electrical resistance of the contact portion between the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a. When the pitch p1 is in the latter range, the above-mentioned effects can be further enhanced.

[0061] In this disclosure, the phrase "the first end 81 is arranged so as to follow the contour of a rectangle" does not only mean that the antenna wire 83 is arranged so that the bent portion of the folded structure is in contact with the contour of the rectangle strictly. In other words, this disclosure also includes a case where some of the bent portions are arranged slightly shifted from the contour of the rectangle to the outside or inside. This is because even if some of the bent portions are arranged slightly shifted from the contour of the rectangle, it does not affect the effects described in this disclosure. The same applies to the expression "the first exposed portion 84 of the first end 81, which is the portion of the antenna wire 83 exposed from the recess 9, is arranged so as to follow the contour of the rectangle."

[0062] 3, for example, with respect to a rectangle drawn by a dashed line in which the vertical width of the first end 81 is H1 and the horizontal width is W1, the third bent portion from the left end at the upper end of the antenna wire 83 is spaced by dH1 on the -Y side of the rectangle. Here, dH1 indicates the distance between a tangent line parallel to the X-axis passing through the tip of the bent portion on the +Y side and a side of the rectangle having a width of W1. Also, with respect to the rectangle, the fifth bent portion from the left end at the upper end of the antenna wire 83 protrudes by dH2 on the +Y side of the rectangle.

[0063] On the other hand, the second bent portion from the right end at the upper end of the antenna wire 83 is spaced from the rectangle by dW1 toward the -X side of the rectangle. Also, the right end bent portion at the upper end of the antenna wire 83 protrudes toward the +X side of the rectangle by dW2.

[0064] In this case, the values ​​of dH1, which is the amount of inward separation along the Y-axis of the rectangle, and dH2, which is the amount of outward protrusion, are preferably 20% or less of the value of H1, and more preferably 10% or less. Similarly, the values ​​of dW1, which is the amount of inward separation along the X-axis of the rectangle, and dW2, which is the amount of outward protrusion, are preferably 20% or less of the value of W1, and more preferably 10% or less. By making the values ​​of dH1 and dW1 20% or less of the values ​​of H1 and W1, the area of ​​electrical connection between the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 can be expanded, and by making the values ​​10% or less, the effect can be further increased.

[0065] Furthermore, by making the values ​​of dH2 and dW2 20% or less of the values ​​of H1 and W1, wasteful consumption of antenna wire 83 that does not contribute to the electrical connection with terminal 73a can be suppressed, improving work efficiency and reducing antenna wire costs, and by making them 10% or less, the above effect can be further enhanced.

[0066] On the other hand, the condition of the ranges of dH1, dH2, dW1, and dW2 of the antenna wire 83 included in the first end 81 with respect to the rectangle drawn by the dashed line with the vertical width of the first end 81 being H1 and the horizontal width being W1 can be replaced by the following: That is, it is replaced by the condition of the ranges of dH1, dH2, dW1, and dW2 with respect to the rectangle drawn by the dashed line with the vertical width of H1 and the horizontal width of W2 smaller than W1, which is the region of the part of the first end 81 exposed from the recess 9, i.e., the first recess 91. This is because the above-mentioned effect can be expected in this case as well.

[0067] In this embodiment, the end of the first end 81 in the region along the X direction on the +X direction side is approximately the same position as the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92, and the end on the -X direction side is on the -X direction side of the end of the first recess 91, which is the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. In this way, when the end of the first end 81 on the +X direction side is approximately the same position as the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92 or is on the -X direction side of this, it is possible to not cut the antenna wire 83 when cutting the second recess 92, or to reduce the amount of cutting of the antenna wire 83. For this reason, it is possible to suppress branching of the antenna wire 83, that is, the occurrence of whiskers, which is more likely to occur as the cutting depth becomes deeper.

[0068] Furthermore, the -X-direction end of the region of the first end 81 along the X-direction is located on the -X-direction side of the end of the first recess 91, which is the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. This allows the dense region of the antenna wires 83 to exist without interruption even if the antenna 8 is misaligned with respect to the core layer 5 or the recess 9 is misaligned. This ensures a reliable electrical connection with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7. However, the +X-direction end of the region of the first end 81 along the X-direction may be located on the +X-direction side of the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92, or the -X-direction end may be located on the +X-direction side of the end of the first recess 91, which is the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9.

[0069] In particular, when the end on the +X direction side is located on the +X direction side of the boundary between the first recess 91 and the second recess 92, it is preferable to arrange the antenna wire 83 in such a manner that this region includes the bent portion of the folded-back structure but does not include any portion other than the bent portion. By doing so, it is difficult for the antenna wire 83 to branch from the bent portion that is significantly angled from the direction along the Y axis, which is the movement direction of the end mill, when cutting the second recess 92, which ultimately contributes to improved quality.

[0070] The above description is about the relationship between the first end 81 of the antenna 8 and the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 electrically connected thereto, but the same relationship also holds between the second end 82 and the terminal 73b electrically connected thereto. Also, in this embodiment, the description is given on the premise that the antenna 8 has two ends, the first end 81 and the second end 82, for electrically connecting with the IC module 7, but the antenna 8 may have three or more ends, and the IC module 7 may have the same number of corresponding terminals.

[0071] (b) IC module Next, each part of the main components of the IC module 7 will be described mainly with reference to Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 4. Fig. 4(a) is a view of the external connection terminal 71 side of the IC module 7 seen from the +Z direction side, similar to Fig. 1(a). Fig. 4(b) is a view of the IC module 7 seen from the -Z direction side opposite to Fig. 4(a). Most of the molded part 74b of the IC chip body 74 is omitted here so that the inside can be seen through. Fig. 4(c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B near the terminal 73a in Fig. 2(b).

[0072] The IC module 7 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 7 are electrically connected to a first end 81 and a second end 82 of the antenna 8, respectively, to form a communication circuit for contactless communication. Furthermore, contact communication with a contact-type reader / writer or the like can be performed through an external connection terminal 71 provided on the IC module 7.

[0073] The substrate 72 is made by attaching copper foil to the front and back of a flexible resin film such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin with an adhesive, and leaving the copper foil attached to the front and back of the resin film so as to form a predetermined pattern. Specifically, a photosensitive material is applied, a film plate with a predetermined pattern is placed, exposed, and the non-photosensitive portion is etched away in order to form an external connection terminal 71 on one copper foil surface of the resin film and terminals 73a and 73b on the other copper foil surface. This forms the substrate 72 with some of the copper foil of the predetermined pattern remaining on the front and back surfaces of the resin film. In addition, the substrate 72 is provided in advance with a plurality of bonding holes 76, which are through holes for wire bonding to the external connection terminals 71.

[0074] As shown in Fig. 4(a), the external connection terminal 71 is divided into sections of the external terminal as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. As shown in Fig. 4(b), each of these sections is connected to the IC chip 74a by wires 75 such as gold wires through the above-mentioned bonding holes 76 provided in the substrate 72. Similarly, the terminals 73a and 73b are connected to the IC chip 74a by wires 75. These bonding holes 76 and wires 75 are covered and protected by the molded portion 74b.

[0075] An IC chip body 74 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 72 opposite to the surface on which the external connection terminals 71 are formed. The IC chip body 74 is composed of an IC chip 74a bonded and fixed to the substrate 72 via an adhesive, a bonding wire 75 for connection, and a molded part 74b which is a sealing resin for protecting these. The IC chip 74a includes a CPU for controlling the operation of both contact communication and contactless communication, a storage device such as a RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, and various circuits such as an interface circuit for decoding input signals and generating output signals for contact communication and contactless communication, and a power generation circuit. Note that the various circuits may be provided as elements separate from the IC chip 74a.

[0076] The molded portion 74b is provided as a protruding portion that covers the IC chip 74a and the wires 75 to protect them from external force loads and environmental loads. An ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like is used as the molded portion 74b.

[0077] (c) Conductive adhesive layer A recess 9 for embedding the IC module 7 in the card base 2 is formed by cutting with an end mill or the like, and then the IC module 7 is embedded and fixed in the recess 9 and electrically and mechanically connected to the recess 9. The conductive adhesive layer 11 is a liquid or tape-like member that is sandwiched between the core layer 5 in the portion where the antenna wire 83 is cut and exposed on the bottom surface 91a, the substrate 72 of the IC module 7 that is embedded and disposed above it, and the terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72, as shown in Fig. 4(c).

[0078] The conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed in advance to the surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 7 opposite the external connection terminal 71, or may be applied or affixed onto the bottom surface 91a after cutting the recess 9 of the card base 2.

[0079] A typical conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed to the entire back surface of the substrate 72 or to a portion of the recess 9 corresponding to the first recess 91, in order to also mechanically connect the IC module 7 and the cut card base 2. In this way, the electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 8 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 7 and the card base 2 can be achieved with the same type of conductive adhesive layer 11, which contributes to simplification of the process.

[0080] However, the conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or affixed to cover only the areas of the terminals 73a and 73b on the rear surface of the substrate 72, and another adhesive that does not have electrical conductivity may be applied or affixed to the rest of the rear surface of the substrate 72. This is because it is not necessary to consider the electrical conductivity of the other adhesive, making it easier to select an adhesive that is more advantageous for mechanical connection.

[0081] As the conductive adhesive layer 11 that can be used for both electrical and mechanical connection, ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film), i.e., anisotropic conductive film or ACP (Anisotropic Conductive Paste) can be used. In addition, so-called conductive paste in which silver particles are dispersed as a filler in epoxy resin can be used. Among them, if ACF is used, the ACF is thermally laminated on the entire back surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 7, the IC module 7 is embedded in the recess 9 of the cut card base 2, and then the IC chip 74a and the antenna 8 are heat-pressed at a predetermined temperature and load, so that electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 8 can be easily achieved. Furthermore, since the mechanical connection of the IC module 7 to the card base 2 can be achieved at the same time, the mounting process of the IC module 7 to the card base 2 can be simplified.

[0082] The electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 8 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 7 and the card base 2 when ACF is used as the conductive adhesive layer 11 can be explained as follows based on Fig. 4(c). The conductive adhesive layer 11 has a structure in which conductive particles 11a, each of which is a spherical resin or a spherical metal and has a metal film formed therearound, are dispersed in an adhesive 11b, which is a binder containing an adhesive component. Here, heat pressure is applied from the +Z direction to the -Z direction to the substrate 72 so that the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the core layer 5, from which a part of the antenna wire 83 is exposed, the substrate 72 of the IC module 7, and the terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72, is compressed.

[0083] As a result, a strong heat pressure is applied to the part of the conductive adhesive layer 11 that is particularly narrow and is sandwiched between the core layer 5 and the terminal 73a, and the conductive particles 11a of the conductive adhesive layer 11 at this part are pressed from the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a of the core layer 5 along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. Also, when the conductive particles 11a are small, the conductive particles 11a overlap in a daisy chain from the antenna wire 83 to the terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. That is, the exposed antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a are conducted through the conductive particles 11a. On the other hand, between the core layer 5 and the substrate 72 in the region where the terminal 73a does not exist, the conductive particles 11a are not compressed to the extent that they are pressed from the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11, or to the extent that they overlap in a daisy chain. However, the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b generated by the heat pressure mechanically connects the core layer 5 and the substrate 72.

[0084] (d) A method for manufacturing a dual interface card Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the dual interface card 1 using the above-mentioned card base 2, IC module 7, and conductive adhesive layer 11 will be described.

[0085] First, a coated conductor wire coated with an insulating member is embedded as an antenna wire 83 by a winding former, starting from either the first end 81 or the second end 82 and ending at the other, on the surface of either the core layer 5 or 4 on the side not adjacent to the over-sheet layer 6 or 3. Specifically, for example, while applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the core layer 5, an antenna supply head is drawn into a loop shape as shown in FIG.

[0086] Here, the antenna wire 83 is arranged at predetermined positions on the left and right of the intended mounting position of the IC module 7 so that the first end 81 and the second end 82 are aligned in the left-right direction, and the antenna wire 83 is cut at its end point. The movement of the winding machine is changed to adjust the arrangement position of the antenna wire 83 so that the first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed by a repeated folding structure of the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 from the outer periphery 93 toward the center of the recess 9. The antenna 8 is formed by being embedded in the core layer 5 so that the portion of the folded structure of the antenna wire 83 other than the bent portion is inclined with respect to a straight line along the Y-axis, which is a straight line along the outer periphery 93, and the first end 81 and the second end 82 each follow a rectangular outline.

[0087] Next, using core layer 5, which is antenna sheet 12 on which antenna 8 is formed, over-sheet layer 6, core layer 5, core layer 4, and over-sheet layer 3 are layered in this order from the bottom in the thickness direction, as shown in Fig. 2. Thereafter, the laminate of large sheets in which cards are arranged vertically and horizontally in multiple faces is sandwiched between stainless steel plates from above and below in the thickness direction, and heat and pressure are applied to the laminate via the stainless steel plates.

[0088] By passing through such a heat pressing process, a card base of a large sheet unit in which each layer of the laminate is integrated can be obtained. Also, if either the oversheet layer or the core layer has heat resistance such that it is not thermally fused at a predetermined temperature, an adhesive sheet that is thermally fused at a predetermined temperature can be sandwiched between the layers, or an adhesive can be applied, and then the layers can be subjected to a heat pressing process to obtain a card base of an integrated large sheet unit.

[0089] The card substrate in the form of a large sheet unit obtained as described above, in which cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner vertically and horizontally, is punched out by a punching machine as a card substrate 2 having the card size of ISO / IEC 7816. Further, a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 7 is formed in the card substrate 2 by cutting with an end mill. Thus, a cut card substrate 2 is obtained. As described above, the recess 9 is composed of two steps, namely, a first recess 91 for accommodating the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 7 and a second recess 92 for accommodating the convex IC chip body 74.

[0090] Here, the depth of the first recess 91 is associated with the embedding depths of the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna 8. That is, when the first recess 91 is formed by cutting, a part of the antenna wire 83 of the first end 81 and the second end 82 is exposed on the bottom surface 91a of the first recess 91. In other words, let the depth from the surface on the exposed side of the external connection terminal 71 of the card substrate 2 to the bottom surface of the first recess 91 be d1, the distance from the surface to the upper end of the antenna wire 83 of either the first end 81 or the second end 82 be d2, and the distance from the surface to the lower end of the one antenna wire 83 be d3. At this time, for the respective values of d1, d2, and d3, d2 < d1 < d3 holds. This is because if this is not satisfied, the antenna wire 83 will be disconnected or not exposed from the bottom surface 91a due to the cutting process.

[0091] Also, the recess 9 is formed such that the surface of the external connection terminal 71 is substantially flush with the surface of the non-cutting region of the card substrate 2. Here, the thickness of the substrate 72 of the IC module 7 is about 0.07 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less, the thickness of the IC chip body 74 is about 0.45 mm or more and 0.75 mm or less, and the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 is usually about 0.03 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less. Considering these, the depth of the first recess 91 is usually about 0.1 mm or more and 0.4 mm or less, and the depth of the second recess 92 is usually about 0.48 mm or more and 0.78 mm or less. Note that the depth of the second recess 92 is deeper than the depth of the first recess 91.

[0092] Meanwhile, aside from the manufacturing of the card base 2 and the cutting process for forming the recesses 9, a conductive adhesive layer 11 is attached to the IC module 7. The IC module 7 is usually a module tape in which the IC module 7 is continuously formed on a long tape in one or two rows. A tape-shaped ACF is attached to the surface of this module tape opposite to the surface on which the external connection terminals 71 are formed, while applying a certain amount of heat and pressure. The module tape with the ACF attached is then punched out by a punching machine into an approximately rectangular IC module 7 with rounded corners, thereby obtaining the IC module 7 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached.

[0093] Thereafter, the IC module 7 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached thereto is embedded in the card base 2 with the recess 9 formed therein, and a predetermined heat block is pressed against the external connection terminal 71 to apply a predetermined heat pressure toward the card base 2 for a predetermined time. This thermally melts the conductive adhesive layer 11 made of ACF, thereby electrically connecting the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 7 to the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna 8, and mechanically connecting the IC module 7 to the card base 2. The application time and heat pressure conditions vary depending on the type and composition of the ACF, but as an example, the time can be 0.5 seconds or more and 10.0 seconds or less, the temperature can be 150° C. or more and 250° C. or less, and the pressure can be 20 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less.

[0094] (e) Dual Interface Card of the First Embodiment In summary, the dual interface card 1 of the first embodiment includes a card base 2 and an antenna 8 disposed inside the card base 2 and having at least a first end 81 and a second end 82 as multiple end portions. The dual interface card 1 further includes an IC module 7 having an IC chip 74a and a multiple terminals 73a and 73b electrically connected to the IC chip 74a. The IC module 7 is disposed in a recess 9 provided in the card base 2 such that the multiple terminals 73a and 73b facing each other and the multiple first end portions 81 and second end portions 82 are electrically connected to each other.

[0095] The first end 81 and the second end 82, which are the multiple ends, are configured by a repeated folding structure of the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 8 from the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9 toward the center, and a part of them is exposed to the recess 9. In addition, a part other than the bent part of the folding structure of the antenna 8 is inclined with respect to a straight line along the sides 93a and 93b of the outer periphery 93, and the multiple first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed so as to follow the outline of a rectangle. Furthermore, the first exposed part 84 and the second exposed part 85, which are the parts of the multiple first end 81 and the second end 82 exposed from the recess 9, are also formed so as to follow the outline of a rectangle.

[0096] Here, the first end 81 and the second end 82, which are both ends of the antenna 8, are each configured by a structure in which the antenna wire 83 is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 93 of the first recess 91 toward the center of the recess 9. This increases the exposed area of ​​the antenna wire 83 per unit area exposed in the recess 9, and improves the reliability of the electrical connection between the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8.

[0097] Furthermore, at the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna wire 83, portions other than the bent portions at the upper and lower ends of the folded-back structure are inclined with respect to straight lines parallel to the sides 93a and 93b along the outer periphery 93 of the first recess 91. This prevents the antenna wire 83 from unintentionally branching midway due to the movement direction of a milling tool used for cutting when forming the recess 9 by cutting being not parallel to, but intersecting, predetermined portions of the first end 81 and the second end 82.

[0098] Furthermore, the first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed to generally follow a rectangular outline. Alternatively, the first exposed portion 84 and the second exposed portion 85 of the first end 81 and the second end 82, which are portions where the antenna wire 83 is exposed from the recess 9, are formed to generally follow a rectangular outline. Therefore, the first end 81 and the second end 82 can be formed relatively compactly, and therefore the operation of embedding the antenna wire 83 in the base material while applying heat and pressure thereto can be efficiently performed.

[0099] Furthermore, because the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 7 are typically substantially rectangular, even if the relative positions of the first end 81 and the second end 82 and the terminals 73a and 73b are misaligned, the two can be easily overlapped, improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the IC chip of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8. Furthermore, there is no area near the terminals 73a and 73b in the first recess 91 where the antenna wire 83 is not present, and the antenna wire 83 is exposed substantially uniformly. Therefore, the distance between the IC module 7 and the card base 2 when they are joined with an adhesive can be maintained constant, ensuring a stable adhesive force between the IC module 7 and the card base 2.

[0100] 2. Second embodiment Next, a dual interface card according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0101] 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first end 81 and the second end 82b of the antenna 8 corresponding to FIG. 1(b) in the dual interface card 1a of the second embodiment. The dual interface card 1a of the present embodiment differs from the dual interface card 1 of the first embodiment in that the shape of the second end 82b is in a line-symmetric or mirror-symmetric relationship with the first end 81. In other words, the pattern formed when the pattern of the antenna wire 83 of the first end 81 is rotated from the -X direction to the +X direction about an axis parallel to the Y axis passing through the midpoint along the X axis between the first end 81 and the second end 82b is substantially identical to the pattern of the antenna wire 83 of the second end 82b.

[0102] At this time, the inclination of the portion other than the bent portion of the first end 81 with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery 93 and the inclination of the portion other than the bent portion of the second end 82b with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery 93 are formed to be line-symmetrical with each other. That is, the portion other than the bent portion of the folded-back structure of the first end 81 is inclined clockwise by a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the Y axis which is a straight line along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9. In contrast, the portion other than the bent portion of the folded-back structure of the second end 82b is inclined counterclockwise, opposite to the first end 81, by a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the Y axis which is a straight line along the side 93b of the outer periphery 93 of the recess 9.

[0103] In this way, the inclination of the portion other than the bent portion at the first end 81 and the inclination of the portion other than the bent portion at the second end 82b are arranged in a line-symmetrical relationship with each other. As a result, when the antenna wire 83 is embedded in the core layer 5 to form the antenna sheet 12, the distortion and internal stress of the core layer 5 are offset and dispersed, making it possible to obtain a uniform antenna sheet 12 with less distortion and internal stress.

[0104] In addition, when embedding the IC module 7 in the recess 9, the thermal pressure conditions applied between the first end portion 81 and the terminal 73a and the thermal pressure conditions applied between the second end portion 82b and the terminal 73b are symmetric with respect to each other. As a result, the bias in the thermal pressure conditions is avoided, and the electrical connection of the IC module 7 and the antenna 8 and the stabilization of the mechanical connection of the IC module 7 and the card substrate 2 can be achieved.

[0105] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a dual interface card according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0106] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first end portion 81b of the antenna 8 corresponding to FIG. 3 with respect to the dual interface card of the third embodiment. The first end portion 81b of the dual interface card of the present embodiment is different from the first end portion 81 of the first embodiment in that the pitch of the arrangement of the portions other than the bent portion of the antenna wire 83 is different for each location. In particular, the value of the pitch in the region where the portion other than the bent portion overlaps with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 is smaller than the value of the pitch in other regions.

[0107] For example, in the first end portion 81b, a region including a portion other than the bent portion that overlaps with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 is defined as a first portion AR11. Also, among the regions including portions other than the bent portion that do not overlap with the terminal 73a, the portion on the -X direction side is defined as a second portion AR12, and the portion on the +X direction side is defined as a third portion AR13. Further, the pitch between adjacent portions other than the bent portion in the first portion AR11 is denoted as p21, the pitch between adjacent portions other than the bent portion in the second portion AR12 is denoted as p22, and the pitch between adjacent portions other than the bent portion in the third portion AR13 is denoted as p23. At this time, p21 < P22, and p21 < P23. p22 and p23 may be the same or different.

[0108] In this manner, in the first end 81b of the present embodiment, the value of the pitch in the region where the portion other than the bent portion overlaps with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 is smaller than the value of the pitch in other regions. Therefore, the value of the pitch in the region where the portion other than the bent portion does not overlap with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7 can be made relatively large, so that the frequency of contact between the end mill and the antenna wire 83 during cutting to form the recess 9 can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the antenna wire 83 from unintentionally branching, that is, the occurrence of whiskers.

[0109] Furthermore, the first end 81b can improve the reliability of the electrical connection between the IC module 7 and the antenna 8 by increasing the density of the antenna wire 83 in the region where the portion other than the bent portion overlaps with the terminal 73a of the IC module 7. Note that while this embodiment has been described with respect to the first end 81b, the second end can also be configured in a similar manner, and it goes without saying that in this case as well, the same effects as those described for the first end 81b can be obtained.

[0110] 4. Fourth embodiment Next, a dual interface card according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0111] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of first end 81c of antenna 8 corresponding to Fig. 3 and related to a dual interface card of the fourth embodiment. In first end 81c of the dual interface card of this embodiment, a portion other than the bent portion of the folded-back structure of antenna wire 83 is inclined clockwise by a predetermined angle with respect to a straight line m1 that is parallel to the Y axis and extends along side 93a of outer periphery 93 of recess 9. However, this is different from first end 81 of the first embodiment in that the angle differs for each location of the portion other than the bent portion.

[0112] That is, a region of the antenna wire 83 including a portion other than the bent portion overlapping with the first end portion 81c is defined as the first portion AR21, and a region of the antenna wire 83 including a portion other than the bent portion that is closer to the center of the recess 9 than the first portion AR21 is defined as the second portion AR22. In this case, the value of the inclination angle of the second portion AR22 with respect to the straight line m1 along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 is larger than the value of the inclination angle of the first portion AR21 with respect to the straight line m1 along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93. Here, in the first portion AR21, the values ​​of the inclination angles of the portions other than the bent portion are all the same. On the other hand, in the second portion AR22, the values ​​of the inclination angles of the portions other than the bent portion are relatively small on the -X direction side and relatively large on the +X direction side, and the value of the inclination angle gradually increases from the -X direction side to the +X direction side.

[0113] However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and both the first portion AR21 and the second portion AR22 may be configured so that the value of the inclination angle of the portion other than the bent portion gradually increases as the portion other than the bent portion moves from the -X direction side to the +X direction side. Alternatively, in each range of the first portion AR21 and the second portion AR22, the value of the inclination angle of the portion other than the bent portion may have a first inclination angle and a second inclination angle that are always constant, and the value of the second inclination angle may be greater than the value of the first inclination angle.

[0114] In the example of this embodiment, the inclination angle of the first portion AR21 with respect to the straight line m1 along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 is θ21. The inclination angle of the second portion AR22 with respect to the straight line m1 along the side 93a of the outer periphery 93 is θ22 when the portion other than the bent portion is on the -X direction side, and θ23 when the portion is on the +X direction side. In this case, θ21<θ22<θ23.

[0115] In this manner, in the first end 81c of the present embodiment, a first portion AR21 that is a portion other than the bent portion overlapping with the first end 81c and a second portion AR22 that is a portion other than the bent portion that is closer to the center of the recess 9 than the first portion AR21 are considered. In this case, the value of the inclination angle of the second portion AR22 with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery 93 is greater than the corresponding inclination angle of the first portion AR21.

[0116] As a result, in the region of the first end 81c facing the terminal 73a of the IC module 7, the antenna wires 83 are formed relatively densely and the portion other than the bent portion is inclined. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of the electrical connection between the IC module 7 and the antenna 8 while suppressing unintended branching of the antenna wire 83.

[0117] On the other hand, in a region closer to the center than the region facing terminal 73a, the portions of antenna wire 83 other than the bent portion are disposed with a relatively large distance therebetween, and the inclination angle is large. This reduces the frequency with which the end mill comes into contact with antenna wire 83 during cutting to form recess 9, and the end mill and antenna wire 83 intersect at an angle significantly deviated from the direction of movement of the end mill. As a result, unintended branching of antenna wire 83 can be further suppressed.

[0118] Although this embodiment has been described with respect to the first end 81c, the second end can also be configured in a similar manner, and it goes without saying that in this case too, the same effect as that described for the first end 81c can be obtained.

[0119] As described above, each of the embodiments and each of the modified examples described in this disclosure can be implemented in combination with each other in part or in whole, provided that no contradiction arises, and the contents of such combinations are naturally included in the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 1, 1a dual interface card 2. Card Base 3, 6 Oversheet layer 4, 5 Core layer 7 IC Module 8 Antennas 9 Recess 11 Conductive adhesive layer 11a Conductive particles 11b Adhesive 12 Antenna sheet 71 External connection terminal 72 Substrate 73a, 73b terminal 74 IC chip body 74a IC chip 74b Molded part 74p Pad 75 Wire 76 Bonding Hall 81, 81b, 81c 1st end 81p, 81q Antenna end 82, 82b 2nd end 83 Antenna Wire 84 1st exposed part 85, 85b 2nd exposed part 91 First recess 91a Bottom 92 Second recess 93 Circumference Areas 93a and 93b

Claims

1. A dual interface card capable of contact and non-contact communication with an external device, A card base; an antenna having a plurality of ends disposed within the card base; an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; the IC module is disposed in a recess provided in the card base such that the terminals and the ends facing each other are electrically connected to each other; the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a first portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that do not overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a second portion, wherein an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the first portion is smaller than an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the second portion.

2. A dual interface card capable of contact and non-contact communication with an external device, A card base; an antenna having a plurality of ends disposed within the card base; an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; the IC module is disposed in a recess provided in the card base such that the terminals and the ends facing each other are electrically connected to each other; the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; When the plurality of ends are a first end and a second end, A dual interface card, wherein the inclination of the first end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion and the inclination of the second end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion are formed line-symmetrically with respect to each other.

3. A dual interface card capable of contact and non-contact communication with an external device, A card base; an antenna having a plurality of ends disposed within the card base; an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; the IC module is disposed in a recess provided in the card base such that the terminals and the ends facing each other are electrically connected to each other; the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a first portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that do not overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a second portion, wherein an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the first portion is smaller than an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the second portion.

4. A dual interface card capable of contact and non-contact communication with an external device, A card base; an antenna having a plurality of ends disposed within the card base; an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; the IC module is disposed in a recess provided in the card base such that the terminals and the ends facing each other are electrically connected to each other; the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; When the plurality of ends are a first end and a second end, A dual interface card, wherein the inclination of the first end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion and the inclination of the second end with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion are formed line-symmetrically with respect to each other.

5. 5. A dual interface card according to claim 1, wherein the recesses are composed of a first recess of approximately the same depth formed on the outer periphery, and a second recess formed closer to the center than the first recess and deeper than the first recess.

6. 6. The dual interface card according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals and the plurality of ends of the IC module that face each other are electrically connected to each other via an anisotropic conductive film.

7. 7. The dual interface card according to claim 1, wherein the outer periphery is a substantially rectangular shape having sides substantially parallel to the short and long sides of the card body, and the multiple ends are configured by a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery, which is a side of the recess substantially parallel to the short sides of the card body, toward the center by an antenna wire constituting the antenna.

8. 8. A dual interface card according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle at any one of the ends relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of a portion other than the bent portion is greater than or equal to 5 degrees and less than or equal to 20 degrees.

9. 5. The dual interface card of claim 2, wherein a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portion that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a third portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portion that is closer to a center of the recess than the third portion is defined as a fourth portion, wherein a value of an inclination angle of the fourth portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery is greater than a value of an inclination angle of the third portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery.

10. A method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, comprising: an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire into a first base material while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first base material; a lamination step of laminating a second base material on the first base material on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna; a punching step of punching a laminate in which the first base material and the second base material are laminated into a card base of a card size; a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module; an IC module preparing step of preparing an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; an IC module bonding step of bonding the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the plurality of terminals and the plurality of end portions facing each other are electrically connected, the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a first portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that do not overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a second portion, wherein an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the first portion is smaller than an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the second portion.

11. A method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, comprising: an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire into a first base material while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first base material; a lamination step of laminating a second base material on the first base material on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna; a punching step of punching a laminate in which the first base material and the second base material are laminated into a card base of a card size; a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module; an IC module preparing step of preparing an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; an IC module bonding step of bonding the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the plurality of terminals and the plurality of end portions facing each other are electrically connected, the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; When the plurality of ends are a first end and a second end, A method for manufacturing a dual interface card, wherein an inclination of the first end portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion and an inclination of the second end portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion are formed to be linearly symmetrical to each other.

12. A method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, comprising: an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire into a first base material while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first base material; a lamination step of laminating a second base material on the first base material on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna; a punching step of punching a laminate in which the first base material and the second base material are laminated into a card base of a card size; a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module; an IC module preparing step of preparing an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; an IC module bonding step of bonding the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the plurality of terminals and the plurality of end portions facing each other are electrically connected, the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a first portion, and a region of the multiple ends including portions other than the bent portions that do not overlap with the multiple terminals is defined as a second portion, wherein an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the first portion is smaller than an arrangement pitch value of a portion of the second portion.

13. A method for manufacturing a dual interface card capable of contact communication and non-contact communication with an external device, comprising: an antenna forming step of embedding an antenna wire into a first base material while applying heat and pressure to form an antenna having a plurality of ends on one surface of the first base material; a lamination step of laminating a second base material on the first base material on which the antenna is formed so as to sandwich the antenna; a punching step of punching a laminate in which the first base material and the second base material are laminated into a card base of a card size; a recess forming step of forming a recess in the card base for embedding an IC module; an IC module preparing step of preparing an IC module having an IC chip and a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; an IC module bonding step of bonding the IC module to the recess of the card base via a conductive adhesive layer so that the plurality of terminals and the plurality of end portions facing each other are electrically connected, the plurality of ends are formed by a repeated folding structure of an antenna wire constituting the antenna from the outer periphery toward the center of the recess, and a part of the structure is exposed in the recess; a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery, and the exposed portions of the plurality of ends are formed to follow a rectangular outline; When the plurality of ends are a first end and a second end, A method for manufacturing a dual interface card, wherein an inclination of the first end portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion and an inclination of the second end portion relative to a straight line along the outer periphery of the portion other than the bent portion are formed to be linearly symmetrical to each other.

Images