IC modules and IC cards

Abstract

To provide an IC module and an IC card that can reduce interference between an antenna of a composite IC card and an embossed region to improve the sensitivity and gain of the antenna.SOLUTION: An IC module 20 comprises: a sheet-like substrate 21; a connection coil 23 which is provided on a reverse surface 21g of the substrate 21, and formed spirally; an IC chip 22 which is provided on the reverse surface 21g of the substrate 21, and arranged on an inner peripheral side 23i of the connection coil 23; and a resin sealing part 30 which covers the IC chip 22 and provided on the reverse surface 21g side of the substrate 21, wherein a center axis O3 of the resin sealing part 30 along a plate thickness of the substrate 21 is eccentric in an eccentric direction from a center axis O1 of the substrate 21 along the plate thickness direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an IC module and an IC card. [Background technology]

[0002] As an IC card incorporating a semiconductor memory or the like, a so-called hybrid IC card (dual IC card) that functions as both a contact type and a contactless type is known. Hybrid IC cards are used, for example, in credit cards, cash cards, prepaid cards, membership cards, gift cards, transportation cards, passports, and driver's licenses. A hybrid IC card is configured by sandwiching, between exterior substrates, an IC module that is equipped with a contact terminal portion for contacting an external contact device and an IC chip that functions as both a contact type and a contactless type, and a coil formed therein, and an antenna sheet that is equipped with an antenna having a coupling coil for electrically coupling to the coil formed in the IC module in a contactless manner and a communication antenna pattern (antenna coil) for contactless communication with an external terminal (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] A recess is formed in the exterior substrate and antenna sheet of a composite IC card by milling or other processes, and this recess houses an IC module. After the composite IC card is formed, it is embossed to display an identification number and name. The contact terminals, IC chip, embossed area, etc. are positioned in standardized locations on the composite IC card in accordance with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) / JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards). The antenna of the composite IC card must be positioned in a limited space so as not to overlap with the embossed area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-41272 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional composite IC cards, such as the IC card described in Patent Document 1, the coupling coil is positioned so as not to interfere with the area where recesses are machined on the antenna sheet (hereinafter referred to as the machining area), and is electromagnetically coupled to the contact terminal. However, the position of the contact terminal is restricted to a standardized location, and the IC module equipped with the contact terminal is also positioned in a restricted location. The position of the machining area on the antenna sheet is also restricted, just like the IC module. Furthermore, because the position of the embossing area is also restricted, interference between the coupling coil and the embossing area can cause the coupling coil to break or deform, resulting in a deterioration in antenna sensitivity and gain.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide an IC module and an IC card that reduce interference between the antenna and the embossed area of ​​a composite IC card and improve the sensitivity and gain of the antenna. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. An IC module according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a sheet-like substrate, a spirally formed connection coil provided on the back surface of the substrate, an IC chip provided on the back surface of the substrate and positioned on the inner periphery of the connection coil, and a resin sealing portion provided on the back surface of the substrate, covering the IC chip, wherein the central axis of the resin sealing portion along the thickness direction of the substrate is eccentric in an eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate along the thickness direction.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the IC module according to the first aspect, the outermost terminal portion of the connection coil is provided in a direction opposite to the eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the IC module according to the first or second aspect further comprises a contact terminal portion on the surface of the substrate for contacting an external contact-type device.

[0010] An IC card according to a fourth aspect of the present invention comprises an exterior substrate having a first card substrate having a recess on its surface and a second card substrate provided on the back side of the first card substrate; an antenna sheet provided between the first card substrate and the second card substrate; an IC module having a sheet-like substrate provided on the front side of the first card substrate, a spirally formed connection coil provided on the back side of the substrate, an IC chip provided on the back side of the substrate and positioned inner circumferentially of the connection coil, and a resin sealing portion provided on the back side of the substrate, covering the IC chip; and the IC card is embossed from the front side to an embossing area, wherein the recess is capable of accommodating the resin sealing portion, and a central axis of the resin sealing portion along the thickness direction of the substrate is eccentric in an eccentric direction from a central axis of the substrate along the thickness direction.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the IC card according to the fourth aspect, the outermost terminal portion of the connection coil is provided in a direction opposite to the eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the IC card of the fourth or fifth aspect is a rectangular IC card having a long side and a short side, and the eccentric direction is a direction away from the embossed area in the short side direction along the short side of the IC card.

[0013] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the IC card according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects further comprises a contact terminal portion on the surface of the substrate for contacting an external contact-type device.

[0014] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in an IC card relating to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, the recess comprises a first recess and a second recess which is positioned closer to the back surface than the first recess and has a width smaller than that of the first recess.

[0015] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the IC card of the eighth aspect, the central axis of the first recess along the plate thickness direction is at approximately the same position as the central axis of the substrate, and the central axis of the second recess along the plate thickness direction is at approximately the same position as the central axis of the resin sealing portion.

[0016] According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the IC card according to any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, the antenna sheet includes an antenna on the front surface side that can be electromagnetically coupled to the connecting coil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The IC module and IC card according to the present invention can reduce interference between the antenna of the hybrid IC card and the embossed area, thereby improving the sensitivity and gain of the antenna. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna sheet of an IC card according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged view of the left side of the schematic plan view of the antenna sheet of the IC card in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the IC card taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an IC module of the IC card. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the left side of a schematic plan view of an antenna sheet of a conventional IC card. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a conventional IC card taken along the line BB in FIG. 5. [Figure 7]FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an IC module of a conventional IC card. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] (One embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the embodiments and modifications described below, corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of overlapping parts may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial," not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state in which there is a relative displacement with a tolerance or an angle or distance that provides the same function.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an antenna sheet 10 of an IC card 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the left side LH of the schematic plan view of the antenna sheet 10 of the IC card 1 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the IC card 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view schematically showing an IC module 20 of the IC card 1.

[0021] In the following description of the IC card 1, the direction along the long side of the IC card 1 is referred to as the long side direction D1, and the direction along the short side of the IC card 1 that is perpendicular to the long side direction D1 on a horizontal plane is referred to as the short side direction D2. The plane along the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 is referred to as the horizontal plane (hereinafter simply referred to as the horizontal plane). Furthermore, the vertical direction perpendicular to the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 is referred to as the card (substrate) thickness direction (thickness direction) Dt.

[0022] In the long side direction D1, one side away from the central axis (not shown) along the card thickness direction Dt of the IC card 1 is referred to as the left side LH, and the other side is referred to as the right side RH. In addition, in the short side direction D2, one side (in the eccentric direction) away from the embossing area 50 of the IC card 1 (described later) is referred to as the front side FR, and the other side (opposite to the eccentric direction) is referred to as the rear side RR. Furthermore, in the card (substrate) thickness direction Dt, the upper side is referred to as the upper side UP, and the lower side is referred to as the lower side DW. The surface on the upper side UP in the card thickness direction Dt is referred to as the front side, and the surface on the lower side DW is referred to as the back side.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, the IC card 1 is a dual IC card that enables contact-type communication and contactless communication with an external device. The IC card 1 is plate-shaped and formed into a rectangular shape with opposing long and short sides when viewed from the upper side UP in the card thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the IC card 1 in the card thickness direction Dt is, for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 mm (when the IC card 1 is a credit card, the thickness of the IC card 1 is 0.76 mm).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the IC card 1 includes an antenna sheet 10, an IC module 20, an exterior base material 40, and an embossed area 50.

[0025] [Antenna Sheet 10] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the antenna sheet 10 includes an antenna sheet main body 11, an antenna 12, and a capacitor 13.

[0026] The antenna sheet main body 11 is a flexible insulating substrate provided within the exterior base material 40. The antenna sheet main body 11 can be made of an appropriate material selected from the following: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), 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, polyimide, glass epoxy, phenolic resin, and the like.

[0027] The antenna sheet main body 11 has a processing area 110 on the front surface 11f. Furthermore, when a recess 60 is formed in the surface card substrate 41 (described later) by milling or the like, and the processing range reaches the antenna sheet main body 11, an opening 11h is simultaneously formed in the processing area 110, opening to the front surface 11f side of the processing area 110. In this case, the opening 11h is formed to communicate with the second recess 62. The opening 11h is provided in addition to the recess 60 provided in the surface card substrate 41 (described later), so that when an IC module 20 is bonded to the antenna sheet 10 via the surface card substrate 41, a resin sealing portion 30 provided on the back surface 20g of the IC module 20 prevents irregularities from appearing on the front surface 1f of the IC card 1. Note that when a recess 60 is formed in the surface card substrate 41 by milling or the like, and the processing range does not reach the processing area 110 of the antenna sheet main body 11, the opening 11h is not formed. Therefore, the antenna sheet main body 11 does not necessarily have to have the opening 11h.

[0028] The antenna 12 has a coupling coil 121 (antenna) and a main coil 122. The width (thickness), spacing, and number of turns of the antenna 12 can be set appropriately depending on the characteristics of the antenna 12, limitations due to its placement, and the like.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the coupling coil 121 (antenna) is provided on the surface 11f of the antenna sheet main body 11 and is electrically connected to the main coil 122 or the capacitor 13 by wiring or the like (not shown). The coupling coil 121 can be electromagnetically coupled to the connection coil 23 of the IC module 20 when the IC module 20 is joined to the surface 10f of the antenna sheet 10 via the surface card substrate 41. The coupling coil 121 is arranged around the processing area 110, centered on the processing area 110, provided on the surface 11f of the antenna sheet main body 11, so as not to interfere with the processing area 110. The line width of the coupling coil 121 is preferably, for example, 0.1 mm or more and less than 1 mm. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the coupling coil 121 is preferably approximately 10 mm in diameter, taking into account the size of the resin sealing portion 30.

[0030] The main coil 122 is electrically connected to the coupling coil 121 or the capacitor 13 by wiring or the like (not shown) to perform contactless communication with a contactless external device such as a reader / writer. The main coil 122 is formed in a rectangular shape along the periphery 11k of the antenna sheet main body 11. As shown in Fig. 2, the main coil 122 is formed with one or two turns along the periphery 11k of the antenna sheet main body 11. However, the number of turns, shape, wire width, etc. of the main coil 122 are not limited as long as it is capable of contactless communication with a contactless external device.

[0031] The line width of the main coil 122 is wider than the line width of the coupling coil 121. The line widths of the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 can be set appropriately, and it is preferable to set them so that the imaginary part impedances of both coils at the set communication frequency are equal. However, the line width of the main coil 122 may be approximately the same as the line width of the coupling coil 121, or may be narrower than the line width of the coupling coil 121.

[0032] There are no particular limitations on the manufacturing method of the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 of the antenna 12, and they can be formed by various methods. Examples of manufacturing methods include laser cutting or punching of metal plates or metal foils, etching of metal foils or metal layers, and arranging metal wires. Punching is particularly suitable when forming the main coil 122 to be wide. If the coupling coil 121 is formed using an insulating-coated metal wire, there is no need to place a separate insulator at the multilevel intersection, and it can be formed easily. If the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 are formed from different materials, soldering, welding, pressure welding, etc. can be used to connect them.

[0033] The capacitor 13 is, for example, a chip capacitor (including a plate capacitor) and is connected in series or parallel to the main coil 122. The capacitor 13 forms a resonant circuit together with the main coil 122 and adjusts the resonant frequency.

[0034] [IC module 20] 3 and 4, the IC module 20 includes a module substrate (substrate) 21, an IC chip 22, a terminal portion 221, a connection coil 23, a connection terminal portion (contact terminal portion) 24, bridge wiring 25, and a resin sealing portion 30. For example, when the connection terminal portion 24 is configured with six terminals, the external size of the IC module 20 is formed to approximately 8 mm × 10.6 mm in the horizontal plane. The placement of the IC module 20 on the IC card 1 is limited by the connection terminal portion 24. In this embodiment, the IC module 20 is placed to the left LH of the central axis (not shown) of the IC card 1 in the long side direction D1 and forward FR in the short side direction D2.

[0035] The module substrate (substrate) 21 is a sheet-like substrate formed on a horizontal surface using a material such as glass epoxy or PET. The module substrate 21 has a front surface 21f and a back surface 21g in the card (substrate) thickness direction (thickness direction) Dt, and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the module substrate 21 is, for example, 50 to 200 μm.

[0036] The IC chip 22 is provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. The IC chip 22 may be of a known configuration having contact and non-contact communication functions. The IC chip 22 has a plurality of terminals (not shown). The IC chip 22 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in the card thickness direction Dt. The IC chip 22 is disposed on the inner circumferential side 23i of the connection coil 23. The IC chip 22 is disposed such that a central axis O2 of the IC chip 22 along the card thickness direction Dt is offset forward FR in the short side direction D2 from the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21 in the horizontal plane.

[0037] A plurality of terminal portions 221 are provided around the IC chip 22. The terminal portions 221 are electrically connected to a plurality of terminals (not shown) provided on the IC chip 22 by wire bonding or the like. The terminal portions 221 also have through holes (not shown). The terminal portions 221 are electrically connected via the through holes to a connection terminal portion (contact terminal portion) 24 formed in the center of the front surface 21f of the module substrate 21.

[0038] The connection coil 23 is provided on the rear surface 21g of the module substrate 21 with an adhesive or the like (not shown). The connection coil 23 is formed by winding it spirally about ten times so that the IC chip 22 and the resin sealing portion 30 are arranged on the inner peripheral side 23i. The connection coil 23 is formed, for example, by patterning copper foil or aluminum foil by etching, and the thickness of the connection coil 23 is 5 to 50 μm. The connection coil 23 is electromagnetically coupled to the coupling coil 121 provided on the antenna sheet 10. An outermost peripheral terminal portion 231 and an innermost peripheral terminal portion 232, which are formed to have a width wider than the line width (thickness) of the connection coil 23, are formed at the outermost and innermost ends of the connection coil 23.

[0039] 4, the outermost terminal portion 231 is disposed at the center of the module substrate 21 in the long side direction D1, and is disposed rearward RR in the short side direction D2 from the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21 in the horizontal plane. The outermost terminal portion 231 of the connection coil 23 is provided with a through-hole (not shown). Therefore, the connection coil 23 is formed on an arc so as to avoid the through-hole and protrude from the rearward RR to the forward FR.

[0040] 4, the innermost terminal portion 232 is disposed at a position closer to the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21 in the horizontal plane than the outermost terminal portion 231. The innermost terminal portion 232 of the connection coil 23 has a through-hole (not shown). The innermost terminal portion 232 is electrically connected to some of the multiple terminals (not shown) of the IC chip 22 by wire bonding or the like.

[0041] 3, the connection terminal portion (contact terminal portion) 24 is formed in the center of the surface 21f of the module substrate 21 and is composed of a plurality of electrodes. The connection terminal portion 24 is electrically connected to the IC chip 22 via the terminal portion 221. The placement of the connection terminal portion 24 is restricted in accordance with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) / JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards). Therefore, the IC module 20 provided with the connection terminal portion 24 is placed on the IC card 1 in approximately the same position as the placement of the connection terminal portion 24.

[0042] 4, the bridging wiring 25 is provided on the front surface 21f of the module substrate 21. The bridging wiring 25 connects the outermost terminal portion 231 and the innermost terminal portion 232 of the connection coil 23 provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21 so as to bridge to the front surface 21f side of the module substrate 21 through through holes provided in the outermost terminal portion 231 and the innermost terminal portion 232.

[0043] The resin encapsulation portion 30 is a protruding portion that covers the IC chip 22 and wires (not shown). The resin encapsulation portion 30 is provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. The resin encapsulation portion 30 can be formed of, for example, a known epoxy resin, an ultraviolet-curing resin, or a thermosetting resin. The resin encapsulation portion 30 can protect the IC chip 22 from external force loads and environmental loads and prevent wire breakage. The resin encapsulation portion 30 is generally positioned so that its center is aligned with the IC chip 22. Therefore, the central axis O3 of the resin encapsulation portion 30 along the card thickness direction Dt is aligned with the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22 on the module substrate 21. Therefore, the central axis O3 of the resin encapsulation portion 30, like the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22, is positioned eccentrically forward FR in the short-side direction D2 in the horizontal plane relative to the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21. The resin encapsulation portion 30 is formed in a circular or rectangular shape with a diameter of approximately 4 to 6 mm. The thickness of the resin sealing portion 30 is about 0.4 to 0.5 mm.

[0044] [Exterior base material 40] As shown in FIG. 3 , the exterior substrate 40 is a substrate formed on the front surface 1f and back surface 1g of the IC card 1. The exterior substrate 40 is formed using a substrate that has insulating properties and provides the card's required characteristics, such as sufficient strength and embossability, such as a polyester-based material such as amorphous polyester, a vinyl chloride-based material such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a polycarbonate-based material, or PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer). The exterior substrate 40 may also be formed using a metal sheet or a magnetic material. The exterior substrate 40 may also be formed into a card shape using a plastic material with high fluidity and insulating properties, such as a UV-curable or mixed liquid reactive curable type. The exterior shape of the exterior substrate 40 may be appropriately determined in accordance with card specifications. The exterior substrate 40 includes a front card substrate 41 and a back card substrate 42.

[0045] The surface card substrate 41 is a card substrate formed on the surface 1f of the IC card 1. The surface card substrate 41 has a recess 60 formed on the surface 41f.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, the recess 60 is formed by milling the front card substrate 41. The recess 60 can accommodate the IC chip 22 provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21 and the resin sealing portion 30 that protects the IC chip 22. The recess 60 has a depth of about 0.65 mm in the card thickness direction Dt, for example. The recess 60 has a first recess 61 and a second recess 62.

[0047] The first recess 61 is formed on the surface 41f of the surface card substrate 41. The size of the first recess 61 corresponds to the size of the module substrate 21 shown in Fig. 3. The first recess 61 is formed so that the central axis O4 of the first recess 61 along the card thickness direction Dt is substantially aligned with the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21.

[0048] The second recess 62 communicates with the first recess 61 and has an opening width that is narrower toward the back surface 41g than the first recess 61. The size of the second recess 62 corresponds to the size of the resin sealing portion 30 that protrudes toward the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21, as shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the central axis O5 of the second recess 62 along the card thickness direction Dt is formed so as to be eccentric toward the front FR in the short side direction D2 relative to the central axis O4 of the first recess 61, and is disposed so as to be substantially aligned with the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22 and the central axis O3 of the resin sealing portion 30.

[0049] The back card substrate 42 is a card substrate formed on the back surface 1g of the IC card 1.

[0050] [Embossing area 50] The embossing area 50 is an area for three-dimensionally imprinting an identification number and a name from the front surface 1f of the IC card 1 by embossing, which processes the IC card 1 into a concave and convex shape. In accordance with ISO / JIS, the embossing area 50 extends onto the IC card 1 in the long side direction D1 as shown in Fig. 1, and is positioned slightly behind RR in the short side direction D2 of the IC module 20 and the coupling coil 121 provided on the antenna sheet 10 as shown in Fig. 3.

[0051] The IC card 1 is formed by sandwiching and integrating the antenna sheet 10 and IC module 20 provided between the front card substrate 41 and the back card substrate 42 by laminating or gluing them with heat and pressure, and then punching them into the shape of the card. After being formed, the IC card 1 is embossed in the embossing area 50.

[0052] (action) Next, the operation of the IC card 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. This embodiment will be further described in comparison with a conventional IC card 1B shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. Here, duplicated explanations of the configuration of the conventional IC card 1B that is common to that described in the first embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the left side LH of a schematic plan view of an antenna sheet 10B of the conventional IC card 1B. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the conventional IC card 1. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an IC module 20B of the conventional IC card 1B.

[0053] In the conventional configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, the outermost terminal portion 231B of the connection coil 23B provided on the module substrate 21B is located at the center of the module substrate 21B in the long-side direction D1 and is located forward FR of the central axis BO1 of the module substrate 21B in the short-side direction D2. The connection coil 23B is provided with a through-hole (not shown) in the module substrate 21B. The connection coil 23B is formed on an arc extending from the front FR to the rear RR, avoiding the through-hole. In this case, the central axis O2 of the conventional IC chip 22 provided on the module substrate 21B is located at approximately the same position as the central axis BO1 of the module substrate 21B in the short-side direction D2. Furthermore, the central axis O3 of the resin sealing portion 30 that protects the IC chip 22 and the like is located at approximately the same position as the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22.

[0054] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the coupling coil 121B provided on the surface 11Bf of the antenna sheet main body 11B is arranged around the processing area 110B, centered on the processing area 110B, so as not to interfere with the processing area 110B of the antenna sheet main body 11B.

[0055] Next, as shown in Fig. 6, the module substrate 21B is joined to the antenna sheet 10B from the upper side UP via the front card base material 41B. At this time, the central axis BO1 of the module substrate 21B, the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22, and the central axis O3 of the resin sealing portion 30 are all positioned at approximately the same position. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5, there is almost no gap G0 between the coupling coil 121B and the embossed region 50, which can easily cause the coupling coil 121B to break or deform, resulting in a problem of antenna communication failure.

[0056] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the outermost terminal portions 231 are disposed rearward RR from the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21 in the short-side direction D2. Therefore, the connection coil 23 is formed on an arc extending from the rear RR to the front FR to avoid the through-holes. This configuration allows the IC chip 22 to be disposed further forward FR on the surface 21f of the module substrate 21 than in the conventional configuration. In this embodiment, for example, the IC chip 22 can be moved forward FR by approximately 0.8 mm compared to the conventional configuration. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the resin sealing portion 30 that protects the IC chip 22 and the like can be moved forward FR by approximately 0.8 mm compared to the conventional configuration, since the IC chip 22 can be moved forward FR by approximately 0.8 mm on the module substrate 21.

[0057] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the module substrate 21 is joined to the antenna sheet 10 from the front surface 10f via the surface card base material 41. At this time, the processing area 110 provided on the front surface 11f of the antenna sheet main body 11 moves forward FR in accordance with the movement of the IC chip 22 and the resin sealing portion 30. Therefore, the coupling coil 121 is arranged around the processing area 110, centered on the processing area 110, so as not to interfere with the processing area 110. At this time, the central axis O2 of the IC chip 22 and the central axis O3 of the resin sealing portion 30 are arranged forward FR of the central axis O1 of the module substrate 21 in the short side direction D2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, a gap G1 wider in the short side direction D2 than the conventional gap G0 is formed between the coupling coil 121 and the embossing area 50.

[0058] In this embodiment, the above-described configuration forms a gap G1 between the coupling coil 121 of the antenna sheet 10 provided on the IC card 1 and the embossing area 50 where embossing is performed on the IC card 1, thereby preventing breakage and deformation of the coupling coil 121. As a result, the IC card 1 can reduce the incidence of communication failures of the antenna 12.

[0059] Furthermore, by forming the gap G1, the number of turns of the coupling coil 121 can be increased or the size of the coupling coil 121 can be increased, thereby expanding the manufacturing limitations of the coupling coil 121.

[0060] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the modified examples shown below can be appropriately combined to form a configuration.

[0061] (Variation) For example, in the above-described embodiment, the exterior substrate 40 comprises a front card substrate 41 and a back card substrate 42, but the number of exterior substrates of the present invention is not limited, and multiple card substrates may be laminated on the front 1f or back 1g of the IC card 1.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the IC card 1 is embossed after it is formed, but the procedure is not particularly limited. For example, the IC card 1 may be embossed before the exterior base material 40 is attached.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the resin sealing portion 30 is formed in a circular or rectangular shape, but the shape of the resin sealing portion 30 of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a polygonal shape.

[0064] Furthermore, the shape and size of the recess 60 in the above-described embodiment are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate according to the shapes and sizes of the module substrate 21, the IC chip 22, and the resin sealing portion 30.

[0065] Furthermore, the IC card 1 in the above-described embodiment has one embossing area 50, but in the present invention, the embossing area is embossed in one or more specific positions according to ISO / JIS depending on the type of IC card 1.

[0066] In any of the above embodiments, the IC module and IC card according to the present invention can reduce interference between the antenna of the hybrid IC card and the embossed area, thereby improving the sensitivity and gain of the antenna. [Industrial Applicability]

[0067] The IC module and IC card according to the present invention can reduce interference between the antenna and the embossed area of ​​the composite IC card and can improve the antenna sensitivity and gain, making them industrially applicable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1, 1B IC card 1f surface 1g Back 10, 10B Antenna sheet 10f surface 10g back side 11, 11B Antenna sheet body 12 Antenna 121, 121B Coupling coil (antenna) 122 Main coil 20 IC modules 21, 21B Module board (board) 21f surface 21g back side 22 IC chip 23, 23B Connecting coil 231 Outermost terminal 232 Innermost terminal section 23i Inner side 24 Connection terminal (contact terminal) 25 Bridge wiring 30 Resin sealing part 40 Exterior base material 41, 41B Surface card substrate (first card substrate) 41f surface 42 Back card substrate (second card substrate) 50 embossed areas 60 recess 61 First recess 62 Second recess O1, BO1 (Module board) central axis O2 (IC chip) central axis O3 (Resin sealing part) central axis O4 Central axis (of the first recess) O5 (Second recess) central axis D1 Long side direction D2 Short side direction FR front (eccentric direction) RR Rear (opposite to eccentric direction) Dt Card (substrate) thickness direction (thickness direction) G0, G1 gap

Claims

1. A sheet-like substrate; a connecting coil provided on the rear surface of the substrate and formed in a spiral shape; an IC chip provided on the rear surface of the substrate and arranged on the inner circumferential side of the connecting coil; a resin sealing portion that covers the IC chip and is provided on the back surface side of the substrate; Equipped with The central axis of the resin sealing portion along the thickness direction of the substrate is eccentric in an eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate along the thickness direction. IC module.

2. The outermost terminal portion of the connecting coil is provided in a direction opposite to the eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate. The IC module according to claim 1 .

3. The surface of the substrate is further provided with a contact terminal portion for contacting an external contact-type device.

3. The IC module according to claim 1.

4. an exterior substrate having a first card substrate having a recess on its surface and a second card substrate provided on the back surface side of the first card substrate; an antenna sheet provided between the first card substrate and the second card substrate; provided on the front side of the first card substrate, A sheet-like substrate; a connecting coil provided on the rear surface of the substrate and formed in a spiral shape; an IC chip provided on the rear surface of the substrate and arranged on the inner circumferential side of the connecting coil; a resin sealing portion that covers the IC chip and is provided on the back surface side of the substrate; an IC module having and an IC card embossed from the front side to the embossing area, the recess is capable of accommodating the resin sealing portion, The central axis of the resin sealing portion along the thickness direction of the substrate is eccentric in an eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate along the thickness direction. IC card.

5. The outermost terminal portion of the connecting coil is provided in a direction opposite to the eccentric direction from the central axis of the substrate.

5. The IC card according to claim 4.

6. The IC card has a rectangular shape with long and short sides, The eccentric direction is a direction away from the embossed area in the short side direction along the short side of the IC card.

6. The IC card according to claim 4 or claim 5.

7. The surface of the substrate is further provided with a contact terminal portion for contacting an external contact-type device.

7. The IC card according to claim 4.

8. The recess includes a first recess and a second recess that is disposed closer to the rear surface than the first recess and has a smaller width than the first recess.

8. The IC card according to claim 4.

9. A central axis of the first recess along the plate thickness direction is located at substantially the same position as the central axis of the substrate, and a central axis of the second recess along the plate thickness direction is located at substantially the same position as the central axis of the resin sealing portion.

9. The IC card according to claim 8.

10. The antenna sheet has an antenna on the front surface side that can be electromagnetically coupled to the connecting coil.

10. The IC card according to claim 4.

Images