Dual interface IC card and its manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a dual interface IC card and a manufacturing method of the same for improving the reliability of both the electrical connection between an IC module and an antenna and the mechanical connection between the IC module and a card base and having a good appearance.SOLUTION: A dual interface IC card 1 includes: a card base 2 having a recess 9; an antenna 80 having an end portion 84; and an IC module 70 having a terminal 73a. The recess is constituted of: first recesses 91 including a part of an outer periphery and spaced from each other; second recesses 92a, 92b adjacent to the first recesses and spaced from each other; and a third recess 93 adjacent to the first recesses and formed at the center of the recess. In the second recess, the end portion 84 is partially exposed from the card base 2. The IC module 70 is placed in the recess so that the terminal 73a and the end portion 84 are electrically connected. For the recess, the first recess is formed deeper than the second recess and the third recess is formed deeper than the first recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventional IC cards include contact IC cards, which input and output electrical signals through an external connection terminal on the card surface, and contactless IC cards, which input and output electrical signals through an antenna via electromagnetic induction, etc. In addition to these, dual-interface IC cards, which combine the functions of both contact and contactless IC cards with a single IC chip, are also in use. Dual-interface IC cards, in particular, can be used as contact IC cards, which are effective in preventing external leakage of input and output data during financial transactions, and as highly convenient contactless IC cards, which allow data to be exchanged in close proximity when entering and exiting a room or using a ticket gate at a station. For this reason, dual-interface IC cards are becoming increasingly popular in the market.

[0003] A dual interface IC 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. The IC module is then embedded in the area. Here, a conductor is arranged on one of the one or more core sheets, and the conductor forms a wound antenna for providing the contactless communication function and contact terminals that are in electrical contact with terminals of the IC module. The contact terminals are, for example, arranged in a meander shape.

[0004] Here, the intended embedding area is cut to include a first recess, a second recess, and a contact opening in the first recess. The first recess is for accommodating the substrate portion of the IC module and is cut to a depth that does not expose the contact terminals of the conductors present inside the card substrate. The second recess is for accommodating the sealing portion of the IC module and is cut to a depth that penetrates the contact terminals of the conductors present inside the card substrate. Meanwhile, the contact opening in the first recess is cut deeper than the first recess until the contact terminals are exposed. By filling the contact opening with a conductive adhesive, the contact terminals are electrically connected to terminals on the back side of the substrate portion of the IC module via the conductive adhesive. Furthermore, by adhering adhesive tape to the back side of the substrate portion of the IC module, the IC module is fixed in the first recess of the intended embedding area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-219732 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To efficiently manufacture dual-interface IC cards, it is desirable to use the same adhesive material for both the electrical connection between the IC module and antenna and the mechanical connection between the IC module and card base. However, depending on the material and properties of the adhesive layer, the adhesive conditions required for achieving the electrical connection between the IC module and antenna often differ from those required for achieving the mechanical connection between the IC module and card base. In particular, the distance between the adherends is thought to have a significant impact on adhesive strength. Furthermore, the recess for embedding the IC module is formed slightly larger than the IC module to accommodate mechanical errors of the IC module placement device. Therefore, depending on the type of adhesive layer, excess molten adhesive may spill out beyond the periphery of the IC module when the IC module is placed in the recess in the card base, resulting in poor appearance.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a dual interface IC card and a manufacturing method thereof that improves the reliability of both the electrical connection between the IC module and the antenna and the mechanical connection between the IC module and the card base, and that has a good appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to this embodiment, a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device comprises a card base with a recess, an antenna with an end portion arranged inside the card base, and an IC module having a terminal electrically connected to an IC chip, the recess including a portion of the outer periphery of the recess and consisting of a first recess separated from each other, a second recess adjacent to the first recess and separated from each other, and a third recess adjacent to the first recess and formed closer to the center of the recess than the first recess and the second recess, the end portion of the second recess facing the IC module is exposed from the card base toward the IC module, the IC module is arranged in the recess so that the terminal and the end portion are electrically connected, the first recess is formed deeper than the second recess, and the third recess is formed deeper than the first recess.

[0009] In a dual-interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the end portion may be configured by an antenna wire that constitutes the antenna, with the antenna wire being repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery of the recess toward the center.

[0010] In addition, in a dual interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the outer periphery may be an approximately rectangular shape having sides that are approximately parallel to the short and long sides of the card body, and the end portion may be configured by an antenna wire that constitutes the antenna, with the antenna wire repeatedly folding back from the outer periphery, which is the side of the recess that is approximately parallel to the short sides of the card body, toward the center.

[0011] In a dual interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the antenna other than the bent portion of the folded structure may be inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery.

[0012] In a dual-interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the end may be formed of a plate-shaped conductive member welded to the tip of an antenna wire that constitutes the antenna.

[0013] In a dual interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the terminals and the ends of the IC module that face each other may be electrically connected to each other via an anisotropic conductive film.

[0014] In the dual interface IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention, the anisotropic conductive film may be disposed so as to overlap the first recess and the second recess.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card according to this embodiment includes the steps of preparing a first substrate, a second substrate, and an IC module having terminals electrically connected to an IC chip; forming an antenna having an end portion on one surface of the first substrate; laminating the first substrate and the second substrate by thermal fusion or via an adhesive so as to sandwich the antenna to form a laminate; punching out the laminate to a card size to form a card body; forming a recess in the card body; and inserting the IC module into the terminals and the end portion. and a step of placing the recess in the recess so that the portions are electrically connected, the recess including a part of the outer periphery of the recess and consisting of a first recess separated from each other, a second recess adjacent to the first recess and separated from each other, and a third recess adjacent to the first recess and formed closer to the center of the recess than the first recess and the second recess, the end of the second recess facing the IC module is exposed from the card base toward the IC module, the first recess is formed deeper than the second recess, and the third recess is formed deeper than the first recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a dual interface IC card and a manufacturing method thereof that improves the reliability of both the electrical connection between the IC module and the antenna and the mechanical connection between the IC module and the card base, and that has a good appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view illustrating the structure of a dual interface IC card according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an IC module and a connection between the IC module and an antenna. [Figure 5] FIG. 1(b) is a plan view illustrating the structure of a dual-interface IC card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1, illustrating the structure of a dual-interface IC card according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 6(b) and corresponds to FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 3, corresponding to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An example of a dual interface IC card according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the dual interface IC card according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples described below.

[0019] The figures shown below are schematic illustrations. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, hatching indicating the cross section of a member is omitted as appropriate in each figure. The numerical values ​​such as dimensions of each member and the names of materials described in this specification are examples of embodiments and are not limited to these, and may be selected and used as appropriate. In this specification, terms specifying shapes or geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and perpendicular, are intended to include not only their strict meanings but also substantially the same state.

[0020] 1. First embodiment An example of a first embodiment of a dual interface IC card according to the present disclosure will now be described. For ease of explanation, an XYZ coordinate system will be established for the dual interface IC card 1. First, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(b), the Z axis is defined as the normal direction to the main surface of the dual interface IC card 1. The direction from the main surface on which the external connection terminals 71 of the IC module 70 are not arranged to the main surface on which the external connection terminals 71 are arranged is defined as the +Z direction or upward in the thickness direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Z direction or downward in the thickness direction.

[0021] When the dual interface IC card 1 is viewed from the +Z direction, the line perpendicular to both short sides of the dual interface IC card 1 and the Z axis is defined as the X axis. The direction from one short side closer to the external connection terminal 71 toward the other short side is defined as the +X direction or rightward, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction or leftward. The axis perpendicular to the X and Z axes is defined as the Y axis, and the direction from one long side farther from the external connection terminal 71 toward the other long side is defined as the +Y direction or upward, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction or downward.

[0022] FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of the dual interface IC card 1 as viewed from the +Z direction, and FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view of the dual interface IC card 1 of FIG. 1(a) near the external connection terminal 71 to explain the arrangement of the antenna 80. To facilitate understanding of the configuration of the antenna 80, the IC module 70 is removed. FIG. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the dual interface IC card 1 of FIG. 1(b) taken along line AA parallel to the X axis, as viewed from the -Y direction. FIG. 2(a) is a view omitting the IC module 70, and FIG. 2(b) is a view of FIG. 2(a) with the IC module 70 installed. FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the dual interface IC card 1 of FIG. 1(b) taken along line BB parallel to the Y axis, as viewed from the -X direction. FIG. 3(a) is a view omitting the IC module 70, and FIG. 3(b) is a view of FIG. 3(a) with the IC module 70 installed.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the dual interface IC card 1 has a generally rectangular thin plate shape with rounded corners in a plan view from the +Z direction. Furthermore, an IC module 70 including an external connection terminal 71 can be seen on the surface of the dual interface IC card on the +Z direction side, slightly to the upper left of the center, i.e., closer to the -X direction and closer to the +Y direction from the center. As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and is positioned 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. This configuration of the dual interface IC card 1 complies with ISO / IEC 7816, the international IC card standard.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2(a), the card base 2 constituting the card body of the dual interface IC card 1 is formed by laminating and integrating, in order from the -Z direction side, an over-sheet layer 7, an inner layer 6, an antenna holding layer 5, an inner layer 4, and an over-sheet layer 3. Typically, the over-sheet layers 7 and 3 are transparent substrates, and the inner layers 6 and 4 and the antenna holding layer 5 are white substrates, but this is not limited thereto. In addition, an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is arranged between the antenna holding layer 5 and the inner layer 4 so as to be sandwiched between them.

[0025] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is partially exposed toward the IC module 70 in a region of the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a, which is formed relatively shallow within the recess 9, and is completely buried inside the card base 2 in the rest of the region. 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 portion of the antenna wire 83 is cut along with the recess 9 to an extent that it does not break, and the cut surface of the antenna wire 83 is exposed at the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a. The recess 9 further includes a first recess 91 formed along the outer periphery 97 side and deeper than the second recess 92a, and a third recess 93 formed closer to the center of the recess 9 than the second recess 92a and deeper than the first recess 91.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2( b), the IC module 70 is embedded such that the external connection terminals 71 and the substrate 72 supporting the external connection terminals 71 are placed on the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a of the recess 9. The substrate 72 and the antenna wire 83 exposed at the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a of the card base 2 are mechanically bonded via the conductive adhesive layer 11. The third recess 93 houses the IC chip body 74, which is a protruding portion of the IC module 70. The surface of the substrate 72 opposite the external connection terminals 71 is provided with terminals 73a electrically connected to the IC chip provided inside the IC module 70. At this time, due to the effect of heat and pressure when embedding the IC module 70 in the recess 9 of the card base 2, the antenna wire 83 exposed at the bottom surface 92p and the terminals 73a are electrically connected via the conductive adhesive layer 11.

[0027] Here, both ends of the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80, which is mostly embedded inside the card base 2 and partially exposed from the second recesses 92a and 92b, have the shape of end 84, as shown by the first end 81 and the second end 82 in FIG. 1(b). The first end 81 and the second end 82 are arranged in parallel on the left and right sides along the X-axis, sandwiching the third recess 93 at the center of the recess 9. The first end 81 and the second end 82, which are both ends of the antenna 80, are each configured by the antenna wire 83 repeatedly folding back from the outer periphery 97 of the second recesses 92a and 92b 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 known as a zigzag, meander, or 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 70 and the antenna 80 can be improved.

[0028] Furthermore, among the regions where the first end 81 and the second end 82 are disposed, the first exposed portion 86 and the second exposed portion 87, which are regions where the antenna wire 83 is exposed toward the +Z direction, are formed within the ranges of the second recesses 92a and 92b of the recess 9, respectively. Furthermore, the first recesses 91, which are separated from each other, are formed on the +Y direction side and the −Y direction side in the portion of the recess 9 excluding the third recess 93 and the second recesses 92a and 92b. Here, the second recesses 92a and 92b have approximately the same depth, and are both formed shallower than the first recess 91. For ease of understanding, in FIG. 1(b), the region of the first recess 91 is represented by a horizontal line pattern, and the regions of the second recesses 92a and 92b are represented by a dotted pattern. This also applies to FIGS. 5(a) and 6(b), which will be described later.

[0029] 3(a) and 3(b), the recess 9 of the card base 2 has two recesses of different depths, a first recess 91 and second recesses 92a and 92b, at the location where the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 is embedded. Therefore, the distance of the gap between the substrate 72 and the card base 2 varies depending on the location, and as a result, the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 sandwiched between them after bonding varies. That is, the depth of the recess 9 of the card base 2 facing the region of the substrate 72 where the terminal 73a is formed differs from the depth of the recess 9 of the card base 2 facing the region separated from the terminal 73a in the X direction. The second recess 92a faces the former region, and the first recess 91, which is deeper than the second recess 92a, faces the latter region.

[0030] Here, the terminal 73a is a layer formed of copper foil or the like of a predetermined thickness, and extends a predetermined thickness further in the same direction from the surface on the -Z direction side of the substrate 72. Therefore, the depth of the second recess 92a is determined so that when the IC module 70 is pressed against the card base 2 by applying heat and pressure, the distance between the terminal 73a via the conductive adhesive layer 11 and the antenna wire 83 exposed at the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a is within an appropriate range. In other words, good conduction between the terminal 73a and the antenna wire 83 can be obtained at that distance.

[0031] However, in the region of the substrate 72 that is spaced apart from the terminals 73a along the Y-axis direction, even if the gap between the substrate 72 and the card body 2 is the above-mentioned distance, it is not necessarily possible to achieve a good mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card body 2. In other words, the gap conditions for achieving a good electrical connection between the terminals 73a and the antenna wire 83 are generally different from the gap conditions for achieving a good mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card body 2.

[0032] In contrast, in this embodiment, in a region of the substrate 72 spaced apart from the terminal 73a along the Y-axis direction, the gap between the substrate 72 and the card base 2 improves the adhesive strength between the IC module 70 and the card base 2, and the depth of the recess 9 in the card base 2 is changed to improve the mechanical connection between them. Specifically, the recess 9 in this region is a first recess 91 that is deeper than the second recess 92a. The depth of the second recess 92a is determined in consideration of the electrical connection between the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a that extends protruding from the substrate 72 in the -Z direction.

[0033] If the depth of the recess 9 in the card base 2 were the same as the second recess 92a in the area where the terminal 73a is not present, the distance between the substrate 72 and the card base 2 would be too short, resulting in excessive compression of the conductive adhesive layer 11. As a result, the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 required for mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 would not be ensured, and the extruded adhesive component of the conductive adhesive layer 11 would protrude from the periphery of the IC module 70 to the outside of the card base 2. Furthermore, a thin conductive adhesive layer 11 is prone to cohesive failure due to external forces such as tension, and mechanical adhesion may be insufficient due to a wedge effect caused by the adhesive penetrating into minute irregularities on the surfaces of the substrate 72 and the card base 2. This can lead to a decrease in the mechanical adhesive strength of the conductive adhesive layer 11 and poor appearance due to the protruding adhesive.

[0034] The dual interface IC card 1 of this embodiment can improve the reliability of both the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2. Specifically, for the same conductive adhesive layer 11, the depth of the second recesses 92a, 92b, which improve the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80, is made different from the depth of the first recess 91, which improves the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2. In other words, the second recesses 92a, 92b are formed shallower than the first recess 91.

[0035] By configuring the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a, 92b in this manner, the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 can be achieved by the same conductive adhesive layer 11. This improves the efficiency of manufacturing the dual interface IC card 1. Furthermore, the appearance of the dual interface IC card 1 can be improved.

[0036] The configuration of the dual interface IC card 1 of this embodiment and the manufacturing method thereof will be described in detail below.

[0037] (a) Card base The card base 2 refers to the card body excluding the IC module 70 that constitutes the dual interface IC card 1. As described above, the card base 2 typically has a configuration in which an over-sheet layer 7, an inner layer 6, an antenna holding layer 5, an inner layer 4, and an over-sheet layer 3 are laminated in this order from one end of the card base 2 toward the −Z direction in the thickness direction. Between the antenna holding layer 5 and the inner layer 4, an antenna 80 wound in a loop shape and formed from a coated conductor wire or the like is disposed. 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 without the antenna 80 and the card with the antenna 80. The first end 81 and the second end 82, which are either the starting point or the ending point of the antenna 80, are formed by processing the antenna wire 83 into a predetermined shape, as described above.

[0038] However, the layer configuration of the card base 2 is not limited to this, and may be a three-layer configuration of an inner layer, an antenna holding layer, and an inner layer, a two-layer configuration of an inner layer and an inner layer, or a six-layer configuration of an over-sheet layer, an inner layer, an antenna holding layer, an antenna holding layer, an inner layer, and an over-sheet layer, etc. Furthermore, printing or an embedded magnetic stripe may be applied to the surface of the over-sheet layer 3 or 7 of the card base 2 opposite to the inner layer 4 or 6, or printing may be applied to the surface of the inner layer 4 or 6 adjacent to the over-sheet layer 3 or 7.

[0039] From the viewpoint of conforming to standards such as ISO / IEC 7810, 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.

[0040] (i) Inner layer A wide variety of white or colored plastic sheets can be used for the inner layers 4 and 6, including the following single films or composite films. The inner layer is also referred to as the core layer. Examples include 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, and polyurethane. The thickness of the inner layer sheet can be selected appropriately taking into account the overall thickness of the card, but can be, for example, approximately 0.25 mm or more and 0.38 mm or less. As described below, the antenna 80 must be positioned on the surface of either the antenna support layer 5 or the inner layer 4 so that it is sandwiched between the two layers.

[0041] (ii) Oversheet layer The over-sheet layers 3 and 7 are usually made of the same material as the inner layer, but are often made of a transparent material with a thickness of about 0.05 mm to 0.10 mm. From the viewpoint of preventing curling when the laminate of the inner layer and the over-sheet layer is integrated by heat pressing or the like, it is preferable that the over-sheet layers 3 and 7 have the same thickness, but they do not necessarily have to be the same.

[0042] The material for the over-sheet layer may be any material that is adhesive when heated, but even if the over-sheet layer itself is not adhesive when heated, the inner layer and the over-sheet layer can be integrated by adding a layer of a known adhesive that generates adhesive force when heated, etc. between them. Furthermore, when the dual interface IC card 1 is used as a magnetic card, a magnetic stripe may be embedded in advance by thermal transfer or the like in one or both of the over-sheet layers 3 and 7 on the main surface opposite the inner layers 4 and 6.

[0043] (iii) Antenna support layer In this embodiment, as will be described later, an antenna 80 is formed on one surface of the antenna holding layer 5, and a first end 81 and a second end 82, which are ends 84 of an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80, are each processed into a predetermined shape and arranged. The antenna 80 is formed on the antenna holding layer 5 by applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the antenna wire 83 to embed it in the antenna holding layer 5. The intermediate product in which the antenna 80 is embedded in the antenna holding layer 5 is sometimes referred to as an antenna sheet 12. The antenna sheet 12 can be distributed on the market by itself as a component for manufacturing a dual interface IC card 1. Furthermore, there may be a commercial form in which a sheet material such as the antenna holding layer 5 is supplied to a processor, who processes it into an antenna sheet 12 and delivers it to the supplier.

[0044] The method for forming the antenna sheet 12 will be described in detail later, but can be summarized as follows: First, a coated conductor coated with an insulating material is embedded into the surface of the antenna holding layer 5 using a wire winding former, starting from either the first end 81 or the second end 82 and ending at the other. That is, while applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the antenna holding layer 5, an antenna supply head is drawn into 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 antenna holding layer 5.

[0045] 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 aligned in the left-right direction of the intended mounting position of the IC module 70 to form a predetermined shape described below, and are arranged so that portions of them overlap the terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70. Then, the winding machine cuts the antenna wire 83 after forming either the first end 81 or the second end 82, which are the end points of the antenna 80. In this way, the antenna sheet 12 is completed.

[0046] In this embodiment, the antenna sheet 12 is formed by embedding the antenna wire 83 on one surface of the antenna holding layer 5 by applying heat and pressure, but the form of the antenna sheet 12 is not limited to this. For example, the antenna sheet 12 may be formed by embedding the antenna wire 83 on the surface of the inner layer 4 facing the antenna holding layer 5 by applying heat and pressure. In this case, the antenna sheet 12 is composed of the inner layer 4 and the antenna 80.

[0047] (iv) Antenna Terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 are electrically connected to a first end 81 and a second end 82 of the antenna 80 formed on the antenna holding layer 5, respectively, so that the IC chip of the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 form a communication circuit for contactless communication. The communication circuit may be one that performs close-proximity communication using, for example, the 13.56 MHz HF frequency band specified in ISO / IEC 144443 or the like. Alternatively, the communication circuit may be one that performs communication using other frequency bands, such as the 920 MHz UHF frequency band, the 125 kHz LF frequency band, or the 2.45 GHz microwave frequency band.

[0048] When the dual interface IC card 1 is held over an external device such as a reader / writer, a current is generated in the communication circuit due to the magnetic field generated by the reader / writer, and power is supplied to the IC chip. This enables the IC chip to be driven, enabling contactless transmission and reception of information with the reader / writer, and reading and rewriting of information from and to the memory.

[0049] The antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is typically formed of a coated conductor wire, which is a copper wire coated with an insulating material. Alternatively, copper alloy wires such as Cu-Ni, Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cu-Sn, and Cu-Be, or various metal wires and metal alloy wires such as iron, stainless steel, and aluminum can also be selected. By using coated conductor wire, the dual interface IC card 1 can be manufactured more inexpensively than, for example, copper foil etching methods.

[0050] The diameter of the antenna wire 83 is not particularly limited as long as it can ensure the characteristics as a contactless communication circuit, 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 during embedding and external forces due to cutting can be improved, and good communication characteristics can be ensured.

[0051] Next, the configurations of the first end 81 and the second end 82 will be described in detail. In FIG. 1(b), one end of the antenna wire 83 extending from the -X direction toward the +X direction subsequently forms the first end 81, which has a structure that is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 97 toward the center, near the -X direction side of the third recess 93 of the recess 9. Similarly, one end of the antenna wire 83 extending from the +X direction toward the -X direction subsequently forms the second end 82, which has a structure that is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 97 toward the center, near the +X direction side of the recess 9. The antenna wire 83 extends so that the folded structure is repeated multiple times.

[0052] The folded structure has substantially arc-shaped bent portions at the ends on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side, i.e., the upper and lower ends, 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 efficiency of the process of embedding the antenna wire 83 in the antenna holding layer 5 and the saving of material for the antenna wire 83, it is preferable to form the portion other than the bent portion as substantially straight as possible.

[0053] In this embodiment, the outer periphery 97 is a substantially rectangular shape having sides substantially parallel to the short sides and long sides of the card body 2. The first end 81 and the second end 82 are formed by a structure in which the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 repeatedly folds back from an edge 97a on the -X direction side and an edge 97b on the +X direction side of the outer periphery 97, which are sides of the recess 9 substantially parallel to the short sides of the card body 2, toward the center.

[0054] Furthermore, the portion of first end 81 other than the bent portion of the folded structure extends along a straight line parallel to the Y axis along side 97a of outer periphery 97 of recess 9, and the center-to-center distance of zigzag-shaped antenna wires 83 between adjacent portions other than the bent portions, i.e., the pitch, is substantially constant. Furthermore, the width of the entire first end 81 and first exposed portion 86 in the direction along the Y axis is W12, and the width of the exposed portion of antenna wire 83 in the direction along the X axis is substantially the same as the width of second recess 92a, so that the antenna wires are arranged along the outline of a rectangle. The distance from the end on the +Y direction side to the end on the -Y direction side of the folded structure, i.e., the length from the upper end to the lower end, is substantially the same.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first exposed portion 86 of the first end 81, which is the region where the antenna wire 83 is actually exposed from the card base 2, includes a continuous section of the antenna wire 83 extending from the −X-direction end of the second recess 92a to the +X-direction end of the second recess 92a. That is, the entire antenna wire 83, including both the bent portion of the folded structure and the remaining portion, is exposed in the second recess 92a. The conductor is not covered by the card base 2 or a covering material, and the width W11 of the second recess 92a along the Y-axis is equal to or longer than the width W12 of the first end 81 along the Y-axis. The above description of the first end also applies to the second end 82 by replacing the side 97a of the recess 9 with the side 97b, the second recess 92a with the side 92b, and the first exposed portion 86 with the second exposed portion 87, respectively.

[0056] The pitch of the antenna wire 83 described above depends on factors such as the capacity of the winding machine and the quality of the antenna sheet 12 after the antenna wire 83 is embedded in the antenna holding layer 5, but is preferably 0.50 mm or less, and more preferably 0.25 mm or less. When the pitch is in the former range, the exposed area of ​​the antenna wire 83 per unit area at the first end 81 can be increased, and the area for electrical connection with the terminal 73a of the IC module 70 can be expanded. This improves the reliability of the electrical connection and reduces the electrical resistance at the contact points between the antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a. Furthermore, when the pitch is in the latter range, the above-mentioned effects can be further enhanced.

[0057] In this embodiment, the +X direction end of the region of first end 81 along the X axis is located approximately at the boundary between second recess 92a and third recess 93, and the -X direction end is located closer to the -X direction than the end of second recess 92a, which is the outer periphery 97 of recess 9. In this way, when the +X direction end of first end 81 is located approximately at the boundary between second recess 92a and third recess 93 or located closer to the -X direction than the boundary, it is possible to not cut antenna wire 83 when cutting third recess 93, or to reduce the amount of cutting of antenna wire 83. This makes it possible to suppress branching of antenna wire 83, i.e., the occurrence of whiskers, which are more likely to occur as cutting depth increases.

[0058] Furthermore, the end on the −X direction side of the region of the first end 81 along the X direction is located closer to the −X direction than the end of the second recess 92a, which is the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9. As a result, even if the antenna 80 is misaligned with respect to the antenna holding layer 5 or the formation position of the recess 9 is misaligned, the region where the antenna wires 83 are densely packed remains uninterrupted. This ensures reliable electrical connection with the terminal 73a of the IC module 70. However, of the region of the first end 81 along the X direction before the recess 9 is formed, the end on the +X direction side may be located closer to the +X direction than the boundary between the second recess 92a and the third recess 93, or the end on the −X direction side may be located closer to the +X direction than the end of the second recess 92a, which is the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9.

[0059] The above description is about the relationship between the first end 81 of the antenna 80 and the terminal 73a of the IC module 70 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 based on the premise that the antenna 80 has two ends, the first end 81 and the second end 82, for electrically connecting with the IC module 70. However, the antenna 80 may have three or more ends 84, and the IC module 70 may have the same number of corresponding terminals.

[0060] (b) IC module Next, each of the main components of the IC module 70 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 2(b) and 4. FIG. 4(a) is a view of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 as seen from the +Z direction, similar to FIG. 1(a). FIG. 4(b) is a view of the IC module 70 as seen from the -Z direction, opposite to FIG. 4(a). Most of the molded portion 74b of the IC chip body 74 is omitted here to allow a see-through view of the interior. FIG. 4(c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion C near the terminal 73a in FIG. 2(b).

[0061] The IC module 70 is embedded in a recess 9 formed in the card base 2, and terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 are electrically connected to a first end 81 and a second end 82 of the antenna 80, respectively, thereby forming 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 70.

[0062] Substrate 72 is formed by bonding copper foil to the front and back of a flexible insulating resin film, such as glass epoxy resin or polyimide resin, with an adhesive, and leaving the copper foil on 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 to form 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 process sequentially forms substrate 72, with copper foil remaining in the predetermined pattern on the front and back of the resin film. Substrate 72 also has a plurality of bonding holes 76, which are through-holes for wire bonding to external connection terminal 71, pre-formed in the substrate.

[0063] There is no particular limit to the thickness of the substrate 72, but taking into consideration that it can follow the bending of the card base 2 to some extent, it can be, for example, 0.03 mm or more and 0.50 mm or less, and preferably 0.07 mm or more and 0.20 mm or less.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 4(a), the external connection terminal 71 has sections defined for the external terminal as defined by the ISO / IEC 7816-2 standard. As shown in Fig. 4(b), these sections are connected to the IC chip 74a by wires 75 such as gold wires through the 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.

[0065] 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 adhered and fixed to the substrate 72 with an adhesive, bonding wires 75 for connection, and a molded portion 74b made of sealing resin for protecting these. The IC chip 74a includes a CPU for controlling both contact and contactless communication operations, and storage devices such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, and flash memory. The IC chip 74a also includes various circuits, such as an interface circuit for decoding input signals and generating output signals for contact and contactless communication, and a power generation circuit. Note that these various circuits may be provided as elements separate from the IC chip 74a.

[0066] 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 insulating ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like is used for the molded portion 74b.

[0067] The thickness of the IC chip body 74 may be, for example, 0.45 mm to 0.75 mm, depending on the thickness of the IC chip 74a provided therein and the shape of the bonded wires. The total thickness of the IC module 70 may be, for example, 0.35 mm to 1.0 mm, and preferably 0.40 mm to 0.65 mm. The latter range allows the depth of the third recess 93 to be 0.7 mm or less, thereby keeping the total thickness of the dual interface IC card 1 to 0.84 mm or less, as defined by the ISO / IEC 7810 standard.

[0068] (c) Conductive adhesive layer After forming a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 in the card base 2 by cutting using an end mill or the like, the conductive adhesive layer 11 is described below, which embeds and fixes the IC module 70 in the recess 9 and electrically and mechanically connects it to the recess 9. As shown in Fig. 4(c), the conductive adhesive layer 11 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the antenna holding layer 5 in the portion where the antenna wire 83 is partially cut away and exposed on the bottom surface 92p, and the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 that is embedded and disposed above it and the terminal 73a formed on the substrate 72. The conductive adhesive layer 11 is a liquid or tape-like member.

[0069] The conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied or attached in advance to the surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 opposite the external connection terminal 71, or may be applied or attached to the bottom surface 92p of the recess 9 of the card base 2 after cutting.

[0070] A typical conductive adhesive layer 11 also serves as a mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the cut card base 2, and may be applied or attached to the entire back surface of the substrate 72 or to portions of the recess 9 that correspond to the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a, 92b. In this way, the electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 can be achieved with the same type of conductive adhesive layer 11, which contributes to simplification of the process.

[0071] On the other hand, the conductive adhesive layer 11 may be applied and stuck to the rear surface of the substrate 72 so as to cover only the areas of the terminals 73a and 73b, and another adhesive that is not conductive may be applied and stuck to the rest of the rear surface of the substrate 72. This is because the other adhesive does not need to be considered in terms of conductivity, making it easier to select an adhesive that is more advantageous for mechanical connection.

[0072] The conductive adhesive layer 11, which can be used for both electrical and mechanical connection, can be anisotropic conductive film (ACF), i.e., anisotropic conductive film, or anisotropic conductive paste (ACP). Other materials that can be used include conductive paste, which is epoxy resin with silver particles dispersed as a filler. When using ACF, the ACF can be thermally laminated over the entire back surface of the substrate 72 of the IC module 70, and the IC module 70 can then be embedded in the recess 9 of the card base 2 after being cut, followed by heat pressing at a predetermined temperature and load. This facilitates electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80. Furthermore, the mechanical connection of the IC module 70 to the card base 2 can be simultaneously achieved, simplifying the process of mounting the IC module 70 on the card base 2.

[0073] The electrical connection between the IC chip 74a and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 when an ACF is used as the conductive adhesive layer 11 can be explained as follows, based on Figure 4(c). The conductive adhesive layer 11 has a configuration in which conductive particles 11a, each consisting of spherical resin or metal spheres surrounded by a metal film, are dispersed in an adhesive 11b, which is a binder containing an insulating adhesive component. Here, thermal pressure is applied to the substrate 72 from the +Z direction to the -Z direction so that the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the antenna holding layer 5, from which a portion of the antenna wire 83 is exposed, and the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 and the terminals 73a formed on the substrate 72, is compressed.

[0074] As a result, strong thermal pressure is applied to the narrowly spaced portion of the conductive adhesive layer 11, which is sandwiched between the antenna holding layer 5 and the terminal 73a. The conductive particles 11a of the conductive adhesive layer 11 in this portion are pressed against the exposed antenna wire 83 of the antenna holding layer 5 and the terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. Furthermore, if the conductive particles 11a are small, the conductive particles 11a overlap in a daisy chain fashion from the antenna wire 83 to the terminal 73a along the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11. In other words, the exposed antenna wire 83 and the terminal 73a are electrically connected via the conductive particles 11a.

[0075] On the other hand, between the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72 in the region where the terminal 73a is not present, the conductive particles 11a are not compressed to the extent that they are pressed against 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 pattern. However, the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b generated by the thermal pressure mechanically connects the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72. One possible reason for the adhesive force of the adhesive 11b is a wedge effect that occurs when the adhesive 11b penetrates into minute irregularities on the surfaces of the antenna holding layer 5 and the substrate 72.

[0076] As described above, the IC module 70 has the opposing terminals 73a and 73b and the first end 81 and second end 82 electrically connected via, for example, an ACF. The ACF is arranged in a region along the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9 so as to overlap the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a and 92b in a plan view along the Z-axis direction.

[0077] (d) Recess The recess 9 formed in the card base 2 for embedding the IC module 70 includes a portion of the outer periphery 97 and has a first recess 91 that is separated from one another. The recess 9 also has second recesses 92a and 92b adjacent to the first recess 91 and separated from one another, and a third recess 93 adjacent to the first recess 91 and formed closer to the center than the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a and 92b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the second recesses 92a and 92b are approximately rectangular regions in a plan view along the Z axis, respectively, located on both sides of the central third recess 93 along the X axis. As described above, the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna 80 overlap the second recesses 92a and 92b, respectively, and the overlapping regions define the first exposed portion 86 and the second exposed portion 87, which are exposed portions of the antenna wire 83.

[0078] On the other hand, the first recess 91 is adjacent to each of the second recesses 92a and 92b, and is a region divided and arranged on both sides along the Y axis with the central third recess 93 sandwiched therebetween. In this embodiment, the first recess 91 does not overlap with the first end 81 and the second end 82 in a plan view along the Z axis. The second recesses 92a and 92b have approximately the same depth, but are formed shallower than the first recess 91, and the third recess 93 is formed deeper than the first recess 91.

[0079] 3(b), the depth d1 of the first recess 91 and the depth d2 of the second recesses 92a, 92b can be independently set as optimal depths for different purposes. That is, the depth d1 of the first recess 91 can be determined in consideration of achieving a good mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2. The depth d2 of the second recesses 92a, 92b can be determined independently of the depth d1 of the first recess 91 in consideration of achieving a good electrical connection between the terminals 73a, 73b of the IC module 70 and the exposed antenna wire 83.

[0080] First, the depth d1 of the first recess 91 can be determined as follows. For example, let the thickness of the substrate 72 be Tp1, the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 be Tacf1, the amount of shrinkage of the conductive adhesive layer 11 in the thickness direction when a predetermined heat and pressure is applied be Δacf1, and the amount of shrinkage of the card base 2 in the thickness direction be Δcb1. In this case, if the surface of the external connection terminal 71 of the IC module 70 is made to be substantially flush with the surface of the card base 2, the depth d1 of the first recess 91 is d1 = Tp1 + Tacf1 - Δacf1 - Δcb1. Here, the optimal d1 can be determined by determining the heat and pressure conditions, such as load, temperature, and time, that maximize the adhesive strength between the IC module 70 and the card base 2, and by determining Δacf1 and Δcb1 at that time.

[0081] Next, the depth d2 of the second recesses 92a and 92b can be considered as follows. For example, let the thickness of the terminal 73a extending from the substrate 72 in the -Z direction be Tp2, the shrinkage amount in the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11 when a predetermined thermal pressure is applied be Δacf2, and the shrinkage amount in the thickness direction of the card substrate 2 be Δcb2. The above definitions are applied to other dimensions. At this time, the depth d2 of the second recess 92a is d2 = Tp1 + Tp2 + Tacf1 - Δacf2 - Δcb2. However, Δcb1 and Δcb2 are considered to be substantially the same regardless of whether it is the first recess 91 or the second recesses 92a and 92b. Here, by obtaining the thermal pressure conditions under which the electrical connection between the terminal 73a of the IC module 70 and the exposed antenna wire 83 is the best, and Δacf2 and Δcb2 (or Δcb1) at that time, the optimal d2 can be determined.

[0082] Here, consider using the same conductive adhesive layer 11 for both the mechanical connection of the IC module 70 and the card substrate 2 and the electrical connection between the terminal 73a of the IC module 70 and the antenna wire 83. In this case, the thermal pressure conditions applied to the IC module 70 described above are the same for the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a and 92b. However, since the depths of the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a and 92b are different, the repulsive force from the conductive adhesive layer 11 becomes stronger in the shallower second recesses 92a and 92b. As a result, the pressurization conditions applied to the IC module 70 are a relatively small load in the first recess 91 and a relatively large load in the second recesses 92a and 92b. Thereby, the shrinkage amount in the thickness direction of the conductive adhesive layer 11 is such that Δacf2 becomes larger than Δacf1.

[0083] When the conductive adhesive layer 11 is an ACF and the average particle diameter of its conductive particles is dc1, generally, Tacf1 > dc1. In order to achieve an appropriate electrical connection, it is preferable that Tacf1 - Δacf2 = dc1 or Tacf1 - Δacf2 < dc1.

[0084] At this time, the conductive particles contained in the ACF filling the gap between the terminal 73a and the antenna wire 83 contact both the terminal 73a and the antenna wire 83 either in that state or compressed, ensuring a reliable electrical connection. However, if the value of Tacf1-Δacf2 is made extremely small, the conductive particles in the ACF may be destroyed, preventing a good electrical connection. To prevent such destruction of the conductive particles, it is preferable that Tacf1-Δacf2>(dc1) / 2, for example.

[0085] On the other hand, when the conductive adhesive layer 11 is an ACF, the appropriate value of Δacf1 for achieving a good mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 is estimated to be smaller than Δacf2, which is the condition for achieving the above-mentioned appropriate electrical connection. In particular, if the conductive adhesive layer 11 is expected to provide mechanical adhesion to the IC module 70 and the card base 2 due to the wedge effect of the adhesive component, the conductive adhesive layer 11 must penetrate into the minute irregularities on the surfaces of the IC module 70 and the card base 2. It is also necessary to ensure a certain degree of thickness for the conductive adhesive layer 11. For this reason, it is preferable that the depth d2 of the second recess 92a be shallower than the depth d1 of the first recess 91 by a predetermined amount.

[0086] For example, the depth of the first recess 91 is, for example, approximately 0.17 mm to 0.5 mm, and the depth of the second recesses 92a and 92b is, for example, approximately 0.12 mm to 0.4 mm. When the thickness of the terminals 73a and 73b is 0.015 mm to 0.15 mm, the difference between the depth of the second recesses 92a and 92b and the depth of the first recess 91 preferably satisfies the first condition of approximately 0.005 mm to 0.1 mm. Furthermore, the second condition more preferably satisfies the second condition of approximately 0.005 mm to 0.03 mm. Furthermore, the third condition even more preferably satisfies the third condition of approximately 0.01 mm to 0.02 mm.

[0087] The first condition allows for a wider range of selection for the conductive adhesive layer 11. The second condition keeps the difference in depth between the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a, 92b small, which prevents the adhesive component of the conductive adhesive layer 11 from flowing from the second recesses 92a, 92b to the first recess 91, and therefore good mechanical adhesion can be expected in the second recesses 92a, 92b as well. Furthermore, the third condition effectively achieves both a mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 in the first recess 91 and prevention of the adhesive component from spilling out from the periphery of the IC module 70.

[0088] 3(a) and 3(b) show the cross section after the IC module 70 is mounted in the recess 9 of the card base 2. That is, the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 in the first recess 91 is d11, and the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 in the second recess 92a is d22 in the area other than the terminal 73a and d3 in the area of ​​the terminal 73a. When the above-mentioned conditions for improving the mechanical connection and the conditions for improving the electrical connection are both satisfied, the relationship d11>d22>d3 generally holds.

[0089] The specific cutting order for forming such recesses 9 in the card base 2 can be determined arbitrarily depending on the milling program used in the cutting process. An exemplary cutting order determined from the perspective of improving processing time efficiency and ensuring cutting quality is as follows. For example, in FIG. 1(b), first, the area common to the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a, 92b along the outer periphery 97 is cut to the depth of the second recesses 92a, 92b while moving the milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise. Next, the central area of ​​these recesses is cut to the depth of the third recess 93, which is deeper than the first recess 91, while moving the milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise in the same manner.

[0090] Finally, the region common to the first recess 91 is cut while moving the milling tool to a depth deeper than the second recesses 92a and 92b and shallower than the third recess 93. Note that only the second recess 92a may be cut while moving the milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise, and then only the second recess 92b may be cut in the same manner, followed by cutting the first recess 91. Alternatively, the milling tool may be moved left and right across the second recesses 92a and 92b, and cutting may be performed continuously while shifting it sequentially from top to bottom, thereby simultaneously forming the second recesses 92a and 92b.

[0091] (e) Dual interface IC card manufacturing method Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the dual interface IC card 1 using the card base 2, IC module 70, and conductive adhesive layer 11 described above will be described.

[0092] First, necessary components for constructing the card base 2 and the dual interface IC card 1, including the antenna holding layer 5, inner layer 4, and IC module 70, are prepared. Next, a coated conductor wire coated with an insulating material is embedded as an antenna wire 83 on the surface of the antenna holding layer 5 facing the inner layer 4 using a wire winding machine, starting from either the first end 81 or the second end 82 and ending at the other. Specifically, for example, while applying a predetermined heat and pressure to the antenna holding layer 5, an antenna supply head is drawn into 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 antenna holding layer 5. The antenna holding layer 5 may also be referred to as a first substrate.

[0093] Here, the antenna wire 83 is arranged at predetermined positions on the left and right of the intended mounting position of the IC module 70 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 the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 having a repeated folded structure extending from the outer periphery 97 toward the center of the recess 9. Furthermore, the antenna 80 is formed by being embedded in the antenna holding layer 5 so that the portion of the antenna wire 83 other than the bent portion of the folded structure is aligned along a straight line parallel to the Y-axis, which is a straight line along the outer periphery 97, and so that the first end 81 and the second end 82 each follow the outline of a rectangle.

[0094] Next, using antenna holding layer 5, which is antenna sheet 12 on which antenna 80 is formed, over-sheet layer 7, inner layer 6, antenna holding layer 5, inner layer 4, and over-sheet layer 3 are stacked in this order from the bottom in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 2(a). After that, each large-sheet laminate in which cards are arranged vertically and horizontally in a multi-faceted manner 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. The inner layer 4 that faces antenna holding layer 5 and sandwiches antenna 80, and the laminate of multiple layers including the inner layer 4, may be referred to as a second substrate.

[0095] By undergoing this heat pressing process, a card base consisting of a large sheet unit in which each layer of the laminate is integrated can be obtained. Furthermore, if any of the oversheet layer, inner layer, and antenna holding layer has heat resistance such that they do not heat-seal at a predetermined temperature, the following can be done. That is, an adhesive sheet that heat-seals at a predetermined temperature can be sandwiched between each layer, or an adhesive can be applied, and then these are subjected to the heat pressing process to obtain a card base consisting of an integrated large sheet unit.

[0096] The card substrate in the form of a large sheet unit obtained as described above, where cards are arranged in a multi-sided manner vertically and horizontally, is punched out by a punching machine to form a card substrate 2 with the card size of ISO / IEC 7810. Further, a recess 9 for embedding the IC module 70 is formed in the card substrate 2 by cutting with an end mill. Thereby, the cut card substrate 2 is obtained. As described above, the recess 9 is composed of a total of three stages, namely, a first recess 91 for accommodating the flat substrate 72 of the IC module 70, second recesses 92a and 92b, and a third recess 93 for accommodating the convex IC chip body 74.

[0097] Here, the depth of the first recess 91 is determined in consideration of embedding the IC module 70 and bonding it to the card substrate 2, and the surface of the external connection terminal 71 being substantially flush with the surface of the non-cut area of the card substrate 2. Also, the depths of the second recesses 92a and 92b are associated with the embedding depths of the first end 81 and the second end 82 of the antenna 80. That is, when the second recesses 92a and 92b are 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 92p thereof.

[0098] In other words, let the depth from the surface on the side where the external connection terminal 71 of the card substrate 2 is exposed to the bottom surface 92p of the second recesses 92a and 92b be d2. Also, let 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 d201, and the distance from the surface to the lower end of the antenna wire 83 of the said one be d202. At this time, for the values of d2, d201, and d202, d201 < d2 < d202 holds. This is because if this is not satisfied, the antenna wire 83 will be disconnected or will not be exposed from the bottom surface 92p due to cutting.

[0099] Meanwhile, separate from the manufacturing of the card base 2 and the cutting process for forming the recesses 9, the conductive adhesive layer 11 is attached to the IC module 70. The IC module 70 is typically a module tape in which the IC module 70 is continuously formed on a long tape in one or two rows. A tape-shaped ACF is attached to the surface of the substrate 72 opposite the surface of the module tape 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 with a punching machine into roughly rectangular IC modules 70 with rounded corners, thereby obtaining individual IC modules 70 with the conductive adhesive layer 11 attached.

[0100] Thereafter, IC module 70 with conductive adhesive layer 11 attached is embedded in card base 2 with recess 9 formed therein, and a predetermined heat block is pressed against external connection terminal 71 to apply a predetermined heat pressure toward card base 2 for a predetermined time. This melts conductive adhesive layer 11 made of ACF, thereby establishing electrical connection between terminals 73a and 73b of IC module 70 and first end 81 and second end 82 of antenna 80, as well as mechanical connection between IC module 70 and card base 2. While the heat pressure conditions for ACF vary depending on the type and composition, one example is a time of 0.5 seconds to 10.0 seconds, a temperature of 150°C to 250°C, and a pressure of 20 MPa to 100 MPa.

[0101] (f) Dual Interface IC Card of the First Embodiment To summarize the above, the dual interface IC card 1 of the first embodiment includes a card base 2 and an antenna 80 disposed inside the card base 2 and having at least a plurality of ends 84, namely, a first end 81 and a second end 82. The dual interface IC card 1 further includes an IC module 70 having an IC chip 74a and a plurality of terminals 73a and 73b electrically connected to the IC chip 74a. The IC module 70 is disposed in a recess 9 provided in the card base 2 so that the plurality of terminals 73a and 73b facing each other and the plurality of first ends 81 and second ends 82 are electrically connected to each other.

[0102] The first end 81 and the second end 82, which are the multiple end portions 84, are configured by a structure in which the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80 is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9 toward the center, and a portion of the folded back structure is exposed in the recess 9, i.e., in the second recesses 92a and 92b. 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 terminals 73a and 73b of the IC module 70 and the antenna 80.

[0103] The recess 9 includes a first recess 91 that includes a portion of an outer periphery 97 of the recess 9 and is separated from each other, and second recesses 92a, 92b that are adjacent to the first recess 91 and are separated from each other. The recess 9 also includes a third recess 93 that is adjacent to the first recess 91 and is formed closer to the center of the recess 9 than the first recess 91 and the second recesses 92a, 92b. The first recess 91 is formed deeper than the second recesses 92a, 92b, and the third recess 93 is formed deeper than the first recess 91.

[0104] As a result, when the IC module 70 is pressed against the card base 2 by applying heat and pressure, the depth of the second recess 92a can be determined as follows. That is, the depth is determined so that the distance between the terminal 73a, which protrudes in a convex shape from the substrate 72 via the conductive adhesive layer 11, and the antenna wire 83 exposed at the bottom surface 92p of the second recess 92a is within an appropriate range for electrical connection. Furthermore, in a region of the substrate 72 spaced apart from the terminal 73a along the Y-axis, the depth of the first recess 91 can be determined independently of the depths of the second recesses 92a and 92b so that the distance between the substrate 72 and the card base 2 is within an appropriate range for mechanical connection. Preferably, the depth of the first recess 91 can be adjusted to be deeper than the depths of the second recesses 92a and 92b to ensure good mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2.

[0105] Therefore, the dual interface IC card 1 of this embodiment can improve the reliability of both the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2. Furthermore, even when the same conductive adhesive layer 11 is used, the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2 can be achieved. Furthermore, because the depth of the first recess 91 is greater than the depth of the second recesses 92a and 92b, the conductive adhesive layer 11 can be sufficiently thick, making it less likely to suffer cohesive failure due to external forces such as tension. Furthermore, the mechanical adhesive strength of the conductive adhesive layer 11 can be sufficiently ensured due to the wedge effect, etc., and the adhesive component can be prevented from spilling out, improving the appearance of the dual interface IC card 1.

[0106] 2. Second embodiment Next, a dual interface IC card according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0107] 5(a) is a diagram showing the configuration of a dual-interface IC card 1a according to a second embodiment, in the vicinity of a first end 81a and a second end 82a, which are end 84a of an antenna 80a corresponding to FIG. 1(b). FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing only the configuration of the first end 81a in FIG. 5(a). In the dual-interface IC card 1a according to this embodiment, the first end 81a and the second end 82a are configured by an antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80a, which is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9a toward the center. Furthermore, a portion of the folded back structure is exposed in the recess 9a, and the portion of the antenna 80a other than the bent portion of the folded back structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along the outer periphery 97.

[0108] The first end 81a and the second end 82a, which are the end 84a, have first exposed portions 86a and second exposed portions 87a that overlap the second recesses 95a and 95b in a plan view along the Z axis. The first end 81a and the second end 82a, which are the end 84a, have portions other than the bent portions at the top and bottom of the folded structure that are inclined obliquely with respect to lines m1 and m2 that are parallel to sides 97a and 97b along the outer periphery 97 of the first recess 91 and the second recesses 95a and 95b, respectively. The lines m1 and m2 are parallel to the Y axis. Furthermore, the first end 81a and the second end 82a are formed to conform to the outline of a rectangle whose width along the X axis is W31 and whose width along the Y axis is W22.

[0109] Here, when recess 9a, whose outer periphery is substantially rectangular and substantially the same as that of IC module 70, is formed by cutting, the method of forming second recesses 95a and 95b while exposing antenna wire 83 is the same as that described in the first embodiment. That is, in FIG. 5(a), first, the region common to first recess 91 and second recesses 95a, 95b along outer periphery 97 is cut by moving a milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise to the depth of second recesses 95a, 95b. Next, the central region of these recesses is cut by moving a milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise to the depth of third recess 93, which is deeper than first recess 91.

[0110] Finally, the region common to the first recess 91 is cut while moving the milling tool to a depth deeper than the second recesses 95a and 95b and shallower than the third recess 93. Note that only the second recess 95a may be cut while moving the milling tool counterclockwise or clockwise, and then only the second recess 95b may be cut in the same manner, followed by cutting the first recess 91. Alternatively, the milling tool may be moved left and right across the second recesses 95a and 95b, and cutting may be performed continuously while shifting it sequentially from top to bottom, thereby simultaneously forming the second recesses 95a and 95b.

[0111] Here, when cutting the second recess 95a or 95b, the milling tool moves along both the X-axis and the Y-axis. If the wiring direction of the antenna wire 83 and the moving direction of the milling tool are substantially parallel, cutting the antenna wire 83 midway may cause parts of the antenna wire 83 to branch off and unintentionally branch, which may result in the formation of whiskers. However, in this embodiment, the portions of the folded-back structures of the first end 81a and the second end 82a other than the bent portions at the upper and lower ends are inclined, thereby preventing the above-described problem.

[0112] At the first end 81a, the portion other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined clockwise by a predetermined angle θ with respect to the Y axis, which is a straight line along the side 97a of the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9a. Here, the inclination angle θ is preferably 2 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, and more preferably 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less. Furthermore, the inclination angle θ does not need to be strictly the same for all portions other than the bent portion of the folded structure, and may vary within the above-mentioned range. When the inclination angle θ is in the former range, the antenna wire 83 is inclined with respect to the direction along the X axis or Y axis, which is the movement direction of the end mill when cutting the recess 9a, thereby preventing the antenna wire 83 from unintentionally branching.

[0113] On the other hand, by setting the inclination angle θ in the latter range, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of whiskers, which are branches of the antenna wire 83. Furthermore, even if the end on the +X direction side of the first end portion 81a before processing the recess 9a is located on the +X direction side of the boundary between the second recess 95a and the third recess 93, it is possible to further reduce the region of disconnection of the antenna wire 83 due to cutting of the antenna wire 83 when cutting the third recess 93. This further improves the reliability of the electrical connection between the antenna 80a and the terminal 73a of the IC module 70.

[0114] In this embodiment, in the region of first end 81a along the X-axis direction, the end on the +X direction side is substantially coincident with the boundary between second recess 95a and third recess 93, and the end on the −X direction side is located closer to the −X direction than the end of second recess 95a, which is the outer periphery 97 of recess 9a. In this way, when the end on the +X direction side of first end 81a is substantially coincident with the boundary between second recess 95a and third recess 93 or is located closer to the −X direction than this, it is possible to not cut antenna wire 83 when cutting third recess 93, or to reduce the amount of cutting of antenna wire 83. This makes it possible to suppress branching of antenna wire 83, i.e., the occurrence of whiskers, which are more likely to occur as the cutting depth increases.

[0115] Furthermore, if the end on the +X direction side of first end 81a before cutting is located closer to the +X direction than the boundary between second recess 95a and third recess 93, antenna wire 83 will be cut when third recess 93 is cut, and will break midway. However, if the inclination angle θ is within the above-mentioned range, the broken region of antenna wire 83 can be reduced, and a reliable electrical connection can be achieved between antenna 80a and terminal 73a of IC module 70.

[0116] Furthermore, if the end on the +X direction side of first end 81a before machining recess 9a is located on the +X direction side of the boundary between second recess 95a and third recess 93, it is preferable to arrange antenna wire 83 so that this region includes the bent portion with a folded structure and does not include any portion other than this bent portion. By doing so, when cutting third recess 93, it is less likely that antenna wire 83 will branch from the bent portion that is at a large angle from the direction along the Y axis, which is the movement direction of the end mill, and this ultimately contributes to improved quality.

[0117] Note that the portion of the second end 82a other than the bent portion of the folded structure is inclined counterclockwise, opposite to the first end 81a, by a predetermined angle θ with respect to the Y axis, which is a straight line along the side 97b of the outer periphery 97 of the recess 9a. Here, the range of the inclination angle θ is the same as that of the first end 81a, except that the direction is reversed. The inclination of the portion of the first end 81a other than the bent portion with respect to the straight line along the outer periphery 97 and the inclination of the portion of the second end 82a other than the bent portion with respect to the straight line along the Y axis are formed line-symmetrically with each other about the straight line along the Y axis. In other words, the first end 81a and the second end 82a, including the inclination of the portion of the antenna wire 83 other than the bent portion, are disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis along the Y axis.

[0118] As a result, when the antenna wire 83 is embedded in the antenna holding layer 5 to form the antenna sheet 12, the distortion and internal stress of the antenna holding layer 5 are offset and dispersed, making it possible to obtain a uniform antenna sheet 12 with less distortion and internal stress.

[0119] Furthermore, when embedding the IC module 70 in the recess 9a, the heat pressure conditions applied between the first end 81a and the terminal 73a and the heat pressure conditions applied between the second end 82a and the terminal 73b are symmetrical in the left-right direction, which prevents imbalance in the heat pressure conditions and stabilizes the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2.

[0120] However, the inclination of the portion of the first end 81a other than the bent portion relative to the line along the outer periphery 97 and the inclination of the portion of the second end 82a other than the bent portion relative to the line along the outer periphery 97 may be the same, rather than being line-symmetrical. That is, the configuration of the antenna wire 83 at the second end 82a may be substantially the same as the configuration of the antenna wire 83 at the first end 81a, but shifted in parallel in the +X direction. In this case, the effects and advantages of the configuration of the first end 81a described above also apply to the second end 82a.

[0121] 3. Third embodiment Next, a dual interface IC card according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0122] FIG. 6(a) is a plan view of the dual interface IC card 1b as viewed from the +Z direction, corresponding to FIG. 1(a). FIG. 6(b) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1(b) illustrating the arrangement of the antenna 80b with an enlarged view of the vicinity of the external connection terminal 71. FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of the dual interface IC card 1b of FIG. 6(b) taken along line DD parallel to the X axis, viewed from the -Y direction, corresponding to FIG. 2(a). FIG. 7(a) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2(a) with the IC module 70 omitted, and FIG. 7(b) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2(b) with the IC module 70 mounted in FIG. 7(a). FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dual interface IC card 1b of FIG. 6(b) taken along line EE parallel to the Y axis, viewed from the -X direction, corresponding to FIG. 3(a).

[0123] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the dual interface IC card 1b differs from the above-described embodiment in that both ends of the antenna wire 83 of the antenna 80b are not configured with a repeated folding structure from the outer periphery 97 of the second recesses 96a and 96b toward the center of the recess 9b. That is, in this embodiment, the first end and second end constituting the end 100 formed at both ends of the antenna wire 83 correspond to the first plate 110 and the second plate 120, which are end portions made of a plate-shaped conductive material. In other words, the antenna wire 83 constituting the antenna 80b is wound around the periphery of the approximately rectangular card, and both ends are electrically connected to the pair of conductive plate-shaped end portions 100, the first plate 110 and the second plate 120.

[0124] The layer structure of the card base 2b of the dual interface IC card 1b is basically the same as that of the dual interface IC card 1 of the first embodiment. However, the only difference is that instead of providing an antenna 80b including an antenna wire 83 and both ends thereof, a first end 81 and a second end 82, on one surface of the antenna holding layer 5, a first plate 110 and a second plate 120 welded to the antenna wire 83 and both ends thereof are provided. Therefore, a detailed description of the card base 2b will be omitted.

[0125] 7(a), the first plate 110 has a configuration in which a first member 111 and a second member 112 are stacked, and the surface of the second member 112 is exposed at the bottom surface 96p of the second recess 96a. However, this is just one example, and the first plate 110 and the second plate 120 may both be made of a single member, or may both have a stacked configuration of three or more layers of different members.

[0126] In this embodiment, the first member 111 and the second member 112 are made of conductive materials made of different metals, and the second member 112 is made of a conductive material made of a metal that is less susceptible to oxidation than the first member 111. As an example, the first member 111 can be made of copper and the second member 112 can be made of silver-plated, but this is not limiting. The second plate 120 can also have the same configuration.

[0127] As described above, terminals 73a and 73b, which are electrically connected to the IC chip contained therein, are provided on the surface of the IC module 70 facing the card base 2b. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the terminals 73a are electrically connected to the first plate 110 via the conductive adhesive layer 11, and the IC module 70 is also mechanically joined to the card base 2b via the conductive adhesive layer 11. The first plate 110 and the second plate 120 are disposed on the card base 2b such that the second member 112 faces the opening side of the recess 9b and the first member 111 faces the side opposite the opening side of the recess 9b. The opening side of the recess 9b is the +Z direction side in FIG. 7(b).

[0128] The tip of the antenna wire 83 abuts on the +Z direction side of the first plate 110, i.e., the second member 112, thereby achieving electrical connection with the first plate 110. Furthermore, the terminal 73a of the IC module 70 also abuts on the second member 112 of the first plate 110 via the conductive adhesive layer 11, thereby achieving electrical connection with the first plate 110. As a result, the first plate 110 only needs to have the necessary conductivity on the surface facing the second member 112, and the range of materials that can be selected for the first plate 110 can be expanded to include insulating materials.

[0129] Furthermore, the first plate 110 has a laminated structure of the first member 111, which is a conductive member, and the second member 112, which is a conductive member that is less susceptible to oxidation than the first member 111, and this can be expected to have the following effects: The tip of the antenna wire 83 and the terminals 73a and 73b can all face the second member 112 and be electrically connected to the first plate 110, improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the tip of the antenna wire 83 and the terminals 73a and 73b and the first plate 110. The second member 112 is relatively resistant to oxidation, so that an oxide film is less likely to form on its surface. This means that welding of the antenna wire 83 to the first plate 110 and bonding with the metal particles contained in an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) when used as the conductive adhesive layer 11 are likely to be favorable.

[0130] Furthermore, an oxide film is unlikely to form on the surface of the second member 112. Therefore, when forming the recess 9b by cutting using an end mill or the like, it becomes difficult to obtain adhesive strength due to hydrogen bonding or the like with the resin substrate of the inner layer 4 or the like laminated on the surface of the second member 112, which tends to reduce adhesion between the second member 112 and the resin substrate. Therefore, even if the cutting depth of the end mill blade is set slightly shallower, the resin substrate is likely to peel off at the interface of the second member 112, and the surface of the second member 112 can be satisfactorily exposed in the recess 9b. This allows for a wider range of blade depth settings in cutting, improving yield and productivity. The same applies to the second plate 120.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 8 , the recess 9b of the card base 2b, where the substrate 72 of the IC module 70 is embedded, has two recesses of different depths: a first recess 91 and a second recess 96a, as in the first embodiment. Although not shown, the depth and shape of the second recess 96b are similar to those of the second recess 96a. Therefore, the gap between the substrate 72 and the card base 2b varies depending on the location, resulting in a difference in the thickness of the conductive adhesive layer 11 sandwiched between them after bonding. That is, the depth of the recess 9b of the card base 2b differs between the region of the substrate 72 where the terminal 73a is formed and the region spaced from the terminal 73a in the X direction. The second recess 96a faces the former region, and the first recess 91, which is deeper than the second recess 96a, faces the latter region.

[0132] That is, in this embodiment, in a region of the substrate 72 spaced from the terminals 73a along the Y-axis direction, the depth of the recess 9b of the card base 2b is changed so that the gap between the substrate 72 and the card base 2b improves the adhesive strength between the IC module 70 and the card base 2b and improves the mechanical connection between them. Specifically, the recess 9b in this region is a first recess 91 that is deeper than the second recess 96a. The depth of the second recess 96a is determined in consideration of the electrical connection between the terminals 73a extending from the substrate 72 in the -Z direction and the first plate 110. The same applies to the second recess 96b and the second plate 120.

[0133] Therefore, the dual interface IC card 1b of this embodiment can improve the reliability of both the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80b and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2b. Specifically, for the same conductive adhesive layer 11, the depths of the second recesses 96a, 96b, which improve the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80b, are different from the depth of the first recess 91, which improves the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2b. In other words, the second recesses 96a, 96b are formed shallower than the first recess 91.

[0134] By configuring the first recess 91 and the second recesses 96a, 96b in this manner, the electrical connection between the IC module 70 and the antenna 80 and the mechanical connection between the IC module 70 and the card base 2b can be achieved by the same conductive adhesive layer 11. This improves the efficiency of manufacturing the dual interface IC card 1b. Furthermore, the other effects described in the first embodiment can also be obtained in this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1, 1a, 1b dual interface IC card 2, 2b Card base 3, 7 Oversheet layer 4, 6 Inner layer 5 Antenna support layer 8, 8a Antenna 9, 9a, 9b recesses 11 Conductive adhesive layer 11a Conductive particles 11b Adhesive 12 Antenna sheet 70 IC modules 71 External connection terminal 72 PCB 73a, 73b terminal 74 IC chip body 74a IC chip 74b molded part 74p Pad 75 wire 76 Bonding Hole 80, 80a, 80b antennas 81, 81a First end 82, 82a 2nd end 83 Antenna Wire 84 End 86, 86a, 86b 1st exposed part 87, 87a, 87b 2nd exposed part 91 First recess 92a, 92b, 95a, 95b, 96a, 96b Second recess 92p, 96p bottom 93 Third recess 97 Outer circumference Around 97a and 97b 100 End 110 First Plate 111 First member 112 Second member 120 Second Plate

Claims

1. A dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, a card base having a recess; an antenna having an end portion disposed within the card base; an IC module having terminals electrically connected to the IC chip; The recess includes a first recess that includes a portion of the outer periphery of the recess and is separated from the first recess; a second recess adjacent to the first recess and separated from the first recess; a third recess formed adjacent to the first recess and closer to the center of the recess than the first recess and the second recess, In the second recess facing the IC module, the end is exposed from the card base toward the IC module, the IC module is placed in the recess so that the terminals and the end portions are electrically connected; A dual interface IC card, wherein the first recess is formed deeper than the second recess, and the third recess is formed deeper than the first recess.

2. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein the end portion is configured by a structure in which an antenna wire constituting the antenna is repeatedly folded back from the outer periphery of the recess toward the center.

3. 3. A dual interface IC 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 end portion is formed 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.

4. 4. The dual interface IC card according to claim 3, wherein a portion of said antenna other than the bent portion of said folded structure is inclined with respect to a straight line along said outer periphery.

5. 2. The dual interface IC card according to claim 1, wherein said end portion is formed of a plate-shaped conductive member welded to the tip of an antenna wire constituting said antenna.

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

7. 7. The dual interface IC card according to claim 6, wherein the anisotropic conductive film is disposed so as to overlap the first recess and the second recess.

8. A method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card capable of contact communication and contactless communication with an external device, comprising: providing an IC module having a first substrate, a second substrate, and terminals electrically connected to an IC chip; forming an antenna having an end on one surface of the first substrate; a step of laminating the first base material and the second base material by thermal fusion or via an adhesive so as to sandwich the antenna therebetween to form a laminate; a step of punching the laminate into a card size to form a card base; forming a recess in the card base; and placing the IC module in the recess so that the terminals and the end portions are electrically connected to each other, The recess includes a first recess that includes a portion of the outer periphery of the recess and is separated from the first recess; a second recess adjacent to the first recess and separated from the first recess; a third recess formed adjacent to the first recess and closer to the center of the recess than the first recess and the second recess, In the second recess facing the IC module, the end is exposed from the card base toward the IC module, A method for manufacturing a dual interface IC card, wherein the first recess is formed deeper than the second recess, and the third recess is formed deeper than the first recess.

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