Card-type media, electronic components for card-type media, and metal card substrates for card-type media.

Abstract

This card medium comprises a card body that is formed by including a metal material and has an opening formed in the surface, an electronic component that is accommodated in the opening while being spaced from the inner peripheral surface of the opening and that has a conductor exposed portion where an electrically conductive conductor is exposed on a part of the outer peripheral surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the opening while being spaced therefrom, a circuit board embedded in the card body and joined to the electronic component, and an electrically insulating portion provided between the electronic component and the inner peripheral surface of the opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card-type medium, an electronic component for a card-type medium, and a metal card substrate for a card-type medium. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2020-200566, 2020-200567, and 2020-200568 filed in Japan on December 2, 2020, and incorporates the contents thereof herein.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, many types of card-type media such as credit cards, cash cards, prepaid cards, membership cards, gift cards, and membership certificates have been used. Furthermore, in recent years, card-type media (hereinafter simply referred to as "IC cards") that realize various functions by embedding an IC (Integrated Circuit) module having a communication function or the like in a card-type medium have also become widespread. In such an IC card with a communication function, for example, non-contact communication is also performed with a reader / writer using a communication technology of an electromagnetic induction method such as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentifier).

[0003] In an IC card, a circuit board and elements such as an IC module and an antenna mounted on the circuit board are embedded in a card body. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration including a secure element and a fingerprint processing unit connected to a flexible circuit board, and an electronic component (contact pad) electrically connected to the secure element. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the electronic component is arranged so as to be exposed on the surface (front surface) of the card body. The contact pad is housed inside an opening formed on the surface of the card body.

[0004] By the way, in order to give a high-class feeling to a credit card, a card body using metal is provided. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration using a metal sheet for a card body or a back panel.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japan Special Publication No. 2019-511058 [Patent Document 2] Japan Special Publication No. 2011-521377 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, exposed electronic components such as contact pads may have wiring patterns, electrodes, contact terminals, etc. These wiring patterns, electrodes, and contact terminals are formed by plating with a conductive metal. When performing the plating process, a conductive pattern is first formed on the substrate of the exposed component by etching. Then, a plating layer is formed on the portion where the conductive pattern has been formed by the plating process. During the plating process, electrodes for conducting current through the conductive pattern are connected to the conductive pattern outside the formation area of ​​the exposed component to be formed. Therefore, a portion of the conductive pattern extends outside the formation area of ​​the exposed component on the substrate, forming a wiring portion that is electrically coupled to the electrodes. After the plating process, the exposed component is obtained from the substrate by cutting it by press processing, laser processing, etc., according to the formation area of ​​the exposed component. As a result, the cut surface of the conductor that forms the wiring portion for plating is exposed on the outer periphery of the obtained electronic component.

[0007] The gap between exposed electronic components, such as contact pads, on the surface of the card body and the opening formed in the card body should ideally be as small as possible for aesthetic reasons. However, if metal is used for the card body, reducing the gap to the opening may cause conductors exposed on the outer surface of the electronic components to come into contact with the inner surface of the opening formed in the metal card body, potentially leading to an electrical short circuit.

[0008] Based on the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component disposed inside an opening formed in the card body, and an electronic component for the card-type medium.

[0009] Based on the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a card-type medium that can achieve both aesthetic design and stable operation of exposed components in a card body formed with a metal material.

[0010] Based on the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a card-type medium and a metal card base material for a card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component disposed inside an opening formed in the card body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A card-type medium according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a card body formed from a metal material and having an opening formed on its surface; an electronic component housed inside the opening at a distance from the inner circumferential surface of the opening, and having a conductive conductor exposed on a part of its outer circumferential surface that is at a distance from the inner circumferential surface of the opening; a circuit board embedded in the card body to which the electronic component is joined; and an electrical insulating portion provided between the electronic component and the inner circumferential surface of the opening.

[0012] An electronic component for a card-type medium according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: an electronic component body housed inside an opening of a card body made of metal; a conductor exposure portion formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the electronic component body, in which a conductive conductor is exposed; and an outer peripheral recess formed on the portion of the outer peripheral surface including the conductor exposure portion, which is recessed inward of the electronic component body.

[0013] A metal card substrate for a card-type medium according to an aspect of the present invention is a card substrate for a card-type medium that forms at least a part of the card body of a card-type medium equipped with electronic components, wherein the card substrate is formed comprising a metal material, and the card substrate has openings formed therein in which the electronic components can be arranged at intervals, and an inner circumferential recess is formed in the inner circumferential surface of the opening, in a position that includes a portion opposite to the position where a conductor exposed portion of the electronic component is arranged so as to be exposed in the interval of the opening, and the recess is in a direction that is moved away from the center of the opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a card-type medium and an electronic component for a card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component disposed inside an opening formed in the card body.

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a card-type medium that can achieve both aesthetic design and stable operation of exposed components in a card body formed with a metal material.

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a card-type medium and a metal card base material for a card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component placed inside an opening formed in the card body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is an external view of an IC card according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front side. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the electronic components housed in the opening of the card body. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the wiring section formed for plating during the formation of electronic components. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of an IC card. [Figure 6] This is a diagram showing an example of a mold for forming electronic components. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing a modification example of another method for forming an outer peripheral recess. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing an electronic component of the first modification example of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing a card body of the second modification example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an external view of an IC card according to the second embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] This is a plan view showing an electronic component housed in an opening of a card body. [Figure 13] This is a plan view showing a wiring portion formed for performing plating treatment when forming an electronic component. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an IC card. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view showing an IC card according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a schematic view of the inner peripheral recess of FIG. 15 as seen from the inside of the opening. [Figure 17] In the third embodiment, this is a plan view showing an opening of a card body in which an electronic component is housed. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view showing an electronic component of a modification example of the third embodiment. <老实说,我不太理解你提供的文本内容,特别是其中一些标签和特定的表述。如果你能提供更多关于这些文本的背景信息或解释,我会尽力为你提供更准确的翻译。 [Figure 19] In another modification example of the third embodiment, this is a cross-sectional view showing a card body in which an insulating film is formed as an electrical insulating portion.. [Figure 20] This is an external view of an IC card according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side. [Figure 21] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 20. [Figure 22] This is a plan view showing an exposed component housed in an opening of a card body. [Figure 23] This is a plan view showing a wiring portion formed for performing plating treatment when forming an exposed component. [Figure 24] This flowchart shows the manufacturing process for IC cards. [Figure 25] This is a cross-sectional view showing an IC card according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] This is a cross-sectional view showing an IC card according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] (First embodiment of a card-type medium) The IC card according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is an external view of the IC card according to this embodiment, as seen from the front side. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the IC card (card-type medium) 1D mainly comprises a card body 10, electronic components 20D, and a circuit board 40. The IC card 1D is a dual-interface IC card equipped with a contact terminal section 21 and an antenna 42. The contact terminal section 21 is a contact-type interface. The antenna 42 is a contactless-type interface. The IC card 1D has a biometric authentication function using a fingerprint sensor 22. The fingerprint sensor 22 is an example of an electronic component 20D for a card-type medium.

[0019] The card body 10 is made of a conductive metallic material, such as stainless steel or titanium alloy. The card body 10 is formed in a rectangular plate shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt (see Figure 2), which is perpendicular to the surface 10f. The card thickness direction Dt is the direction connecting the surface 10f and the back surface 10g of the card body 10. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the rectangular card body 10 in the plane along the surface 10f of the card body 10, which is perpendicular to the card thickness direction Dt, is referred to as the first direction D1, and the transverse direction of the card body 10 is referred to as the second direction D2. The thickness of the card body 10 in the card thickness direction Dt is, for example, about 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. For example, if IC card 1D is a credit card, the thickness of the card body 10 is 0.76 mm.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, the card body 10 is constructed by stacking multiple sheet-like card base materials 101 and 102 in the card thickness direction Dt.

[0021] The first card substrate 101 is positioned on the surface 10f side of the card body 10. The first card substrate 101 is made of a conductive metallic material such as stainless steel or titanium alloy. An opening 105 is formed in the first card substrate 101. The opening 105 houses the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, which will be described later. The opening 105 is formed by penetrating the first card substrate 101 in the card thickness direction Dt. The opening 105 is formed, for example, by laser processing or cutting. The thickness of the first card substrate 101 in the card thickness direction Dt is, for example, 100 μm to 500 μm (micrometers).

[0022] The second card base material 102 is positioned on the back side (10g) of the card body 10. The second card base material 102 is formed using, for example, a polyester-based material such as amorphous polyester, a vinyl chloride-based material such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a polycarbonate-based material, or an insulating plastic base material such as PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer). The second card base material 102 may also be formed from a conductive metallic material such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, similar to the first card base material 101.

[0023] The electronic component 20D is positioned so that a portion of it is exposed on the surface 10f of the card body 10. The IC card 1D includes, for example, a contact terminal portion 21 and a fingerprint sensor 22 as electronic components 20D. The contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 are each housed in an opening 105 formed in the card body 10. The electronic component 20D includes an electronic component body 205, a conductor exposure portion 201, and an outer peripheral recess 53.

[0024] The electronic component body 205 of the contact terminal portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The electronic component body 205 comprises a base material 23 and a terminal body 24. The base material 23 is formed from, for example, mainly glass epoxy or polyimide (PI). The base material 23 has internal wiring (not shown), such as bonding wires. The internal wiring electrically connects the terminal body 24 to the wiring pattern 41 of the circuit board 40, which will be described later. A plating layer M (plated portion) may be formed on the circuit board 40 side of the base material 23 in the card thickness direction Dt. The plating layer M forms connection pads, etc., for electrically connecting to the wiring pattern 41. The base material 23 is joined to the circuit board 40 by, for example, a conductive bonding material (not shown), such as solder or silver paste. The terminal body 24 is formed on the surface of the base material 23. The terminal body 24 is configured to be electrically connected when it comes into contact with an external contact terminal provided on, for example, an external contact device such as an automated teller machine. The terminal body 24 consists of a plating layer M formed on the substrate 23. The terminal body 24 is made of a conductive metallic material such as nickel, palladium, or gold.

[0025] The electronic component body 205 of the fingerprint sensor 22 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The electronic component body 205 comprises an electrode portion 25 and a base material 26. The base material 26 is bonded to the circuit board 40 by a conductive bonding material (not shown), such as solder or silver paste. The electrode portion 25 is formed on the surface of the base material 26. The electrode portion 25 has a configuration in which a protective film is provided to cover a number of electrodes. When a user's finger is pressed against the electrode portion 25, the electrode portion 25 detects the user's fingerprint pattern with a number of electrodes. A portion of the electrodes of the electrode portion 25 is covered by a plating layer M (plated portion) formed on the base material 26. The electrodes of the electrode portion 25 are formed of a conductive metal material such as nickel, palladium, or gold. A plating layer M may be formed on the circuit board 40 side of the base material 26 in the card thickness direction Dt. The plating layer M forms connection pads, etc., for electrically coupling to the wiring pattern 41.

[0026] The outer peripheral recess 53 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. The outer peripheral recess 53 is recessed in a direction away from the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening. The outer peripheral recess 53 is recessed toward the inside of the electronic component body 205. The outer peripheral recess 53 is formed in a semicircular shape when viewed, for example, from the card thickness direction Dt. The outer peripheral recess 53 is formed on the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component body 205 in the portion including the conductor exposed portion 201, which will be described later. In other words, the outer peripheral recess 53 is formed only on a part of the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20D.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, an IC chip 30 is embedded inside the card body 10. The IC chip 30 is electrically coupled to the contact terminals 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the antenna 42 via a wiring pattern 41 formed on the circuit board 40. The IC chip 30 is a so-called secure IC microcontroller and has functions for communication with the outside world via the contact terminals 21 and the antenna 42, and a fingerprint authentication function using the fingerprint sensor 22. The IC chip 30 can be a known configuration having contact-type communication functions and contactless communication functions. The IC chip 30 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt.

[0028] The circuit board 40 is embedded within the card body 10 by being sandwiched between the first card substrate 101 and the second card substrate 102. The circuit board 40 is positioned inward from the outer edge of the card body 10 when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The external shape of the circuit board 40, when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, is rectangular. The thickness of the circuit board 40 in the card thickness direction Dt is, for example, 15 μm to 50 μm.

[0029] The circuit board 40 is a flexible circuit board. The circuit board 40 has a base substrate made of an insulating material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polyimide (PI), or glass epoxy.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the circuit board 40 is positioned on the back side 10g of the card body 10 in the card thickness direction Dt, relative to the contact terminals 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30. The contact terminals 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30 are mounted on the substrate surface 40f (mounting surface) facing the front side 10f of the card body 10.

[0031] The wiring pattern 41 is formed on the surface of the circuit board 40 by etching or the like. The wiring pattern 41 is made of a conductive thin film such as aluminum or copper. The wiring pattern 41 electrically couples (connects) the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the antenna 42 (described later) with the IC chip 30.

[0032] The antenna 42 is provided on the circuit board 40. The antenna 42 is formed in a rectangular shape along the periphery of the circuit board 40 when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The antenna 42 is formed with one or more turns along the periphery of the circuit board 40. The antenna 42 is formed, for example, to constitute a part of the wiring pattern 41 formed on the circuit board 40. The antenna 42 and the circuit board 40 may be separate entities. If the antenna 42 is separate from the circuit board 40, the antenna 42 can be formed, for example, by arranging a metal plate, metal foil, or metal wires formed into a predetermined antenna shape. In this case, the antenna 42 and the wiring pattern 41 of the circuit board 40 are joined by soldering, welding, pressure bonding, or the like.

[0033] Figure 3 is a plan view showing the electronic components housed in the opening of the card body 10. Since the arrangement of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 within the opening 105 is the same, Figure 3 shows both the case where the electronic components are the contact terminal portion 21 and the case where the fingerprint sensor 22 is present in a single figure. The electronic components 20D, namely the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, are each positioned with a gap C between them and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105. As shown in Figure 3, the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 each have outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f, respectively. The outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f are each positioned opposite the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105 with a gap C between them. The outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f are positioned opposite the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening with a gap C between them in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, respectively. Conductor exposure portions 201 are formed on a part of the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and a part of the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22, respectively. The opening 105 is an opening of a size that allows the electronic components to be positioned with gaps between them.

[0034] The exposed conductor portion 201 in the contact terminal portion 21 is made of a conductive conductor. The exposed conductor portion 201 is formed when the terminal body 24, which is made of a plating layer M, is formed by a plating process.

[0035] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the conductive pattern formed on the substrate 200 of the electrode portion 25. The conductive pattern is formed for plating treatment when forming the exposed component. When performing a plating process to form the terminal body 24 or electrode portion 25, a conductor pattern 202 is first formed on the base material 200 of the terminal body 24 or electrode portion 25 by etching. Then, electrodes are connected to the conductor pattern 202, and the base material 200 is immersed in a plating solution while current is flowing, thereby forming a plating layer M in the area where the conductor pattern 202 is formed. At this time, the electrodes are connected to the conductor pattern 202 outside the formation range 24p of the terminal body 24 or the formation range 25p of the electrode portion 25 to be formed on the base material 200. Therefore, a part of the conductor pattern 202 extends outside the formation range 24p of the terminal body 24 or the formation range 25p of the electrode portion 25 on the base material 200. After forming the plating layer M on the base material 200, the base material 200 is cut by press processing, laser processing, etc., according to the formation range 24p of the terminal body 24 or the formation range 25p of the electrode portion 25. This yields the terminal body 24 and electrode portion 25 as electronic components 20D. In this way, a portion of the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 have a cross-section of the conductor pattern 202, i.e., a conductor exposure portion 201 where the conductor is exposed.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the IC card 1D has an electrical insulating portion 50D between the electronic component 20D, which is either a contact terminal portion 21 or a fingerprint sensor 22, and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral recess 53 constitutes the electrical insulating portion. That is, the outer peripheral recess 53 is formed as a recess so as to be sufficiently spaced away from the first card substrate 101, thereby insulating the conductor exposed portion 201 from the first card substrate 101.

[0037] The outer peripheral recess 53 may also be further provided with an insulating coating or oxide film made of an electrically insulating coating material or the like.

[0038] In this embodiment, the distance C between the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 is set to, for example, approximately 0.1 mm. In this case, the distance X between the portion of the outer peripheral recess 53 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 may be set to, for example, approximately 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, the electronic component 20D is provided with an outer peripheral insulating portion 207. The outer peripheral insulating portion 207 is formed on the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component body 205, in areas other than the outer peripheral recess 53. The outer peripheral insulating portion 207 is formed on the outer periphery of the electronic component body 205 so as to surround the plating layer M, excluding the conductor exposed portion 201. The outer peripheral insulating portion 207 is made of an insulating material having electrical insulating properties. The outer peripheral insulating portion 207 is the portion remaining when the base material 200 of the terminal body 24 and electrode portion 25 is cut to match the formation ranges 24p and 25p. In order to prevent the plating layer M forming the terminal body 24 and electrode portion 25 from being exposed on the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f, the predetermined dimensions of the formation ranges 24p and 25p of the outer peripheral insulating portion 207 are formed larger than the terminal body 24 and electrode portion 25 to be formed, taking into account processing tolerances, etc.

[0040] Next, we will explain the manufacturing method for the IC card 1D described above. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an IC card. As shown in Figure 5, the manufacturing method S30 for IC card 1D includes a step S31 for forming an electrical insulation portion 50D and a step S32 for forming IC card 1D.

[0041] In step S31, which forms the electrical insulation portion 50D, an outer peripheral recess 53 is formed on the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21, which is an electronic component 20D, or on the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. As shown in Figure 4, after forming a plating layer M on the conductor pattern 202 formed on the substrate 200 by plating, the substrate 200 is cut by press processing, laser processing, etc., to match the formation range 24p of the terminal body 24 or the formation range 25p of the electrode portion 25, which includes the outer peripheral recess 53. The electronic components 20D formed in this way, namely the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, are mounted on the circuit board 40.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of a mold used in the process of forming an electrical insulation section. When press working is used to cut the base material 200, a press working die 300 as shown in Figure 6 is used. The die 300 comprises a die body 301 and a cutting blade 302. The die body 301 is mounted on a press working machine. The cutting blade 302 is formed integrally with the die body 301. The cutting blade 302 is formed to match the external shape of the electronic component 20D having an outer peripheral recess 53, that is, the forming ranges 24p and 25p of the electronic component body 205. Specifically, the cutting blade 302 has an outer peripheral surface forming portion 302a and a protruding portion 302b. The outer peripheral surface forming portion 302a is the part that forms the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component body 205. The protruding portion 302b protrudes inward from the outer peripheral surface forming portion 302a in order to form the outer peripheral recess 53 that is recessed inward from the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component body 205.

[0043] By cutting the base material 200 using a mold 300 having such a cutting blade 302, an electronic component 20D having an external shape with an outer peripheral recess 53, as shown in Figure 3, can be obtained in a single press operation.

[0044] In step S32, the process for forming the IC card 1D, the card base materials 101 and 102 that constitute the card body 10 and the circuit board 40 equipped with electronic components 20D are stacked to assemble the IC card 1D. The circuit board 40 is sandwiched between the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102. At this time, the electronic components 20D are housed in the opening 105 of the first card base material 101. Subsequently, the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102 are joined by thermoforming or the like. This gives rise to the IC card 1D.

[0045] The IC card 1D according to this embodiment is provided with an electrical insulating portion 50D between the electronic component 20D and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The electrical insulating portion 50D has an outer peripheral recess 53 formed in the portion of the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20D that includes the portion where the exposed conductor portion 201 is formed. The outer peripheral recess 53 is recessed in a direction away from the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The outer peripheral recess 53 allows for a large gap to be secured between the portion of the exposed conductor portion 201 of the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20D and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card base material 101 of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20D, which is arranged inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed.

[0046] (Modification of the first embodiment) In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which a mold 300 equipped with a protrusion 302b for forming an outer peripheral recess 53 was used when forming the electronic component 20D by press working in step S31, but the method for forming the electrical insulating portion 50D is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 7, a circular hole 305 may be formed in the base material 200 in the area where the outer peripheral recess 53 is to be formed by press working, laser processing, or the like. It is preferable to form a hole 305 with a diameter larger than the processing tolerance in the mold 310, which will be described later. After forming the hole 305, the base material 200 is cut with a mold 310 equipped with a cutting blade 309 that does not have a protruding portion 302b. This forms an electronic component 20D having an external shape with an outer peripheral recess 53, as shown in Figure 3. This configuration prevents the cutting blade 309 of the mold 310 from having a complex shape, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the mold 310.

[0047] (First modification of the first embodiment) Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an electronic component in which an insulating coating is formed as an electrical insulating portion in another modification of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, the IC card (card-type medium) 1E may include an outer peripheral recess 53 and an insulating coating 51A as an electrical insulating portion 50E provided between the electronic component 20D and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening.

[0048] The insulating coating 51A is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the contact terminal portion 21 or the fingerprint sensor 22, including the conductor exposed portion 201. The insulating coating 51A is formed to cover at least the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. In this modified example, the insulating coating 51A is formed to cover only the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22.

[0049] The insulating film 51A is formed by an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating film 51A is formed by a coating film of the insulating coating material applied to the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. Examples of insulating coating materials for forming the insulating film 51A include solvents containing epoxy resin, urethane resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin, and fluorine-based non-flammable solvents. In particular, using a fluorine-based non-flammable solvent type insulating coating material results in the formation of an insulating film 51A with excellent physical resistance, chemical resistance, and insulating properties.

[0050] In this embodiment, the distance C between the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 is set to, for example, about 0.1 mm. In this case, it is preferable to set the thickness of the insulating coating 51A to about 5 μm to 100 μm.

[0051] The insulating coating 51A covers the exposed conductor portions 201 on the outer surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20D. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card substrate 101 of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20D, which is located inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed more effectively.

[0052] (Second modification of the first embodiment) Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a card body in which an insulating coating is formed as an electrical insulating portion in another modification of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the IC card (card-type medium) 1F may include an outer peripheral recess 53 and an insulating coating 51C as an electrical insulating portion 50F provided between the electronic component 20D and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening.

[0053] The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the card body 10, including the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening of the first card substrate 101. In this modified example, the insulating coating 51C is formed to cover only the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0054] The insulating film 51C can be formed, for example, by an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating film 51C is a coating film of an insulating coating material applied to the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The insulating coating material used to form the insulating film 51C can be the same as that used for the insulating film 51A in the above modified example. When the insulating film 51C is formed by an insulating coating material, the thickness of the insulating film 51C is preferably set to about 5 μm to 100 μm.

[0055] As the insulating coating 51C, an oxide film formed on the metal surface forming the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening can also be used. That is, the insulating coating 51C is made of a metal oxide. Such an oxide film has insulating properties and, compared to resin coatings, has high physical resistance such as friction resistance and chemical resistance. The oxide film is dense and has a very thin film thickness. Therefore, the effects of dimensional changes in each part caused by forming the insulating coating 51C can be suppressed. When the insulating coating 51C is formed of an oxide film, it is preferable to set the film thickness of the insulating coating 51C to about 5 μm to 20 μm.

[0056] The insulating coating 51C prevents the exposed conductor portions 201 on the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20D from directly contacting the first card substrate 101. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20D, which is located inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed more effectively.

[0057] (Second embodiment) The IC card according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 14. Figure 10 is an external view of the IC card 1G according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the front side. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along line AA. As shown in Figure 10, the IC card (card-type medium) 1G mainly comprises a card body 10, electronic components 20, and a circuit board 40. The IC card 1G is a dual-interface IC card equipped with a contact terminal section 21 and an antenna 42. The contact terminal section 21 is a contact-type interface. The antenna 42 is a contactless-type interface. The IC card 1G has a biometric authentication function using a fingerprint sensor 22. The fingerprint sensor 22 is an example of an electronic component 20G. The card body 10 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0058] As shown in Figure 11, the card body 10 is constructed by stacking multiple sheet-like card substrates 101 and 102 in the card thickness direction Dt. The card substrates 101 and 102 are substrates for card-type media. The first card substrate 101 is an example of a metal card substrate. The first card substrate 101 and the second card substrate 102 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0059] An inner circumferential recess 55 is formed in the opening 105. The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105. When viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, the inner circumferential recess 55 is recessed in a direction away from the center of the opening 105. The inner circumferential recess 55 is recessed in a direction away from the conductor exposed portion 201. When viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, the inner circumferential recess 55 is formed in a semicircular shape. The shape of the inner circumferential recess 55 when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt is not limited to a semicircle, but may have other shapes as appropriate, such as a rectangle. The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, including a portion that faces the conductor exposed portion 201 with a gap C between them. The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed at a position that includes a portion facing the position where the conductor exposed portion 201 is located. In other words, the inner circumferential recess 55 is formed only on a part of the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0060] The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed in the card thickness direction Dt of the first card substrate 101. The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed over the entire length of the first card substrate 101 in the card thickness direction Dt. In the card thickness direction Dt of the card body, it is formed continuously from the surface of the first card substrate 101 to the circuit board 40. In other words, the inner circumferential recess 55 penetrates the first card substrate 101 in the card thickness direction Dt.

[0061] The second card base material 102 is located on the back side 10g of the card body 10. The second card base material 102 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0062] The electronic component 20 is arranged so that a portion of it is exposed on the surface 10f of the card body 10. In this embodiment, the IC card 1G includes, for example, a contact terminal portion 21 and a fingerprint sensor 22 as electronic components 20. The contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 are each housed in an opening 105 formed in the card body 10.

[0063] The contact terminal portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The contact terminal portion 21 comprises a base material 23 and a terminal body 24. The base material 23 and the terminal body 24 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0064] The fingerprint sensor 22 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The fingerprint sensor 22 comprises an electrode portion 25 and a base material 26. The electrode portion 25 and the base material 26 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0065] As shown in Figure 10, an IC chip 30 is embedded inside the card body 10. The IC chip 30 is electrically coupled to the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the antenna 42 via a wiring pattern 41 formed on the circuit board 40. The IC chip 30 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10, an IC chip 30 is embedded inside the card body 10. The IC chip 30 is electrically coupled to the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the antenna 42 via a wiring pattern 41 formed on the circuit board 40. The IC chip 30 is the same as in the first embodiment. The IC chip 30 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt.

[0067] The circuit board 40 is embedded within the card body 10 by being sandwiched between the first card substrate 101 and the second card substrate 102. The circuit board 40 is positioned inward from the outer edge of the card body 10 when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The external shape of the circuit board 40, when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, is rectangular. The thickness of the circuit board 40 in the card thickness direction Dt is, for example, 15 μm to 50 μm.

[0068] The circuit board 40 is made of a flexible circuit board. The circuit board 40 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0069] As shown in Figure 11, the circuit board 40 is positioned on the back side 10g of the card body 10 in the card thickness direction Dt, relative to the contact terminals 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30. The contact terminals 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30 are mounted on the substrate surface 40f (mounting surface) facing the front side 10f of the card body 10.

[0070] The wiring pattern 41 is formed on the surface of the circuit board 40 by etching or the like. The wiring pattern 41 is the same as in the first embodiment. The wiring pattern 41 electrically couples (connects) the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the antenna 42 with the IC chip 30.

[0071] Antenna 42 is provided on the circuit board 40. Antenna 42 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0072] Figure 12 is a plan view showing the opening of the card body containing the electronic components. Since the arrangement of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 within the opening 105 is the same, Figure 12 shows both the case where the electronic component is the contact terminal portion 21 and the case where it is the fingerprint sensor 22 in a single figure. The electronic components 20, namely the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, are each positioned with a gap C between them and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105. As shown in Figure 12, the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 have outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f, respectively, similar to those in the first embodiment. Conductor exposure portions 201 are formed on a portion of the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and a portion of the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22.

[0073] The exposed conductor portion 201 in the contact terminal portion 21 is made of a conductive conductor. The exposed conductor portion 201 is formed when the terminal body 24, which is made of a plating layer M, is formed by a plating process.

[0074] Figure 13 is a plan view showing the conductive pattern formed on the substrate 200 of the electrode portion 25. The conductive pattern is formed for plating treatment when forming the exposed component. The method for forming the conductive pattern is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the IC card 1G includes an electrical insulation portion 50G between the electronic component 20, which consists of a contact terminal portion 21 and a fingerprint sensor 22, and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, to provide electrical insulation between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f. The electrical insulation portion 50G provides electrical insulation between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential recess 55 constitutes the electrical insulation portion. That is, the inner circumferential recess 55 is formed as a recess so as to be sufficiently spaced away from the exposed conductor portion 201, so that the inner circumferential recess 55 can secure a large gap Y between the exposed conductor portion 201 of the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20 and the first card base material 101. As a result, insulation can be provided between the exposed conductor portion 201 and the first card base material 101.

[0076] The inner circumferential recess 55 may also be further provided with an insulating coating or oxide film made of an electrically insulating coating material or the like.

[0077] In this embodiment, the distance C between the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105 and the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 is set to, for example, about 0.1 mm. In this case, the distance Y between the portion of the inner circumferential recess 55 and the conductor exposed portion 201 may be set to, for example, about 0.15 mm to 0.25 mm.

[0078] Next, we will explain the manufacturing method for IC card 1G as described above. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an IC card. As shown in Figure 14, the method for manufacturing an IC card 1G S50 includes a step S51 for forming an electrical insulation portion 50G and a step S52 for forming an IC card 1G.

[0079] In step S51, which forms the electrical insulation portion 50G, in this embodiment, an opening 105 and an inner circumferential recess 55 are formed in the first card substrate 101. The opening 105 and the inner circumferential recess 55 are formed into predetermined shapes by laser processing or cutting the first card substrate 101. This forms the first card substrate 101 having an opening 105 with an inner circumferential recess 55. Meanwhile, pre-manufactured electronic components 20 are mounted on the circuit board 40.

[0080] In step S52, which forms the IC card 1G, the card base materials 101 and 102 that constitute the card body 10 and the circuit board 40 equipped with electronic components 20 are stacked to assemble the IC card 1G. The circuit board 40 is sandwiched between the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102. At this time, the electronic components 20 are housed in the opening 105 of the first card base material 101. Subsequently, the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102 are joined by thermoforming or the like. This gives rise to the IC card 1G.

[0081] The IC card 1G of this embodiment includes an electrical insulating portion 50G between the electronic component 20 and the first card substrate 101. The electrical insulating portion 50G electrically insulates the electronic component 20 from the card substrate 101. Specifically, the electrical insulating portion 50G is formed as an inner circumferential recess 55 that is recessed in a direction away from the exposed conductor portion 201 on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The inner circumferential recess 55 allows for a large gap Y between the exposed conductor portion 201 on the outer circumferential surfaces 21f, 22f of the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential recess 55. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card substrate 101 of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20, which is located inside the opening 105, can be suppressed.

[0082] The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed continuously over the entire card thickness direction Dt of the card body 10 on the first card substrate 101 on the side where the electronic components 20 are arranged relative to the circuit board 40. The inner circumferential recess 55 can be formed simultaneously with the opening 105 when the opening 105 is formed by laser processing or cutting. Therefore, the inner circumferential recess 55 can be formed efficiently.

[0083] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment relating to a card-type medium will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. The following embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the electrical insulation portion 50H is different. In the following description, components similar to those in the card-type medium of the above embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0084] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing an IC card 1H according to the third embodiment. The IC card 1H is equipped with an electrical insulation section 50H. The electrical insulation section 50H provides electrical insulation between the contact terminal section 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, which are electronic components 20, and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The electrical insulation section 50H is an inner circumferential recess 57.

[0085] Figure 16 is a view from inside the opening of the inner circumferential recess, which serves as an electrical insulating portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the opening. Figure 17 is a plan view showing the opening of the card body containing the electronic components. As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the inner circumferential recess 57 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105H formed in the first card substrate 101H of the card body 10. When viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, the inner circumferential recess 57 is recessed in a direction away from the center of the opening 105. The inner circumferential recess 57 is recessed in a direction away from the conductor exposed portion 201. When viewed from the card thickness direction Dt, the inner circumferential recess 57 is formed in a semicircular shape. The shape of the inner circumferential recess 57 when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt is not limited to a semicircle, but may have other shapes as appropriate, such as a rectangle. The inner circumferential recess 57 is formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, including a portion (opposing portion) that faces the conductor exposed portion 201 with a gap C between them. The inner circumferential recess 57 is formed at a position that includes a portion facing the position where the conductor exposed portion 201 is located. In other words, the inner circumferential recess 57 is formed only on a part of the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0086] The inner circumferential recess 57 is formed in the card thickness direction Dt of the first card base material 101H. The inner circumferential recess 57 is formed only on a portion of the surface 10f side of the first card base material 101 in the card thickness direction Dt of the card body 10. In other words, the inner circumferential recess 57 does not penetrate the first card base material 101H in the card thickness direction Dt, but is formed from the surface 10f side to a predetermined depth. The depth of the inner circumferential recess 57 is less than the thickness of the first card base material 101H. The inner circumferential recess 57 has a recess bottom surface 57b.

[0087] Next, we will explain the manufacturing method of IC card 1H. As shown in Figure 14, the manufacturing method S60 for the IC card 1H includes a step S61 for forming the electrical insulation portion 50H and a step S62 for forming the IC card 1H.

[0088] In step S61, which forms the electrical insulation portion 50H, in this embodiment, an opening 105H and an inner circumferential recess 57 are formed in the first card substrate 101H. The opening 105H is formed in the first card substrate 101H in a predetermined shape by laser processing or cutting. The inner circumferential recess 57 is formed to a predetermined depth on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105H, for example, by router processing. Therefore, the bottom surface 57b of the inner circumferential recess 57 corresponds to the tip shape of the processing tool used to form the inner circumferential recess 57. The opening 105H is of a size that allows electronic components to be placed with spacing between them. Meanwhile, the circuit board 40 is fitted with pre-fabricated contact terminals 21 and a fingerprint sensor 22.

[0089] Step S62 for forming the IC card 1H involves stacking the card base materials 101 and 102 with the circuit board 40 equipped with electronic components 20 in the same manner as in the second embodiment to assemble the IC card 1H.

[0090] In this embodiment, the IC card 1H, similar to the second embodiment, has an inner circumferential recess 57 formed as an electrical insulating portion 50H on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening of the card body 10, which is recessed in a direction away from the exposed conductor portion 201. The inner circumferential recess 57 allows for a large gap Y between the exposed conductor portion 201 on the outer circumferential surfaces 21f, 22f of the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential recess 57. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card base material 101H of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20, which is arranged inside the opening 105H, can be suppressed.

[0091] The inner circumferential recess 55 is formed only on a portion of the surface 10f side of the first card substrate 101H in the card thickness direction Dt of the card body 10. The inner circumferential recess 55 has a recess bottom surface 57b. Therefore, when the IC card 1H is viewed from the surface 10f side in the card thickness direction Dt, the recess bottom surface 57b is visible inside (inside) the inner circumferential recess 55. Since the recess bottom surface 57b is part of the first card substrate 101H, it is a metallic surface. As a result, the portion of the inner circumferential recess 55 also provides a sense of weight and luxury due to the metallic material, enhancing the quality of the IC card 1H.

[0092] (First modified example of the third embodiment) Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing an electronic component of a modified example of the third embodiment, and shows an electronic component with an insulating coating formed as an electrical insulating portion. As shown in Figure 18, the IC card (card-type medium) 1J may be provided with an insulating coating 51A in addition to the inner circumferential recess 55 as an electrical insulating portion 50J formed between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, to provide electrical insulation between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f.

[0093] The insulating coating 51A is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the electronic component 20, including the conductor exposed portion 201. The insulating coating 51A is formed to cover at least the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. In this modified example, the insulating coating 51A is formed to cover only the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22.

[0094] The insulating film 51A is formed of an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating film 51A is formed by a coating film of the insulating coating material applied to the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22. As the insulating coating material forming the insulating film 51A, the same insulating coating material as the insulating film 51A in the first modified example of the first embodiment can be used.

[0095] In this embodiment, the distance C between the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 is set to, for example, about 0.1 mm. In this case, it is preferable to set the thickness of the insulating coating 51A to about 5 μm to 100 μm.

[0096] The insulating coating 51A covers the exposed conductor portions 201 on the outer surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card substrate 101 of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20, which is located inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed more effectively.

[0097] (Second modified example of the third embodiment) As shown in Figure 19, the IC card (card-type medium) 1K may be provided with an insulating coating 51C in addition to the inner circumferential recess 55 as an electrical insulating portion 50K formed between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, to provide electrical insulation between the electronic component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f.

[0098] The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the card body 10, including the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening of the first card substrate 101. In this modified example, the insulating coating 51C is formed to cover only the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0099] The insulating film 51C can be formed, for example, by an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating film 51C is formed by a coating film of the insulating coating material formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The insulating coating material used to form the insulating film 51C can be the same as that used for the insulating film 51A in the above modified example.

[0100] The insulating coating 51C prevents the exposed conductor portions 201 on the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the electronic component 20 from directly contacting the first card substrate 101. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the electronic component 20, which is located inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed more effectively.

[0101] (Fourth embodiment of a card-type medium) Hereinafter, an IC card according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 24. Figure 20 is an external view of the IC card according to the fourth embodiment, as seen from the front side. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 20. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. As shown in Figure 20, the IC card (card-type medium) 1A is a dual-interface IC card equipped with a contact terminal section 21 and an antenna 42. The IC card 1A mainly comprises a card body 10, exposed components (electronic components) 20, and a circuit board 40. The card body 10 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0102] As shown in Figure 21, the card body 10 is constructed by stacking multiple sheet-like card base materials 101 and 102 in the card thickness direction Dt.

[0103] The first card substrate 101 is positioned on the surface 10f side of the card body 10. The configuration of the opening 105 of the first card substrate 101 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0104] The second card substrate 102 is positioned on the back side 10g of the card body 10. The first card substrate 101 and the second card substrate 102 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0105] The exposed components 20 are arranged so that a portion of them is exposed on the surface 10f of the card body 10. The IC card 1A includes, for example, a contact terminal portion 21 and a fingerprint sensor 22 as exposed components 20. The contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 are each housed in an opening 105 formed in the card body 10.

[0106] The contact terminal portion 21 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The contact terminal portion 21 comprises a base material 23 and a terminal body 24. The base material 23 and the terminal body 24 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0107] The fingerprint sensor 22 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate when viewed from the card thickness direction Dt. The fingerprint sensor 22 comprises an electrode portion 25 and a base material 26. The electrode portion 25 and the base material 26 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0108] As shown in Figure 20, an IC chip 30 is embedded inside the card body 10. The IC chip 30 and the circuit board 40 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0109] As shown in Figure 21, the circuit board 40 is positioned on the back side 10g of the card body 10 in the card thickness direction Dt, relative to the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30. The contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22, and the IC chip 30 are mounted on the substrate surface 40f (mounting surface) facing the front side 10f of the card body 10.

[0110] Antenna 42 is provided on the circuit board 40. Antenna 42 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

[0111] Figure 22 is a plan view showing the exposed components housed in the opening of the card body. The arrangement of the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 within the opening 105 is the same. Figure 22 shows both the case where the electronic component is the contact terminal portion 21 and the case where it is the fingerprint sensor 22 in a single figure. The exposed components 20, namely the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22, are each positioned with a gap C between them and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105. As shown in Figure 22, the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 have outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f, respectively, similar to those in the first embodiment. A conductor exposure portion 201 is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and a part of the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. The conductor exposure portion 201 is made of a conductive conductor. The conductor exposure portion 201 is generated in the contact terminal portion 21 when the terminal body 24, which is made of a plating layer M, is formed by a plating process.

[0112] Figure 23 is a plan view showing the conductor pattern formed on the substrate 200. The conductor pattern is formed for plating when forming the exposed components. The method for forming the conductor pattern is the same as in the first embodiment, and by cutting the substrate 200, the terminal body 24 and electrode portion 25 as exposed components 20 are obtained. On the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and a part of the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 obtained in this way, a cut surface of the conductor pattern 202, that is, a conductor exposed portion 201 where the conductor is exposed, is formed.

[0113] As shown in Figures 21 and 22, the IC card 1A includes an electrical insulation portion 50A between the exposed component 20, which is either a contact terminal portion 21 or a fingerprint sensor 22, and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. In this embodiment, the electrical insulation portion 50A consists of an insulating coating 51A. The insulating coating 51A is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the exposed component 20 (e.g., the contact terminal portion 21, the fingerprint sensor 22), which includes the conductor exposed portion 201. The insulating coating 51A is formed on at least the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. In this embodiment, the insulating coating 51A is formed to cover only the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 and the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22.

[0114] The insulating coating 51A is formed on the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. The insulating coating 51A is formed by an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating coating 51A is formed by a coating film of the insulating coating material. As the insulating coating material forming the insulating coating 51A, the same material as the insulating coating 51A in the modified example of the first embodiment can be used.

[0115] In this embodiment, the distance C between the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 is set to, for example, about 0.1 mm. In this case, it is preferable to set the thickness of the insulating coating 51A to about 5 μm to 100 μm.

[0116] Next, we will explain the manufacturing method of IC card 1A. Figure 24 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an IC card. As shown in Figure 24, the manufacturing method S10 for IC card 1A includes a step S11 for forming an electrical insulation portion 50A and a step S12 for forming IC card 1A.

[0117] In step S11, which forms the electrical insulation portion 50A, an insulating film 51A is formed on the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21, which is an exposed component 20, or on the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. To form the insulating film 51A, the insulating coating material described above is applied to the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 by methods such as hand application, spray application, or dipping (immersion) in a solution of insulating coating material. When forming the insulating film 51A by these methods, it is preferable to mask areas on the outer surface of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer surface of the fingerprint sensor 22 other than the area where the insulating film 51A should be formed (for example, the terminal body 24, the electrode portion 25, etc.) with an appropriate protective sheet (masking material). The protective sheet is removed after the insulating film 51A is formed. After forming the insulating film 51A in this manner, the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22 are mounted on the circuit board 40.

[0118] In step S12, which forms the IC card 1A, the card base materials 101 and 102 that constitute the card body 10 and the circuit board 40 equipped with exposed components 20 are stacked to assemble the IC card 1A. The circuit board 40 is sandwiched between the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102. At this time, the exposed components 20 are housed in the opening 105 of the first card base material 101. Subsequently, the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102 are joined by thermoforming or the like. This gives rise to the IC card 1A.

[0119] The IC card 1A according to this embodiment is provided with an electrical insulating portion 50A between the exposed component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The electrical insulating portion 50A is formed by an insulating coating 51A that covers the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the exposed component 20. The insulating coating 51A covers the conductor exposed portion 201 of the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the exposed component 20. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the first card base material 101 of the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the exposed component 20, which is positioned inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed.

[0120] The IC card 1A according to this embodiment can achieve both aesthetic design and stable operation of exposed components in a card body formed with a metal material.

[0121] (Modification of the fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, an example was shown in which the insulating film 51A forming the electrical insulating portion 50A is formed on the outer peripheral surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21, which is an exposed component 20, or on the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22. However, the form of the card-type medium is not limited thereto.

[0122] For example, as shown in Figure 25, the insulating film 51B forming the electrical insulation portion 50B may be formed to cover the outer peripheral surface 21f of the exposed component 20, which is the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer peripheral surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22, and the substrate surface 40f of the circuit board 40. In this case, in step S11 for forming the electrical insulation portion 50B, the insulating film 51B is formed after the exposed component 20, which is the contact terminal portion 21 or the fingerprint sensor 22, is mounted on the substrate surface 40f of the circuit board 40. To form the insulating film 51B, parts of the outer surface of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer surface of the fingerprint sensor 22 other than the part to which the insulating film 51B should be formed (for example, the terminal body 24, the electrode portion 25, etc.) are masked with an appropriate protective sheet (masking material). The protective sheet is removed after the insulating film 51B is formed. As a result, the insulating film 51B is formed on the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 and on the substrate surface 40f, which is the mounting surface. In the example shown in Figure 25, the insulating film 51B is formed continuously from the outer circumferential surface 21f of the contact terminal portion 21 or the outer circumferential surface 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 to the substrate surface 40f of the circuit board 40. Figure 25 also shows an example where the insulating film 51B is formed between the first card substrate 101 and the second card substrate 101. However, it is sufficient if the insulating film 51B is formed on the portion of the substrate surface 40f that is exposed between the outer circumferential surfaces 21f, 22f of the exposed component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0123] (Fifth embodiment) A card-type medium according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components that are common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments differ from the fourth embodiment in the electrical insulation portion 50C. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the fourth embodiment.

[0124] Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view showing an IC card according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Figure 26, the IC card (card-type medium) 1C is a dual-interface IC card equipped with a contact terminal section 21 and an antenna 42 (see Figure 20). The contact terminal section 21 is a contact-type interface. The antenna 42 is a contactless-type interface. The IC card 1C has a biometric authentication function using a fingerprint sensor 22. The IC card 1C mainly comprises a card body 10, exposed components 20, and a circuit board 40.

[0125] The IC card 1C is equipped with an electrical insulating portion 50C between the contact terminal portion 21, which is an exposed component 20, and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening, and between the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The electrical insulating portion 50C consists of an insulating coating 51C. The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least a portion of the outer surface of the card body 10, including the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The insulating coating 51C is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening of the first card substrate 101. In this embodiment, the insulating coating 51C is formed to cover only the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0126] The insulating film 51C can be formed, for example, by an insulating coating material having electrical insulating properties. The insulating film 51C is formed by a coating film of the insulating coating material formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. As the insulating coating material for forming the insulating film 51C, an insulating coating material similar to the insulating film 51A in the modified example of the first embodiment can be used.

[0127] Next, a method for manufacturing the IC card 1C according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 24, the manufacturing method S20 for the IC card 1C includes a step S21 for forming the electrical insulation portion 50C and a step S22 for forming the IC card 1C.

[0128] In step S21, which forms the electrical insulation portion 50C, an insulating film 51C is formed on the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105 in the first card substrate 101 of the IC card 1C. When an insulating coating material is used for the insulating film 51C, the insulating coating material is applied by methods such as hand application, spray application, or dipping (immersion) in a solution of the insulating coating material. When an oxide film is used for the insulating film 51C, the oxide film is formed by, for example, immersion of the first card substrate 101 in an oxidizing solution such as nitric acid, or heat treatment of the first card substrate 101 in an oxidizing atmosphere. When an insulating polymer is used for the insulating film 51C, the insulating film 51C is formed by immersing the first card substrate 101 in a polymer solution. When forming an insulating coating 51C using an immersion process in a solution, it is preferable to mask areas on the outer surface of the first card substrate 101 other than the area where the insulating coating 51C should be formed (for example, the surface 10f of the card body 10) with an appropriate protective sheet or masking material. The protective sheet is removed after the insulating coating 51C has been formed.

[0129] In step S12, which forms the IC card 1C, the card base materials 101 and 102 that constitute the card body 10 and the circuit board 40 on which the exposed components 20 are mounted are stacked to assemble the IC card 1C. The circuit board 40 is sandwiched between the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102. At this time, the exposed components 20 are housed in the opening 105 of the first card base material 101. After that, the first card base material 101 and the second card base material 102 are joined by thermocompression or the like. This gives rise to the IC card 1C.

[0130] The IC card 1C according to this embodiment is provided with an electrical insulating portion 50C between the exposed component 20 and the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening. The electrical insulating portion 50C is formed by an insulating coating 51C that covers the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening 105 in which the exposed component 20 is housed. This insulating coating 51C prevents the conductor exposed portions 201 of the outer circumferential surfaces 21f and 22f of the exposed component 20 from directly contacting the first card substrate 101. Therefore, electrical short circuits between the card body 10, which is made of a metal material, and the exposed component 20, which is positioned inside the opening 105 formed in the card body 10, can be suppressed.

[0131] The IC card 1C according to this embodiment can achieve both aesthetic design and stable operation of exposed components in a card body formed with a metal material.

[0132] Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and combinations of the configuration are also included without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0133] For example, the components mounted as electronic component 20D and exposed component (electronic component) 20 are not limited to the contact terminal portion 21, fingerprint sensor 22, and IC chip 30; other components may be mounted as appropriate. In the above embodiments, examples were shown in which two types (two units) of electronic component 20D and exposed component (electronic component) 20 are provided: the contact terminal portion 21 and the fingerprint sensor 22. However, the configuration of the card-type medium is not limited to this. The types, number, and combinations of electronic component 20D and exposed component (electronic component) 20 can be changed as appropriate.

[0134] In the modified embodiment described above, the insulating coatings 51A to 51C are provided on either the electronic component 20D, the exposed component (electronic component) 20, or the opening 105 of the card body 10. However, the configuration of the card-type medium is not limited to this. For example, the insulating coatings 51A to 51C may be formed on both the electronic component 20D including the conductor exposed portion 201, the exposed component (electronic component) 20, and the card body 10 including the inner circumferential surface 105f of the opening.

[0135] An electrically insulating portion may be formed by filling the gap C between the outer peripheral surfaces 21f and 22f of the fingerprint sensor 22 and the inner peripheral surface 105f of the opening 105 with an insulating material.

[0136] While IC cards 1A to 1F, used as credit cards, were given as examples of card-type media, their form and use are not limited in any way. [Industrial applicability]

[0137] According to the embodiment of the card-type medium and electronic component for the card-type medium, it is possible to provide a card-type medium and an electronic component for the card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component disposed inside an opening formed in the card body.

[0138] According to the embodiment of the card-type medium, it is possible to provide a card-type medium that can achieve both aesthetic design in the card body formed with a metal material and stable operation of exposed components.

[0139] According to the embodiment of the card-type medium and the metal card substrate for the card-type medium, it is possible to provide a card-type medium and a metal card substrate for the card-type medium that can suppress electrical short circuits between a card body formed with a metal material and an electronic component placed inside an opening formed in the card body. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0140] 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1J, 1K... IC cards (card-type media) 10...Card body 10f…Surface 20, 20D… Electronic components (exposed components) 21f, 22f…outer surface 40... Circuit board 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E, 50F, 50G, 50H, 50J, 50K... Electrical insulation part 51A, 51B, 51C insulating coating 53…Peripheral recess 55, 57 Inner circumferential recess 101 First Card Base Material 105, 105H…Aperture 105f…Inner peripheral surface of opening 201...Exposed conductor portion 205…Electronic component body 207...Outer perimeter insulation Dt card thickness direction

Claims

1. A card body formed with a metal material and having an opening formed on its surface, An electronic component is housed inside the opening at a distance from the inner circumferential surface of the opening, and has a conductive conductor exposed portion in a part of the portion facing the inner circumferential surface of the opening at a distance from it, A circuit board embedded within the card body, to which the electronic components are bonded, The electronic component and the inner surface of the opening are provided together, The aforementioned electrical insulating part is A card-type medium having an outer recess formed on the outer surface facing the inner surface of the opening at a distance from it, in the portion including the exposed conductor, and recessed in a direction away from the inner surface of the opening.

2. The aforementioned electronic component is A plated portion formed on the inside of the opening and exposed to the surface side of the card body, to which the conductor is connected, The electronic component comprises an outer peripheral insulating portion formed on the outer periphery of the electronic component so as to surround the plated portion, excluding the exposed conductor portion, and made of an electrically insulating material. The card-type medium according to claim 1.

3. The electrical insulating portion comprises an insulating coating formed on at least one of at least a part of the outer surface of the electronic component including the conductor exposed portion, and at least a part of the outer surface of the card body including the inner circumferential surface of the opening. The card-type medium according to claim 1.

4. The insulating coating is formed at least on the outer surface of the electronic component. The card-type medium according to claim 3.

5. The insulating film is formed on the mounting surface of the circuit board on which the electronic components are mounted. The card-type medium according to claim 4.

6. The insulating coating is formed at least on the inner circumferential surface of the opening. The card-type medium according to claim 3.

7. The insulating coating is formed by a coating made of an insulating material. The card-type medium according to claim 3.

8. The insulating coating consists of an oxide film formed on the surface of the metal that forms the card body. The card-type medium according to claim 3.

9. The card body is provided with an inner circumferential recess that is recessed in a direction away from the exposed conductor portion, at a position including an opposing portion that is spaced apart from the exposed conductor portion on the inner circumferential surface of the opening. The card-type medium according to claim 1.

10. A card body formed from a metal material and having an opening formed on its surface, An electronic component is housed inside the opening at a distance from the inner circumferential surface of the opening, and has a conductive conductor exposed portion in a part of the portion facing the inner circumferential surface of the opening at a distance from it, A circuit board embedded within the card body, to which the electronic components are bonded, The electronic component and the inner surface of the opening are provided together, A card-type medium having an inner circumferential recess that is recessed in a direction away from the conductor exposure portion at a position including an opposing portion that is spaced apart from the conductor exposure portion on the inner circumferential surface of the opening of the card body.

11. The aforementioned electrical insulating portion is provided between the inner circumferential recess and the exposed conductor portion. The card-type medium according to claim 9 or 10.

12. The inner circumferential recess is formed continuously from the surface to the circuit board in the card thickness direction of the card body. The card-type medium according to claim 9 or 10.

13. The inner circumferential recess is formed only on a portion of the card body in the card thickness direction from the surface. The card-type medium according to claim 9 or 10.

14. An electronic component body housed inside an opening in a card body formed with metal, A conductor exposure portion is formed on a part of the outer surface of the electronic component body, and a conductive conductor is exposed therein. The electronic component body comprises an outer peripheral recess formed in the portion of the outer peripheral surface including the exposed conductor portion, which is recessed inward. Electronic components for card-type media.

15. A card substrate for a card-type medium that forms at least a part of the card body of a card-type medium equipped with electronic components, The card base material is formed including a metal material, The card substrate has openings formed therein, in which the electronic components can be arranged at intervals. Of the inner circumferential surface of the opening, an inner circumferential recess is formed in a direction away from the center of the opening, including a portion of the opening that is opposite to the position where the conductor exposed portion of the electronic component is located, so as to be positioned. Metal card base material for card-type media.

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