IC modules and IC cards

Abstract

To provide an IC module and an IC card which have a high degree of freedom of antenna design, no antenna disconnection in a manufacturing process and high productivity according to the IC module and the IC card relating to the present invention.SOLUTION: An IC module 20 relating to the present invention includes: a substrate 21 formed in the shape of a sheet to have through-holes penetrating in a plate thickness direction; a connection coil 23 provided on a rear surface of the substrate 21 and formed in a spiral shape; an IC chip 22 provided on the rear surface of the substrate and arranged on an inner peripheral side of the connection coil 23; a contact terminal provided on a surface of the substrate; and wires 25 for electrically connecting the IC chip 22 and the contact terminal and inserted into the through-hole 26. The connection coil 23 has conductive auxiliary pattern parts 27 which at least partially project toward the inner peripheral side to come into contact with the through-holes 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

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

[0003] The contact terminal described in Patent Document 1 includes a conduction path to the back surface of the IC module through a through-hole plated with metal called a through-hole. A part of the metal plating of the through-hole formed on the back surface of the IC module is electrically connected to the electrode on the IC chip by wire bonding or the like, and the periphery of the IC chip including wire bonding is protected by a sealing resin.

[0004] In recent years, as a cost reduction plan for IC modules, an IC module substrate having only through-holes without through-holes and without metal plating is known. Since a dedicated electrolytic plating process is required to form through-holes, the substrate cost and the manufacturing time of the IC module can be reduced by omitting this process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-041272 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the through-hole described in Patent Document 1 had the potential to increase the risk of delamination and disconnection of the coils formed in the IC module by causing stress changes in the IC module substrate when the through-holes are formed in the IC module substrate. In addition, if there is a misalignment in the process position of the through-holes or through-holes, the coils formed in the IC module may disconnect, so it was necessary to form the through-holes or through-holes at a certain distance or more from the metal pattern containing the coils in order to avoid this risk.

[0007] This invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide IC modules and IC cards that offer a high degree of freedom in antenna design, are free from antenna disconnection during the manufacturing process, and have high productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, this invention proposes the following means. An IC module according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a substrate formed in a sheet shape and having through holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the substrate; a connecting coil provided on the back surface of the substrate and formed in a spiral shape; an IC chip provided on the back surface of the substrate and positioned on the inner circumference side of the connecting coil; contact terminals provided on the surface of the substrate; and a wire that electrically connects the IC chip and the contact terminals and passes through the through holes, wherein the connecting coil has a conductive auxiliary pattern portion that protrudes to the inner circumference side and contacts the through holes in at least a portion of it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The IC module and IC card according to the present invention offer a high degree of freedom in antenna design, and eliminate antenna disconnection during the manufacturing process, thereby providing highly productive IC modules and IC cards. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view showing an IC card according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view of the IC card inlet. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the IC card as viewed from the short side. [Figure 4] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the IC module of the IC card. [Figure 5] This is a schematic plan view showing the IC module of the IC card. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a magnified view of the through-hole in the IC module of the same IC card. [Figure 7] This is an enlarged view of the through-hole of the IC module of an IC card according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view of the through-hole of the IC module of an IC card according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] (First Embodiment) One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the embodiments and modifications described below, corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of overlapping parts may be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements such as "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," and "coaxial" will not only strictly represent such arrangements, but will also represent states of relative displacement with tolerances or angles and distances that allow the same function to be obtained.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an IC card 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an inlet 10 of the IC card 1 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of the IC card 1 in FIG. 1 viewed from the short side direction D2.

[0013] In the following description of the IC card 1, the direction along the long side of the IC card 1 is defined as the long side direction D1, and the direction along the short side of the IC card 1 orthogonal to the long side direction D1 on the horizontal plane is defined as the short side direction D2. The planes along the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 are horizontal planes (hereinafter simply referred to as horizontal planes). Also, the vertical direction orthogonal to the long side direction D1 and the short side direction D2 is defined as the plate thickness direction Dt.

[0014] In the long side direction D1, one side away from the central axis (not shown) along the plate thickness direction Dt of the IC card 1 is defined as the left side LH, and the other side is defined as the right side RH. Also, in the short side direction D2, one side is defined as the front side FR, and the other side is defined as the rear side RR. Further, in the plate thickness direction Dt of the IC card 1, the upper side is defined as the upper side UP, and the lower side is defined as the lower side DW. Note that the surface provided on the upper side UP side in the plate thickness direction Dt is defined as the front surface, and the surface provided on the lower side DW is defined as the back surface.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the IC card 1 is a dual IC card capable of contact-type communication and non-contact-type communication with an external device. The IC card 1 has a plate shape and is formed in a rectangular shape having long sides and short sides opposing each other when viewed from the upper side UP side in the plate thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the IC card 1 in the plate thickness direction Dt is formed to be, for example, about 0.5 to 1.0 mm (when the IC card 1 is a credit card, the thickness of the IC card 1 is 0.76 mm).

[0016] The IC card 1 includes an inlet 10, an IC module 20, and an exterior substrate 40.

[0017] [Inlet 10] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the inlet 10 is enclosed in the exterior substrate 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the inlet 10 includes an antenna sheet body 11, an antenna 12, and a capacitor 13.

[0018] The antenna sheet body 11 is a flexible insulating substrate provided within the exterior substrate 40. For the antenna sheet body 11, materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), PET-G (terephthalic acid-cyclohexanedimethanol-ethylene glycol copolymer), polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyimide, cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, polystyrene-based, ABS, polyacrylate ester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyimide, glass epoxy, phenolic resin, etc. can be appropriately selected.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, when a recess 50 is formed in the exterior substrate 40 described later by milling or the like and the processing range reaches the antenna sheet body 11, an opening 11h is formed in the antenna sheet body 11. In this case, the opening 11h is formed in communication with the recess 50. In addition to the recess 50 provided in the exterior substrate 40 described later, when the IC module 20 is joined via the exterior substrate 40, the opening 11h is provided in the inlet 10 so that there are no irregularities on the surface 1f of the IC card 1 due to the resin sealing portion 30 provided on the back surface 20g of the IC module 20. Note that when a recess 50 is formed in the exterior substrate 40 by milling or the like and the processing range does not reach the antenna sheet body 11, the opening 11h is not formed. Therefore, the antenna sheet body 11 does not necessarily have to be provided with the opening 11h.

[0020] The antenna 12 has a bonding coil 121 and a main coil 122. Note that the width (thickness), interval, and number of turns of the antenna 12 can be appropriately set according to the characteristics and arrangement of the antenna 12 and the limitations thereof.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the coupling coil (antenna) 121 is arranged spirally on the surface 11f of the antenna sheet body 11, and is electrically connected to the main coil 122 or capacitor 13 by wiring (not shown). As shown in Figure 3, the coupling coil 121 is positioned to be electromagnetically coupled with the connection coil 23 of the IC module 20 when the IC module 20 is joined from the surface 10f side of the inlet 10 via the outer substrate 40. The inner diameter of the coupling coil 121 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to form it considering the size of the resin encapsulation portion 30 of the IC module 20.

[0022] The main coil 122 is electrically connected to the coupling coil 121 or capacitor 13 by wiring (not shown) to perform contactless communication with a non-contact external device such as a reader / writer. The main coil 122 is formed in a rectangular shape along the periphery 11k of the antenna sheet body 11. As shown in Figure 2, the main coil 122 is formed with one or two turns along the periphery 11k of the antenna sheet body 11. However, the main coil 122 only needs to be capable of contactless communication with a non-contact external device, and the number of turns, shape, and wire width are not limited.

[0023] The wire width of the main coil 122 is wider than the wire width of the coupling coil 121. The wire widths of the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 can be set as appropriate, and it is preferable to set them so that their imaginary impedances are equal at the set communication frequency. However, the wire width of the main coil 122 may be approximately the same as that of the coupling coil 121, or it may be narrower than that of the coupling coil 121.

[0024] There are no particular restrictions on the manufacturing method of the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 of the antenna 12, and they can be formed by various methods. Examples of manufacturing methods include laser cutting or punching of metal plates or metal foils, etching of metal foils or metal layers, and arrangement of metal wires. Punching is particularly suitable when forming the main coil 122 in a wide manner. If the coupling coil 121 is formed using insulated metal wire, it is not necessary to place a separate insulator at the three-dimensional intersection, and it can be formed simply. When the coupling coil 121 and the main coil 122 are formed from different materials, soldering, welding, pressure welding, etc. can be used as methods for connecting them.

[0025] Capacitor 13 is connected in series or parallel to the main coil 122 and is, for example, a chip capacitor (including a flat plate capacitor). Capacitor 13 forms a resonant circuit with the main coil 122 and adjusts the resonant frequency.

[0026] [IC Module 20] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the IC module 20 of IC card 1. Figure 5 is a schematic plan view showing the IC module 20 of IC card 1. As shown in Figure 4, the IC module 20 comprises a module substrate (substrate) 21, an IC chip 22, a connecting coil 23, contact terminals 24, wires 25, and a resin encapsulation portion 30. The external dimensions of the IC module 20 are approximately 8 mm × 10.6 mm in the horizontal plane, for example, if the contact terminals 24 consist of 6 terminals. In this embodiment, the IC module 20 is positioned to the left LH in the long side direction D1 and forward FR in the short side direction D2 from the central axis (not shown) of the IC card 1.

[0027] The module substrate (substrate) 21 is a sheet-like substrate formed on a horizontal surface using a material such as glass epoxy or PET. The module substrate 21 has a front surface 21f and a back surface 21g in the thickness direction Dt, and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. The thickness of the module substrate 21 is, for example, 50 to 200 μm. The module substrate 21 is provided with through holes 26.

[0028] The through-hole 26 is a hole that penetrates the module substrate 21 in the thickness direction Dt. The through-hole 26 is provided around the IC chip 22. The through-hole 26 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, for example, such that its cross-section is substantially circular when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. As shown in Figure 4, the wire 25 described later is inserted through the through-hole 26. The number of through-holes 26 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is formed in accordance with the number of electrodes 220 of the IC chip 22 that are connected to the contact terminal 24 via the wire 25. The arrangement, shape, and size of the through-holes 26 are not particularly limited. As shown in Figure 5, the through-hole 26 includes a through-hole 26p that penetrates near the connecting coil 23 and a through-hole 26q that is located further inward 23i than the connecting coil 23.

[0029] The IC chip 22 is mounted on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. The IC chip 22 can be of a known configuration having contact-type communication function and contactless communication function. As shown in Figure 4 or Figure 5, the IC chip 22 has a plurality of electrodes 220 on its surface. The IC chip 22 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Dt. The IC chip 22 is also positioned on the inner circumference side 23i of the connecting coil 23.

[0030] The connecting coil 23 is provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. The connecting coil 23 is formed by winding a spiral around 10 times so that the IC chip 22, through hole 26, and wire 25 are arranged on the inner circumference side 23i.

[0031] The connecting coil 23 is formed, for example, by etching a pattern onto copper foil or aluminum foil, and has a thickness of 5 to 50 μm. The connecting coil 23 is electromagnetically coupled to the coupling coil 121 provided in the inlet 10. At the outermost and innermost ends of the connecting coil 23, outermost terminal portions 231 and innermost terminal portions 232 are formed, which are wider than the wire width (thickness) of the connecting coil 23. The outermost terminal portions 231 and innermost terminal portions 232 are provided with through holes (not shown) and are electrically connected to some of the multiple electrodes 220 provided on the IC chip 22 by wire bonding or the like. In addition, the innermost conductor 23a of the connecting coil 23 is provided with a wire breakage prevention pattern portion (auxiliary pattern portion) 27 on the inner circumference side 23i.

[0032] Figure 6 is a magnified view of the through-hole 26 of the IC module 20 of the IC card 1 shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 6, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion (auxiliary pattern portion) 27 is provided on the inner circumference side 23i of the connecting coil 23 and is a portion that protrudes from the innermost conductor 23a toward the inner circumference side 23i. The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is provided, for example, in a through hole 26p among a plurality of through holes 26 that penetrates near the connecting coil 23. As shown in Figure 5, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 does not have to be provided in through holes 26q that are located further away from the inner circumference side 23i than the connecting coil 23.

[0033] In the following description of the wire breakage prevention pattern section 27, for the sake of clarity, only one of the multiple wire breakage prevention pattern sections 27 located behind RR and to the right RH of the IC chip 22 shown in Figure 6 will be described, and the other wire breakage prevention pattern sections 27 will be assumed to have a similar configuration and will not be described. The arrangement and direction are not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily set according to the location where the wire breakage prevention pattern section 27 is formed. Also, the wire 25 is not shown in Figure 6.

[0034] The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is provided on a part of the innermost conductor 23a of the connecting coil 23. The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is connected to the innermost conductor 23a of the connecting coil 23 at the rear RR in the short side direction D2, and is provided projecting outwards from the inner circumference side 23i so that its upper side UP contacts the through hole 26p. Specifically, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is in contact with at least a part of the edge 260 of the through hole 26p. In this embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is in contact with the rear RR of the edge 260 of the through hole 26p. That is, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed on the surface between the through hole 26p and the connecting coil 23.

[0035] The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed, for example, along the shape of the through hole 26p. In this embodiment, the through hole 26p is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the edge portion 260 is circular, the same as the cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed along the edge portion 260 of the through hole 26p. Specifically, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed in a substantially fan shape with an arc along a part of the circular edge portion 260 of the through hole 26p, and is the remaining portion after the part overlapping with the through hole 26p has been cut off when viewed from the plate thickness direction Dt. In this case, the center of the fan shape is located at approximately the same position as the center O of the through hole 26p. The outer diameter of the fan-shaped wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is larger than the outer diameter of the through hole 26p and is connected to at least the innermost conductor 23a of the connecting coil 23.

[0036] Here, the line extending perpendicularly from the center O of the through-hole 26p towards the innermost conductor 23a of the connecting coil 23 is defined as the vertical line L1. The line connecting the center O of the through-hole 26p to the first point P1 to the right RH of the longer side direction D1 from the vertical line L1 is defined as the first line L2. The line connecting the center O of the through-hole 26p to the second point P2 to the left LH of the longer side direction D1 from the vertical line L1 is defined as the second line L3. As shown in Figure 6, the first point P1 and the second point P2 are set such that the angle R between the vertical line L1 and the first line L2 and the second line L3, respectively, is 60 degrees or more (totaling 120 degrees or more). In this embodiment, the two sides extending from the center of the fan shape of the wire breakage prevention pattern section 27 toward both ends of the arc are aligned with the first line L2 and the second line L3, respectively. The shape of the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is not particularly limited and may be formed to contact the entire edge 260 of the through hole 26p, or to contact a part of the edge 260 of the through hole 26p.

[0037] The wire breakage prevention pattern section 27 is conductive and, like the connecting coil 23, is formed by etching copper foil or aluminum foil to create a pattern. In this embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern section 27 is manufactured at the same time as the connecting coil 23 during the manufacturing process.

[0038] The contact terminal 24 is configured to be able to contact an external contact device (not shown). The contact terminal 24 is formed on the surface 21f of the module substrate 21, as shown in Figure 3. The contact terminal 24 has electrodes (not shown) on its back surface. The contact terminal 24 is electrically connected to the IC chip 22 via a wire 25.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, wire 25 connects the electrodes 220 of the IC chip 22 on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21 to the contact terminals 24 on the front surface 21f by wire bonding or the like. As shown in Figure 4, wire 25 is inserted through the through hole 26. The IC chip 22 and the contact terminals 24 are electrically connected via wire 25. Gold wire is preferred for wire 25. However, wire 25 may be made of silver, platinum, aluminum, copper, alloy, or coated wire of a different metal.

[0040] The resin encapsulation portion 30 is a protruding portion that covers the IC chip 22 and the wire 25. As shown in Figure 3, the resin encapsulation portion 30 is provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. The resin encapsulation portion 30 can be formed from, for example, a known epoxy resin, an ultraviolet curable resin, or a thermosetting resin. The resin encapsulation portion 30 can protect the IC chip 22 from external forces and environmental loads, and prevent breakage of the wire 25, etc. Generally, the resin encapsulation portion 30 is positioned with its center aligned with the IC chip 22.

[0041] [Exterior base material 40] As shown in Figure 3, the outer substrate 40 is a substrate that is placed on the front and back surfaces of the IC card 1 and encloses the inlet 10. The outer substrate 40 is formed using a substrate that has insulating properties and provides the necessary characteristics for a card, such as polyester materials like amorphous polyester, vinyl chloride materials like PVC (polyvinyl chloride), polycarbonate materials, and PET-G (polyethylene terephthalate copolymer). The outer substrate 40 may also be formed using metal sheets or magnetic materials. Furthermore, the outer substrate 40 may be molded into a card shape using plastic materials with high fluidity and insulating properties, such as UV-curing type or mixed-liquid reaction-curing type. The shape of the outer substrate 40 can be appropriately adapted to the card standard. In this embodiment, the outer substrate 40 is configured as a laminate of two or more layers, having an intermediate resin layer and an outer resin layer, which is a printing layer, on the front and back surface side of the IC card 1, relative to the intermediate resin layer. The outer substrate 40 may also be a single layer. Furthermore, the exterior substrate 40 may be further provided with a magnetic layer, a protective layer, etc., or may be coated with a functional surface coating such as thermal, thermal transfer, or inkjet.

[0042] The outer substrate 40 has a recess 50 on the surface 1f of the IC card 1. The recess 50 is formed by milling the outer substrate 40, as shown in Figure 3. The recess 50 can accommodate the IC chip 22 and the resin sealing portion 30 that protects the IC chip 22, which are provided on the back surface 21g of the module substrate 21. For example, the recess 50 is formed in a two-tiered stepped shape, with the upper tier on the surface 1f side being wider than the lower tier on the back surface 1g side. However, the recess 50 does not have to be formed in a stepped shape, and it may be formed in two or more tiers. Also, the recess 50 may be formed in a tapered shape.

[0043] IC card 1 is formed by sandwiching an outer substrate 40, an inlet 10 enclosed within the outer substrate 40, and an IC module 20 together by heat-pressure lamination or adhesive, and then punching out the shape of a card. IC card 1 may be further embossed or otherwise processed after molding.

[0044] (action) Next, the operation of IC card 1 will be explained using the manufacturing process of IC module 20.

[0045] The IC card 1 includes an IC module 20. In the manufacturing process of the IC module 20, first, a connecting coil 23 with a wire breakage prevention pattern section 27 is formed on the module substrate 21 by etching a pattern, for example, copper foil or aluminum foil. Subsequently, through holes 26 are formed in the module substrate 21, and the IC chip 22, contact terminals 24, wires 25, and resin sealing section 30 are mounted on them to form the IC module 20.

[0046] The through-hole 26 is positioned near the connecting coil 23 in the design. During the formation of the through-hole 26, it imparts stress changes such as bending stress and tensile and compressive stress to the module substrate 21. The module substrate 21 is affected by the through-hole 26, particularly the communication function of the connecting coil 23 that is close to the through-hole 26. However, since the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed between the through-hole 26p and the connecting coil 23 and is provided protruding from the inner circumference side 23i so as to be in contact with the through-hole 26p, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 acts as a stress buffer, reducing stress changes.

[0047] The manufacturing process for the IC module 20 described above is merely an example for explaining the operation of the IC card 1 and is not limited thereto. For example, after the through-hole 26 is formed, a connecting coil 23 with a wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 may be formed by etching copper foil or aluminum foil into a pattern. The order of the manufacturing process for the IC module 20 may also be different.

[0048] In this embodiment, the above-described configuration allows the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 of the connecting coil 23 to reduce stress changes on the module substrate 21 due to the through hole 26. Therefore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 of the connecting coil 23 can reduce the risk of coil delamination or breakage due to stress changes.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 of the connecting coil 23 reduces stress changes on the module substrate 21, thereby reducing the risk of coil peeling or wire breakage without significantly affecting the communication function of the connecting coil 23.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the two sides extending from the fan-shaped center of the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 toward both ends of the arc are aligned with the first line L2 and the second line L3, respectively. Therefore, while reliably reducing the stress changes on the module substrate 21 due to the through hole 26, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 of the connecting coil 23 can be minimized by providing it only on a part of the edge 260 of the through hole 26p rather than the entire edge, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and manufacturing difficulty.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing a wire breakage prevention pattern 27 on the connecting coil 23, the positional accuracy of the through-hole process can be tolerated to a certain extent. Therefore, the difficulty of manufacturing the IC module 20 can be reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, it is possible to manufacture an IC module 20 with a high degree of freedom in antenna design, and a highly productive IC module 20 can be provided.

[0052] Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above embodiment and the modifications shown below can be combined as appropriate.

[0053] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 7. 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 in all of the following embodiments, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion of the connection coil of the IC module differs from that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. The connection coil 23A provided in the IC module 20 of the IC card 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is provided with a wire breakage prevention pattern portion (auxiliary pattern portion) 27A on the inner circumference side 23i. Note that the connection coil 23A has the same configuration as the first embodiment, except that the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0054] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the through-hole 26 of the IC module 20 of the IC card 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A is provided on the inner circumference side 23i of the connecting coil 23A and is the portion that protrudes from the innermost conductor 23Aa to the inner circumference side 23i. In the following description of the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A, as in the first embodiment, only one of the multiple wire breakage prevention pattern portions 27A provided rear RR and to the right RH of the IC chip 22 shown in Figure 7 will be described.

[0055] The wire breakage prevention pattern section 27A is provided in two locations on either side of the through hole 26p, so as to be symmetrical in the long side direction D1 with respect to the through hole 26p. The two wire breakage prevention pattern sections 27A are connected to the innermost conductor 23Aa of the connecting coil 23A in the short side direction D2, and the front FR is provided protruding from the inner side 23i so as to be in contact with the through hole 26p.

[0056] The wire breakage prevention pattern section 27A is the remaining portion cut off by the through hole 26 from a state in which, for example, two wire breakage prevention pattern sections 27A on both sides in the long side direction D1 are connected at a point forward FR from the position where they are connected to the innermost conductor 23Aa of the connecting coil 23A, forming a ring-shaped (donut-shaped) structure. In this case, the inner curve K1 of the ring-shaped structure is set to be smaller than, for example, the diameter of the edge 260 of the through hole 26. The outer curve K2 of the ring-shaped structure is set to be larger than the diameter of the edge 260 of the through hole 26. The center of the ring-shaped structure is located RR to the rear of the center O of the through hole.

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A is provided protruding from the inner circumference side 23i so as to be in contact with the through hole 26p. Therefore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A of the connecting coil 23A can reduce the stress changes on the module substrate 21 caused by the through hole 26. Furthermore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A of the connecting coil 23A can reduce the risk of coil delamination or wire breakage due to stress changes.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A of the connecting coil 23A reduces stress changes on the module substrate 21, thereby reducing the risk of coil peeling or wire breakage without significantly affecting the communication function of the connecting coil 23A.

[0059] The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A may be formed in the manufacturing process in a ring-shaped (donut-shaped) form, and then simultaneously cut off when the through hole 26 is formed. Alternatively, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A may be formed after the through hole 26 is formed, so as to be in contact with both sides of the through hole in the long side direction D1. The wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27A is not particularly limited in the manufacturing process.

[0060] Although a second embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0061] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 8. In the following description, components common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Note that in all of the following embodiments, the through-holes provided in the module substrate of the IC module and the wire breakage prevention pattern portion of the connecting coil differ from those of the second embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the second embodiment. The module substrate (substrate) 21B provided in the IC module 20 of the IC card 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is provided with through-holes 26B. The connecting coil 23B is provided with a wire breakage prevention pattern portion (auxiliary pattern portion) 27B. Note that the module substrate 21B has the same configuration as the second embodiment, except that the through-holes 26B differ from those of the second embodiment. The connecting coil 23B has the same configuration as the second embodiment, except that the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B differs from those of the second embodiment.

[0062] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the through-hole 26B of the IC module 20 of the IC card 1 according to the third embodiment. Here, the through-hole 26B shown in Figure 8 shows only one of the multiple through-holes 26B, which is located behind RR and to the right RH of the IC chip 22. The other through-holes 26B are assumed to have the same configuration as the through-hole 26B shown in Figure 8 and their description is omitted. The arrangement and direction are not particularly limited and can be arbitrarily set according to the location where the through-holes 26B are formed.

[0063] Compared to the first and second embodiments, the through-hole 26B in the module substrate 21B is positioned on the outer circumference 23j opposite the inner circumference 23i, which is closer to the connecting coil 23B, as shown in Figure 8. The through-hole 26B is positioned to overlap with the innermost conductor 23Ba of the connecting coil 23B, and cuts the innermost conductor 23Ba along the long side direction D1.

[0064] Compared to the second embodiment, the breakage prevention pattern portion 27B is formed in a ring-like shape and is not cut off by the through hole 26. In this case, the center of the ring-like shape and the center OB of the through hole 26B are, for example, positioned approximately the same. Since the outer curve K2 of the ring-like shape of the breakage prevention pattern portion 27B is set to be larger than the diameter of the edge 260 of the through hole 26, the front FR is not cut off by the through hole 26 and the ring-like shape is maintained. The breakage prevention pattern portion 27B is conductive, as in the above embodiment, and is formed by etching copper foil or aluminum foil into a pattern, similar to the connecting coil 23B.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B is provided protruding from the inner circumference side 23i so as to be in contact with the through hole 26B. Therefore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B of the connecting coil 23B can reduce the stress changes on the module substrate 21B caused by the through hole 26B. Furthermore, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B of the connecting coil 23B can reduce the risk of coil delamination or wire breakage due to stress changes.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the through-hole 26B cuts the innermost conductor 23Ba along the long side direction D1. However, since the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B is set to be larger than the circular diameter of the edge portion 260 of the through-hole 26, the front FR is not cut off by the through-hole 26, and the annular shape is maintained. Therefore, even when the conductor 23Ba is cut by the through-hole 26, the conductive wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27B acts as a detour when conduction occurs, so the connecting coil 23B can secure a conduction path that allows current to pass through the innermost conductor 23Ba. In addition, the above configuration allows for a certain degree of tolerance in the positional accuracy of the through-hole process. Therefore, the difficulty of manufacturing the IC module 20 can be reduced. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is possible to manufacture an IC module 20 with a high degree of freedom in antenna design, and a highly productive IC module 20 can be provided.

[0067] Although a third embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and the following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0068] (modified version) For example, in the embodiment described above, an IC module substrate with through holes that are not metal-plated is used, but the invention is not particularly limited, and an IC module substrate with through-holes may also be used.

[0069] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the through-holes in the IC module substrate are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, but the shape of the through-holes is not particularly limited and may be, for example, conical or polygonal prism-shaped.

[0070] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion 27 is formed between the through hole 26p and the connecting coil 23, but it is not particularly limited. The wire breakage prevention pattern portion only needs to be formed around the through hole. In this case as well, the wire breakage prevention pattern portion can reduce the stress changes on the module substrate caused by the through hole.

[0071] Furthermore, the through-holes in the IC module substrate may be formed within the region of the connecting coil having a wire breakage prevention pattern (auxiliary pattern). Specifically, the edges of the through-holes are formed within the region of the connecting coil, and the through-holes are formed within the outer peripheral edge of the connecting coil. In this case as well, the wire breakage prevention pattern can reduce the stress changes on the module substrate caused by the through-holes.

[0072] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above described an example of a so-called hybrid IC card that functions as both a contact-type and a contactless-type IC card, the invention is not particularly limited and can also be applied to IC cards that function only as a contact-type or IC cards that function only as a contactless-type.

[0073] Furthermore, although the resin-sealed portion of the present invention is formed in a substantially circular shape, the shape of the resin-sealed portion is not particularly limited and may be, for example, square or polygonal.

[0074] Furthermore, the shape and size of the recess in the above-described embodiment are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed according to the shape and size of the module substrate, IC chip, and resin encapsulation part.

[0075] In any of the above embodiments, the IC module and IC card according to the present invention offer a high degree of freedom in antenna design, eliminate antenna disconnection during the manufacturing process, and provide highly productive IC modules and IC cards. [Industrial applicability]

[0076] The IC module and IC card according to the present invention offer a high degree of freedom in antenna design, and since there is no antenna disconnection during the manufacturing process, productivity is high, making them suitable for industrial use. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1 IC card 1f surface 1g (back side) 10 Inlets 10f surface 10g back side 11 Antenna sheet main body 12 antennas 121 Coupling coil (antenna) 122 Main coil 20 IC modules 21, 21B Module board (board) 21f surface 21g back side 22 IC chips 220 electrode 23, 23A, 23B connecting coils 23a, 23Aa, 23Ba: Innermost conductors 23i Inner side 24 Contact terminal 25 wires 26, 26B through hole 260 Edge 27, 27A, 27B: Wire breakage prevention pattern section (auxiliary pattern section) 30 Resin sealing part 40 Exterior base material 50 recesses D1 Long side direction D2 Short side direction Dt Thickness direction

Claims

1. A substrate formed in a sheet shape and having through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction, A connecting coil, formed in a spiral shape and provided on the back surface of the aforementioned substrate, An IC chip is provided on the back surface of the substrate and positioned on the inner circumference side of the connecting coil, Contact terminals provided on the surface of the aforementioned substrate, A wire electrically connects the IC chip and the contact terminal, and passes through the through hole. Equipped with, The connecting coil has at least a portion of a conductive auxiliary pattern that protrudes toward the inner circumference and contacts the through hole. IC module.

2. The auxiliary pattern portion is formed along at least a portion of the edge of the through hole. The IC module according to claim 1.

3. The auxiliary pattern portion is formed between the edge of the through hole and the connecting coil. The IC module according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The auxiliary pattern portion energizes the innermost conductor when the through hole disconnects the innermost conductor of the connecting coil. The IC module according to claim 1 or claim 2.

5. The edge of the through hole is formed within the region of the connecting coil having the auxiliary pattern portion. The IC module according to claim 4.

6. An outer substrate provided on the front and back surfaces, The inlet embedded in the outer substrate, An IC module comprising: a substrate provided on the surface side, formed in a sheet shape and having through holes penetrating in the thickness direction; a connecting coil provided on the back surface of the substrate and formed in a spiral shape; an IC chip provided on the back surface of the substrate and positioned on the inner circumference side of the connecting coil; contact terminals provided on the surface of the substrate; and wires that electrically connect the IC chip and the contact terminals and pass through the through holes; Equipped with, The inlet has an antenna on its surface side that can be electromagnetically coupled to the connecting coil, The connecting coil has at least a portion of a conductive auxiliary pattern that protrudes toward the inner circumference and contacts the through hole. IC card.

7. The auxiliary pattern portion is formed along at least a portion of the through hole. The IC card according to claim 6.

8. The auxiliary pattern portion is formed between the through hole and the connecting coil. The IC card according to claim 6 or claim 7.

9. The auxiliary pattern portion energizes the innermost conductor of the connecting coil when the through hole disconnects the innermost conductor. The IC card according to claim 6 or claim 7.

10. The edge of the through hole is formed within the region of the connecting coil having the auxiliary pattern portion. The IC card according to claim 9.

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