Flexible High-Temperature RFID Tag for Tire Vulcanization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-temperature RFID tags for industrial applications, such as tire vulcanization, are expensive and rigid, making them unsuitable for harsh environments and requiring costly encapsulation, while existing flexible tags may fail due to thermal expansion mismatches and chemical resistance issues.
Innovation Solution
A flexible high-temperature RFID tag with a reel-to-reel format, using a heat-resistant substrate, anisotropically conductive adhesive, and a specially designed antenna layout with thermal expansion compensation, such as winding parts and supporting arms, to maintain electrical and mechanical integrity up to 250°C, and resist harsh chemicals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional rigid encapsulation is used for high-temperature RFID tags, then heat resistance is improved, but cost and rigidity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible polyimide film substrate instead of rigid encapsulation materials. The polyimide film provides heat resistance up to 250°C while maintaining flexibility, allowing the tag to be manufactured using cost-effective reel-to-reel processes rather than expensive rigid board fabrication and encapsulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting polyimide film with specific thermal properties (glass transition temperature above 200°C) and mechanical properties (flexibility, thinness). This allows the substrate to withstand high temperatures during vulcanization while enabling flexible, low-cost manufacturing processes.
2Device complexity
If conventional bonding methods are used for the IC chip, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but thermal expansion mismatch causes failure at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent explicitly addresses thermal expansion mismatch by selecting an adhesive with thermal expansion properties matched to silicon. The adhesive layer compensates for differential thermal expansion between the polyimide substrate and the silicon IC chip during high-temperature vulcanization, preventing bonding failure while maintaining a relatively simple bonding process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite adhesive structure that combines materials with complementary properties: one material provides thermal expansion matching to silicon, while another provides flexibility and adhesion to polyimide. This composite approach ensures reliable chip attachment under thermal stress without significantly complicating the bonding process.
3Reliability
If the tag is embedded in the tire, then protection is improved, but tire failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the RFID tag from the tire interior and places it on the exterior surface. This eliminates the risk of the tag causing internal tire failures while still providing adequate protection through the flexible, durable polyimide substrate and proper adhesive bonding to the tire outer surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible polyimide film substrate acts as a protective shell that shields the IC chip and antenna from environmental damage without requiring embedding. The film's flexibility allows it to conform to the tire surface and withstand deformation during tire operation, providing protection equivalent to or better than embedding without the associated risks.
4Productivity
If reel-to-reel manufacturing is used, then productivity and cost-efficiency are improved, but manufacturing precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the RFID tag into distinct functional layers (polyimide substrate, antenna pattern, IC chip, adhesive layers) that can be manufactured and assembled separately using reel-to-reel processes. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific manufacturing requirements while maintaining overall precision through controlled assembly processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls critical manufacturing parameters in the reel-to-reel process, including adhesive application consistency, chip placement precision, and lamination pressure/temperature profiles. By optimizing these parameters for continuous manufacturing, the patent achieves manufacturing precision comparable to batch processes while benefiting from high-volume productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, durable, and reliable RFID tag that can withstand high temperatures and chemical exposure without failure, enabling efficient item-level identification in demanding industries like automotive and petrochemical, with enhanced reading range and surface attachment to prevent tire defects.
Implementation Method 1
The integrated circuit device is bonded to the substrate by anisotropically conductive adhesive having thermal expansion properties essentially similar to those of silicon
Implementation Method 2
anisotropically conductive adhesive
Implementation Method 3
The RFID tag comprises a flexible polyimide substrate... resistant to high temperatures, i.e. temperatures at least up to +200° C. and preferably up to +250° C.
Implementation Method 4
resist harsh chemicals
Implementation Method 5
a specially designed antenna layout with thermal expansion compensation, such as winding parts and supporting arms, to maintain electrical and mechanical integrity up to 250°C
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an RFID tag comprising a heat-resistant substrate made of a plastic film and capable of withstanding temperatures up to 200° C., an antenna formed on the surface of the substrate, an integrated circuit on a silicon chip electrically connected to the antenna and a joint for attaching the chip to the substrate on that the chip is capable of connecting electrically to the antenna. The joint is made of an anisotropically conductive adhesive capable of withstanding temperatures up to 200° C. and having a thermal expansion coefficient essentially similar to that of the silicon chip.