Registers – Records – Conductive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-22
2002-07-23
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
Conductive
C235S441000, C235S451000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06422473
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to circuit chip mounted cards and circuit chip modules, and more particularly to a circuit chip mounted card and a circuit chip module with increased reliability, reduced manufacturing cost and the like.
BACKGROUND ART
Non-contact type IC cards are used for the gate of the ski lift, the gate at the station, automatic sorting of parcels and the like. A conventional non-contact type IC card is exemplified in FIG.
12
. An IC card
2
shown in
FIG. 12
is an IC card of a single coil type, and includes a coil
4
, capacitors C
1
and C
2
and an IC chip
8
.
Capacitors C
1
and C
2
and IC chip
8
are included in a film substrate formed of synthetic resin. The substrate including capacitors C
1
and C
2
and IC chip
8
are referred to as a tab (tab: tape automated bonding)
10
.
FIG. 13A
is a cross sectional view showing IC card
2
. A core member
12
of synthetic resin is interposed between surface layer materials
14
and
16
. Tab
10
including capacitors C
1
and C
2
and IC chip
8
is fixed to surface layer material
14
which is exposed to a cavity
18
in core member
12
. A connection of tab
10
and IC chip
8
is covered with a sealing material
9
of epoxy resin or the like.
Coil
4
is arranged between surface layer material
14
and core member
12
. A wire
20
connects coil
4
and tab
10
.
FIG. 13B
is a circuit diagram showing IC card
2
. IC card
2
receives an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a reader/writer (reading/writing apparatus, not shown) by a resonance circuit
22
formed of coil
4
and capacitor C
1
as a power source. It is noted that capacitor C
2
is used for smoothing power.
In addition, a control portion (not shown) provided in IC chip
8
decodes information transmitted by the electromagnetic wave for response. The response is performed by changing an impedance of resonance circuit
22
. The reader/writer obtains a content of the response by detecting a change in an impedance (impedance reflection) of its own resonance circuit (not shown) due to the change in the impedance of resonance circuit
22
on the side of IC card
2
.
Thus, the use of IC card
2
allows data communication in a non-contact state without a power supply source in the card.
However, the above described conventional IC card suffers from the following problem.
In IC card
2
, coil
4
and tab
10
must be connected by wire
20
. On the other hand, IC card
2
is often put in a wallet or a pocket of a trouser, where it is subjected to considerable bending, twisting and pressing forces. However, a thickness t of IC card
2
shown in
FIG. 13A
is standard and not so thick. Thus, it is not provided with a significant rigidity against such bending, twisting and pressing forces. Therefore, if IC card
2
is subjected to a significant bending force or the like, a considerable deflection is caused. Such deflection may result in a breakage of wire
20
or disconnection of wire
20
and coil
4
or tab
10
. In addition, wire
20
may not be well connected to coil
4
or tab
10
.
Further, to ensure a space for coil
4
, tab
10
must restrictively be positioned. Thus, in some cases, tab
10
must be provided in a position where a significant deflection is caused. This may result in significant deformation of IC chip
8
. Accordingly, IC chip
8
is cracked and does not well function as an IC card.
As described above, the conventional IC card is difficult to handle and lacks in reliability.
Moreover, as coil
4
and tab
10
must be connected by wire
20
, complicated assembly is involved, thereby increasing a manufacturing cost.
In addition, provision of capacitors C
1
and C
2
and the like in tab
10
further increases the manufacturing cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a circuit chip mounted card with high reliability and low manufacturing cost by overcoming the aforementioned problem related to the conventional card.
According to one aspect, the circuit chip mounted card of the present invention which achieves the above object includes: an antenna for communication utilizing an electromagnetic wave; a processing portion performing a process for communication; a first circuit chip including at least a portion of a processing portion and having a terminal; and a second circuit chip including the antenna and the remaining portion of the processing portion and having a terminal, and is characterized in that the terminals are electrically connected by stacking the first and second circuit chips in a direction of thickness of the card.
According to the present invention, such structure eliminates the need for arranging the interconnection outside the circuit chip because a function of communication is achieved simply by stacking two circuit chips including the functions of the processing portion and antenna. Thus, insufficient connection caused by external arrangement of the interconnection is avoided. Further, even if the deflection is repeatedly caused for the card, breakage of the external arrangement of the interconnection or accidental disconnection would be avoided.
In addition, as the antenna is included in the second circuit chip which is in turn stacked on the first circuit chip, the positional restriction of the circuit chip to ensure a space for the antenna is eliminated. Thus, the stacked circuit chips with a small area when viewed from above is provided in an arbitrary position where a significant deflection would not be caused. As a result, even when a significant force is applied to the card, the circuit chips would not significantly be deformed.
Further, as the interconnection needs not be externally arranged, assembly is extremely facilitated. Thus, reduction in the manufacturing cost is achieved. In addition, as the capacitor is also included in the circuit chip, the work for mounting the capacitor is not necessary. This results in further reduction in the manufacturing cost. Therefore, the circuit chip mounted card with high reliability and low manufacturing cost is achieved.
The circuit chip mounted card according to the present invention having the above described structure is obtained preferably by providing the terminal for the first circuit chip on the side of the second circuit chip, providing the terminal for the second circuit chip on the side of the second circuit chip such that it is opposite to the terminal for the first circuit chip, and directly connecting the first and second circuit chips in a stack.
Such structure allows two circuit chips to be readily connected to form a module using a conventional technique for connecting the terminals. Thus, further reduction in the manufacturing cost is achieved as workability during manufacture increases.
According to another aspect, a circuit chip mounted card of the present invention provided with an antenna for communication utilizing an electromagnetic wave and a processing portion performing a process for communication includes: a first base material; a second base material arranged in a direction of thickness of the card spaced from the first base material with a prescribed distance; a core member layer interposed between the first and second base materials; and a circuit chip module arranged in the core member layer. The circuit chip mounted card is characterized in that it is a composition of a first circuit chip including at least a portion of the processing portion and having a terminal and a second circuit chip including the antenna and the remaining portion of the processing portion and having a terminal arranged opposite to the terminal of the first circuit chip which are stacked and connected in a direction of thickness of the card through an anisotropic conductor to electrically connect the terminals.
According to the present invention, such structure allows two circuit chips to be securely connected with the anisotropic conductor interposed.
In most cases, an opening is provided in the circuit chip for external arrangement of the interconnection before the circuit chip is mounted in the car
Chimura Shigemi
Ikefuji Yoshihiro
Okada Hiroharu
Lee Diane I.
Lee Michael G.
Rohm & Co., Ltd.
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