Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-23
2001-12-11
Gandhi, Jayprakash N. (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S752000, C361S736000, C174S050510, C235S492000, C257S679000, C029S841000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330162
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an IC card adopting a thermoplastic resin with a short solidification time, a hybrid integrated circuit device, and manufacturing methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, good use of IC cards has been made in various places. For example, IC cards are in demand for ski lift tickets in a skiing ground, train tickets, a book of swimming pool tickets, etc., including credit cards; it is desired that the IC cards can be used even under hostile conditions.
Generally, two types of sealing methods are adopted from the viewpoint of cost merit. In one sealing method, such means putting a lid on an insulating substrate on which circuit elements of semiconductor elements, etc., are mounted, generally called a case is adopted for sealing. This structure is a hollow structure or a resin is poured into the hollow structure.
The other sealing method is transfer mold, famous as a semiconductor IC mold method. In the transfer mold, generally a thermosetting resin is adopted, a metal mold is raised to about 180 degrees, and the thermosetting resin is hardened (namely, thermally reacts and is polymerized and solidified) with the temperature maintained, then is taken out from the metal mold as a sealing body. To mount an IC chip on a lead frame, soldering is used, but generally is high-temperature soldering and a problem of solder melting does not arise.
However, the sealing structure using a case requires a margin in a substrate so that the case does not come in contact with elements therein, enlarging the outside size.
On the other hand, as seen from the description given above, the transfer mold involves hardening while heating and thus requires a long time for the process; productivity cannot be improved.
Then, the applicant paid attention to a thermoplastic resin not requiring a long time. The thermoplastic resin is heated and melted without hardening reaction and if cooled, it is solidified (namely, becomes solid without reaction). Therefore, after the thermoplastic resin is poured, it is solidified if cooled; sealing can be provided in a short time. However, to seal with a thermoplastic resin, for example, with injection mold, the resin temperature at the pouring time is high (about 300 degrees) and solder is melted, causing a failure in electric connection of circuit elements mounted in an insulating substrate.
Here, high-temperature solder may be used. However, considering degradation of insulating resin under a conductive pattern, low-melting-point solder is preferred. Then, the invention assumes that solder at about 180-250 degrees is adopted in the description to follow.
Generally, the rear face of an insulating substrate is exposed and there is a problem in insulation property between IC card insulating substrate and IC card module attachment chassis. There is a problem in resistance to humidity because of the entry of moisture on the interface between the exposed rear face of IC card insulating substrate and thermoplastic resin sealing the surroundings thereof.
If a substrate inferior in thermal conductivity, such as a printed-circuit board, a flexible sheet, a glass substrate, or a ceramic substrate, is used, solder is melted.
Further, in full mold using transfer mold, a gap is provided between the rear face of a substrate and a metal mold to draw a resin into the rear face of the insulating substrate. Thus, the gap is provided using a pin or by sandwiching the insulating substrate between the upper and lower metal mold parts. However, in injection mold using thermoplastic resin, injection pressure is high (50-200 Kg/cm2), thus the insulating substrate bends, a bonding wire is broken, etc.
A pin trace remains in the pin-supported point and the appearance worsens.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is to overcome the above-described disadvantages:
first, by providing an IC card module comprising a support member being made of a thermoplastic resin and having an area on which at least a substrate is placed and a sealing member made of a thermoplastic resin into which an exposure part of the support member is melted and integrated; and
second, by providing an IC card module comprising a support member being made of a thermoplastic resin and having a first groove and a second groove on which at least a substrate and a coil are placed and a sealing member made of a thermoplastic resin into which an exposure part of the support member is melted and integrated so as to substantially seal the substrate.
The thermoplastic resin is a material which is melted when reaching one temperature and is solidified when cooled. Thus, the support member made of a thermoplastic resin previously placed in a metal mold is melted upon reception of the heat of a poured thermoplastic resin and is integrated. Therefore, the IC card insulating substrate is molded in one piece with the support member and the poured thermoplastic resin and the rear face of the substrate can be covered. The dielectric strength characteristic and moisture resistance can be improved.
The invention is to overcome the above-described disadvantages third by providing an IC card module comprising a sealing member made up of a thermosetting resin provided covering solder and a thermoplastic resin into which an exposure part of the support member is melted and integrated so as to substantially seal the substrate.
The melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin is very high (about 300 degrees). However, a resin is applied to the solder portion, whereby the heat of the directly melted, poured resin is not transmitted and solder melting can be prevented.
The invention is to overcome the above-described disadvantages fourthly by providing an IC card module comprising a support member being made of a thermoplastic resin and having a first groove and a second groove on which at least a substrate and a coil are placed, the substrate being mounted in the first groove and having a semiconductor IC electrically connected to a conductive pattern formed on a surface of the substrate, the coil being mounted in the second groove and electrically connected to the conductive pattern of the substrate, and a sealing member made up of a thermosetting resin provided bridging the groove and a thermoplastic resin into which an exposure part of the support member is melted and integrated so as to substantially seal the substrate.
The injection pressure of the thermoplastic resin, for example, a PPS resin comes up to about 50-200 Kg/cm
2
and causes the coil or the insulating substrate to shift, but the coil and the substrate are buried in the grooves and therefore the shift can be prevented in addition to preventing of melting of the solder described above.
The invention is to overcome the above-described disadvantages fifthly by providing an IC card module comprising a support member being made of a thermoplastic resin and having an area on which at least a substrate is placed and means for abutting a metal mold on a plane, a line, or a point on a side and a sealing member made of a thermoplastic resin into which an exposure part of the support member is melted and integrated so as to substantially seal the substrate.
The substrate is molded in one piece with the thermoplastic resin and the rear face of the substrate can be covered. The dielectric strength characteristic and moisture resistance can be improved. Moreover, if the abutment means is provided on the side of the support member, the poured resin can be extended to the side and rear face of the support member and the exposure area of the support member can be lessened; furthermore moisture resistance can be improved.
The invention is to overcome the above-described disadvantages sixthly by providing an IC card module comprising a support member being made of a thermoplastic resin and having a first groove and a second groove on which at least a substrate and a coil are placed and means for abutting a metal mold on a plane, a line, or a point on a side, the substrate being mounted in the first g
Sakamoto Noriaki
Shimizu Hisashi
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Gandhi Jayprakash N.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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