Flexible Smart Card Transponder

摘要

This smart card transponder is made extremely flexible by being ultrathin. Its thickness of only 0.25 mm is achieved by using all ultrathin flexible substrates. A Semiconductor-on-Polymer (SOP) process creates flexible integrated circuit (IC) components which are applied to a flexible antenna substrate. With suitable selection of materials, no additional substrates are required. The antenna substrate may be a thin PVC or even paper. The antenna is printed directly onto the substrate using conductive ink. Passive components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors and delay lines are also formed from conductive ink as appropriate to the circuit being implemented. Interconnections between components are created in a similar process. The ultrathin SOP ICs require no bonding wires since their contact pads are readily accessible for attachment to the interconnects through conductive epoxy. Extreme flexibility of all componentry enhances reliability while enabling inclusion of larger, more complex ICs.

主权项

1. A flexible transponder comprising:
a flexible substrate; a flexible microelectronic circuit constructed on the flexible substrate, wherein the flexible microelectronic circuit is capable of radio frequency operation; and a flexible antenna coupled to the microelectronic circuit, wherein the flexible antenna is congruent with or conformable to the flexible substrate, and wherein the flexible substrate, the flexible microelectronic circuit, and the flexible antenna form a flexible hybrid system.