DE19502157B4 - Carrier element for an IC module for installation in smart cards - Google Patents

Abstract

Carrier element (2) for an IC module (21) for installation in the card body of a chip card (1), consisting of electrical read / write contacts (20) with corresponding connection points (21A) on the IC module (21) Bonding wires (22) are electrically conductively connected, the IC component (21) and the bonding wires (22) and the connection points (21A) of the bonding wires (22) on the IC component (21) and on the read / write contacts (20 ) are surrounded by a protective casting compound (24), the carrier element having a contacting and supporting element (23) made of metal, which is divided into electrically isolated contact tongues (23A) with the formation of read / write contacts, and wherein on the IC -Building block (21) facing side of the contacting and support element (23) a the contact tongues (23A) and the insulating areas between them covering adhesive film (3) is arranged, the adhesive film contact access openings (31) each for the implementation of Bond wires (22) to the read / write contacts (20) characterized in that the adhesive film (3) the contact tongues (23A) and the insulating areas between these ...

Description

The invention relates to a carrier element for an IC module (electronic module) for use in the card body of a chip card. Such a carrier element has read / write contacts, which are electrically connected to corresponding connection points of the IC module and enable the communication of the IC module with corresponding devices.

Chip cards have a height-standardized thickness of 0.76 mm. The carrier element is fixed in a recess of the card body which is open toward the top of the card, the residual material thickness in the region of the recess still being approximately 0.1 mm for stability reasons. This has the consequence that the carrier element with the IC module may only have an extremely low height. However, the support member must be designed so that it mechanical stresses -. B. strong bending forces - withstands and the IC chip is not damaged.

Since smart cards in the form of telephone cards, health insurance cards or the like are mass-produced mass-produced items, cost-effective and efficient production of the carrier elements is particularly important.

The DE 44 41 052 A1 describes a carrier element for an IC chip for use in smart cards, the electrical read / write contacts, which are electrically connected to corresponding arranged on the write / read contacts facing side of the IC chip connection points.

These connection points have elevations of an electrically conductive material in the form of a conductive adhesive, a fusible alloy or a solder paste and are electrically conductively connected via this with the read / write contacts. The support member has a contacting and supporting element made of metal, which is subdivided to form write / read contacts in electrically mutually insulated contact tongues. The IC module is fixed electrically conductive with its elevations on the contact tongues of the metallic contacting and supporting element. The IC module is arranged with its terminal points having the side spaced from the metallic contacts. Here, the IC module is additionally fixed mechanically stabilizing means of a curing flow adhesive on the metallic contact tongues.

The US 5,027,190 describes a carrier element having one or more ICs and to be incorporated into an identity or credit card. The carrier element comprises a layer carrier which has on its surface a plurality of contact zones, which are connected via conductor tracks to corresponding terminals of the IC arranged on the layer. The IC with its connections to the tracks is protected against mechanical stress by a hardened potting compound. To prevent the potting compound from draining off in an uncontrolled manner during use, an opening in the heat-cured layer applied to one side of the carrier layer is provided. The said opening retains the liquid hardz during its application and acts as a limiting frame. The opening is placed at least where the IC is mounted.

In the US 5,005,282 a manufacturing method for producing an electrical memory card and in particular an electronic module is described. A metal strip has a plurality of lead frames formed therein. An insulating strip is attached to the outer side of the strip so as to leave the external contacts uncovered. In the following steps, a semiconductor chip is mounted on the inside of the lead frame. Then, the lead frame is separated from the rest of the strip by punching.

In the DE 30 29 667 a carrier element for an IC module for installation in ID cards is described. This carrier element consists of a non-conductive carrier film (plastic carrier film), which on one side has a write / read contacts forming metallization. The IC module is inserted in a window-like recess of the non-conductive carrier film, wherein the connection points of the IC module with the read / write contacts are connected to each other via thin gold or aluminum wires. The gold or aluminum wires are passed through openings in the non-conductive carrier film through to the read / write contacts.

This contacting of the connection points of the IC module with the read / write contacts by means of gold or aluminum wires takes place in so-called bonding machines.

A disadvantage of this support element, however, is that the production of such non-conductive carrier films with a structured, the read / write contacts forming metallization is very complicated and costly. In a complex manner, a copper layer is laminated onto the nonconductive carrier film (plastic carrier film) in a first step. Then, the copper layer is patterned in several steps by means of the photo-etching technique to form mutually isolated write-read contacts (application of photoresist, Exposing, removing photoresist and etching the copper layer, removing the remaining photoresist). Following this, a nickel / gold layer is applied.

Based on this prior art, it is the object of the invention to provide a support element for an IC module for installation in the card body of a smart card, which is to produce in a simple and cost-effective manner and ensures a long-term safe and reliable use.

This object is solved by the characterizing part of independent claim 1. The subsequent dependent claims on these describe advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The carrier element according to the invention has a contacting and supporting element made of metal, which is subdivided to form write / read contacts in electrically mutually insulated contact tongues. On this metallic Kontaktierungs- and support element of the IC module is fixed.

For the production of the contacting and supporting elements, a metal strip - a so-called leadframe - is used in a simple and very cost-effective manner, which has one or more rows of band longitudinally arranged in succession, structured, divided into the contact tongues and the contacting and supporting elements forming segments , The contact tongues are each held with separable residual webs on the metal band body. The structured elements are formed by stamping, etching, water jet cutting or laser bombardment of the metal strip. One and / or both sides are galvanically applied on the metal strip one or more coating metals, such as copper, tin, nickel, gold, silver or palladium.

To produce such a metal strip less and not so expensive steps are necessary as for the production of a metallized plastic carrier film.

In order to prevent the passage of the potting compound through the gaps between the contact tongues, in the first embodiment of the carrier element, an adhesive strip covering the gaps is applied to the metal strip. The IC module is now either fixed directly on the tape or in a recess of the same. For contacting the bonding wires to the contact tongues, the adhesive strip has corresponding contact access openings. For the adhesive strip, preferably a hot-sticking strip is used, in which case the carrier element can be adhesively bonded directly to a recess of the chip-card body with the edge regions of the hot-sticking strip.

In a second embodiment of the carrier element, the passage of the potting compound is prevented by an adhesive strip applied to the back of the metal strip, which can be removed again without residue. After curing, the potting compound is removed again.

In the drawings, two embodiments are shown, which are explained in more detail below. It shows:

1 a vertical section through a support member according to the first embodiment,

2 a vertical section through the glued into a chip card body carrier element (see. 1 )

3 a vertical section through a support element according to the second embodiment,

4 a top view of a metal strip with the contacting and supporting elements,

5 a plan view as in 4 , but with adhesive tape applied to it.

In 1 is a carrier element ( 2 ) for an IC module ( 21 ) for installation in the card body of a chip card. The carrier element consists of read-write contacts ( 20 ) connected to the connection points ( 21A ) of the IC chip ( 21 ) via bonding wires ( 22 ) are electrically connected. The IC component ( 21 ) and the bonding wires ( 22 ) and the connection points of the bonding wires ( 22 ) on the IC component ( 21 ) and the write-read contacts are protected against mechanical stress and moisture with a potting compound ( 24 ) surround. The read / write contacts are supported by a metal contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) formed with the formation of write-read contacts ( 20 ) in electrically mutually insulated contact tongues ( 23A ) is divided. On the IC chip ( 21 ) facing side, the contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) one the contact tongues ( 23A ) and the insulating areas between these covering adhesive film ( 3 ) on. The IC module is in a central recess ( 30 ) of the adhesive film ( 3 ) and with an adhesive ( 5 ), preferably an electrically conductive adhesive, fixed on a mass-related contact tongue. For the implementation of the bonding wires ( 22 ) to the reeds ( 23A ) has the adhesive film ( 3 ) on further contact access openings. The adhesive film ( 3 ) is preferably formed by a double-sided adhesive film or a heat-sealing film. In an embodiment, not shown, the IC component ( 21 ) directly on the adhesive film ( 3 ) fixed.

In 4 is a metal band ( 4 ), from which the contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ) are made. The metal band ( 4 ) has two rows extending in the band longitudinal direction of structured, divided into the contact tongues and the contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ) forming segments ( 40 ) on. The tongues ( 23A ) are each with separable residual webs ( 41 ) held on the metal band body. This metal band ( 4 ) with its structured segments ( 40 ) provides a conductive frame (a so-called leadframe) for receiving IC components ( 21 ) for use in chip cards. The structured segments ( 40 ) are by punching, etching, laser shot or water jet cutting of the metal strip ( 4 ) educated. The metal band ( 4 ) has one and / or two or more Galvanically applied coating metals, such as copper, tin, nickel, silver, gold or palladium.

In the production of a carrier element is on the metal strip ( 4 ) an adhesive strip ( 3 ) with in each case to the contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ) corresponding contact access openings ( 30 ) and recesses ( 31 ) for the IC components ( 21 ) - cf. 5 ,

In the next step, the contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ) each with the IC components ( 21 ) by placing them in the cut-outs ( 31 ) and with an adhesive ( 5 ) on a contact tongue ( 23A ) of the respective contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) are fixed.

In a next step, the connection points ( 21A ) on the IC module through the contact access openings ( 30 ) in the adhesive strip ( 3 ) through bonding wires ( 22 ) with the corresponding contact tongues ( 23A ) connected.

In a further step, the respective IC components ( 21 ) with the bonding wires ( 22 ) a hardening potting compound ( 24 ) applied to form a protective Vergußmassemantels. In a final step, the contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ) forming segments ( 40 ) punched out of the metal strip body while the remaining webs ( 41 ) between the reeds ( 23A ) separated.

In one embodiment variant of the carrier element, the metal strip ( 4 ) and the adhesive strip ( 3 ) each from a supply roll (not shown) unwound and are connected to each other in the role / role process.

In a further embodiment of the carrier element, the metal strip ( 4 ) in individual punched strips (not shown) each having a plurality of contacting and supporting elements ( 23 ), on each of which an adhesive strip ( 3 ) is applied.

In 2 is a carrier element inserted into the chip card body ( 2 ). The double-sided adhesive film ( 3 ) fulfills a dual function: on the one hand, the flow through the potting compound ( 24 ), and on the other hand it serves for sticking in the chip card body.

In 3 is a carrier element ( 2 ) according to a second embodiment. For producing this carrier element ( 2 ) is applied to the back of the metal strip ( 4 ) the contact tongues ( 23A ) and the gap between these overlapping adhesive film ( 7 ) applied. After curing of the potting compound ( 24 ), this adhesive film ( 7 ) then removed without leaving any residue. For gluing this support element ( 2 ) in the chip card ( 1 ) is then placed on the contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) a hot melt adhesive layer ( 6 ) applied.

Claims (10)

Carrier element ( 2 ) for an IC module ( 21 ) for installation in the card body of a chip card ( 1 ), consisting of electrical read / write contacts ( 20 ), with corresponding connection points ( 21A ) on the IC chip ( 21 ) via bonding wires ( 22 ) are electrically conductively connected, wherein the IC component ( 21 ) and the bonding wires ( 22 ) and the connection points ( 21A ) of the bonding wires ( 22 ) on the IC component ( 21 ) and the read / write contacts ( 20 ) with a protective potting compound ( 24 ) are surrounded, wherein the carrier element is a contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) made of metal, the formation of write / read contacts in electrically mutually insulated contact tongues ( 23A ) and where on the the IC chip ( 21 ) facing side of the contacting and supporting element ( 23 ) one the contact tongues ( 23A ) and the insulating areas between these covering adhesive film ( 3 ), wherein the adhesive film contact access openings ( 31 ) in each case for the implementation of the bonding wires ( 22 ) to the read / write contacts ( 20 ) characterized in that the adhesive film ( 3 ) the contact tongues ( 23A ) and the insulating areas between these either completely or partially covered, wherein at partial cover at least the entire molded part and the outer regions of the contact tongues, which also serve to fix the chip module in the cavity of the card body, are covered, so that the adhesive film on the one hand the fixation of the chip module in the chip card and on the other to seal the columns of the support member against the potting compound is used. Carrier element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive film has a central recess for receiving the IC component ( 21 ) having. Carrier element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive strip ( 3 ) is adhesive on both sides. Carrier element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive strip ( 3 ) is a hot-stick tape. Carrier element according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the structured segments ( 40 ) of the metal strip ( 4 ) are formed by punching. Carrier element according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the structured segments ( 40 ) of the metal strip ( 4 ) are formed by etching. Carrier element according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the structured segments ( 40 ) of the metal strip ( 4 ) are formed by laser bombardment. Carrier element according to one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the structured segments ( 40 ) of the metal strip ( 4 ) are formed by water jet cutting. Support element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the metal strip ( 4 ) on one side or on both sides galvanic coating metals, such as copper, tin, nickel, silver, gold or palladium are applied. Carrier element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adhesive ( 5 ) for fixing the IC module ( 21 ) is a conductive adhesive.

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