Smartcard and method for its manufacture
AssigneeSwedish Advanced Technology Systems AB
InventorJohan Asplund
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a multilayer “smart” card and card made by the method include a flexible, conducting connection between a microprocessor and internal circuitry that are encapsulated between two carrier layers of flexible, resilient, heat-resistant material, such PET or PEN. The card may include an LCD display.
Claims10
A method for producing a flexible multi-layer card comprising active components and at least a top and a bottom carrier layer, comprising the steps of:
- providing internal contacts on at least one of the carrier layers;
- placing at least one of the active components as an internal active component integrated into the space between the top and the bottom layer;
- providing flexible, conducting, attachment means between the internal contacts on the carrier layer provided with the internal contacts and the at least one internal active component;
- positioning said at least one internal active component to an accuracy of 5 μm or less onto said contacts;
- and
- aligning a lithium-polymer band over an intended battery position on at least one of said carrier layers, and stamping out a battery shape from the lithium-polymer band and pressing the battery shape against said at least one carrier layer.
A method for producing a flexible multi-layer card comprising active components and at least a top and a bottom carrier layer, comprising the steps of:
- providing internal contacts and conductive tracks on at least one of the carrier layers;
- providing at least one of the active components in contact with at least some of said internal contacts;
- forming one or more display cavities in registration with at least some of said internal conductive tracks in said carrier layers having conductive tracks;
- positioning the flexible card before a dispenser means;
- inserting the dispenser means into the display cavity;
- injecting LCD fluid into the display cavity;
- extracting the dispenser means from the display cavity;
- and
- applying sealant to the hole in the display cavity made by the dispenser means.
A method for producing a flexible multi-layer card comprising active components and at least a top and a bottom carrier layer, comprising the steps of:
- providing internal contacts on at least one of the carrier layers;
- placing at least one of the active components as an internal active component integrated into the space between the top and the bottom layer;
- providing flexible, conducting, attachment means between the internal contacts on the carrier layer provided with the internal contacts and the at least one internal active component;
- positioning said at least one internal active component to an accuracy of 5 μm or less onto said contacts;
- providing a base assembly means;
- providing a number of feed and take-up reels supplying bands of material for a plurality of cards to said base assembly means;
- the top and bottom carrier layer being provided on the outermost supply bands;
- placing the supplying band having said carrier layers with said internal contacts as a bottom band on said base assembly means;
- providing, facing towards other bands, firstly first indium tin oxide patterns for an LCD display, electrically conducting tracks and cavity for LCD-display in said bottom band;
- placing secondly said active components aligned onto application areas on said bottom band and soldering them there;
- providing, facing towards other bands, second indium tin oxide patterns for an LCD display in said top band;
- synchronizing movements of said reels to align said pre-formed components on different bands when passing an alignment station on said base assembly means;
- laminating said bands at said alignment station to join said top and bottom carrier layers;
- stamping out said card from said laminated band;
- injecting LOCD fluid into said cavity for LCD display;
- and
- sealing said cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.