Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an IC tag and a
manufacturing method for the same.
Background Art
10 [0002] In recent years, an IC tag called an inlet, which
has a configuration in which an antenna for radio wave
communication and an IC chip are mounted on a base sheet
made of plastic or paper, has been proposed as a type of IC
tag. Such an inlet is sealed with resin, is attached to an
15 article or embedded in an article, and is used for article
management.
Citation List
Patent Literature
20 [0003] Patent Literature 1: WO 2009/011041
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0004] Incidentally, the IC tag as described above is
25 sometimes used in a severe environment where an external
force such as bending is received, and there is a risk that
the IC chip will separate from the antenna. When the IC
2
chip separates from the antenna in this manner,
communication may become impossible.
[0005] The present invention has been made in order to
solve the above-described problem, and aims to provide an
5 IC tag and a manufacturing method for the same, according
to which it is possible to prevent the IC chip from
separating even when an external force such as bending acts
on the tag.
10 Solution to Problem
[0006] An IC tag according to the present invention
includes: a base sheet having a first surface and a second
surface; an IC chip arranged on the first surface of the
base sheet; an antenna that is arranged on the first
15 surface of the base sheet and is configured to electrically
transmit and receive information stored in the IC chip; and
a protective sheet that is fixed to the first surface of
the base sheet via a bonding agent, so as to cover the IC
chip and the antenna, in which the protective sheet has a
20 protruding portion that protrudes along the IC chip.
[0007] The above IC tag can be configured such that the IC
chip is closest to the protective sheet at an edge portion
of a surface of the IC chip on the protective sheet side.
[0008] In the above IC tag, the bonding agent can be made
25 of a thermosetting resin.
[0009] In the above IC tag, the protective sheet can be
made of a resin material with a thickness of 25 to 250 μm.
3
[0010] A manufacturing method for an IC tag according to
the present invention includes: fixing an IC chip and an
antenna configured to electrically transmit and receive
information stored in the IC chip to a first surface of a
5 base sheet having the first surface and a second surface;
arranging a protective sheet on the first surface of the
base sheet via a bonding agent, so as to cover the IC chip
and the antenna; arranging an elastically-deformable
support sheet on the protective sheet; and forming a
10 protruding portion that protrudes along the IC chip on the
protective sheet by pressing the protective sheet while
heating, via the support sheet.
[0011] In the above manufacturing method for an IC tag, a
vacuum press can be used in the pressing of the protective
15 sheet.
Advantageous Effects of the Invention
[0012] According to the IC tag of the present invention, it
is possible to prevent the IC chip from separating even
20 when an external force such as bending acts thereon.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0013] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an IC
tag according to the present invention.
25 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the IC tag of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a
4
manufacturing method for the IC tag of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing a
manufacturing method for the IC tag of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view showing a
5 manufacturing method for the IC tag of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view showing a
manufacturing method for the IC tag of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another
example of an IC tag according to the present invention.
10 FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a
bending test.
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view for illustrating a
bending test.
15 Description of Embodiments
[0014] 1. Overview of IC Tag
An embodiment of an IC tag according to the present
invention will be described below with reference to the
drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the IC tag according to
20 the present embodiment (a cross-sectional view taken along
line A-A in FIG. 2), and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view
of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the IC tag according
to the present embodiment includes: a base sheet 1 formed
in a rectangular shape having an upper surface (first
25 surface) and a lower surface (second surface), an IC chip 2
and an antenna 3 that are arranged on the upper surface of
the base sheet 1, and a protective sheet 4 that is formed
5
in a rectangular shape and covers the IC chip 2 and the
antenna 3. Also, the protective sheet 4 is fixed to the
first surface of the base sheet 1 with a bonding agent 5.
Each of these members will be described in detail below.
5 [0015] Although there is no particular limitation on the
material constituting the base sheet 1, for example, the
base sheet 1 can be made of, for example, polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester resins such as
polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide resins, and the like.
10 Also, the thickness of the base sheet 1 is, for example,
preferably 25 to 200 μm, and more preferably 50 to 150 μm.
[0016] Hereinafter, for convenience of description, as
shown in FIG. 1, sides in the longitudinal direction of the
base sheet 1 and the protective sheet 4 are called a first
15 side 101 and a second side 102, and sides in a lateral
direction are called a third side 103 and a fourth side
104. Accordingly, these sides are connected in the
following order: the first side 101, the third side 103,
the second side 102, and the fourth side 104.
20 [0017] The IC chip 2 is a known IC chip having a memory
function, and is electrically connected to a dipole antenna
3 made of a conductor.
[0018] In this embodiment, as an example, a dipole antenna
as shown in FIG. 1 is used. That is, the dipole antenna 3
25 includes an impedance matching portion 31 arranged near the
center in the longitudinal direction of the base sheet 1,
and a pair of dipole portions 32 extending from the
6
impedance matching portion 31 in the longitudinal direction
of the base sheet 1. The impedance matching portion 31 is
formed in a rectangular frame shape having first to fourth
sides. More specifically, a first side 311 of the
5 impedance matching portion 31 is arranged at a position
slightly spaced apart from the first side 101 of the base
sheet 1, and a second side 312 is arranged along the second
side 102 of the base sheet 1. That is, the first side 311,
the third side 313, the second side 312, and the fourth
10 side 314 of the impedance matching portion 31 are connected
in this order. The IC chip 2 is arranged near the center
of the first side 311 of the impedance matching portion 31.
[0019] Since the dipole portion 32 has a bilaterally
symmetrical shape, only the left side of FIG. 1 will be
15 described. The dipole portion 32 forms a rectangular frame
so as to extend from the first side 311 of the impedance
matching portion 31 to the first side 101 of the base sheet
1, extend from there along the first side 101, the third
side 103, and the second side 102 of the base sheet 1, and
20 further extend along the third side 313 of the impedance
matching section 31, and thereafter extends spirally inside
the frame. Note that although there is no particular
limitation on the thickness of the dipole antenna 3, for
example, the thickness can be set to 5 to 20 μm.
25 [0020] Although there is no particular limitation on the
material constituting the dipole antenna 3, for example,
the dipole antenna 3 can be made of a conductive material
7
such as silver, copper, or aluminum. When silver is used,
the dipole antenna 3 can be formed by applying a silver
paste containing silver onto the base sheet 1 through
screen printing. On the other hand, when copper or
5 aluminum is used, the dipole antenna 3 can be formed by
etching, for example. Also, the IC chip 2 is fixed to the
antenna 3 with a conductive bonding agent 25 such as ACP,
for example. In addition, the IC chip 2 can be fixed to
the antenna 3 through known flip-chip mounting for
10 electronic components. Note that although there is no
particular limitation on the thickness of the IC chip 2,
the thickness can be 100 to 150 μm.
[0021] Information stored in the IC chip 2 can be
transmitted and received by the dipole antenna 3 as
15 described above, for example, with use of radio waves in the UHF band.

CLAIMS
1. An IC tag comprising:
a base sheet having a first surface and a second
5 surface;
an IC chip arranged on the first surface of the base
sheet;
an antenna that is arranged on the first surface of
the base sheet and is configured to electrically transmit
10 and receive information stored in the IC chip; and
a protective sheet that is fixed to the first surface
of the base sheet via a bonding agent, so as to cover the
IC chip and the antenna,
wherein the protective sheet has a protruding portion
15 that protrudes along the IC chip.
2. The IC tag according to claim 1, wherein the IC chip
is closest to the protective sheet at an edge portion of a
surface of the IC chip on the protective sheet side.
20
3. The IC tag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the
bonding agent is made of a thermosetting resin.
4. The IC tag according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
25 wherein the protective sheet is made of a resin material
with a thickness of 25 to 250 μm.
18
5. A manufacturing method for an IC tag, the
manufacturing method comprising:
fixing an IC chip and an antenna configured to
electrically transmit and receive information stored in the
5 IC chip to a first surface of a base sheet having the first
surface and a second surface;
arranging a protective sheet on the first surface of
the base sheet via a bonding agent, so as to cover the IC
chip and the antenna;
10 arranging an elastically-deformable support sheet on
the protective sheet; and
forming a protruding portion that protrudes along the
IC chip on the protective sheet by pressing the protective
sheet while heating, via the support sheet.
15
6. The manufacturing method for an IC tag according to
claim 5, wherein a vacuum press is used in the pressing of
the protective sheet.