New solutions for the production of Smart Label inlets with Interposer
05 June, 2003
category: Contactless
Roding. A lot of Mühlbauer’s machines installed world-wide daily, proof the efficiency of the technology of the Smart Label production. 8 years of experience in the Smart Label production has contributed to solutions for each kind of Smart Label implanting (Interposer and Flip Chip process). Interposer can be mounted onto the antenna by the new TMA6000; labels which are manufactured by the Flip Chip process can be produced by the established machines, TAL4000 and TAL8000.
The newest innovation of the Smart Label machines is the TMA6000, which was introduced for the first time in May at the Card Tech/Secure Tech in Orlando, Florida. TMA stands for Tag Module Assembly. Module means a RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, which is applied onto a positioning strip called Interposer. These Interposer modules are offered by prominent semiconductor manufacturers in roll forms.
Also, available in roll forms are antenna tapes, which can be processed by the TMA6000. As substrate for these antenna volumes usually a PET-foil is used, whereby a coil made out of copper or aluminium is applied onto the surface. Substrates of paper with an printed antenna can be processed in the same method.
In order to produce a functional label, the Interposer is separated and by a patented process, connected with high speed to the antenna coil. Before the finished labels are rolled up, they are tested for their function.
The TMA6000 is a simple, fast and lowly-priced machine for beginning the production of Smart Labels. The machine is available as a stand-alone model with low foot prints. For the production of Smart Labels with this machine, no special requirements are necessary.
TAL4000 and TAL8000 are known as extremely durable and reliable.
For flip chip production, Mühlbauer AG offers the TAL4000 and the new TAL8000. The TAL8000 avails itself of the technology of the well known TAL 4000, which has a reputation of being extremely durable and reliable. The TAL 4000 and TAL 8000 work, like the TMA 6000, with “reel to reel process”. The antenna tape can be processed up to a width of 460mm. Several antennas can be distributed over the width of the tape (multi row). The extremely flexible machine concept permits the assembly of tapes in almost every antenna design.
Contrary to the TMA 6000, the TAL 4000 and the TAL 8000 are not assembling modules (interposer), but directly flip chips. Standard processes for the flip chip applications are, by connecting the dies by ACP (Anisotropic Conductive Paste), NCP (Non-Conductive Paste) and ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film).
After placing the antennas with the RFID chips, which are taken directly by a wafer, the Final Bonder connects the chips electrically with the bond PAD of the antenna. In the subsequent test, rejected inlets are marked.
For the subsequent treatment of the Smart Labels, different options for output module are available. With the help of a slicing mechanism, the antenna tape can be sliced in a longitudinal direction and transferred from the multi row onto a single row. In over and above this addition, a slicing mechanism in transverse direction is available, which slices the roll into sheets. These sheets are necessary for the subsequent treatment of the inlets for cards, e.g. ISO cards.
Cost efficiency and simple manufacturing
For the TMA 6000, an additional important step for a simple cost efficient solution for the manufacturing of RFID transponders has been created. The TMA enables the production of Smart Label inlets without any requirement of prior technical knowledge and know-how in the Semiconductor field for the user. This is because the user of the machine, handling the finished module (Interposer) and the assembly of the chips to the carrier is done by the Semi-conductor manufacturers.
Basing on all of the above, Mühlbauer AG is now able to offer a solution of Interposer assembly (TMA6000), as well as long-existent solutions for the production of Smart Label inlets (TAL4000 & TAL8000) with the flip chip process.
Kontakt:
Mühlbauer AG
Werner-von-Siemens-Str.3
93426 Roding
Phone: +49-9461-952-0
Fax: +49-9461-952-100