Multicolored logo on smart card modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10223629-B2
Application number	US-201715726417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2017
Priority date	Oct 7, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

In various embodiments, a smart card module is provided. The smart card module may include an electronic circuit in or on a carrier, a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts, a mirror layer on the smart card module contact layer, said mirror layer at least partly covering the smart card module contacts, and an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer. The optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer includes a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart card module, comprising:
an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts;
a mirror layer on the smart card module contact layer, said mirror layer at least partly covering the smart card module contacts;
an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, wherein the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer comprises a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

2. The smart card module of claim 1 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer in each of the plurality of regions is chosen in such a way that in each case light of a predefined wavelength is generated.

3. The smart card module of claim 1 ,
wherein each region of the plurality of regions has in each case a layer thickness in a range of approximately 50 nm to approximately 300 nm.

4. The smart card module of claim 1 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer for generating
a blue color is in a range of approximately 70 nm to approximately 110 nm; and
a yellow color is in a range of approximately 120 nm to approximately 180 nm.

5. The smart card module of claim 1 ,
wherein the respective layer thicknesses of the plurality of regions of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer are chosen such that a predefined verification pattern is formed.

6. A smart card, comprising:
a smart card body; and
a smart card module embedded into the smart card body, the smart card module comprising:
an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts;
a mirror layer on the smart card module contact layer, said mirror layer at least partly covering the smart card module contacts;
an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, wherein the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer comprises a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

7. A method of producing a smart card module, the method comprising:
forming an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
forming a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts;
forming a mirror layer on the smart card module contact layer, said mirror layer at least partly covering the smart card module contacts;
providing different color components by means of forming an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, having a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer in each of the plurality of regions is chosen in such a way that in each case light of a predefined wavelength is generated.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein each region of the plurality of regions is formed in each case with a layer thickness in a range of approximately 50 nm to approximately 300 nm.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer for generating
a blue color is formed in a range of approximately 70 nm to approximately 110 nm; and
a yellow color is formed in a range of approximately 120 nm to approximately 180 nm.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 ,
wherein the respective layer thicknesses of the plurality of regions of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer are chosen such that a predefined verification pattern is formed.

12. A method of producing a smart card, the method comprising:
producing a smart card body; and
embedding a smart card module into the smart card body, the smart card module comprising:
an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts;
a mirror layer on the smart card module contact layer, said mirror layer at least partly covering the smart card module contacts;
an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, wherein the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer comprises a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

13. A smart card module, comprising:
an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts on a front side of the smart card module;
a mirror layer on the rear side of the smart card module, which is opposite the front side of the smart card module;
an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, wherein the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer comprises a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

14. The smart card module as claimed in claim 13 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer in each of the plurality of regions is chosen in such a way that in each case light of a predefined wavelength is generated.

15. The smart card module as claimed in claim 13 ,
wherein each region of the plurality of regions has in each case a layer thickness in a range of approximately 50 nm to approximately 300 nm.

16. The smart card module as claimed in claim 13 ,
wherein the layer thickness of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer for generating
a blue color is in a range of approximately 70 nm to approximately 110 nm; and
a yellow color is in a range of approximately 120 nm to approximately 180 nm.

17. The smart card module as claimed in claim 13 ,
wherein the respective layer thicknesses of the plurality of regions of the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer are chosen such that a predefined verification pattern is formed.

18. A smart card, comprising:
a smart card body; and
a smart card module embedded into the smart card body, the smart card module comprising:
an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts on a front side of the smart card module;
a mirror layer on the rear side of the smart card module, which is opposite the front side of the smart card module;
an optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer, which covers the mirror layer, wherein the optically translucent, electrically conductive oxide layer comprises a plurality of regions of different layer thicknesses for providing different color components.

19. A method of producing a smart card module, the method comprising:
forming an electronic circuit in or on a carrier;
forming a smart card module contact layer, which is coupled to the electronic circuit and provides a plurality of smart card module contacts on a front side of the smart card module;
forming a mirror layer on the rear side of the smart card

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Spoettl Thomas
• Pueschner Frank
• Stampka Peter
• Belzner Mathias
• Domnick Ralph
• Weiss Daniel

Classifications

• H10W70/699 Primary

  for flat cards, e.g. credit cards · CPC title

• H01L23/49855

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06K19/07718

  the record carrier being manufactured in a continuous process, e.g. using endless rolls · CPC title

• G06K19/0723 Primary

  the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs · CPC title

• G06K19/10

  at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards (verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12) · CPC title