Smart card module, method for producing a smart card module, smart card and method for testing a smart card module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10585034-B2
Application number	US-201816043824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

In various exemplary embodiments, a smart card module is provided. The smart card module includes a carrier and a layer stack at least partly covering the carrier. The layer stack includes a reflection layer, a light-transmissive layer arranged above the reflection layer, and a partly light-transmissive silver layer arranged above the light-transmissive layer. The partly light-transmissive silver layer is configured for reflecting part of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart card module, comprising:
a carrier;
a layer stack at least partly covering the carrier and comprising:
a reflection layer;
a light-transmissive layer arranged above the reflection layer; and
a partly light-transmissive silver layer arranged above the light-transmissive layer and configured for reflecting part of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer;

a QR code or barcode on the layer stack; and
a chip in which encrypted information of the QR code or barcode is stored.

2. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissive layer has a thickness such that a constructive interference for generating interference light is made possible for at least one wavelength of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer.

3. The smart card module of claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the light-transmissive layer is in a range of approximately 40 nm to approximately 400 nm.

4. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissive layer has a thickness for enabling a constructive interference in a wavelength range of blue light and which is in a range of approximately 70 nm to approximately 110 nm.

5. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the light-transmissive layer has a thickness for enabling a constructive interference in a wavelength range of yellow light and which is in a range of approximately 120 nm to approximately 180 nm.

6. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the partly light-transmissive silver layer has a thickness in a range of approximately 2 nm to approximately 25 nm.

7. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the partly light-transmissive silver layer has a rough surface structure such that the reflected part of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer is diffusely reflected.

8. The smart card module of claim 1 , wherein the layer stack is configured for forming combination light from the reflected light and the interference light upon irradiation with light, and is configured such that the combination light has a first combination color upon irradiation with a first type of light, and that the combination light has a second combination color upon irradiation with a second type of light, wherein a spectrum of the first type of light and a spectrum of the second type of light differ from one another at least in a wavelength range of the interference light such that the first combination color differs from the second combination color.

9. The smart card module of claim 8 , further comprising:
a further layer stack configured such that the combination light has a third combination color upon irradiation with the first type of light, and that the combination light has a fourth combination color upon irradiation with the second type of light,
wherein a spectrum of the first type of light and a spectrum of the second type of light differ from one another at least in a wavelength range of the interference light of the further layer stack, such that the third combination color differs from the fourth combination color.

10. The smart card module of claim 9 , wherein the first combination color and the third combination color have a color separation with respect to one another which is less than a color separation ΔE<1.

11. The smart card module of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one electrically insulating or electrically conductive cover layer arranged above the partly light-transmissive silver layer.

12. A smart card, comprising:
a smart card body; and
the smart card module of claim 1 embedded into the smart card body.

13. A method for producing a smart card module, the method comprising:
forming a reflection layer above a carrier, which has a chip, such that the reflection layer at least partly covers the carrier;
arranging a light-transmissive layer above the reflection layer;
arranging a partly light-transmissive silver layer configured for reflecting part of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer above the light-transmissive layer;
applying a QR code or barcode on the smart card module; and
storing encrypted information of the QR code or barcode in the chip.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the reflection layer, arranging the light-transmissive layer and/or arranging the partly light-transmissive silver layer comprises a physical vapor deposition method.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
roughening a surface of the partly light-transmissive silver layer by means of laser processing.

16. A method for testing a smart card module that includes a carrier, a layer stack at least partly covering the carrier and including a reflection layer, a light-transmissive layer arranged above the reflection layer and a partly light-transmissive silver layer arranged above the light-transmissive layer and configured for reflecting part of light impinging on the partly light-transmissive silver layer, a QR code or barcode on the layer stack, and a chip in which encrypted information of the QR code or barcode is stored, the method comprising:
irradiating the layer stack with light of a first type such that the light of the first type interacts with the layer stack;
detecting a first combination light that has interacted with the layer stack;
determining a color of the detected first combination light;
irradiating the layer stack with light of a second type such that the light of the second type interacts with the layer stack;
detecting a second combination light that has interacted with the layer stack;
determining a color of the detected second combination light;
determining a color separation between the first combination light and the second combination light;
determining a test result based on a comparison of the determined color separation with a target value; and
comparing encrypted information provided by means of the QR code or barcode with the encrypted information stored in the chip.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the light of the first type comprises sunlight.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the light of the second type comprises light of an illumination device of a portable data processing device.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first combination light and/or the second combination light is detected by means of a camera of a portable data processing device.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the layer stack is configured for forming combination light from the reflected light and the interference light upon irradiation with light, and is configured such that the combination light has a first combination color upon irradiation with a first type of light, and that the combination light has a second combination color upon irradiation with a second type of light, wherein a spectrum of the first type of light and a spectrum of the second type of light differ from one another at least in a wavelength range of the interference light such that the first combination color differs from the second combination color, the method further comprising:
during the process of irradiating the layer stack with the light of a first type, detecting a third combination light that has interacted with the further layer stack;
determining a color of the detected third combination light;
during the process of irradiating the layer stack with the light of a second type, detecting a fourth combination light that has interacted with the further layer stack;
determining a color of the detected fourth combination

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B42D25/373

  Metallic materials · CPC title

• G06K19/07

  with integrated circuit chips · CPC title

• G02B5/0875

  the reflecting layers comprising two or more metallic layers · CPC title

• G06K19/06028

  using bar codes · CPC title

• G06K19/0723

  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