Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Veronika Sauer

Joachim Heinz Schober

Marcus Toth

Peter Schmallegger

Friedrich Lach

Alfred Bauer

Horst Hartmann

Ben Slager

G&uuml;nter Kolodzei

A data carrier ( ) includes an IC module ( ), having a substrate ( ), and a conductor configuration ( ) connected to the substrate ( ), and an IC ( ) connected to the substrate ( ), and connecting leads ( ) between the conductor configuration ( ) and the IC ( ), and a cover ( ) of an electrically insulating material, which cover ( ) shrouds the IC ( ) and the connecting leads ( ) and the portions ( ) of the conductor configuration ( ) The data carrier ( ) is equipped with a protection mechanism ( ) that provides protection against damage to at least a part of the IC module ( ) when the IC module ( ) is bent or twisted, which protection mechanism ( ) forms a part of the IC module ( ), consists of a ductile material, and is formed by a layer-shaped, preferably net-like, cap which is encased in the cover ( ) up to the substrate means ( ).

Data carrier having an IC module with a protection mechanism for protecting the parts of the IC module from mechanical stress

The chips for chip cards are customarily provided on a film strip which consists of a synthetic foil and a conductor track pattern and are connected to the conductor track pattern by way of bonding wires. Automatic mounting is made possible by the use of a film strip with periodically arranged conductor track patterns. For chips which can be driven via contacts as well as in a contactless manner, using a coil, conductor tracks are effectively provided on both sides of the synthetic foil forming the film strip. However, the film strip then becomes very inflexible so that it cannot be suitably handled by conventional automatic apparatus. The invention proposes to provide the metal foils wherefrom the conductor tracks are cut out with additional interruptions which reduce the cross-section of the metal foils at short intervals in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the film. The film strip thus becomes more flexible so that it can be handled by conventional automatic apparatus.

Film used as a substrate for integrated circuits

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Hamburg, Germany

Veronika Sauer