JPWO1999032304A1 - Semiconductor Devices - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] An IC card is disclosed that is equipped with a thin semiconductor chip and is resistant to bending, and further includes a reinforcing plate to reduce damage to the semiconductor chip due to point pressure. This makes it possible to provide a highly reliable IC card that can be used even in mechanically harsh environments.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a thin semiconductor device, in particular to a flexible and highly reliable IC card. BACKGROUND ART Conventional thin semiconductor devices, for example, IC cards, are disclosed in pages 603 to 605 of the Electronics, Information and Communication Handbook, edited by the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers and published by Ohmsha (first edition, second printing, April 30, 1990), and in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-99267. The cross-sectional structure of a conventional contact type IC card chip module is shown in FIG.
1. The bonding pad 313 provided on the module substrate 3136
The bonding pads 3131 are connected to external terminals of a semiconductor chip 3134 by bonding wires 3132. These are molded with a molding resin 3133. The bonding pads 3131 are connected to via holes 3131 provided in a rigid module substrate 3136.
37, which is connected to a contact electrode 3135 for inputting and outputting signals to and from the outside and supplying power to the IC card. The manufacturing process of an IC card including the IC card chip module shown in FIG. 31 is shown in FIG. 34. First, bonding pads 3135 are formed on the upper surface of the module substrate 3136.
A top photoresist film forming step for patterning the contact electrode 31 etc.
a step of forming a lower surface photoresist film for patterning the semiconductor chips 3135 and the like; a step of etching a conductive film using the photoresist film as a mask; a step of drilling holes to form via holes 3137 in a module substrate (glass epoxy substrate) 3136; a step of plating the inside of the via holes 3137; a step of cutting a plurality of semiconductor chips (pellets) 3134 formed on a semiconductor wafer separately from the above;
a step of bonding 134 to a module substrate 3136; a step of bonding electrodes on the semiconductor chip to bonding pads 3131 with wires 3132;
The IC card is manufactured through the following steps: molding the semiconductor chip and bonding pads with resin to form a molded chip (completing the IC chip module); milling the card substrate to mount the molded chip and form a recess; applying adhesive to the milled recess; and adhering the molded chip to the recess. A cross-sectional view of a conventional contactless IC card is shown in Figure 6.
and ceramic capacitors 61 and 64 are mounted on a rigid substrate 66 .
These are connected by bonding wires and molded with epoxy resin 63. Ceramic capacitor 64 is connected to a winding coil 67 for inputting and outputting signals and receiving energy. These are mounted between two overcoat substrates 650 which are softer than substrate 66. Also, Fig. 41 shows the thin capacitor chip 4151 and thin IC chip 415.
3 is a cross-sectional view of an IC card in which a thin capacitor chip 41 is mounted on the neutral plane.
The external terminals of the capacitor chip 51 and the thin IC chip 4153 are connected to electrodes 4155, 4157, and 4158 screen-printed on a flexible substrate 4156 using a conductive adhesive. Spacers 4154 and 4159 are disposed in areas where there are no thin capacitor chips or thin IC chips, and an upper cover 4152 is provided facing the substrate 4156 to cover these. Manufacturing an IC card with the structure shown in Figures 6 and 31 involves lengthy manufacturing processes and high manufacturing costs, as explained with reference to Figure 34, for example. Furthermore, the IC chip is thick, at several hundred microns, and is susceptible to cracking when subjected to bending stress. While a structure using a reinforcing material to prevent cracking due to bending stress is known, this is for the purpose of preventing bending, and the reinforcing material is thick, which limits the thickness of the IC card itself to approximately 0.76 mm or less. Furthermore, the IC card with the structure shown in Figure 41 has low manufacturing costs. In addition, the thin IC chip is placed on the neutral plane of the card substrate, making it resistant to bending stress. However, it is also susceptible to localized pressure (point pressure) from ballpoint pens and pencils.
This can easily destroy thin capacitor chips and thin IC chips.
The present inventors have discovered for the first time that the application of the semiconductor chip mounted card is limited. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor chip mounted card having a structure that allows for reduced manufacturing costs for semiconductor devices having various thicknesses. Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device using the semiconductor chip mounted card. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable card-shaped semiconductor device equipped with an IC chip, in which the IC chip is resistant to damage even when subjected to localized pressure (point pressure) on the IC chip, particularly localized stress in an area of 1 ^mm2 or less. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable contactless IC card. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable, multifunctional, and easy-to-use IC card. Disclosure of the Invention The above object is achieved by providing a reinforcing plate, which is harder than the card substrate against localized stress, on at least one side of the IC chip in a card-shaped semiconductor device equipped with a thin, flexible IC chip having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 microns. In other words, the localized stress that would otherwise be applied to the IC chip is dispersed by the reinforcing plate,
The IC chip is less likely to break. A metal plate or a resin plate can be used as the reinforcing plate. A metal plate can be made thinner than a resin plate. The thickness is 1 to 1
A thickness of 10 microns is suitable. With a thickness of this order, the reinforcing plate can bend in response to bending stress. The reinforcing plate can also be provided on both sides of the IC chip. Furthermore, by providing a light-shielding film that blocks light (electromagnetic waves) from reaching the IC chip, a more reliable semiconductor device can be obtained. A conductive paste can be used as the light-shielding film. Furthermore, the light-shielding film can be formed at the same time as forming electrodes by printing using a conductive paste on the card substrate or forming coils by printing. By selecting the material, the reinforcing plate can also be used as a light-shielding film. Furthermore, when the IC chip is made up of an IC chip that serves as a mask and a plurality of IC chips that serve as slaves,
By including a mask IC chip, a semiconductor device with higher reliability can be achieved. The mask IC chip and the slave IC chip are interconnected, and the mask IC chip has the function of communicating data with the outside. The slave IC chips each store the same data and have the function of issuing an abnormality signal if damaged. This allows the stored data to be read even if one of the slave IC chips is damaged. Furthermore, the printed coil can be formed on one or both sides of the card substrate. When used in close proximity to an IC card reader, the coil may be formed on only one side. Forming the coil on both sides enables detection of weaker radio waves. Furthermore, reliability can be further improved by using an IC chip whose surface is coated with plastic resin. This allows stress on the IC chip surface caused by conductive particles to be alleviated when connecting the external terminals of the IC chip to the electrodes of the substrate using an anisotropic conductive adhesive or anisotropic conductive film. Furthermore, reliability can be further improved by using an IC chip with protruding bumps formed on the connection terminals. Furthermore, when an IC chip is disposed between the first and second substrates, a spacer having an opening in the region of the IC chip is provided between the first and second substrates,
By providing the spacer, it is possible to reduce stress on the IC chip even when stress is applied in the thickness direction of the IC card.
If the IC chip is thin (50 microns or less), a spacer is not necessary. Furthermore, connecting the external terminals of the IC chip to the printed electrodes formed on the substrate using an anisotropic conductive film can provide a more inexpensive and reliable semiconductor device. Furthermore, when the semiconductor device is an IC card, providing external terminals on the card can provide a thin (300 microns or less) contact-type IC card. By also providing a coil, a multipurpose IC card can be made compatible with both contact and contactless use. Furthermore, by incorporating an IC chip in a magnetic card, it can be used for multiple purposes. Furthermore, by locating the IC chip within a distance of 30% or less of the thickness of the card-type semiconductor device from the neutral plane of the card-type semiconductor device, a practical semiconductor device can be provided in terms of cost and reliability. Furthermore, by configuring the IC chip to be more flexible than the substrate constituting the card-type semiconductor device, reliability can be further improved. Furthermore, by providing contact portions around the IC chip at multiple perforations, a contact-type IC card can be provided. Furthermore, by using a write-once memory provided in the IC chip, an economical and safe semiconductor device can be provided. This is because a write-once memory can reduce the memory cell area by approximately half that of an ^EEPROM and cannot be rewritten. In a semiconductor device in which a printed electrode pattern on the surface of a first substrate is connected face-down to the external terminals of an IC chip and a second substrate is provided to cover the printed electrode pattern on the first substrate and the top surface of the IC chip, a hole is provided in a portion of the second substrate and another substrate having electrodes on both the front and back surfaces is embedded within the hole, thereby providing a semiconductor device with excellent economy and reliability. Furthermore, by connecting the IC chip to an IC card or a device controlling the IC card and a high-capacity capacitor chip, the memory and control functions of the IC chip are not lost even if the supply of electrical energy to the IC chip is irregularly interrupted, thereby providing a highly reliable IC card. Note that a reinforcing plate may not be required for card-shaped semiconductor devices intended for applications such as luggage tags that are not intended to be carried by a person and in which the IC chip is not subjected to localized stress. By using the reinforcing plate according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a highly reliable card-shaped semiconductor device that is resistant to point pressure, even for thin IC cards with a thickness of about 100 microns to 250 microns. Furthermore, by printing the coil pattern on both sides of the substrate, the area occupied by the coil can be made compact. By providing a conductive light-shielding film, it is possible to prevent malfunctions in thin IC cards due to light, ultraviolet rays, and static electricity. Furthermore, for proximity IC cards, it is sufficient to form a coil pattern on one side, making it possible to provide a low-cost IC card. Furthermore, by using a printed coil or an anisotropic conductive adhesive,
By providing a thin IC chip on the neutral surface, it is possible to provide an inexpensive contact IC card. Furthermore, by providing a polyimide film on the chip surface, it is possible to manufacture IC cards with a high yield. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention can be applied to membership cards, employee ID cards, tags attached to cargo, electronic money, driver's licenses, telephone cards, train tickets, gift certificates, book cards, admission tickets, etc. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of an IC card according to the present invention. 11 is an upper cover, 12 is a spacer, 13 is a thin substrate, 14 is a
indicates a rear cover, 15 indicates a front coil, 16 indicates a rear coil, 17 indicates a through hole, 18 indicates a thin substrate electrode, 19 indicates a conductive adhesive, and 19A indicates an IC chip.
The thickness of the chip 19A is about 50 μm and it is flexible.
6 are printed on both sides of a thin substrate 13 (approximately 50 μm thick) using a conductive paste, and are connected to each other via through holes 17. The IC chip 19A is connected to the coil 15 and electrodes 18 with a conductive adhesive 19. The IC chip 19A is laminated with the top cover 11 and the back cover 14, and spacers 12 are placed around the IC chip to ensure the flatness of the surface. The front side coil and the back side coil form an antenna for the contactless IC card. In order to position the IC chip 19A on the neutral plane, the top cover 11 is thicker than the back cover 14. Here, the thin substrate 13, the back cover 14, and the coil 15,
The total thickness of the IC chip 19A is set to be approximately the thickness of the top cover. The thickness of the chip can be from 0.1 to 110 microns. The thickness of the IC card can be adjusted by selecting the thickness of the top cover and the back cover. It is desirable to place the IC chip 19A on the neutral plane of the IC card, but in practice, an error of 30% is allowed in the thickness of the IC card from the ideal neutral plane. By using such a structure, it becomes possible to mass-produce IC cards as shown in Figure 49. Here, 4901 is a roll of a thin substrate sheet on which an IC chip is mounted, 4907 is a thin substrate sheet on which an IC chip is mounted, 49
02 is a roll on which the upper cover sheet is wound, 4908 is an upper cover sheet, 49
03 is a roll on which the lower cover sheet is wound, 4909 is a lower cover sheet, 49
10 is an IC substrate sheet on which upper and lower cover sheets are attached.
The IC card sheet, 4904 is a roll around which the IC card sheet is wound, 4905 is a guide roller, and 4906 is a pressure roller for laminating the substrate sheet with the upper and lower sheets. After applying adhesive to the front and back surfaces of the substrate sheet 4907 on which the IC chip is mounted, the substrate sheet 4907 is sandwiched between an upper cover sheet 4908 and a lower cover sheet 4909 and laminated. The laminated I
An IC card can be obtained by cutting the C card sheet to a predetermined size. Adhesive can also be applied to the upper and lower cover sheets. This method allows mass production of IC cards at low cost. Reliability can be improved by providing a reinforcing plate (not shown) against point pressure on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the IC chip 19A. Figure 2 is a plan view of an IC card according to the present invention. On the card substrate 21,
A printed coil 23 and an IC chip 22 are mounted.
The IC card is equipped with an MPU with a memory section, a memory control section, and a security function, a high frequency circuit (TR) for wireless control, and a capacitor (FC) for storing energy. The embossed area is, for example, the ID of the person who holds the IC card.
This is the area where numbers and the like are displayed. It is effective to provide the reinforcing plate in the area where the MPU is located, and providing it in the area where the TR and FC are located can further improve the reliability of the IC card. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device equipped with a reinforcing plate. The same symbols as in Figure 1 indicate the same things. The top surface of the IC chip 19A is backed by a reinforcing plate 31 made of a material with a higher Young's modulus than the card substrate. It is desirable that the size of the reinforcing plate 31 be larger than the IC chip, but in practice it may be the same size or slightly smaller (by a few percent). The thickness of the reinforcing plate 31 can be in the range of 10 to 1,000 percent of the thickness of the IC chip 19A. Preferably, it is several tens of microns. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing how the reinforcing plate is attached to the cover substrate. First, a reinforcing plate 42 (e.g., a stainless steel plate) made of a material with a higher Young's modulus than the cover substrate is placed.
is fixed to a cover substrate (e.g., a PET substrate) 41 with adhesive. Next, spacers 43 having approximately the same thickness as the reinforcing plate are attached around the periphery. This results in a top cover having a reinforcing plate structure as shown in Figure 3. By attaching multiple reinforcing plates to a sheet-like cover substrate (sheet substrate), this sheet substrate can be used as a cover sheet for an IC card of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a plan view of a cover substrate having a reinforcing plate. Figure 4(c) shows a cross-sectional view of part A-A' in Figure 5. An IC chip is placed within the planar area where the reinforcing plate is provided. Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a key portion of the connection portion between the external terminals of an IC chip and the electrodes of a thin substrate in a card-like semiconductor device according to the present invention. An insulating film 71 and a polyimide film 75 are formed around electrodes 73 present on the main surface of an IC chip 74.
The surface of the card substrate 3 is plated with a gold film 72 (external terminal of the IC chip). This gold film 72 is connected to electrodes 77 on a thin substrate 78 with an anisotropic conductive adhesive 79. The gold film 72 and electrodes 77 are electrically connected by minute conductive particles 76 of 1 to 20 microns contained in the anisotropic conductive adhesive. The height of the gold film 72 protruding from the polyimide film 75 is preferably greater than the diameter of the conductive particles 76. Increasing the height reduces short circuits caused by the conductive particles at the IC chip edge. The Young's modulus of the polyimide film 75 is preferably smaller than that of the insulating film 71. This prevents the conductive particles 76 from applying local stress (attack) to the IC chip 74. As shown in Figure 8, a semiconductor chip 81 with a backside irregularity of 0.1 to 3 microns can also be mounted on the card substrate 82. These irregularities are formed when the backside of a wafer on which multiple semiconductor chips are formed is thinned by spin etching. IC chips thinned by spin etching are highly resistant to bending and loads. As shown in Figure 9, the IC chip mounted on a conventional IC card still has a damaged layer 91 caused by mechanical grinding when the semiconductor substrate was thinned. This damaged layer has the drawback of causing cracks when the IC card is bent, resulting in an IC card with weak mechanical strength. This damaged layer can be removed by chemical removal. Examples of chemicals that can be used include fluoronitric acid, potassium hydroxide, aqueous ammonia, and hydrazine. Figure 10 shows the planar arrangement area of the back coil (back pattern) shown in Figure 1 on the IC.
1 shows a cross-sectional view of the main part of the thin IC chip 1 when expanded to the planar layout area of the chip.
The external terminals of the IC chip 1013 are connected to the surface electrode pattern 1011 with conductive adhesive 1012. The surface electrode pattern 1011 is formed on a flexible substrate 1014 by screen printing or the like and connected to the back pattern 1016 via through-holes 1015. The back pattern 1016 is preferably the same size as or larger than the chip 1013. By using a light-shielding material, the back pattern can be used as a light-shielding film. The surface pattern 1011 and the back pattern 1016 can be combined to form a printed coil. Furthermore, by selecting a hard material, the back pattern can be used as a reinforcing plate against point pressure stress. The thin IC chip 1013 is further placed on the neutral plane of the IC card by having a sheet bonded or laminated to the top or bottom surface. The neutral plane here is allowed to deviate by 30% of the thickness of the card substrate from the ideal neutral plane due to the precision of the manufacturing process. Figure 11 shows the planar structure of an IC card according to the present invention. In this IC card, 3
Although the present invention is not limited to this, the number of chips may be one or more. The IC chips may also be stacked. In this example, the thin microprocessor chip 1121 and the thin transceiver chip 1127 are mounted.
A thin capacitor chip 1126 is mounted on the IC card substrate 1122 .
These may also be configured on a single chip. The front surface pattern 1124 is connected to the back surface pattern 1125 by a through hole 1123. This allows for an efficient coil pattern to be formed in a small area. Various patterns are formed for the coil shape depending on the system design conditions, but the formation of front and back surface patterns is common. A portion of the back surface pattern is placed directly under the back surface of the IC chip as needed to provide electrical, mechanical, and chemical protection for the IC chip from ultraviolet rays, static electricity, electromagnetic waves, chemicals, sunlight, etc. Figure 12 shows a plan view of the essential parts of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. The back surface protection pattern 1231 is located on the underside of the IC chip 1232, facing the main surface of the IC chip. The top surface pattern 1233 of the coil is connected to the back surface pattern 1235.
The back surface protection pattern 1231 and the back surface pattern 1232 are connected by a through hole 1236 and are then exposed again as a pattern on the top surface by a through hole 1234.
235 can be formed in a single process. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the semiconductor device shown in Fig. 12 where the back surface protection pattern is formed. The back surface protection pattern 1343 is provided below the substrate 1342 and is larger than the IC chip 1341. The back surface protection pattern 1343 can be used as a light-shielding film or a protection plate against point pressure. Fig. 14 shows the manufacturing process of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. First,
As shown in FIG. 14(a), a conductive paste is screen printed on the back surface of a flexible substrate 1451 (a PET substrate with a thickness of 50 μm) to form a conductive pattern 1452 with a thickness of approximately 20 μm. This conductive pattern 1452 can be formed separately into a back coil portion and a back protective layer portion. Next, as shown in FIG. 14(b), through-holes 1453 for connecting the back coil portion and the surface coil are formed.
After alignment, a conductive pattern 1454 including a surface coil is printed on the surface of the substrate 14510 using silver paste. The silver paste material is embedded in the through-hole 1453 due to its thixotropy, and the connection plug 1453 is formed.
14(c)), a thin IC chip 1456 is then bonded onto the substrate on which the upper and lower patterns are formed by an anisotropic conductive adhesive 1457 (first
4(d)). As a result, the structure of the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 10 can be obtained. Furthermore, the spacer 1561, the upper cover 1563, and the lower cover 1568 are
A card-shaped semiconductor device can be obtained by sandwiching the spacer 1561 between the thin IC chip 1564 and the conductive adhesive 1565 (FIG. 15).
The conductive paste 15620 reduces the step. A conductive pattern 1567 (including a back coil part and a back protective layer part) made of conductive paste is also present under the thin substrate 1566. Reference numeral 1569 denotes a through hole. A thick-film type semiconductor device equipped with multiple layers of coils can also be obtained. Figure 16 shows a cross section of the device. A front pattern 1672 is formed on the front and back of a first substrate 1671.
and a back pattern 1674 are connected via a through hole 1673. Similarly, patterns are formed on the front and back of a second substrate 1676, a third substrate 1677, and a fortieth substrate 1678. These substrates are connected to each other in a layered configuration, for example, with a conductive adhesive 1675 connecting the first and second substrates. Also, a thin IC chip 1679 is mounted on the third substrate. These are IC
High-performance contactless IC with high-density coil and low-resistance coil as a card inlet
A proximity IC card does not require a coil with a large inductance. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 17, the IC card substrate 17120
A coil 1711 consisting of a single wire is provided on only one surface. This coil is connected to an electrode 1714 of a thin IC chip 1713. Figure 18 shows a cross section taken along line A-A' in Figure 17. Here, 1822 is a thin and flexible IC chip of 0.1 to 110 microns, 1827 is a thin substrate, 1824 is an anisotropic conductive adhesive, 1826 is an electrode on the substrate side, 1825 is an electrode (external terminal) on the IC chip side, 1823 is a spacer, 182
1922 is a cover, and the IC chip 1922 is placed on the neutral plane. In this figure, a lower cover is not provided, but a lower cover may be provided to make the IC card have a predetermined thickness. In the IC card shown in FIG. 18, an example in which a reinforcing plate 1931 is provided in close contact with the back surface of the IC chip is shown in FIG. 19. Here, 1922 is a thin and flexible IC chip of 0.1 to 110 microns, 1927 is a thin substrate, 1924 is an anisotropic conductive adhesive, 1926 is an electrode on the substrate side, 1925 is an electrode (external terminal) on the IC chip side, 1923 is a spacer, 1921 is a cover, and the IC chip 1922
is located on the neutral plane. A reinforcing layer 1931 made of a material with a larger Young's modulus than the cover is embedded in the cover 1921. By providing this reinforcing layer, cracking of the thin chip due to point pressure or concentrated load is reduced, improving reliability. Although a lower cover is not provided in this figure, a lower cover may be provided to ensure that the IC card has a predetermined thickness. The structure in which the IC chip is sandwiched between reinforcing layers 2031 and 2041 is shown in Figure 20.
Here, 2022 is a thin and flexible IC chip of 0.1 to 110 microns, 2027 is a thin substrate, 2024 is an anisotropic conductive adhesive, 2026 is an electrode on the substrate side, 2025 is an electrode (external terminal) on the IC chip side, 2023 is a spacer, 202
1 is the cover, and the IC chip 2022 is placed on the neutral plane. This further enhances the mechanical strength. A reinforcing layer 2031 made of a material with a larger Young's modulus than the cover is embedded in the cover 2021. This structure makes it possible to provide a low-cost contactless IC card structure that is resistant to cracking of the thin chip due to point pressure or concentrated load. Furthermore, the cover 2027
Since the structure has a reinforcing layer 2041 made of a material with a larger Young's modulus embedded, it has sufficient mechanical strength. Note that even in a structure in which coil patterns are formed on both sides of a thin substrate, reinforcing layers can be provided on both the top and bottom of the IC chip. Figure 21 shows data on point pressure strength when tungsten, a material with a large Young's modulus, is placed near a thin IC chip. This figure shows that the mechanical strength against point pressure is improved. Figure 22 shows an example in which the reinforcing plate is approximately the same size as the IC chip.
The back surface of the C chip 2215 is in contact with and backed by a reinforcing plate 2212 made of a material with a Young's modulus higher than that of the cover sheet 2211 and having approximately the same size (within a few percent).
These are electrically conductive adhesive 2217, and the external terminals of the IC chip 2215 are connected to the thin substrate 22
The IC chip 2215 and the reinforcing plate 2212 are connected to electrodes 16. External terminals and electrodes are not shown. The IC chip 2215 and the reinforcing plate 2212, together with spacers 2213 provided around the periphery thereof, are laminated with a lower sheet 2214 and a cover sheet 2211.
This makes it possible to obtain an IC card that is resistant to pressure. Figure 23 shows an example in which separate spacers 2321 and 2324 are provided for the reinforcing plate 2323 and the IC chip 2327, respectively. This makes it possible to easily flatten the IC card. Here, 2322 denotes an upper cover sheet, 2325 an anisotropic conductive adhesive, 2326 a lower cover, and 2328 a thin substrate. The upper cover sheet 2322 is larger than the thin IC chip 2327 and is arranged to cover the IC chip. The IC chip is located between the substrate 2328 and the lower cover 232
6 and spacers 2324 are laminated to form a flat surface, and the thickness is 100
24 shows a structure in which an IC chip 2427 is sandwiched between two reinforcing plates 2423 and 2432, and spacers 2421, 2431, and 2432 are provided for each of the reinforcing plates and the IC chip.
In this example, 2422 is one cover sheet, 2433 is the other cover sheet, 2425 is an anisotropic conductive adhesive, and 2428 is a thin substrate.
The reinforcing plates 2423 and 2432 are made of a material with a higher Young's modulus than the cover sheets 2433 and 2422, and can withstand adverse environments that subject them to mechanical stress.
The IC chip itself is stably adhered to a thin substrate 2428 with conductive adhesive 2425. Spacers 2421, 2424, and 2431 flatten the surface of the IC card. Even if bending stress is applied to the IC card, stress on the IC chip can be reduced. By providing spacers for each stiffener and IC chip, the IC chip can be formed by laminating layers formed in layers, making it suitable for mass production. When the IC chip and stiffener are thin (50 microns or less), the spacers can be omitted by adjusting the thickness of the adhesive during manufacturing. Figure 25 shows an example in which a stiffener 2542 and a spacer 2541 are further provided in the structure shown in Figure 22. Here, 2511 denotes one cover sheet, 25
43 is the other cover sheet, 2512 is the IC chip, 2523 is a reinforcing plate backed on the backside of the IC chip, 2513 is a spacer, 2516 is a thin substrate, 2517 is a
The reinforcing plate 2542 is made of a material having a larger Young's modulus than the upper sheet 2511 and the lower sheet 2543. The spacers 2541 and 2513
The surface of the IC card is flattened by the above process. The thin IC chip 2512 is backed by a reinforcing plate 2523 made of a material with a high Young's modulus.
2. This allows for the stable manufacture of IC cards that are resistant to point pressure and highly reliable. Figure 26 shows an example of the planar structure of the C card shown in Figures 22 to 25. A microprocessor chip 2651, a transceiver chip 2654, and a capacitor chip 2655, each of which has been thinned to about 50 μm, are mounted on an IC card substrate 2652.
These are electrically connected to each other. The transceiver chip 2654 is connected to a conductive pattern 2657 (including a coil portion) formed by screen printing on the front side of the thin substrate. The conductive pattern 2657 is also connected to a conductive pattern 2656 and a through hole 2653 formed on the back side of the thin substrate.
Here, the backside conductive pattern is shown as a straight line, but it can also be coiled. This allows weaker signals to be handled. It also allows the remote control distance to be extended. Next, a method for manufacturing a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention will be described. This allows a card-shaped semiconductor device to be manufactured inexpensively. Figures 27(a) to (c) are cross-sectional views showing the manufacturing process of attaching a reinforcing plate to a cover sheet (metal backing), and Figure 27(d) shows a plan view of the sheet after the reinforcing plate has been attached. Here, 2761 is the cover sheet (PET can be used), and 2762 is the reinforcing plate (tungsten or stainless steel can be used).
, 2763 represent sheet-like spacers. First, a thin sheet 2761 is prepared (Fig. 27(a)). Next, a reinforcing plate (several mm square) is attached to the thin sheet (Fig. 27(b)). The thickness of the reinforcing plate is 1 to 1
The thickness is preferably 10 microns, the same as that of a thin IC chip. Then, as shown in FIG. 27(c), a spacer sheet 2763 having openings corresponding to the positions of the reinforcing plates is attached to the thin sheet 2761. FIG. 27(d) is a plan view of the sheet shown in FIG. 27(c). This makes it easy to manufacture a cover sheet with a reinforcing plate. FIGS. 28(a) to (e) show a method for manufacturing an IC chip equipped with the reinforcing plate 2212 shown in FIG. 22. First, a wafer 2871 on which a large number of ICs are formed is prepared (FIG. 28(a)).
Next, a support sheet 2872 is attached to the main surface of the wafer, and the backside of the wafer is removed using a spin etch device, thinning the wafer 2873 to a thickness of 1 to 110 microns (FIG. 28(b)). Next, a metal plate 2874 of approximately the same size as the wafer is attached to the backside of the thinned wafer (FIG. 28(c)). Next, the metal-coated wafer is attached to a dicing tape with a frame 2875, and the support sheet is removed (FIG. 28(d)). After that, as shown in FIG. 28(e), dicing grooves 287 are formed.
6, a thin chip 2877 having a thin backing metal 2878 is formed.
This allows for efficient mass production of thin metal-backed chips. If the IC chip and reinforcing plate are thin (total thickness of approximately 50 μm or less), the spacer can be omitted. An example of a method for manufacturing an IC card without a spacer will be explained using FIGS. 50(a) to 50(d). Here, 500
Reference numeral 1 denotes a conductive pattern, 5002 denotes a card substrate, 5003 denotes a thin chip, 5004 denotes a reinforcing plate, 5005 denotes a cover sheet, and 5006 denotes an adhesive. First, a conductive pattern 5001 is formed on a card substrate 5002 (FIG. 50(a)).
)). Next, the external terminals provided on one surface of the thin chip are connected to the conductive pattern using an anisotropic conductive adhesive (not shown) (Fig. 50(b)). Next, a reinforcing plate 5004 is mounted on the other surface of the thin chip (Fig. 50(c)). The thin chip and the reinforcing plate are fixed together using a foam film. After that, a cover sheet 5005
The card substrate 5002 is bonded to the card substrate 5002 with adhesive 5006 (FIG. 50(d)). This simplifies the structure and reduces manufacturing costs. Here, a cover sheet is provided on only one side of the card substrate. However, if necessary (for example, to place a thin chip on the neutral surface of the card-shaped semiconductor device, or to protect one of the conductive patterns when conductive patterns are provided on both sides of the card substrate), a cover sheet can also be provided on the other side. The semiconductor device having the structure shown here can be mass-produced by the method shown in FIG. 49 using a substrate sheet on which a thin chip and a stiffener are mounted and a cover sheet, or a substrate sheet on which a thin chip is mounted and a cover sheet on which a stiffener is mounted. FIG. 29 shows a semiconductor device in which a conductive pattern 2914 formed on a thin substrate 2915 is exposed. Here, 2912 represents an upper cover sheet, 2911 represents an opening provided in the upper cover sheet, 2913 represents an adhesive, and 2916 represents a semiconductor chip. A conductive pattern 2914 is formed on the lower thin substrate 2915, and external terminals (not shown) of the semiconductor chip are connected to the conductive pattern 2914 with an anisotropic conductive adhesive (not shown). The upper cover sheet 2912 has openings 2911 through which the conductive pattern is exposed, and is connected to the lower thin substrate 2915 and the adhesive 2914.
913. This allows a highly reliable contact IC card with a simple structure to be manufactured at low cost. Figure 30 is an example of a plan view of a semiconductor device having the structure shown in Figure 29 in which the conductive pattern is exposed. Here, 3021 represents an aperture provided in the cover sheet, 3025 represents the area of the conductive pattern exposed by the aperture, 3024 represents the semiconductor chip, 3022 represents the conductive pattern that constitutes the wiring connecting the conductive pattern area 3025 and the semiconductor chip 3024, and 3023 represents the IC card. The cover sheet has an aperture 3021 provided therein, allowing the exposed conductive pattern area 3025 to be contacted from the outside. Wiring pattern 3
022 is connected to the semiconductor chip 3024 by electrodes. This makes it possible to obtain a contact-type IC card. An example of the structure of the connection between the external terminals of the semiconductor chip and the electrode parts of the conductive pattern on the thin substrate is shown in Figure 32. The semiconductor chip 3241 has pads (external terminals) 3242 on its surface. A substrate pattern 3245 is formed on the surface of the thin substrate 3246. These are as follows:
The connection is made with adhesive 3244 (anisotropic conductive adhesive) containing conductive particles 3243. The semiconductor chip 3241 is covered with a cover sheet 3247. The conductive particles are made of gold and have a size of 5 to 10 microns. By using anisotropic conductive adhesive, wire bonding is no longer necessary, making it possible to achieve a thin device and reduce the number of manufacturing steps. Figure 33 is a cross-sectional view of the essential part showing the state in which the semiconductor device shown in Figure 29 is folded. 3351 is the semiconductor chip, 3352 is the cover sheet, 3353 is the adhesive,
3354 represents a conductive pattern, 3355 represents a thin substrate, and 3356 represents an aperture. The semiconductor chip 3351 is connected to the conductive pattern 3354 and is covered by an open cover sheet 3352 having an aperture 3356. By making the thickness of the semiconductor device 300 microns or less, a flexible contact-type IC card can be provided. Furthermore, by providing a magnetic tape on the card substrate, an IC card that also functions as a conventional magnetic card can be provided. Furthermore, by using a write-once memory, the semiconductor chip can be approximately half the size of an ^E2FROM , and security can be easily ensured. Figure 35 is a flow diagram showing the manufacturing method of the IC card according to the present invention. The top and bottom photoresist patterns in the flow shown in Figure 34 can be formed by electrode pattern screen printing. Furthermore, the two conventional processes of pellet bonding and wire bonding can be combined into a single process of chip bonding using an anisotropic conductive film. Furthermore, the conventional processes of transfer molding, card substrate milling, adhesive application, and molded chip bonding can be performed in the process of bonding the cover sheet that sandwiches the IC chip, thereby simplifying the process and enabling IC cards to be manufactured at low cost. Figure 36 shows an example in which the structure of the rear opening of the semiconductor device shown in Figure 29 has been improved.
That is, a substrate in which a contact electrode 3681 and an electrode 3683 are connected by a through conductor 3682 is buried in the opening 3611, and the conductive pattern 3682 is formed by using an anisotropic conductive adhesive or the like.
614. This can improve the flatness of the contact portion and the contact reliability. 3612 denotes a cover sheet, 3613 denotes an adhesive, 3615 denotes a thin substrate, and 3616 denotes a semiconductor chip. Figure 37 shows a plan view of a semiconductor device having a first thin chip 3711 and a second thin chip 3714 for storing the same information. Here, 3712 denotes an I
In the IC card, 3713 represents a conductive pattern including a coil. Since the same information is stored in multiple locations, it is possible to increase the possibility of recovering data even if the IC card is destroyed. On the other hand, a conventional IC card is shown in Figure 38. Here, 3821 represents an IC chip including memory, 3822 represents the IC card, and 3823 represents a coil. In this case, since there is only one chip, if it is damaged by a crack or the like, recovery is extremely difficult, and there is a high risk that a large amount of important data such as a large amount of money or a private key will be lost, leading to a loss of social credibility. Figure 39 shows a first thin chip 3 equipped with a memory capable of storing the same content.
3931, a semiconductor device including a second thin chip 3934 and a third thin chip 3935. Here, 3932 represents a card-shaped semiconductor device, and 3933 represents a conductive pattern. Since it is extremely rare for all three chips to break at the same time, higher reliability can be ensured than with the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 37. FIG. 40 shows a modified example of the semiconductor device shown in FIG. 37. Here, 4042
denotes the first thin chip, 4041 and 4044 are external electrodes of the first thin chip, 40
45 is an IC card, 4046 is a conductive pattern, 4048 is a second thin chip, 4
Reference numerals 4047 and 4049 represent external electrodes of the second thin chip. The IC card 4045 is provided with a conductive pattern 4046 including a coil printed on only one side of a thin substrate (not shown). The conductive pattern 4046 includes a loop connected at one end to the first electrode 4041 of the first thin chip 4042 and at the other end to the second electrode 4044, and a loop connected at one end to the first electrode 4047 of the second thin chip 4048 and then to the second electrode 4049. Since both loops can be printed on one side, economic efficiency can be achieved. Figure 42 is a diagram showing the architecture of the thin chips and antennas (coils) of the semiconductor device shown in Figure 37. Two thin chips 4262 and 4263 are connected to an antenna 4261. Each thin chip is equipped with an RF (radio frequency circuit) and memory. Since the same content is written in the memory, failure of one of the memories causes an impedance fluctuation of the antenna. This impedance fluctuation can be used to detect an alarm. This allows the user to know that the semiconductor chip has been damaged, and to restore the information to another storage means (another IC card). Figure 43 shows a modified example of the architecture shown in Figure 42. Antenna 43
An RF (radio frequency) circuit chip 4372 connected to 71 is provided, which acts as a master and has two slave memories 4373 and 4374. If either chip is destroyed, the contents of the memory can be read. Furthermore, by utilizing the fact that the status at the time of destruction is different, an alarm signal can be sent from the antenna. Unlike the configuration in Fig. 42, by separating the RF independently, it is possible to select and configure various types of memory, and it is possible to create an IC card suited to the application. Fig. 44 is a cross-sectional view showing the external terminal portion of the thin chip 4413. Here,
4411 represents a gold-plated bump, and 4412 represents a polyimide resin.
Gold-plated bumps 4411 are provided on the surface of the thin chip 13, with polyimide resin 4412 formed between them. By forming polyimide resin on the surface of the thin chip, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of scratches on the surface of the thin chip caused by particles when adhering to the card substrate with an anisotropic conductive film, and to improve the yield. The conventional manufacturing process for external terminals to obtain this structure is shown in Figures 45(a) to (d). This will be explained using a polyimide film as an example. First, a semiconductor wafer 4521 with a device formed on its surface is prepared (Figure 45(a)). Next, the polyimide film 45
22 is coated on the surface (FIG. 45(b)). Next, openings 4523 for the electrodes are formed in the polyimide film on the surface using a photoresist process (FIG. 45(c)). After that, gold-plated portions 4524 are formed in the openings as shown in FIG. 45(d). In the conventional example, a photoresist process was required, which was economically disadvantageous. The method for manufacturing gold-plated bumps according to the present invention will be explained using FIGS. 46(a) to (d). First, a wafer 4631 on which semiconductor devices have already been formed is prepared (FIG. 46(a)). Next, gold-plated bumps 4632 are formed on a surface-treated wafer 4633 (FIG. 46(b)). Furthermore, a polyimide resin film 46 is coated on the entire surface of the wafer 4633.
Then, the surface is subjected to an ashing process to expose the surface of the gold-plated bumps, and the polyimide resin film 4 in the area where there are no gold bumps is coated.
635 is left (Fig. 46(d)). This eliminates the need for a photoresist process for the polyimide film, allowing for low-cost manufacturing. Conventionally, polyimide resin was not required if plastic sealing was not performed. That is, in plastic sealing, polyimide film was used to reduce stress on the wiring on the surface of the IC chip and prevent migration. Therefore, it was not necessarily required. However, in the present invention, unique effects different from those of conventional polyimide films can be obtained. The usefulness of polyimide resin film will be explained using Fig. 47. Fig. 47 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection between the conductive pattern 4745 provided on the thin substrate 4746 and the external terminal 4742 of the thin chip 4743. Here, 47
Reference numeral 44 denotes a polyimide resin film, 4741 denotes an anisotropic conductive adhesive, and 4747 denotes conductive particles contained in the anisotropic conductive adhesive. In the area of the conductive pattern electrode 4745 formed on the thin substrate 4746, the conductive particles are pressed firmly enough to be embedded in order to ensure stable connection. On the other hand, by providing a polyimide resin film 4744 between the gold-plated bumps (external terminals) 4742, the thin IC chip 4743 can be stably connected without damaging the surface of the thin chip 4743 even if attacked by the hard conductive particles 4747 contained in the anisotropic conductive adhesive 4741. An example of the arrangement of gold-plated bumps 4852 on a wafer 4851 is shown in the plan view of Figure 48. Generally, bumps are provided in the peripheral area of the semiconductor chip. The card-shaped semiconductor device shown here can be used for electronic money, membership cards, credit cards, electronic keys, resident registration cards, health insurance cards, driver's licenses, commuter passes, electronic tickets, electronic slips, etc. by transmitting and receiving signals with a card reader. An example of application of the card-shaped semiconductor device to an employee ID card is shown below. New employees are issued an employee ID card with the company name, department, name, and employee number stored in memory. This employee ID card can be read, for example, using a card reader installed at the reception desk of each business division, and verified against information stored separately (in a management computer) to confirm the identity of the employee. In the case of electronic tickets, the ticket obtained in exchange for a fee can be read by a card reader installed at the entrance gate. After verifying the ticket's authenticity based on the information, the gate opens and the employee can enter. In this way, various systems including card readers can be constructed using card-shaped semiconductor devices. In particular, card-shaped semiconductor devices equipped with a reinforcing plate are resistant to bending stress and local stress, allowing them to be used in mechanically harsh environments. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to electronic money, membership cards, credit cards, electronic keys, resident registration cards, health insurance cards, driver's licenses, commuter passes, electronic tickets, electronic slips, and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Figs. 4(a) to 4(c) are cross-sectional views of a main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device for illustrating the process of installing a reinforcing plate according to the present invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a cover substrate equipped with a reinforcing plate according to the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional I
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a C card. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a connection portion between an external terminal of an IC chip and an electrode on a card substrate in a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional IC card. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 12 is a plan view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention.
14(a) to 14(d) are cross-sectional views of the main part showing the manufacturing process of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the first embodiment.
7. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the effect of a reinforcing plate. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 26 is a plan view of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIGS. 27(a) to 27(d) are drawings showing a process of forming a reinforcing plate according to the present invention. FIGS. 28(a) to 28(e) are cross-sectional views showing a process of cutting IC chips from a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 30 is a plan view of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. 3
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional IC card. FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention when folded. FIG. 34 is a drawing showing a flowchart of the main manufacturing steps of a conventional IC card. FIG. 35 is a drawing showing a flowchart of the main manufacturing steps of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 36 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 37 is a plan view of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 38 is a plan view of a conventional IC card. FIG. 39 is a plan view of the card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. 4
FIG. 40 is a plan view of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional thin IC card. FIG. 42 is a diagram showing the connection relationship between an IC chip and an antenna according to the present invention. FIG. 43 is a diagram showing the connection relationship between an IC chip and an antenna according to the present invention. FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an IC chip according to the present invention. FIGS. 45(a) to 45(d) are cross-sectional views showing a conventional process for forming external terminals of an IC chip. FIGS. 46(a) to 46(d) are cross-sectional views showing the process for forming external terminals of an IC chip according to the present invention. FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a card-shaped semiconductor device according to the present invention. FIG. 48 is a plan view showing an example of an arrangement of gold-plated bumps on a wafer according to the present invention. FIG. 49 shows one method for mass-producing IC cards. FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing process of an IC card.

[Procedure Amendment] Submission of a copy of amendments under Article 34 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty

[Submission date] August 7, 1998 (August 7, 1998)

[Procedural Correction 1]

[Name of document to be corrected] Statement

[Item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction details]

[Claims]

───────────────────────────────────────────────────── Continued from the front page (81) Designated Countries EP(AT,BE,CH,DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, L U, MC, NL, PT, SE), OA (BF, BJ, CF , CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP(GH, GM, KE, LS, M W, SD, SZ, UG, ZW), UA(AM, AZ, BY , KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AL, AM , AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ , DE, DK, EE, E S, FI, GB, GE, GH, HU, ID, IL, IS , JP, KE, KG, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, M W, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD , SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU, ZW (Note) This publication is based on the publication published internationally by the International Bureau (WIPO). Please note that the effect of the international publication of the Japanese-language patent application (Japanese-language utility model registration application) related to this publication arises pursuant to Article 184-10, Paragraph 1 of the Patent Act (Article 48-13, Paragraph 2 of the Utility Model Act), and is unrelated to this publication.

Claims (42)

[Claims] [Claim 1] A card-shaped semiconductor device having: a first substrate; first and second conductive patterns formed on both sides of the first substrate; wiring connecting the first and second conductive patterns through an opening formed in the first substrate; a semiconductor chip facing the first substrate, having an external terminal connected to the first conductive pattern and a thickness of 0.1 μm to 110 μm; a spacer provided around the periphery of the semiconductor chip; and first and second cover sheets sandwiching the semiconductor chip, the spacer, and the first substrate, wherein the thicknesses of the first and second cover sheets are selected so that the semiconductor chip is positioned on the neutral plane of the semiconductor device. 2. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the external terminals of the semiconductor chip and the first conductive pattern are connected with an anisotropic conductive adhesive. 3. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one surface of said semiconductor chip is covered with a protective plate against local stress. 4. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor chips include a control chip, a high-frequency circuit chip, and a capacitor chip. 5. A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; first and second conductive patterns provided on both sides of said first substrate and connected to each other via through holes provided in said first substrate; a semiconductor chip having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm and provided opposite said first substrate, with external terminals connected to said first conductive patterns; and first and second semiconductor chips provided to sandwich said semiconductor chip and said first substrate.
and a reinforcing plate provided within the first cover sheet to cover one surface of the semiconductor chip in order to reduce local stress on the semiconductor chip. 6. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the external terminals of the semiconductor chip are gold-plated bumps, and a polyimide resin film is provided around the gold-plated bumps. [Claim 7] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a semiconductor chip having a thickness of 0.1 μm to 110 μm and disposed opposite the first substrate; a first conductive pattern disposed on one surface of the first substrate and connected to an external terminal of the semiconductor chip; a second conductive pattern disposed on the other surface of the first substrate and connected to the first conductive pattern through an opening formed in the first substrate; a light-shielding film covering the semiconductor chip and disposed on the same side of the first substrate as the second conductive pattern; and first and second cover sheets disposed on either side of the semiconductor chip and first substrate. 8. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said light-shielding film is made of a material having a higher Young's modulus than said second cover sheet. [Claim 9] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; first and second conductive patterns provided on both sides of the first substrate and connected to each other via openings provided in the first substrate; a semiconductor chip provided opposite the first substrate, with an external terminal connected to the first conductive pattern and having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm; second and third substrates provided on either side of the first substrate and the semiconductor chip; a third conductive pattern provided on one side of the second substrate and connected to the first conductive pattern; a fourth conductive pattern provided on the other side of the second substrate and connected to the third conductive pattern via a through hole provided in the second substrate; a fifth conductive pattern provided on one side of the third substrate and connected to the second conductive pattern; and a sixth conductive pattern provided on the other side of the third substrate and connected to the fifth conductive pattern via a through hole provided in the third substrate. 10. A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a semiconductor chip having a thickness of 0.1 μm to 110 μm, the semiconductor chip being disposed opposite the first substrate; and a first terminal connected to an external terminal of the semiconductor chip and disposed on the first substrate.
a conductive pattern; a cover sheet covering the semiconductor chip and provided on the first substrate; and a reinforcing plate covering the semiconductor chip and provided within the cover sheet, for reducing local stress on the semiconductor chip. 11. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the material of said cover sheet is PET, and the material of said reinforcing plate is tungsten or stainless steel. [Claim 12] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a first reinforcing plate provided within the first substrate and made of a material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the material of the first substrate; a conductive pattern provided on the first substrate; a semiconductor chip having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm and provided opposite the first substrate, with external terminals connected to the conductive pattern; a cover sheet covering the semiconductor chip and provided opposite the first substrate; and a second reinforcing plate covering the semiconductor chip and made of a material having a Young's modulus greater than that of the material of the cover sheet. 13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein said first and second reinforcing plates are made of metal. [Claim 14] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a conductive pattern provided on the first substrate; a semiconductor chip having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm and provided opposite the first substrate, with external terminals connected to the conductive pattern; a reinforcing plate provided on the back surface of the semiconductor chip for reducing local stress on the semiconductor chip; and first and second cover sheets sandwiching the first substrate, the stacked semiconductor chips, and the reinforcing plate. [Claim 15] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a conductive pattern provided on the first substrate; a semiconductor chip provided opposite the first substrate, with an external terminal connected to the conductive pattern and having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm; a first spacer provided around the periphery of the semiconductor chip; a reinforcing plate provided to cover the semiconductor chip to reduce local stress on the semiconductor chip; a second spacer provided around the periphery of the reinforcing plate; and first and second cover sheets provided between the first substrate, the semiconductor chip, the first spacer, the reinforcing plate, and the second spacer. [Claim 16] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a conductive pattern provided on the sixteenth substrate; a semiconductor chip provided opposite the first substrate, having an external terminal connected to the conductive pattern and a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm; a first spacer provided around the periphery of the semiconductor chip; first and second reinforcing plates provided on either side of the semiconductor chip to relieve local stress on the semiconductor chip; second and third spacers provided around the periphery of the first and second reinforcing plates, respectively; and first and second cover sheets provided on either side of the first substrate, the semiconductor chip, the first and second reinforcing plates, and the first, second, and third spacers. 17. A semiconductor device comprising: a first substrate; a conductive pattern provided on said first substrate; a semiconductor chip provided opposite said first substrate, with external terminals connected to said conductive pattern, and having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm; a first reinforcing plate provided on the back surface of said semiconductor chip for reducing local stress on said semiconductor chip; and a first reinforcing plate provided around the stacked semiconductor chip and first reinforcing plate.
a second reinforcing plate provided on the opposite side of the first substrate from the semiconductor chip for reducing local stress on the semiconductor chip; a second spacer provided around the periphery of the second reinforcing plate; and first and second cover sheets provided to sandwich the first substrate, the stacked semiconductor chip, the first reinforcing plate, the second reinforcing plate, and the second spacer. 18. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said card-shaped semiconductor device is a contactless IC card. 19. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said card-shaped semiconductor device is a contact-type IC card. 20. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor chip has a high frequency circuit section and a memory section, and a plurality of such semiconductor chips are provided. 21. The semiconductor chip according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor chip includes an RF chip and a plurality of memory chips connected to the RF chip.
8. The card-shaped semiconductor device according to any one of items 7 to 7. [Claim 22] A card-shaped semiconductor device characterized in that a thin, flexible IC chip having a thickness of 0.1 to 110 μm and a mirror-finished back surface is reinforced on both or one side with a metal or resin substrate having a thickness of 1 to 110 μm, and the IC chip is placed on the neutral surface of the substrate. [Claim 23] A card-shaped semiconductor device having a printed coil connected to the front and back surfaces of a substrate by a through-hole, and a light-shielding pattern formed on the back surface of the same material and thickness as the printed coil, the light-shielding pattern being located under an IC chip mounted on the front surface of the substrate. [Claim 24] A card-shaped semiconductor device comprising a mask IC chip and multiple slave IC chips, which are interconnected, the mask IC chip having the function of communicating data with the outside, and the slaves having the function of storing the data, characterized in that even if any of these IC chips is destroyed, an abnormality signal is issued and the contents of the slave IC chip can be read. [Claim 25] A card-shaped semiconductor device characterized in that a coil pattern is formed only on the substrate surface on which an IC chip is mounted, the terminals of the coil are connected to the IC chip with conductive adhesive, the thickness of the IC chip is 1 to 110 microns, and it is placed on the neutral surface of the completed IC card. [Claim 26] A semiconductor device in which an IC chip is connected face down to a substrate with a conductive adhesive, characterized in that the surface of the IC chip is coated with plastic resin except for the connection terminal portion with the substrate. [Claim 27] A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that protruding bumps are formed on the connection terminal portions, then plastic resin is coated on them, and then the IC chip with the protruding bump portions exposed is connected face down to the substrate using an asher with a conductive adhesive. [Claim 28] A semiconductor device characterized in that a conductive electrode pattern placed on the surface of a first substrate is connected face-down to one or more semiconductor chips, a second substrate is adhered so as to cover the conductive electrode pattern of the first substrate and the top surface of the semiconductor chip, and a hole is formed in a portion of the second substrate so that the conductive electrode pattern of the first substrate is exposed through the hole. 29. The semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein the semiconductor chip and the conductive electrode pattern are connected by an anisotropic conductive film. 30. The semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein the formed semiconductor device is a contact IC card having a thickness of 300 μm or less. 31. The semiconductor device according to claim 30, wherein the substrate of the formed semiconductor device is a magnetic card. Claim 32: The semiconductor chip has a thickness of 110 μm or less, and the midplane of said semiconductor chip is within a distance difference of 30 percent or less of the midplane of the thickness of the IC card formed thereon.
29. The semiconductor device according to any one of items 1 to 28. 33. A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein the semiconductor chip is bonded to a flexible substrate, and has a structure in which bending of the substrate and bending of the chip follow each other. 34. A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein said semiconductor chip is arranged so that a plurality of openings are present around the periphery of said semiconductor chip. 35. A semiconductor device according to claim 30, wherein said semiconductor chip is a write-once memory. [Claim 36] A semiconductor device characterized in that a conductive electrode pattern placed on the surface of a first substrate is connected face-down to a semiconductor chip, a second substrate is adhered so as to cover the conductive electrode pattern of the first plate and the top surface of the semiconductor chip, a portion of the second substrate is drilled, and another substrate having electrodes on its front and back surfaces is embedded in the drilled portion. [Claim 37] A semiconductor device characterized in that a semiconductor chip, a card or a device controlling the card, and a large-capacity capacitor chip are electrically connected, and the capacitance value of the capacitor chip is such that the memory and control functions of the semiconductor chip are not lost even if the supply of electrical energy to the semiconductor chip is irregularly interrupted. 38. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the thickness of said metal substrate or said resin substrate is greater than the thickness of said IC chip. [Claim 39] A process comprising the steps of: preparing a semiconductor wafer on which a plurality of IC chips are formed; removing the back surface of the semiconductor wafer and thinning it to a thickness of 0.1 μm to 110 μm; attaching a metal plate to the back surface of the thinned semiconductor wafer as a reinforcing plate for reducing local stress on the IC chips; and cutting the semiconductor wafer with the metal plate attached using a laser beam.
A method for manufacturing a card-shaped semiconductor device, comprising: a step of forming a laminate of the metal plate and the IC chip; and a step of mounting the laminate on a card-shaped substrate. [Claim 40] A method for manufacturing a card-shaped semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: preparing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of IC chips formed thereon; removing the back surface of the semiconductor wafer and thinning it to a thickness of 0.1 μm to 110 μm; cutting the semiconductor wafer into individual IC chips; preparing a thin substrate having a conductive pattern formed thereon; placing the IC chips opposite the thin substrate and connecting external terminals provided on one side of the IC chip to the conductive pattern; attaching a reinforcing plate to the other side of the IC chip to reduce localized stress on the IC chip; and forming a cover sheet sandwiching the IC chip with the reinforcing plate adhered thereto. 41. The method for manufacturing a card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 40, wherein said IC chip and said reinforcing plate are bonded together. 42. The method for manufacturing a card-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 40, wherein said IC chip and said reinforcing plate are attached together using a foam film.