A circuit board and a smart card module and a smart card employing the circuit board are provided. The circuit board includes a substrate and a pad region provided on the substrate. The pad region is configured for mounting an electronic component. The pad region comprises a plurality of pads spaced from each other and traces connected to their respective pads. At least one of the traces comprises an extension which extends along a perimeter of the pad region. The present invention provides a reliable adhesion between the chip and pad region.

A circuit board and a smart card module and a smart card employing the circuit board are provided. The circuit board includes a substrate and a pad region provided on the substrate. The pad region is configured for mounting an electronic component, and comprises a plurality of pads spaced from each other and traces connected to their respective pads. At least one of the pads has an arc edge. In the present invention, the distance between the pads is easy to be controlled during fabrication, and the stability of the adhesion between the chip and pad region is enhanced.

In an example embodiment, a circuit interconnect includes a first printed circuit board (PCB), a second PCB, a spacer, and an electrically conductive solder joint. The first PCB includes a first electrically conductive pad. The second PCB includes a second electrically conductive pad. The spacer is configured to position the first PCB relative to the second PCB such that a space remains between the first PCB and the second PCB after the first electrically conductive pad and the second electrically conductive pad are conductively connected in a soldering process. The electrically conductive solder joint conductively connects the first electrically conductive pad and the second electrically conductive pad.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor chip includes forming a plurality of conducting pads at a front face of a substrate, thinning a rear face of the substrate, etching openings under each conducting pad from the rear face, depositing a layer of a dielectric on walls and a bottom of the openings, forming a conducting material in the openings, and forming a conducting strip on the rear face. The conducting strip is electrically connected to the conducting material of each of the openings. The etching is stopped when the respective conducting pad is reached.

A memory card includes a memory card body dimensioned to house at least one integrated circuit die package. The memory card body, in certain embodiments, includes a first surface spaced apart from a second surface and a plurality of side surfaces connecting the first surface to the second surface. The memory card also includes a contact pad disposed on at least one side surface of the plurality of side surfaces. The contact pad includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and an insulating layer disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

Composite cards formed include a security layer comprising a hologram or diffraction grating formed at, or in, the center, or core layer, of the card. The hologram may be formed by embossing a designated area of the core layer with a diffraction pattern and depositing a thin layer of metal on the embossed layer. Additional layers may be selectively and symmetrically attached to the top and bottom surfaces of the core layer. A laser may be used to remove selected portions of the metal formed on the embossed layer, at selected stages of forming the card, to impart a selected pattern or information to the holographic region. The cards may be ‘lasered’ when the cards being processed are attached to, and part of, a large sheet of material, whereby the “lasering” of all the cards on the sheet can be done at the same time and relatively inexpensively.

Process for manufacturing a chip-card module. It includes one or more operations in which a meltable solder is deposited on connection pads formed in a layer of electrically conductive material located on the back side of a dielectric substrate, and at least one electronic component is connected to these connection pads by reflowing the solder. Chip-card module obtained using this process. Chip card including such a module.

A chip-interconnect arrangement including a substrate having a cavity, a chip having at least one chip contact and one chip contact surface, the chip being arranged in the cavity, an interconnect having an interconnect surface, the interconnect being applied on a surface of the substrate, and an electrically conductive adhesion medium, which electrically connects the at least one chip contact to the interconnect, wherein the interconnect surface is planar.

A method for manufacturing a payment card which includes the steps of forming a shield layer which includes ferromagnetic material; forming an inlay wherein the inlay includes an antenna and an interior edge forming a hole; forming a metal layer which includes a recess sized to receive the shield layer; and placing the shield layer into the recess of the metal layer. The shield layer further includes an opening sized to receive an integrated circuit (“IC”) chip. The recess is formed within a boundary of the metal layer and on a first side of the metal layer, the recess including an opening through to a second side of the metal layer. The opening of the recess and the opening of the shield layer are sized to receive the IC chip, of which includes a contact area.

A semiconductor chip includes at least two insulated vias passing through the chip from the front face to the rear face in which, on the side of the rear face, the vias are connected to one and the same conducting strip and, on the side of the front face, each via is separated from a conducting pad by a layer of a dielectric.