IC card and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An IC body is loaded to a case 2 made of thermosetting resin material and sealed with a sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material to be integrated, whereby an IC card is manufactured. The IC body comprises: a wiring substrate formed with an external connection terminal at a back surface thereof; a semiconductor chip loaded over a surface of the wiring substrate and electrically connected to the external connection terminal via a interconnect; and the sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material so as to cover the semiconductor chip and a bonding wire. The sealing portion is formed so that the external connection terminal is exposed. The present invention makes it possible to heighten the strength of IC cards and at the same time, to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the reliability.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . A manufacturing method of an IC card, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preparing a semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip sealed at least partially with a first sealing portion made of a thermosetting resin material and having, over a first surface, an external connection terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor chip;    (b) preparing a case which is made of a thermoplastic resin material and to which the semiconductor device can be loaded;    (c) loading the semiconductor device in the case; and    (d) sealing the semiconductor device with a second sealing portion made of a thermoplastic resin material so as to expose the external connection terminal, thereby forming the semiconductor device integral with the case.    
   
   
       13 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , wherein the step (a) comprises the steps of: 
 (a1) preparing a wiring substrate having the external connection terminal and interconnect;    (a2) disposing the semiconductor chip over the wiring substrate and electrically connecting the semiconductor chip to the external connection terminal via the interconnect; and    (a3) forming the first sealing portion made of a thermosetting resin material so as to seal at least a portion of the semiconductor chip over the wiring substrate.    
   
   
       14 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 13 , wherein in the step (a3), the first sealing portion is formed to cover the semiconductor chip.  
   
   
       15 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 13 , 
 wherein in the step (a2), the interconnect is electrically connected to the semiconductor chip via a connecting member, and    wherein in the step (a3), the connecting member is covered with the first sealing portion.    
   
   
       16 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 13 , wherein in the second step (a2), the semiconductor chip is disposed over a surface of the wiring substrate on the side opposite to the surface over which the external connection terminal is formed.  
   
   
       17 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , wherein in the step (d), the second sealing portion is formed to cover a region, other than the external connection terminal, of the first surface of the semiconductor device.  
   
   
       18 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein a projecting portion is formed over the first surface of the semiconductor device, and the external connection terminal is formed over the projecting portion, and    wherein in the step (d), the second sealing portion is formed to cover a region, other than the projecting portion, of the first surface of the semiconductor device.    
   
   
       19 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein in the step (b), the case is formed by injection molding using a first lower mold and a first upper mold,    wherein in the step (c), the semiconductor device is loaded over the case after the step (b), and    wherein in the step (d), the second sealing portion is formed by injection molding using the first lower mold and a second upper mold after the step (c).    
   
   
       20 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , wherein a thermoplastic resin used for the formation of the case in the step (b) and a thermoplastic resin used for the formation of the second sealing portion in the step (d) are the same material.  
   
   
       21 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , further comprising, after the step (d), a step of: 
 attaching a mechanically operated part.    
   
   
       22 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein the step (d) further comprises a step of disposing the case having the semiconductor device loaded thereto in a cavity of a mold, introducing a thermoplastic resin material in the cavity, and forming the second sealing portion, and    wherein the thermoplastic resin material is heated in advance to a temperature higher than the softening temperature of the case upon introduction of the thermoplastic resin material in the cavity.    
   
   
       23 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , wherein the step (a) comprises the steps of: 
 preparing a lead frame having a die pad portion and a lead portion;    loading the semiconductor chip to the die pad portion and wire bonding the semiconductor chip to the lead portion; and    forming the first sealing portion made of a thermosetting resin material so as to cover the semiconductor chip, the die pad portion and the lead portion and to expose, from the outer surface of the first sealing portion, a portion of the outer surface of the lead portion as the external connection terminal.    
   
   
       24 . A manufacturing method of an IC card according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein in the step (a), a plurality of the semiconductor devices are prepared,    wherein in the step (b), a frame having an array of a plurality of the cases is prepared,    wherein in the step (c), the semiconductor device is loaded in each of the plurality of the cases constituting the frame, and    wherein in the step (d), the second sealing portions are formed in block for the plurality of the cases constituting the frame, respectively.