US-20260127401-A1 - Method and Apparatus

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a smartcard inlay is provided. The method includes providing a dielectric sheet; depositing, on a first major surface of the dielectric sheet, an active matrix TFT array comprising at least one conductive layer; wherein the at least one conductive layer is deposited on regions of the dielectric sheet outside of the active matrix TFT array to provide electrical connections of the inlay.

Inventors

• Michael COWIN
• Henricus Derckx
• Wilhelmus Van Lier
• Toru Sakai

Assignees

• Touch Biometrix B.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251219

Priority Date

20200910

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A fingerprint sensor for incorporation into a smartcard, the sensor comprising: a laminar dielectric substrate comprising a first sensing zone, and a second sensing zone separate from the first sensing zone; wherein the first sensing zone and the second sensing zone are arranged to provide touch sensitive surfaces for sensing fingerprints on opposite faces of the smartcard.
2. 2 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive surfaces overlie each other on said opposite faces.
3. 3 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first sensing zone and the second sensing zone each comprise a matrix of pixels comprising a plurality of columns, wherein each column of the first sensing zone is electrically connected to a respective corresponding column of the second sensing zone for providing readout signals.
4. 4 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 1 , comprising a connection zone between the two sensing zones to enable the communication of sensing and/or control signals of at least one sensing zone.
5. 5 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 4 , wherein the connection zone comprises conductive tracks connecting columns of pixels of the first sensing zone to columns of pixels of the second sensing zone.
6. 6 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 5 , wherein the conductive tracks are provided by a metallization layer of the pixels, such as a source-drain layer of a TFT stack.
7. 7 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 1 , wherein sensing electronics are carried on a first surface of each sensing zone and a second surface of the substrate, opposite the first surface, provides the touch sensitive surfaces, wherein the sensing electronics comprise a TFT array deposited on the substrate.
8. 8 . The fingerprint sensor of claim 1 , comprising a readout circuit provided in a single IC arranged to obtain readout signals from both of the two sensing zones.
9. 9 . A smartcard comprising the fingerprint sensor of claim 1 and a body having a recess configured to allow an integrated circuit to be disposed therein, and signal connections disposed about the recess for connection to the integrated circuit.
10. 10 . The smartcard of claim 9 , wherein the body comprises a slot through the body and connections to at least one of the sensing zones pass through the slot.
11. 11 . The smartcard of claim 9 , wherein connections to at least one of the sensing zones pass around the edge of the body.
12. 12 . A smartcard system comprising: a laminar body for a smartcard, the body having a readout circuit disposed therein, and first body connections for connecting an active matrix TFT array to the readout circuit; a laminar substrate carrying an active matrix TFT array on a first major surface of the laminar substrate wherein the TFT array is arranged to provide a touch sensitive area on a second major surface of the substrate, opposite to the first surface, the laminar substrate carrying first substrate connections for connecting the active matrix TFT array to the first body connections.
13. 13 . The smartcard system of claim 12 , wherein the first body connections and the first substrate connection are provided on opposing faces of the body and the substrate which opposing faces are affixed to each other in the smartcard.
14. 14 . The smartcard system of claim 12 , wherein the body comprises second body connections for connecting a second active matrix TFT array to the readout circuit, and the system comprises a second laminar substrate carrying second substrate connections for connecting a second active matrix TFT array to the second body connections.
15. 15 . The smartcard system of claim 14 , wherein the first active TFT array is covered by the first laminar substrate at the first face of the smartcard, and the second active TFT array is covered by the second laminar substrate at the second face of the smartcard, opposite to the first face.
16. 16 . The smartcard system of claim 14 , wherein the first active TFT array and the second active TFT array each provide touch sensitive areas for sensing a fingerprint and the touch sensitive areas overlie each other on opposite faces of the smartcard.
17. 17 . A smartcard comprising: an inner layer comprising a dielectric substrate having a touch sensitive TFT array deposited on a region of the substrate; and a first outer layer, covering a first surface of the inner layer, and having a window therethrough to the region of the inner layer, whereby the touch sensitive TFT array is recessed into the smartcard.
18. 18 . The smartcard of claim 17 , wherein the dielectric substrate is sandwiched between the first outer layer and a second outer layer.
19. 19 . The smartcard of claim 17 , wherein the touch sensitive TFT array is disposed on a second surface of the substrate, opposite to the first surface, whereby the dielectric substrate provides a touch sensitive surface in the window.
20. 20 . The smartcard of claim 17 , wherein the touch sensitive TFT array is provided on the first surface of the inner layer and covered by an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer provides a touch sensitive surface in the window.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/943,156, filed on Nov. 11, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/025,455, filed on Mar. 9, 2023, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 12,141,635 on Nov. 12, 2024, which is a US national stage application under Section 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2021/052352, filed on Sep. 10, 2021, which claims priority from United Kingdom Application Numbers 2014277.4, filed Sep. 10, 2020 and 2109465.1, filed Jun. 30, 2021, the entirety of each are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to methods and apparatus, and more particularly to smartcards and components for smartcards such as biometric sensors, and to methods for manufacturing such smartcards and components for smartcards. BACKGROUND The use of personal identification numbers (PIN) has provided the traditional way to authenticate transactions made using payment cards. Access codes may also be used with cards which are used for access control systems. These and other types of authentication codes may be stolen or leaked to unauthorized users. This can represent a serious security threat. In addition, the use of keypads to enter such codes may present an infection risk. Pathogens such as the covid-19 virus may be transmitted by contact with an infected surface. Users are increasingly reluctant to use such keypads. Contactless systems have been proposed in which near field communications (NFC, RFID and the like) are used to read a smartcard to authenticate a user. This suffers from a major security flaw because the identity of the user cannot be verified. Any person who has the smartcard can use it in this way. In addition, so called “card skimming” is a growing worry. A variety of technological solutions may be possible, and portable electronic devices such as smartphones offer one possibility. They often incorporate sophisticated computer processors, and are internet enabled. This can enable high value transactions to be performed with ease and can allow the users identity to be checked. Significant effort has been directed to providing secure user identification with a smartphone. Such technology however suffers from the problem of limited battery life and a low degree of user acceptance and uptake. Smartphones are designed to be phones, cameras, and media content delivery devices. SUMMARY Aspects and examples of the present disclosure aim to address technical problems related to those discussed above. In particular they may aim to provide a fingerprint sensor for incorporation into a smartcard and which may be simple to integrate into the card and reliable in use. In an aspect there is provided a method of manufacturing a smartcard inlay the method comprising: providing a dielectric sheet;depositing, on a first major surface of the dielectric sheet, an active matrix TFT array comprising at least one conductive layer;wherein the at least one conductive layer is deposited on regions of the dielectric sheet outside the active matrix TFT array to provide electrical connections of the inlay. The conductive layer may comprise a metallization layer. The method may comprise providing, on the inlay, further components of the inlay connected by said electrical connections. The further components may comprise at least one of: passive electrical components, a read-out circuit for obtaining read out signals from the array, a secure element, power management circuitry, and a near field RF communications coil. The electrical connections of the inlay may comprise a secure element contact electrode formed from said at least one conductive layer. The array may be arranged to provide a capacitive touch sensing area on a second major surface of the substrate, opposite to the first major surface. The second major surface may comprise a material which can be printed upon to provide printable markings of the smartcard. The method may comprise providing, in a repeating pattern, a plurality of said arrays on the first major surface of the same laminar substrate. The method may comprise providing, on the second major surface, markings spatially arranged to correspond to the repeating pattern of the arrays. The array may comprise a plurality of pixels and the method may comprise: providing, in a first one of the at least one conductive layers of the array, a plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes, each sensing electrode corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of pixels. The first conductive layer may be deposited as a continuous layer and patterned to provide the plurality of capacitive sensing electrodes. The method may comprise providing the pixels of the TFT array on the first conductive layer, wherein each of the pixels comprise a plurality of layers and a said capacitive sensing electrode interposed between the dielectric sheet and said plurality of layers. The method