Radio frequency identification device and method

1. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate; and

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads; and

wherein the electroless plating includes:

depositing a catalyst on the substrate;

activating the catalyst; and

bringing the catalyst into contact with a plating solution, to thereby form the leads.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the catalyst includes printing the catalyst.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the printing includes screen printing the catalyst.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the printing includes ink jet printing the catalyst.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the printing includes flexo printing.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the microstructure element in the recess in the substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the placing includes passing a slurry containing the microstructure element over the substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operatively coupling the leads with another component of the device.

9. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the substrate is a strap substrate;

wherein the strap substrate, the microstructure element, and the leads are all part of a strap; and

wherein the operatively coupling includes placing the strap in contact with the another component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the placing includes placing the strap using a pick-and-place device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operatively coupling includes adhesively coupling the leads and the another component using a conductive adhesive.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the operatively coupling includes mechanically coupling the leads and the another component.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the another component is an antenna.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the antenna and the leads are separately formed.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operatively coupling includes coupling the antenna and the leads using a conductive adhesive.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the operatively coupling includes mechanically coupling the antenna and the leads.

17. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming the antenna.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the process is performed as one or more roll-to-roll operations.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the leads includes forming the leads without a planarization layer intervening between any part of the substrate and any part of the leads.

20. The device formed by the method of claim 1 .

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the leads are plated onto the connectors of the microstructure element.

22. The device of claim 20 , wherein the leads are mechanically coupled to the connectors by being in contact with the connectors.

23. The device of claim 20 , wherein the leads include copper.

24. The device of claim 20 , wherein the leads are also operatively coupled to an antenna.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the leads and the antenna are a single unitary material.

26. The device of claim 24 , wherein the device is part of an RFID tag.

27. The device of claim 24 , wherein the device is part of an RFID label.

28. The device of claim 20 , wherein the microstructure element is in a recess in the substrate.

29. The device of claim 28 , further including a catalyst at least partially filling a gap between the microstructure element and sidewalls of the recess.

30. The device of claim 20 , wherein the microstructure element is outside of the substrate, and wherein the connectors of the microstructure element face the substrate.

31. The device of claim 30 ,

wherein the microstructure element has first and second surfaces on opposite sides thereof;

wherein the first surface has the connectors thereupon;

wherein the first surface is closer to the substrate than the second surface; and

wherein the first surface has a greater area than the second surface.

32. The device of claim 31 , wherein the microstructure element has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape.

33. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate; and

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein a gap exists between the microstructure element and side walls of the recess;

wherein the forming includes forming the leads over the gap;

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads;

wherein the electroless plating includes:

depositing a catalyst on the substrate;

activating the catalyst; and

bringing the catalyst into contact with a plating solution, to thereby form the leads; and

wherein the depositing includes depositing the catalyst at least partially into the gap.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein at least part of the catalyst remains in the gap after the forming of the leads is completed.

35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the recess in which the microstructure element is located, is in the substrate.

36. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate; and

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein a gap exists between the microstructure element and side walls of the recess;

wherein the forming includes forming the leads over the gap;

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads; and

wherein the electroless plating includes:

depositing a catalyst on the substrate;

activating the catalyst; and

bringing the catalyst into contact with a plating solution, to thereby form the leads; and

further comprising, prior to the depositing the catalyst, depositing a dielectric material into the gap.

37. The method of claim 36 , further comprising curing the dielectric material in the gap.

38. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate;

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element; and

forming a strip across the microstructure element to retain the microstructure element in the recess

wherein the forming the leads and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein a gap exists between the microstructure element and side walls of the recess;

wherein the forming the leads includes forming the leads over the gap;

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads; and

wherein the electroless plating includes:

depositing a catalyst on the substrate;

activating the catalyst; and

bringing the catalyst into contact with a plating solution, to thereby form the leads.

39. The method of claim 38 , wherein the forming the strip occurs prior to the bringing the catalyst into contact with the plating solution.

40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the forming the strip occurs after the activating the catalyst.

41. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a strap substrate;

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element; and

operatively coupling the leads with an antenna of the device;

wherein the strap substrate, the microstructure element, and the leads are all part of a strap;

wherein the operatively coupling includes placing the strap in contact with the antenna;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors; and

wherein the antenna and the leads are formed as a unitary single structure on the substrate, by direct metallization.

42. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate, wherein the substrate is a lead substrate; and wherein the lead substrate and the leads are part of a lead web;

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element; wherein the microstructure element is part of a microstructure web that includes a microreplicated substrate into which the microstructure element is placed; and

following the coupling, separating the microstructure element from the microstructure web.

43. The method of claim 42 , wherein the coupling further includes adhesively coupling the leads and the connectors using a conductive adhesive.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the adhesively coupling includes curing the conductive adhesive.

45. The method of claim 42 , wherein the coupling further includes securing the microstructure element to the leads using an adhesive.

46. The method of claim 45 , wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

47. The method of claim 42 , further comprising, prior to the coupling, placing the microstructure element in a recess in the microreplicated substrate.

48. The method of claim 47 , wherein the placing includes passing a slurry containing the microstructure element over the microreplicated substrate.

49. The method of claim 42 , wherein the forming the leads includes plating the leads.

50. The method of claim 49 , wherein the plating includes electroless plating.

51. The method of claim 49 , wherein the plating includes electrolytic plating.

52. The method of claim 49 , wherein the forming includes printing a conductive ink to form the leads.

53. The method of claim 49 , wherein the forming includes depositing a metal layer, and selectively etching the metal layer to form the leads.

54. The device formed by the method of claim 42 , wherein the leads are adhesively coupled to the connectors by a conductive adhesive.

55. The method of claim 42 , wherein the coupling includes laminating the webs together.

56. The method of claim 42 , wherein substantially all of the process is performed as one or more roll-to-roll operations.

57. The method of claim 42 , wherein the forming the leads includes forming the leads without a planarization layer intervening between any part of the substrate and any part of the leads.

58. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a lead substrate; and

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element;

prior to the coupling, placing the microstructure element in a recess in the microreplicated substrate; and

prior to the placing, coating the recess with a release layer;

wherein the lead substrate and the leads are part of a lead web;

wherein the microstructure element is part of a microstructure web that includes a microreplicated substrate into which the microstructure element is placed; and

wherein the coupling includes laminating the webs together.

59. The method of claim 58 , wherein the release layer includes a releasable adhesive.

60. The method of claim 59 , wherein the releasable adhesive is characterized in that its adhesiveness is reduced by heating.

61. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a lead substrate;

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element, wherein the microstructure element is part of a microstructure web that includes a microreplicated substrate into which the microstructure element is placed; and

following the coupling, separating the microreplicated substrate from the microstructure element;

wherein the lead substrate and the leads are part of a lead web;

wherein the coupling includes laminating the webs together; and

wherein the coupling includes securing the microstructure element to the leads.

62. The method of claim 61 , wherein the microreplicated substrate is a re-usable microreplicated substrate.

63. The method of claim 61 , wherein the separating includes de-activating a release layer between the microstructure element and the recess.

64. The method of claim 63 , wherein the release layer includes a releasable adhesive characterized in that its adhesiveness is reduced by heating, and wherein the de-activating includes heating the releasable adhesive.

65. The method of claim 61 , further comprising, following the separating, placing a heat shrink material on the microstructure element and the leads.

66. The method of claim 65 , further comprising heating the heat shrink material, thereby securing the connection between the leads and the connectors of the microstructure element.

67. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate;

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure element that is in a recess in the substrate; and

forming a strip across the microstructure element to retain the microstructure element in the recess;

wherein the leads are directly deposited on the substrate;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors; and

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads.

68. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

placing a microstructure element in a recess in a substrate;

forming leads directly in contact with the substrate;

coupling the leads to connectors of the microstructure element; and

forming a strip across the microstructure element to retain the microstructure element in the recess;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein the direct metallizing includes electroless plating of the leads;

wherein a gap exists between the microstructure element and side walls of the recess; and

wherein the forming includes forming the leads over the gap.

69. The method of claim 68 , wherein the leads do not extend into the gap.

70. The method of claim 68 , further comprising depositing a dielectric material into the gap.

71. The method of claim 70 , further comprising curing the dielectric material in the gap.

72. A method for producing an electronic device, comprising:

forming leads directly in contact with a substrate; and

coupling the leads to connectors of a microstructure;

wherein the forming and the coupling are parts of a direct metallizing of the leads in contact with the connectors;

wherein the forming and the coupling also include forming an antenna and coupling the leads to the antenna; and

wherein the direct metallizing includes plating to form the leads and the antenna.

73. The method of claim 72 , wherein the plating includes electroless plating.

74. The method of claim 72 , wherein the forming includes forming the antenna and leads as a single structure.