Method of forming an inlay substrate having an antenna wire

1. Method of forming an inlay substrate comprising a substrate, a site on a surface of the substrate for a transponder chip and an antenna wire having two end portions, the method comprising:

mounting a portion of the antenna wire, other than the end portions thereof, to the surface of the substrate; and

leaving the end portions of the antenna wire un-mounted, as free-standing loops adjacent the site on the substrate;

wherein mounting the antenna wire to a surface of the substrate comprises:

providing an embedding tool, and with the embedding tool performing the following steps:

at a starting point on the surface of the substrate, commencing mounting the antenna by lowering an embedding tool down onto the surface of the substrate to urge the wire into the substrate;

moving the embedding tool in x and y directions respectively parallel to the surface of the substrate a short distance sufficient to ensure embedding, to a second point, and then stopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool;

forming a first free-standing loop in the wire, between the second point and a third point which is adjacent the site on the inlay substrate;

lowering the embedding tool and resuming embedding from the third point to a fourth point along a prescribed path, parallel to the surface of the substrate, to form a desired pattern for the antenna;

at the fourth point, stopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool;

forming a second free-standing loop in the wire, between the fourth point and a point which is adjacent the site on the substrate; and

lowering the embedding tool and moving the embedding tool in the x and y directions parallel to the surface of the substrate a short distance sufficient to ensure embedding, to a sixth point, and then stopping embedding and raising up the embedding tool.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein mounting the portion of the antenna wire comprises:

embedding the portion of the antenna wire in the surface of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein embedding comprises:

application of ultrasonic energy to embed the portion of the antenna wire into the surface of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein mounting the portion of the antenna wire comprises:

adhesively placing the portion of the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein adhesively placing the portion of the antenna wire comprises:

application of ultrasonic energy to adhesively place the portion of the antenna wire on the surface of the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the loops is disposed in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

at the sixth point, cutting the wire.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antenna wire comprises a metallic wire covered by a coating of insulation, and further comprising:

removing the coating of insulation from at least a portion of the loops.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

removing the coating comprises using a laser.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

removing the coating is performed during mounting the antenna wire.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

removing the coating is performed after mounting the antenna wire.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

installing a transponder chip on the substrate at the site for the transponder chip; and

repositioning the free-standing loops to be substantially directly over terminals of the transponder chip, in preparation for interconnection of the loops to the terminals of the transponder chip.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

each of the loops is disposed in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

each of the loops is disposed in a plane which is initially substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate; and

each of the loops are subsequently repositioned by pushing them over to be above a respective terminal of the transponder chip.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the site for the transponder chip comprises a recess in the surface of the substrate.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing slots in the substrate adjacent the site for the transponder chip.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:

the end portions of the antenna wire span the slots.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein mounting the antenna wire comprises:

passing the antenna wire over a first one of the slots in the substrate along a side of the site for the transponder chip;

routing the antenna wire to form an antenna with a given number of turns of insulated wire; and

passing the antenna wire over a second one of the slots in the substrate along an opposite side of the site for the transponder chip.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

removing an insulation layer from a portion of the wire conductor passing over each slot in the substrate;

installing the transponder chip at the site for the transponder chip, so terminals of the transponder chip are along side the respective wire conductor passing over a slot;

drawing the wire conductor in over the terminals of the transponder chip; and

bonding the wire conductor to the terminals of the transponder chip.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the substrate comprises a multi-layered substrate.

21. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

after cutting the wire, moving the embedding tool to another location on the substrate to form another antenna.