Transferring an antenna to an RFID inlay substrate

1. A method of forming a transponder site comprising an inlay substrate, an RFID chip module and an antenna structure connected to the chip module comprising:

preparing a plurality of transponder sites on an inlay substrate, each transponder site comprising a defined area of the inlay substrate;

forming a plurality of antenna structures on an antenna substrate which is separate from the inlay substrate; and

removing given antenna structures from the antenna substrate and transferring them to selected ones of the transponder sites;

wherein removing the antenna structures comprises:

causing antenna structures to be released from the antenna substrate using one or more of the processes selected from the group consisting of:

applying a mechanical force to the antenna substrate;

directing a laser beam at the antenna substrate;

heating a portion of the antenna substrate;

softening a portion of the antenna substrate;

distorting a portion of the antenna substrate;

causing a temperature differential between the antenna substrate and the inlay substrate;

bringing the antenna substrate and the inlay substrate into face-to-face contact with one another;

selecting physical properties of the antenna substrate and inlay substrate to facilitate release of the antenna structures from the antenna substrate onto the inlay substrate; and

performing a laminating process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing a plurality of transponder sites comprises:

installing RFID chips or chip modules in recesses at the transponder sites.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after transferring antenna structures to transponder sites, connecting termination ends of the antenna structures to terminal areas of the RFID chip or chip module.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the antenna structures individually from the antenna substrate and transferring given antenna structures to selected ones of the transponder sites comprises:

individually picking the antenna structures off of the antenna substrate and placing them on the inlay substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transferring antenna structures comprises a contact transfer process.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to forming the antenna structures on the antenna substrate, forming channels for forming portions of an antenna structure in the antenna substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the antenna substrate is formed of PVC and the inlay substrate is formed of Teslin™.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the antenna substrate is in the form of a web, and the antenna structures are formed in a single row on the web.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a wide trench in the inlay substrate for accepting the antenna structure; and

installing the antenna structure in the wide trench.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of antenna structures are transferred one-by-one from the antenna substrate to selected ones of the transponder sites.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of antenna structures are transferred all at once from the antenna substrate to selected ones of the transponder sites.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

perforating an area of the antenna substrate which carries the antenna structure.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the antenna substrate is formed of a material which is different from the material of the inlay substrate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

an array of antenna structures are formed on the antenna substrate.