Method for producing portable data carriers

1. A method for producing portable data carriers, the method comprising the steps:

providing a first rolled good that includes a module carrier band with a plurality of chip modules being arranged thereon, wherein each of the plurality of chip modules within the first rolled good includes a chip and contact surfaces electrically coupled to the chip, each of the chips being provided on a first surface of the module carrier band and the corresponding contact surfaces of the plurality of chip modules are provided on a second surface of the module carrier band, the first surface of the module carrier band being opposite from the second surface of the module carrier band and the module carrier band being provided between the plurality of chip modules and the contact surfaces of the plurality of chip modules;

providing at least one substrate foil that includes a first foil and at least a second foil, the at least one substrate foil being provided at least by

providing a second rolled good that includes the first foil having gaps formed therein and further having a thickness that accommodates a height of the chips arranged on the first surface of the module carrier band, and

providing a third rolled good that includes at least the second foil;

unrolling the first rolled good with the module carrier band and the plurality of chip modules arranged thereon;

unrolling the second rolled good with the first foil;

unrolling the third rolled good with the second foil;

after unrolling the first rolled good, the second rolled good, and third rolled good, bringing together the module carrier band with the plurality of chip modules arranged thereon, the first foil having the gaps formed therein, and the second foil such that each of the chips provided on the first surface of the module carrier band are each incorporated into a corresponding gap of the first foil and a surface of the chip modules opposite from the module carrier band is covered by the second foil; and

permanently connecting the first surface of the module carrier band to the at least one substrate foil such that the contact surfaces of the chip modules arranged on the second surface of the module carrier band are on an opposite side of the module carrier band from the at least one substrate foil.

2. The method according to claim 1 , including arranging the chip modules on the module carrier band at distances from each other which correspond to the width and/or length dimensions of portable data carriers in the format ID-000 or mini-UICC.

3. The method according to claim 1 , including winding on a roll as a composite the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil after the step of permanently connecting to facilitate in a later process stage detaching of portable data carriers which respectively include at least one chip module.

4. The method according to claim 1 , including detaching from a composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil the portable data carriers in such a way that each portable data carrier comprises at least one chip module.

5. The method according to claim 1 , including detaching the portable data carriers from a composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil in such a way that the contact surfaces form more than one-third of a surface of a respective one of the portable data carriers.

6. The method according to claim 1 , including detaching the portable data carriers from a composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil, the portable data carriers being detached in the format ID-000 ( 10 ) or mini-UICC.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first foil having the gaps formed therein and the second foil are brought together and combined to form a two-layer substrate before the first foil having the gaps formed therein and the second foil are brought together with the module carrier band with the plurality of chip modules arranged thereon.

8. The method according to claim 1 , including effecting the connecting of the module carrier band with the at least one substrate foil by using pressing rollers.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the pressing rollers are heated.

10. The method according to claim 1 , including connecting the module carrier band with the at least one substrate foil either directly or by using an adhesive.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first foil having gaps is thicker than the module carrier band, and

before bringing together the module carrier band and the first foil having gaps, a depression is formed for receiving the module carrier band in a surface of the first foil having gaps.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

providing the at least one substrate foil further includes providing a third foil,

the third foil has substantially the same thickness as the module carrier band, and

the method further includes arranging the third foil in a plane of the module carrier band and the first foil and the second foil are planarly connected with the module carrier band such that the third foil is adjacent to the module carrier band.

13. The method according to claim 1 , including, before the bringing together step, the at least one substrate foil is optically designed.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, after the step of connecting the module carrier band with the at least one substrate foil, there is effected an optically checkable and/or electronically checkable personalization of the portable data carriers to be detached from a composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil.

15. An apparatus for producing portable data carriers, the apparatus comprising:

a receptacle containing a first rolled good,

the first rolled good including a module carrier band with a plurality of chip modules being arranged thereon, wherein each of the plurality of chip modules within the first rolled good includes a chip and contact surfaces electrically coupled to the chip, each of the chips being provided on a first surface of the module carrier band and the corresponding contact surfaces of the plurality of chip modules are provided on a second surface of the module carrier band, the first surface of the module carrier band being opposite from the second surface of the module carrier band and the module carrier band being provided between the plurality of chip modules and the contact surfaces of the plurality of chip modules;

at least one or more further receptacles containing components of at least one substrate foil as at least a second rolled good and a third rolled good,

the second rolled good including a first foil having gaps formed therein and having a thickness that accommodates a height of the chips arranged on the first surface of the module carrier band, and

the third rolled good that includes at least a second foil;

a system that unrolls the first rolled good, the second rolled good, and the third rolled good and brings together the module carrier band with the plurality of chip modules arranged thereon, the first foil having the gaps formed therein, and the second foil such that each of the chips provided on the first surface of the module carrier band are each incorporated into a corresponding gap of the first foil and a surface of the chip modules opposite from the module carrier band is covered by the second foil; and

a device that permanently connects the module carrier band with the at least one substrate foil such that the contact surfaces of the chip modules arranged on the second surface of the module carrier band are on an opposite side of the module carrier band from the at least one substrate foil; and

a device that detaches the portable data carriers in the format ID-000 or mini-UICC from a composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil.

16. The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the module carrier band is permanently connected with the at least one substrate foil to form a composite,

wherein from the composite comprising the module carrier band and the at least one substrate foil there are detached portable data carriers in such a way that each portable data carrier has at least one chip module.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substrate foil includes a plastic foil.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one substrate foil forms a body of the portable data carriers.