Kyocera Corp. recently announced that it has developed an ultra-small ceramic package utilizing a proprietary multilayer structure with a built-in RFID antenna that can increase the read range up to 2x that of conventional packages of the same size. Starting mass production in May 2017, the company plans to have the product available worldwide in three sizes (from 6 x 3 x 1.7 mm to 15 x 5 x 1.7 mm), with an annual sales target of JPY 3 billion (approximately $26 million) by 2020. The new ceramic package with a RFID antenna is intended to help meet rising demand for RFID tags to support Internet of Things (IoT) applications.  

The RFID packages are an example of Kyocera’s extensive multilayer ceramic capability, using a proprietary low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) formulation and a copper conductor metallization system. The packages take advantage of the low-loss and high-frequency benefits of LTCC, yet deliver the high flexural strength expected from high-temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC). Also, with a cavity designed specifically for an integrated circuit (IC) chip, this package can reportedly offer protection against mechanical stress and impact while facilitating ultra-small, low-profile tag design. In contrast to traditional tags that tend to block RF signals, Kyocera’s ceramic package was reportedly designed to maximize read range in proximity to metal, expanding the RFID feasibility in applications involving metallic products or objects, which can open new potential uses in automotive, factory automation, healthcare and many other fields.

For more information, visit http://global.kyocera.com.