Ulrich Huewels

HID Global, a worldwide leader in secure identity solutions, recently announced an ultra-thin Polycarbonate (PC) ePrelaminate inlay for electronic ID (e-ID) cards that is more than 30 percent thinner than alternatives. The new offering is the first HID Global inlay to use its patented HID direct bonding platform technology, which is available for high frequency (HF) systems. NXP Semiconductors is HID Global’s first qualified partner supplying IC chips for this product. Direct bonding technology HID Global’s new inlay takes advantage of its proven process of directly bonding chips to wire-embedded air-coil antennae for low-frequency animal ID and automotive applications, without the bulk of added modules. The company has successfully leveraged its direct bonding technology for HF applications, enabling manufacturers to develop the smallest HF formats available in the market while delivering uncompromised performance. By using this method in its new ultra-thin inlays, HID Global is providing smart cards with a durable and reliable connection between the card’s intelligence – the IC chip – and its antennae. “With this new ultra-thin inlay, we continue to extend the unique capabilities of our government solutions while offering smart card manufacturers around the world the ability to extend the range of products they can offer their customers,” said Rob Haslam, vice president of Government ID Solutions for HID Global. “This is also representative of the strong collaboration between HID Global and NXP, who share the mutual goal of assuring the best inlay quality and reliability for secure, long-lasting smart cards.” Flexibility in card construction In addition, the thinner inlay offers e-ID and smart card manufacturers more flexibility in card construction. The narrow dimensions of HID Global’s ultra-thin inlays – 200 microns instead of the typical 350 microns – provide manufacturers with room to add more security features on both sides of an e-ID card during construction, while still complying with international ISO thickness standards. “This is an important step in our shared goal of offering smart card manufacturers the thinnest, most durable, reliable and flexible inlay solutions possible for today’s space-restricted high-frequency smart card solutions,” said Ulrich Huewels, senior vice president and general manager, Secure Identification Solutions, NXP Semiconductors. “Working with an innovative company like HID Global ensures our market leading secure microcontrollers are available in versatile form factors for use in a wide range of smart card applications.” NXP Semiconductors successfully qualified its SmartMX2 P60D080 secure microcontroller IC for inclusion in HID Global’s new ultra-thin PC e-Prelaminate inlay that adapts well to the HID direct bonding technology. Additionally, the companies partnered to create a special Megabump design to elevate the benefits of the direct bonding process (patent pending) and offer customers a solution that can be applied to many ID card applications.