US Patent 8141786 Thin smart card module having strap on carrier

A Smart Card module with flip-assembled chip (101) on a metallic strap (112) adhering to an insulating substrate (111). Chip (101) is in the gap (122) of a metal carrier (120), strap (112) conductively attached to the carrier. Carrier (120) is designed to practically surround the chip, and has a thickness about equal to the chip thickness. Overall module thickness is less than 250 μm without dangerously thinning the chip. Additional strength may be acquired by filling any space of gap (122) not occupied by chip (101) with encapsulation compound (150). Metal carrier (120) further provides contact areas (120a, 120b) for higher level system interconnection (stacking of modules).