2008 Report on China's RFID Industry

With the extensive application of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, especially the popularization of both non-contact IC cards in public transportation and campus IC cards, there have already been some homegrown manufacturers, of RFID chips, encapsulation, read/write terminals, and system integration, which have grasped relatively mature technologies and formed a primary RFID industrial chain in China.

Figure: Size of RFID Market in China 2004-2009

1. Standards

Since 13.56MHz RFID technology has developed for a rather long time, the related standards are more mature. At present there are mainly two 13.56MHz international standards: ISO/IEC14443 and ISO/IEC 15693. The 13.56MHz RFID standard of China its own originated mainly from the two international standards. For example, the second-generation identity cards in China is based on ISO/IEC 14443-B, while IC cards in public transportation and campus cards on ISO/IEC14443-A. By contrast, ISO/IEC 15693 is rarely applied in China and the typical application is student preferential cards.

2. Chip Design

Although China's homegrown enterprises had a late start in RFID chip designing, they have been catching up with the advanced international designers in the past decade. At present China's major RFID chip producers are located in Beijing and Shanghai. Here are some leading market players:

Beijing: CEC Huada Electronic Design Co., Ltd., Datang Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd, and Beijing Tsinghua Tongfang Micro-Electronic Co. Ltd.

Shanghai: Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Co. Ltd., Shanghai Huahong Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd, and Shanghai Belling Co. Ltd.

So far China's chip producers have completely mastered the design technology of 13.56MHz RFID and are able to deal with chips for corresponding reader/writers. In the 13.56MHz RFID market of traffic IC cards and campus cards, Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Huahong Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd released a series of RFID products and have won more market shares in competition with foreign large-sized enterprises.

Most China's chip manufacturers also attach much importance to the design of UHF and higher frequency RFID chips, but only adopt different strategies. Some are still waiting while some have initiated development.

3. Encapsulation (included the design of antenna)

In China, since the application of RFID mainly takes the form of cards, after a couple of years' development, encapsulation techniques in the form of RFID card is rather mature. As is well known, the encapsulation of RFID in the form of cards includes three steps: module encapsulation (chip assembly), card production (antenna manufacturing), and printing. Currently in each step China has many manufacturers. Some representatives are:

Module encapsulation: Shanghai Changfeng Smart Card Co., Ltd, Shanghai Eternal Information Technology Co., Ltd. China Electronics Smart Card Co., Ltd., and Shangdong Shanlv Electronic Co, Ltd.

Card manufacturing: EastcomPeace, Beijing Zhong An Te Technologies Co. Ltd., Shenzhen Minwahaohan High Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Pujiang Smart Card System Co., Ltd., Shanghai Lunengzhong Smart Card Co., Ltd., Huangshi G&D Wanda Security Card Co., Ltd., Global Magnetic Card Co., Ltd., HeLong Technolgoy (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Shenzhen Huayang Micro-electronics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Yinengda Smart Card Co., Ltd., and Zhongshan Dahua Smart Technology Co., Ltd.

Printing: Toppan Printing Co., (Shanghai) Ltd., Shanghai No. 3 Printing Factory, and Shanghai Zhongduo Smart Card Factory.

At present, there are mainly two card encapsulation techniques in China: wire bonding module encapsulation and winding card making techniques. But as the demand for new RFID encapsulation forms, such as thin cards and self adhesive labels keeps rising, some new encapsulation techniques such as flip chip and printing antenna are developing rapidly. Now some Chinese manufacturers have been able to provide these encapsulation services and new encapsulation forms have been practically applied, such as Shanghai traffic one way cards (the wave cards) and Shanghai fireworks management electronic labels (self adhesive labels).

With the development of new encapsulation techniques, there are new procedures in RFID encapsulation techniques, such as flip chip bumping and antenna printing. The representative enterprises are:

Bumping techniques: Jiangsu Changdian Technology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou HeLong Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Huayang Microelectronics Co, Ltd.

Antenna Printing: Shenzhen Huayang Microelectronics Co., Ltd., and Huangshi G&D Wanda Security Card Co Ltd.

Although China has possessed mature RFID encapsulation techniques in the form of cards and new techniques are developing rapidly, generally speaking, there is still a gap with foreign advanced encapsulation techniques. As a matter of fact, China has not had low cost encapsulation capacity of RFID products as yet.

4. The Design and Production of Identification System

At present China has possessed mature design and production techniques of 13.56MHz RFID identification systems and have many manufacturers and products with great competitiveness. However, there are fewer manufacturers and products in UHF frequency. China's representative manufacturers include:

13.56MHz RFID identification system: Shenzhen Mingwah Aohan High Technology Co., Ltd., Tianjin Global Magnetic Card Co., Ltd., Shanghai Posts & Telecommunications Co.,Ltd., Shanghai Huahong Jitong Smart Card System Co.,Ltd., Shanghai Liangbiao Intelligent Termianl Stock Co., Ltd., Beijing Juli Science & Technology Co., Ltd., Zhuahi Yi Da Science & Technology Electronic Industry Co., Ltd., Shanghai Johnson Technology Development Co., Ltd., Ha'erbin Sinjenes Electronics Co., Ltd., and Guangdong Sanjiu Smart Electronics Co., Ltd.

UHF RFID identification system: Shenzhen Invengo Information Technology Co, Ltd.

5. System Integration and System Software Development

Similar with the design and production of identification systems, there is an imbalance in RFID system integration of 13.56MHz and UHF frequency. In comparison, techniques of system integration of 13.56MHz RFID are more mature and there are more manufacturers in this field, while there are fewer manufacturers in UHF RFID system integration. The representative manufacturers include:

13.56MHz RFID system integration: Shanghai Huateng Software System, ZHuhai Yida Science & Technology Electronic Industry Co., Ltd., Shanghai Huahong Jitong Smart Card System Co.,Ltd., Ha'erbin Sinjenes Electronics Co., Ltd., and Beijing Beikong Software Co., Ltd.

UHF RFID system integration: Beijing Wishen Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., and Ha'erbin Weike Technology Co., Ltd.

At present, China's system integration manufacturers have possessed certain large-scale system integration capacity, but software products are mainly offered by foreign vendors. Currently foreign large-scale software vendors are making efforts to develop RFID system software, while few China's software vendors have joined in this field. Therefore, there is a large gap between Chinese vendors' capacity and foreign ones' in this aspect.