US20020060714A1 - High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead - Google Patents
High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20020060714A1 US20020060714A1 US09/966,291 US96629101A US2002060714A1 US 20020060714 A1 US20020060714 A1 US 20020060714A1 US 96629101 A US96629101 A US 96629101A US 2002060714 A1 US2002060714 A1 US 2002060714A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- nozzle
- active
- ink ejection
- inkjet printhead
- substrate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 47
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 claims description 16
- 238000005755 formation reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 16
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000008602 contraction Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005530 etching Methods 0.000 description 2
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007639 printing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012827 research and development Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
- B41J2/14427—Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/145—Arrangement thereof
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
- B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
- B41J2/1626—Manufacturing processes etching
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
- B41J2/1621—Manufacturing processes
- B41J2/1637—Manufacturing processes molding
- B41J2/1639—Manufacturing processes molding sacrificial molding
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/16—Production of nozzles
- B41J2/1648—Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
- B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
- B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
- B41J2/17513—Inner structure
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N5/00—Details of television systems
- H04N5/222—Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment
- H04N5/262—Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
- H04N5/2628—Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/165—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles
- B41J2/16585—Preventing or detecting of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
- B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
- B41J2/17596—Ink pumps, ink valves
Definitions
- This invention relates to an inkjet printhead. More particularly, this invention relates to an inkjet printhead that includes a high-density array of nozzle arrangements.
- MEMS micro electromechanical system
- the Applicant has been able to develop printheads having one or more printhead chips that together incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle arrangements.
- the Applicant has also developed suitable processor technology that is capable of controlling operation of such printheads.
- the processor technology and the printheads are capable of cooperating to generate resolutions of 1600 dpi and higher in some cases. Examples of suitable processor technology are provided in the above referenced patent applications/patents.
- This component can be in the form of an ink-ejecting member that is displaceable in a nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber.
- this component can be in the form of a structure that defines an ink ejection port and that is displaceable with respect to the substrate to reduce and subsequently enlarge a nozzle chamber so that a resultant fluctuation in ink pressure results in an ejection of ink from the nozzle chamber, through the ink ejection port.
- the Applicant has managed to achieve the high resolution mentioned above by developing nozzle arrangements that are sufficiently small and suitably arranged on a wafer substrate so that, when each nozzle arrangement is actuated to eject a drop of ink, the required resolution is achieved.
- the printhead chips are the product of an integrated circuit fabrication process.
- a primary goal of chip manufacturers is to develop chips that use as little chip real estate as possible. The reason for this is that chip real estate is extremely expensive. It follows that it has also been a goal for the Applicant to achieve a printhead chip that uses a minimal amount of chip real estate.
- the above referenced matters include nozzle arrangements where the Applicant has succeeded in making substantial savings in chip real estate. Up until the present invention however, the Applicant has faced substantial difficulties in achieving the necessary high density of nozzle arrangements, while still saving real estate.
- the Applicant has conceived the present invention to achieve a printhead chip that is configured so that a substantial saving in chip real estate can be made while still retaining a suitable nozzle density.
- an inkjet printhead that comprises
- each nozzle arrangement including a nozzle chamber defining structure that is positioned on the substrate and that defines a nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber defining structure including a roof that defines an ink ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, wherein
- all the nozzle arrangements are positioned in an aligned, side-by-side manner on the, or each, support structure so that the ink ejection ports of the nozzle arrangements are positioned substantially rectilinearly along a length of the, or each, support structure and the nozzle arrangements are each dimensioned so that a distance between consecutive ink ejection ports is less than or equal to 42 microns.
- FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a printhead chip developed by the Applicant
- FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a thermal bend actuator of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a printhead chip, in accordance with the invention, for an inkjet printhead
- FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view of a thermal bend actuator of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a back surface of a wafer substrate of the printhead chip of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 6 shows a three dimensional view of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 3.
- reference numeral 10 generally indicates a schematic plan view of part of a printhead chip, showing a nozzle arrangement layout that the Applicant has used to achieve the necessary high resolution.
- the printhead chip 10 is not in accordance with this invention.
- the purpose of showing the printhead chip 10 is to illustrate the substantial chip real estate savings that are achieved with the present invention. This is best done by setting out a description of an embodiment of a printhead chip that has been developed by the Applicant. This embodiment is regarded as suitable in itself for achieving high resolutions. Applicant submits that this serves to emphasize the advantages of the present invention.
- the chip 10 is capable of generating images with a resolution of up to 1200 dpi.
- each nozzle arrangement of the chip 10 is indicated at 12 .
- the dimensions shown in the drawings are in microns.
- each nozzle arrangement 12 is generally rectangular and has a length of 63 microns.
- the nozzle arrangements 12 are positioned in two rows 14 on a silicon wafer substrate 11 so that a distance between centers of consecutive ink ejection ports 18 is approximately 42 microns.
- the rows 14 are staggered with respect to each other.
- an effective distance between ink drops ejected on to the print medium can be as little as 23 microns. This takes into account the fact a certain amount of clearance is required between consecutive nozzle arrangements 12 .
- a width of the printhead chip 10 is twice 63 microns, namely 126 microns. It follows that approximately 2650 microns squared of chip area (42 divided by 2 and multiplied by 126 and rounded to the nearest 10) is required in order to achieve a column of ink dots on the print medium.
- Each nozzle arrangement 12 can readily be replaced by any of a number of the nozzle arrangements described in the above referenced applications/patents. Applicant submits that this would not alter the dimensions set out here to any significant extent.
- This particular nozzle arrangement 12 has an active ink-ejecting member 20 that is positioned on a substrate and is connected to a thermal bend actuator 22 that drives the active ink-ejecting member towards and away from the substrate. This movement results in a fluctuation of ink pressure within a nozzle chamber defined by the active ink-ejecting member 20 and a resultant ejection of a drop of ink from the ink ejection port 18 defined in a roof 24 of the active ink-ejecting member 20 .
- the thermal bend actuator 22 includes an actuator arm 26 that is of a conductive material and defines an active portion 30 and a passive portion 32 .
- the active portion 30 defines a heating circuit that is connected to drive circuitry in the substrate with a pair of active anchors 28 .
- the passive portion 32 is connected to the substrate with a pair of passive anchors 34 .
- the anchors 28 , 34 are aligned along a proximal end 36 of each nozzle arrangement 12 .
- the active anchors 28 are positioned between the passive anchors 34 .
- This is a convenient configuration since it permits the actuator arm 26 to have a simple structure. Simplicity of shape is important in integrated circuit fabrication because of the high cost per basic structure when manufacturing a mask set. It follows that an intuitive approach would be to simply align the anchors 28 , 34 as shown in FIG. 2 so that the actuator arm includes four substantially identical elements 38 .
- the elements 38 of the active portion 30 are positioned further from the substrate 11 than the elements 38 of the passive portion 32 .
- the actuator arm 26 experiences differential thermal expansion that causes the actuator arm 26 to bend towards the substrate 11 .
- the active ink ejection member 20 is also driven towards the substrate 11 .
- the actuator arm returns to a quiescent condition causing the active ink ejection member 20 to be driven away from the substrate 11 .
- This reciprocal movement of the active ink ejection member 20 results in a fluctuation of ink pressure within the nozzle chamber so that ink is ejected from the ink ejection port 18 .
- reference numeral 50 generally indicates a printhead chip, in accordance with the invention, for an ink jet printhead.
- the printhead chip 50 includes an elongate wafer substrate 52 .
- a plurality of nozzle arrangements 54 is positioned on the wafer substrate 52 .
- Each nozzle arrangement 54 is generally rectangular in plan view with a proximal end 56 , a distal end 58 and a pair of opposed sides 60 . Detail of one of the nozzle arrangements 54 is shown in FIG. 6.
- Each nozzle arrangement 54 includes an active ink ejection member 62 .
- the active ink ejection member 62 includes a roof 64 and sidewalls 66 that extend from the roof 64 towards the substrate 52 to define a nozzle chamber 68 .
- the roof 64 defines an ink ejection port 70 .
- the active ink ejection member 62 is displaceable towards and away from the substrate 52 so that a resultant fluctuation in ink pressure within the nozzle chamber 68 causes an ejection of an ink drop from the ink ejection port 70 .
- Each nozzle arrangement 54 includes a thermal bend actuator 72 that is connected to the active ink ejection member 62 to drive the active ink ejection member 62 towards and away from the substrate 52 to eject ink drops from the ink ejection port 70 .
- the thermal bend actuator 72 is connected to a number of anchor formations in the form of a pair of passive anchors 74 and a pair of active anchors 76 .
- the pair of active anchors 76 are positioned adjacent the proximal end 56 of the nozzle arrangement 54 .
- the active anchors 76 are in alignment with each other across a width of the nozzle arrangement 54 .
- the pair of passive anchors 74 is interposed between the active anchors 76 and the active ink ejection member 62 .
- the passive anchors 74 are in alignment with each other across a width of the nozzle arrangement 54 .
- each active anchor 76 is in alignment with a respective passive anchor 74 along a length of the nozzle arrangement 54 .
- the thermal bend actuator 72 includes an actuator arm 78 that extends from the anchors 74 , 76 towards the active ink-ejecting member 62 .
- the actuator arm 78 is of a conductive material that has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is such that the material is capable of expansion and contraction upon heating and subsequent cooling to an extent that is sufficient to allow the material to perform work on a MEMS scale.
- the actuator arm 78 includes a pair of active portions 80 and a pair of passive portions 82 .
- the active portions 80 are connected to the active anchors 76 while the passive portions 82 are connected to the passive anchors 74 .
- the active anchors 76 are configured so that the active portions 80 make electrical contact with a CMOS layer positioned in the wafer substrate 52 through the active anchors 76 .
- the portions 80 , 82 are interconnected at distal ends with a bridging portion 84 .
- the active portions 80 and part of the bridging portion 84 define an electrical heating circuit.
- the actuator arm 78 is shaped so that the passive portions 82 are interposed between part of the active portions 80 and the substrate 52 . It follows that, when the active portions 80 are heated as a result of a current passing through the active portions 80 , the actuator arm 78 is bent towards the substrate 52 as a result of differential thermal expansion. Upon subsequent cooling of the active portions 80 , the actuator arm 78 returns to a quiescent condition. This reciprocal movement of the actuator arm 78 serves to drive the active ink ejection member 62 towards and away from the substrate so that an ink drop is ejected from the ink ejection port 70 .
- the printhead chip 50 is configured to generate text and images having a resolution of 1200 dpi (dots per inch). Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 3, the nozzle arrangements 54 are arranged in an aligned, side-by-side manner so that the ink ejection ports 70 extend rectilinearly along a length of the substrate 52 . It follows that a distance between consecutive ink ejection ports 70 is approximately 21 microns. It can therefore be deduced that a width of each nozzle arrangement 54 is also approximately 21 microns or slightly less, since clearance between consecutive nozzle arrangements 54 should be taken into account. A length of each nozzle arrangement is approximately 84 microns.
- each nozzle arrangement is required to be fed with ink via an inlet channel 88 defined through the substrate 52 (FIG. 5).
- the wafer substrate 52 can be in the region of 300 microns thick.
- each nozzle arrangement 54 is only in the region of 21 microns thick a person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that this presents an extremely difficult etching task.
- Applicant submits that the printhead chip 10 provides an opportunity for an etching task that is substantially easier due to the required larger spacing between consecutive ink inlet channels 88 .
- the nozzle arrangement 54 is particularly suited to accommodating the required dimensions.
- the nozzle chamber 68 has a length dimension that is over 3 times a height dimension.
- an opening of the ink inlet channel 88 is positioned adjacent a proximal end of the nozzle chamber 68 while the ink ejection port 70 is positioned proximate a distal end of the nozzle chamber 68 .
- This configuration results in the displacement of the thermal actuator 72 , as described above, being amplified at a distal end of the active ink-ejecting member 62 , thereby facilitating efficient ink drop ejection.
- the relative dimensions of the nozzle chamber 68 retard a flow of ink from the ink ejection port 70 to the ink inlet channel 88 while the ink drop is ejected. This flow is known as backflow and is undesirable. It follows that the active ink-ejecting member 62 has a simple structure, since further components are not required to achieve these advantages. This is important when fabricating the nozzle arrangements 54 on the narrow scale of this invention.
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to an inkjet printhead. More particularly, this invention relates to an inkjet printhead that includes a high-density array of nozzle arrangements.
- This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/112,767. The following patents/patent applications are incorporated by reference.
6,227,652 6,213,588 6,213,589 6,231,163 6,247,795 09/113,099 6,244,691 6,257,704 09/112,778 6,220,694 6,257,705 6,247,794 6,234,610 6,247,793 6,264,306 6,241,342 6,247,792 6,264,307 6,254,220 6,234,611 09/112,808 09/112,809 6,239,821 09/113,083 6,247,796 09/113,122 09/112,793 09/112,794 09/113,128 09/113,127 6,227,653 6,234,609 6,238,040 6,188,415 6,227,654 6,209,989 6,247,791 09/112,764 6,217,153 09/112,767 6,243,113 09/112,807 6,247,790 6,260,953 6,267,469 09/425,419 09/425,418 09/425,194 09/425,193 09/422,892 09/422,806 09/425,420 09/422,893 09/693,703 09/693,706 09/693,313 09/693,279 09/693,727 09/693,708 09/575,141 09/113,053 09/855,094 09/854,762 09/854,715 09/854,830 09/854,714 09/854,703 09/855,093 09/854,815 09/854,825 09/864,377 09/864,380 09/900,178 09/864,379 09/864,378 09/864,334 09/864,332 09/864,343 09/864,342 09/866,786 09/874,757 09/900,174 09/900,160 09/900,175 09/900,177 09/900,159 09/900,176 09/922,274 09/922,275 YU133US YU134US YU135US YU136US YU137US YU138US YU139US 09/922,105 YU149US YU164US YU167US YU178US YU179US 09/575,108 09/575,109 09/575,110 09/607,985 09/607,990 09/607,196 09/606,999 - Some applications are temporarily identified by docket numbers. The docket numbers will be replaced by the corresponding USSN when available.
- As set out in the above referenced applications/patents, the Applicant has spent a substantial amount of time and effort in developing printheads that incorporate micro electromechanical system (MEMS)—based components to achieve the ejection of ink necessary for printing.
- As a result of the Applicant's research and development, the Applicant has been able to develop printheads having one or more printhead chips that together incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle arrangements. The Applicant has also developed suitable processor technology that is capable of controlling operation of such printheads. In particular, the processor technology and the printheads are capable of cooperating to generate resolutions of 1600 dpi and higher in some cases. Examples of suitable processor technology are provided in the above referenced patent applications/patents.
- Common to most of the printhead chips that the Applicant has developed is a component that moves with respect to a substrate to eject ink from a nozzle chamber. This component can be in the form of an ink-ejecting member that is displaceable in a nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber. Instead, this component can be in the form of a structure that defines an ink ejection port and that is displaceable with respect to the substrate to reduce and subsequently enlarge a nozzle chamber so that a resultant fluctuation in ink pressure results in an ejection of ink from the nozzle chamber, through the ink ejection port.
- The Applicant has managed to achieve the high resolution mentioned above by developing nozzle arrangements that are sufficiently small and suitably arranged on a wafer substrate so that, when each nozzle arrangement is actuated to eject a drop of ink, the required resolution is achieved.
- As is described in the above referenced patents/patent applications, the printhead chips are the product of an integrated circuit fabrication process. As is well known in this field, a primary goal of chip manufacturers is to develop chips that use as little chip real estate as possible. The reason for this is that chip real estate is extremely expensive. It follows that it has also been a goal for the Applicant to achieve a printhead chip that uses a minimal amount of chip real estate. The above referenced matters include nozzle arrangements where the Applicant has succeeded in making substantial savings in chip real estate. Up until the present invention however, the Applicant has faced substantial difficulties in achieving the necessary high density of nozzle arrangements, while still saving real estate.
- The Applicant has conceived the present invention to achieve a printhead chip that is configured so that a substantial saving in chip real estate can be made while still retaining a suitable nozzle density.
- According to the invention, there is provided an inkjet printhead that comprises
- at least one support structure; and
- a plurality of nozzle arrangements that are positioned on the, or each, support structure, each nozzle arrangement including a nozzle chamber defining structure that is positioned on the substrate and that defines a nozzle chamber, the nozzle chamber defining structure including a roof that defines an ink ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, wherein
- all the nozzle arrangements are positioned in an aligned, side-by-side manner on the, or each, support structure so that the ink ejection ports of the nozzle arrangements are positioned substantially rectilinearly along a length of the, or each, support structure and the nozzle arrangements are each dimensioned so that a distance between consecutive ink ejection ports is less than or equal to 42 microns.
- The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is not intended to limit the broad scope of the above summary.
- In the drawings,
- FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a printhead chip developed by the Applicant;
- FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a thermal bend actuator of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 shows a schematic plan view of a printhead chip, in accordance with the invention, for an inkjet printhead;
- FIG. 4 shows a schematic plan view of a thermal bend actuator of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 3;
- FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a back surface of a wafer substrate of the printhead chip of FIG. 3; and
- FIG. 6 shows a three dimensional view of a nozzle arrangement of the printhead chip of FIG. 3.
- In FIG. 1,
reference numeral 10 generally indicates a schematic plan view of part of a printhead chip, showing a nozzle arrangement layout that the Applicant has used to achieve the necessary high resolution. Theprinthead chip 10 is not in accordance with this invention. The purpose of showing theprinthead chip 10 is to illustrate the substantial chip real estate savings that are achieved with the present invention. This is best done by setting out a description of an embodiment of a printhead chip that has been developed by the Applicant. This embodiment is regarded as suitable in itself for achieving high resolutions. Applicant submits that this serves to emphasize the advantages of the present invention. - The
chip 10 is capable of generating images with a resolution of up to 1200 dpi. - Each nozzle arrangement of the
chip 10 is indicated at 12. The dimensions shown in the drawings are in microns. Thus, eachnozzle arrangement 12 is generally rectangular and has a length of 63 microns. - The
nozzle arrangements 12 are positioned in two rows 14 on asilicon wafer substrate 11 so that a distance between centers of consecutiveink ejection ports 18 is approximately 42 microns. The rows 14 are staggered with respect to each other. Thus, when a print medium moves relative to thechip 10 in the direction indicated by anarrow 16, an effective distance between ink drops ejected on to the print medium can be as little as 23 microns. This takes into account the fact a certain amount of clearance is required betweenconsecutive nozzle arrangements 12. - It will be appreciated that a width of the
printhead chip 10 is twice 63 microns, namely 126 microns. It follows that approximately 2650 microns squared of chip area (42 divided by 2 and multiplied by 126 and rounded to the nearest 10) is required in order to achieve a column of ink dots on the print medium. - Each
nozzle arrangement 12 can readily be replaced by any of a number of the nozzle arrangements described in the above referenced applications/patents. Applicant submits that this would not alter the dimensions set out here to any significant extent. - This
particular nozzle arrangement 12 has an active ink-ejectingmember 20 that is positioned on a substrate and is connected to athermal bend actuator 22 that drives the active ink-ejecting member towards and away from the substrate. This movement results in a fluctuation of ink pressure within a nozzle chamber defined by the active ink-ejectingmember 20 and a resultant ejection of a drop of ink from theink ejection port 18 defined in aroof 24 of the active ink-ejectingmember 20. - The
thermal bend actuator 22 includes anactuator arm 26 that is of a conductive material and defines anactive portion 30 and apassive portion 32. Theactive portion 30 defines a heating circuit that is connected to drive circuitry in the substrate with a pair ofactive anchors 28. Thepassive portion 32 is connected to the substrate with a pair of passive anchors 34. - The
anchors nozzle arrangement 12. The active anchors 28 are positioned between the passive anchors 34. This is a convenient configuration since it permits theactuator arm 26 to have a simple structure. Simplicity of shape is important in integrated circuit fabrication because of the high cost per basic structure when manufacturing a mask set. It follows that an intuitive approach would be to simply align theanchors identical elements 38. - The
elements 38 of theactive portion 30 are positioned further from thesubstrate 11 than theelements 38 of thepassive portion 32. Thus, when theactive portion 30 is heated, theactuator arm 26 experiences differential thermal expansion that causes theactuator arm 26 to bend towards thesubstrate 11. Thus, the activeink ejection member 20 is also driven towards thesubstrate 11. When theactive portion 30 cools, the actuator arm returns to a quiescent condition causing the activeink ejection member 20 to be driven away from thesubstrate 11. This reciprocal movement of the activeink ejection member 20 results in a fluctuation of ink pressure within the nozzle chamber so that ink is ejected from theink ejection port 18. - In FIG. 3,
reference numeral 50 generally indicates a printhead chip, in accordance with the invention, for an ink jet printhead. - The
printhead chip 50 includes anelongate wafer substrate 52. A plurality ofnozzle arrangements 54 is positioned on thewafer substrate 52. - Each
nozzle arrangement 54 is generally rectangular in plan view with aproximal end 56, adistal end 58 and a pair of opposed sides 60. Detail of one of thenozzle arrangements 54 is shown in FIG. 6. - Each
nozzle arrangement 54 includes an activeink ejection member 62. The activeink ejection member 62 includes aroof 64 andsidewalls 66 that extend from theroof 64 towards thesubstrate 52 to define anozzle chamber 68. Theroof 64 defines anink ejection port 70. The activeink ejection member 62 is displaceable towards and away from thesubstrate 52 so that a resultant fluctuation in ink pressure within thenozzle chamber 68 causes an ejection of an ink drop from theink ejection port 70. - Each
nozzle arrangement 54 includes athermal bend actuator 72 that is connected to the activeink ejection member 62 to drive the activeink ejection member 62 towards and away from thesubstrate 52 to eject ink drops from theink ejection port 70. - The
thermal bend actuator 72 is connected to a number of anchor formations in the form of a pair ofpassive anchors 74 and a pair ofactive anchors 76. The pair ofactive anchors 76 are positioned adjacent theproximal end 56 of thenozzle arrangement 54. The active anchors 76 are in alignment with each other across a width of thenozzle arrangement 54. The pair ofpassive anchors 74 is interposed between theactive anchors 76 and the activeink ejection member 62. The passive anchors 74 are in alignment with each other across a width of thenozzle arrangement 54. Further, eachactive anchor 76 is in alignment with a respectivepassive anchor 74 along a length of thenozzle arrangement 54. - The
thermal bend actuator 72 includes anactuator arm 78 that extends from theanchors member 62. Theactuator arm 78 is of a conductive material that has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is such that the material is capable of expansion and contraction upon heating and subsequent cooling to an extent that is sufficient to allow the material to perform work on a MEMS scale. - The
actuator arm 78 includes a pair ofactive portions 80 and a pair ofpassive portions 82. Theactive portions 80 are connected to theactive anchors 76 while thepassive portions 82 are connected to the passive anchors 74. The active anchors 76 are configured so that theactive portions 80 make electrical contact with a CMOS layer positioned in thewafer substrate 52 through the active anchors 76. Theportions portion 84. Thus, theactive portions 80 and part of the bridgingportion 84 define an electrical heating circuit. - The
actuator arm 78 is shaped so that thepassive portions 82 are interposed between part of theactive portions 80 and thesubstrate 52. It follows that, when theactive portions 80 are heated as a result of a current passing through theactive portions 80, theactuator arm 78 is bent towards thesubstrate 52 as a result of differential thermal expansion. Upon subsequent cooling of theactive portions 80, theactuator arm 78 returns to a quiescent condition. This reciprocal movement of theactuator arm 78 serves to drive the activeink ejection member 62 towards and away from the substrate so that an ink drop is ejected from theink ejection port 70. - The
printhead chip 50 is configured to generate text and images having a resolution of 1200 dpi (dots per inch). Furthermore, as can be seen in FIG. 3, thenozzle arrangements 54 are arranged in an aligned, side-by-side manner so that theink ejection ports 70 extend rectilinearly along a length of thesubstrate 52. It follows that a distance between consecutiveink ejection ports 70 is approximately 21 microns. It can therefore be deduced that a width of eachnozzle arrangement 54 is also approximately 21 microns or slightly less, since clearance betweenconsecutive nozzle arrangements 54 should be taken into account. A length of each nozzle arrangement is approximately 84 microns. It follows that, for a column of ink dots on a print medium moving in the direction of anarrow 86 shown in FIG. 3, 1770 microns square of chip real estate is required. As set out above, theprinthead chip 10 requires 2650 microns square of chip real estate in order to achieve a column of ink dots. It follows that a cost saving of over 30 percent can be achieved with theprinthead chip 50. - In order to achieve such a cost saving, the applicant has had a number of difficulties to address. These difficulties have made it counter-intuitive to design the printhead chip of this invention. These difficulties are primarily associated with the narrowness of the
nozzle arrangement 50. - One of the significant difficulties is the anchor formation configuration. With the
nozzle arrangement 12, theanchors substrate 11. As set out above, this is a logical way of doing this since it simplifies the structure of thethermal actuator 22. However, this configuration would not be feasible with thenozzle arrangement 54. It follows that the Applicant has devised the configuration shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 in order to keep thenozzle arrangement 54 as narrow as possible. - Another difficulty which would make the configuration of FIG. 3 counter-intuitive is the fact that each nozzle arrangement is required to be fed with ink via an
inlet channel 88 defined through the substrate 52 (FIG. 5). In general thewafer substrate 52 can be in the region of 300 microns thick. Considering the fact that eachnozzle arrangement 54 is only in the region of 21 microns thick a person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that this presents an extremely difficult etching task. Applicant submits that theprinthead chip 10 provides an opportunity for an etching task that is substantially easier due to the required larger spacing between consecutiveink inlet channels 88. - The Applicant has found that the
nozzle arrangement 54 is particularly suited to accommodating the required dimensions. One of the reasons for this is that thenozzle chamber 68 has a length dimension that is over 3 times a height dimension. Furthermore, an opening of theink inlet channel 88 is positioned adjacent a proximal end of thenozzle chamber 68 while theink ejection port 70 is positioned proximate a distal end of thenozzle chamber 68. This configuration results in the displacement of thethermal actuator 72, as described above, being amplified at a distal end of the active ink-ejectingmember 62, thereby facilitating efficient ink drop ejection. Furthermore, the relative dimensions of thenozzle chamber 68 retard a flow of ink from theink ejection port 70 to theink inlet channel 88 while the ink drop is ejected. This flow is known as backflow and is undesirable. It follows that the active ink-ejectingmember 62 has a simple structure, since further components are not required to achieve these advantages. This is important when fabricating thenozzle arrangements 54 on the narrow scale of this invention. - The Applicant believes that this invention provides a means whereby a substantial saving in chip real estate can be made while not compromising required nozzle arrangement density.
Claims (17)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/966,291 US6425651B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2001-09-28 | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
PCT/AU2002/000918 WO2003029009A1 (en) | 2001-09-28 | 2002-07-09 | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AUPO7991A AUPO799197A0 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 1997-07-15 | Image processing method and apparatus (ART01) |
AUPO7991 | 1997-07-15 | ||
AUPO259298 | 1998-03-25 | ||
AUPO2592 | 1998-03-25 | ||
US09/112,767 US6416167B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 1998-07-10 | Thermally actuated ink jet printing mechanism having a series of thermal actuator units |
US09/966,291 US6425651B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2001-09-28 | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/112,767 Continuation-In-Part US6416167B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 1998-07-10 | Thermally actuated ink jet printing mechanism having a series of thermal actuator units |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020060714A1 true US20020060714A1 (en) | 2002-05-23 |
US6425651B1 US6425651B1 (en) | 2002-07-30 |
Family
ID=25511171
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/966,291 Expired - Lifetime US6425651B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2001-09-28 | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6425651B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2003029009A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (29)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
AUPO799197A0 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 1997-08-07 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Image processing method and apparatus (ART01) |
US6834939B2 (en) * | 2002-11-23 | 2004-12-28 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Micro-electromechanical device that incorporates covering formations for actuators of the device |
US7556356B1 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2009-07-07 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead integrated circuit with ink spread prevention |
AUPP653998A0 (en) | 1998-10-16 | 1998-11-05 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Micromechanical device and method (ij46B) |
US7246884B2 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2007-07-24 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead having enclosed inkjet actuators |
US7004566B2 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2006-02-28 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead chip that incorporates micro-mechanical lever mechanisms |
US6840600B2 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2005-01-11 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Fluid ejection device that incorporates covering formations for actuators of the fluid ejection device |
US7008046B2 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2006-03-07 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Micro-electromechanical liquid ejection device |
US7111925B2 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2006-09-26 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead integrated circuit |
US6582059B2 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2003-06-24 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Discrete air and nozzle chambers in a printhead chip for an inkjet printhead |
US6880918B2 (en) | 1997-07-15 | 2005-04-19 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Micro-electromechanical device that incorporates a motion-transmitting structure |
US6425651B1 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2002-07-30 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
US6435667B1 (en) * | 1997-12-12 | 2002-08-20 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd. | Opposed ejection ports and ink inlets in an ink jet printhead chip |
US7364269B2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2008-04-29 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead with non-uniform width ink supply passage to nozzle |
US7575298B2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2009-08-18 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead with ink supply passage to nozzle etched from opposing sides of wafer |
US6962402B2 (en) * | 2002-12-02 | 2005-11-08 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead with ink supply passage formed from both sides of the wafer by overlapping etches |
US6536874B1 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2003-03-25 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Symmetrically actuated ink ejection components for an ink jet printhead chip |
US7156484B2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2007-01-02 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead with CMOS drive circuitry close to ink supply passage |
US6857728B2 (en) * | 2002-12-02 | 2005-02-22 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Pagewidth printhead chip having symmetrically actuated fluid ejection components |
US7077493B2 (en) * | 2002-04-12 | 2006-07-18 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead with ink chamber inlet etched into wafer |
US7052117B2 (en) | 2002-07-03 | 2006-05-30 | Dimatix, Inc. | Printhead having a thin pre-fired piezoelectric layer |
US8091984B2 (en) * | 2002-12-02 | 2012-01-10 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Inkjet printhead employing active and static ink ejection structures |
US7281778B2 (en) | 2004-03-15 | 2007-10-16 | Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. | High frequency droplet ejection device and method |
US8491076B2 (en) | 2004-03-15 | 2013-07-23 | Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. | Fluid droplet ejection devices and methods |
US7293359B2 (en) * | 2004-04-29 | 2007-11-13 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Method for manufacturing a fluid ejection device |
US7387370B2 (en) * | 2004-04-29 | 2008-06-17 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Microfluidic architecture |
US8708441B2 (en) | 2004-12-30 | 2014-04-29 | Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. | Ink jet printing |
US7988247B2 (en) | 2007-01-11 | 2011-08-02 | Fujifilm Dimatix, Inc. | Ejection of drops having variable drop size from an ink jet printer |
CN109605938B (en) * | 2019-01-17 | 2024-03-01 | 南京沃航智能科技有限公司 | Self-cleaning high-speed Gao Xiaopen ink type piezoelectric spray head |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5255016A (en) * | 1989-09-05 | 1993-10-19 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Ink jet printer recording head |
US5812159A (en) * | 1996-07-22 | 1998-09-22 | Eastman Kodak Company | Ink printing apparatus with improved heater |
US6425651B1 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2002-07-30 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead |
US6284147B1 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2001-09-04 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Method of manufacture of a stacked electrostatic ink jet printer |
US6213588B1 (en) * | 1997-07-15 | 2001-04-10 | Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd | Electrostatic ink jet printing mechanism |
-
2001
- 2001-09-28 US US09/966,291 patent/US6425651B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2002
- 2002-07-09 WO PCT/AU2002/000918 patent/WO2003029009A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6425651B1 (en) | 2002-07-30 |
WO2003029009A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6425651B1 (en) | High-density inkjet nozzle array for an inkjet printhead | |
US6450614B1 (en) | Printhead die alignment for wide-array inkjet printhead assembly | |
US8020970B2 (en) | Printhead nozzle arrangements with magnetic paddle actuators | |
US7364271B2 (en) | Nozzle arrangement with inlet covering cantilevered actuator | |
US6536874B1 (en) | Symmetrically actuated ink ejection components for an ink jet printhead chip | |
US7901058B2 (en) | Inkjet printer nozzle arrangement having thermal actuator with inner and outer portion of inverse profile | |
US6843552B2 (en) | Electrical circuit for printhead assembly | |
JP3980361B2 (en) | Two-step trench etching to form a fully integrated thermal inkjet printhead | |
JP2006130917A (en) | Inkjet printing head with cantilever actuator | |
US20020060723A1 (en) | Opposed ejection ports and ink inlets in an ink jet printhead chip | |
US20030081071A1 (en) | Inkjet printhead having ink feed channels defined by thin-film structure and orifice layer | |
US6517735B2 (en) | Ink feed trench etch technique for a fully integrated thermal inkjet printhead | |
US6575562B1 (en) | Performance inkjet printhead chip layouts and assemblies | |
US6474776B1 (en) | Ink jet cartridge with two jet plates | |
US6350018B1 (en) | Ink jet drop ejection architecture for improved damping and process yield | |
KR101723262B1 (en) | Inkjet printhead having common conductive track on nozzle plate | |
US8091984B2 (en) | Inkjet printhead employing active and static ink ejection structures | |
EP0533355B1 (en) | Droplet ejecting device |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY. LTD., AUSTRALIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SILVERBROOK, KIA;REEL/FRAME:012224/0396 Effective date: 20010921 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
FEPP | Fee payment procedure |
Free format text: PAT HOLDER NO LONGER CLAIMS SMALL ENTITY STATUS, ENTITY STATUS SET TO UNDISCOUNTED (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: STOL); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY |
|
REFU | Refund |
Free format text: REFUND - SURCHARGE, PETITION TO ACCEPT PYMT AFTER EXP, UNINTENTIONAL (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: R2551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: ZAMTEC LIMITED, IRELAND Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SILVERBROOK RESEARCH PTY. LIMITED AND CLAMATE PTY LIMITED;REEL/FRAME:028537/0396 Effective date: 20120503 |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 12 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: MEMJET TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, IRELAND Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:ZAMTEC LIMITED;REEL/FRAME:033244/0276 Effective date: 20140609 |