Inkjet nozzle arrangement within small printhead substrate area

• US 6,905,195 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, HUAN HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/841,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/55, 347/20, 347/40, 347/42
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04506 aiming at correcting manufacturing tolerances
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04528 aiming at warming up the head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04543 Block driving
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04553 detecting ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04563 detecting head temperature; Ink temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04565 detecting heater resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0457 Power supply level being detected or varied
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04571 detecting viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04585 controlling heads based on thermal bent actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04591 Width of the driving signal being adjusted
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04596 Non-ejecting pulses
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/155 for line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 : photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 : machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1634 : laser machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 : dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 : molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 : sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 : thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 : thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 : Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/175 : Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17563 : Ink filters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14362 : Assembling elements of heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14419 : Manifold
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14491 : Electrical connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/19 : Assembling head units
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 : Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

An inkjet printhead with a substrate supporting an array of ink ejection nozzles. Each ink ejection nozzle having a chamber, a thermal bend actuator and associated drive circuitry. The chamber stores ink to be ejected, and has an ink inlet and a nozzle aperture. The thermal bend actuator ejects ink from the chamber through the nozzle aperture. The drive circuitry operates the thermal bend actuator.

When viewed from a direction normal to the substrate, the nozzle aperture at least partially overlies the ink inlet and the thermal bend actuator at least partially overlies the drive circuitry.

By arranging the nozzle structures such that there is vertical stacking of the components where possible, the entire nozzle arrangement occupies a small printhead surface area. Therefore, more nozzles can be manufactured on each wafer and fabrication costs are reduced. Using a thermal bend actuator generates less heat than a bubble forming heater element which allows it to closely overlay the drive circuitry. Likewise, feeding ink into the chamber from directly beneath the nozzle aperture removes the need for ink feed channels adjacent each of the ink ejection nozzles.

Claims

1. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a substrate supporting an array of ink ejection nozzles, each ink ejection nozzle comprising;

a chamber for storing ink to be ejected, the chamber having an ink inlet and a nozzle aperture;

a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink from the chamber through the nozzle aperture; and

,

drive circuitry for operating the thermal bend actuator;

wherein,

when viewed from a direction normal to the substrate, the nozzle aperture at least partially overlies the ink inlet and the thermal bend actuator at least partially overlies the drive circuitry.

2. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 wherein one end of the thermal bend actuator is anchored to the substrate and the other end has a paddle, wherein the paddle is within the chamber and positioned between the nozzle aperture and the ink inlet.

3. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 wherein each of the ink ejection nozzles occupies less than 5000 square microns of the substrate surface area.

4. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 wherein each of the ink ejection nozzles occupies approximately 1764 square microns of the substrate surface area.

5. An inkjet printhead according to claim 1 wherein the array of nozzles is pagewidth and self cooling such that heat generated by the thermal bend actuator during normal operating mode is removed by the ejected ink drops.

6. An inkjet printhead comprising:

a substrate supporting an array of ink ejection nozzles, each ink ejection nozzle comprising;

a chamber for storing ink to be ejected, the chamber having an ink inlet and a nozzle aperture;

a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink from the chamber through the nozzle aperture; and

,

drive circuitry for operating the thermal bend actuator;

wherein, when viewed from a direction normal to the substrate, the ink ejection nozzle occupies less than 5000 square microns of the substrate surface area.

7. An inkjet printhead according to claim 6 wherein each of the ink ejection nozzles occupies approximately 1764 square microns of the substrate surface area.