Micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device and associated register and transistor circuitry

• US 7,290,859 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• 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): Nguyen; Lamson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seo; Justin
• Application Number:
  US11/206,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20050275691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 347 56- 63, 347 68- 72
• US Class Current: 347/44
• 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

A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit includes a substrate. Drive circuitry is positioned on the substrate. A plurality of elongate actuators is fast at one end with the substrate. An opposite end of each elongate actuator is displaceable relative to the substrate on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry. The drive circuitry includes registers, gates and drive transistors such that each actuator covers the registers, gate and drive transistor for operation of that actuator and each drive transistor includes traces oriented substantially at right angles to its associated actuator.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device that comprises:

a substrate;

drive circuitry positioned on the substrate; and

a plurality of elongate actuators fast at one end with the substrate, an opposite end of each elongate actuator being displaceable relative to the substrate on receipt of an electrical signal from the drive circuitry, wherein

the drive circuitry includes registers, gates and drive transistors such that each actuator covers the registers, gate and drive transistor for operation of that actuator and each drive transistor includes traces oriented substantially at right angles to its associated actuator.

2. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 1, in which each actuator includes an actuator arm and a heater element connected to its associated drive transistor and fast with the actuator arm to receive an electrical signal so that the heater element expands and subsequently contracts, the heater element being positioned so that the heater element serves reciprocally to displace the actuator arm.

3. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 2, in which the heater element is positioned on the actuator arm to be interposed between the substrate and the actuator arm, such that, upon expansion of the heater element, the actuator arm is displaced away from the substrate.

4. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 3, in which each heater element has a plurality of transverse corrugations that correspond generally to the traces of the associated drive transistor.

5. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 3, in which the heater element defines a tapered slot which is positioned so that the heater element includes a pair of heater arms which have a reduced cross-sectional area proximate said one end of the actuator fast with the substrate.

6. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 5, which includes a plurality of nozzle chamber structures that define nozzle chambers, the substrate defining a plurality of fluid inlet channels in fluid communication with respective nozzle chambers, and a plurality of fluid ejection members fast with respective actuators and positioned in respective nozzle chambers.

7. A micro-electromechanical integrated circuit device as claimed in claim 6, in which each fluid ejection member is of the same material as the heater element, each fluid ejection member being electrically isolated from the associated heater element.