Inkjet nozzle with paddle layer sandwiched between first and second wafers

• US 7,758,166 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2008
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zamtec Limited (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): STEPHENS, JUANITA DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US12/103,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 347/20, 347/44, 347/47, 347/54, 347 56- 59, 347 61- 65, 347/67
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14 Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14314 Structure of ink jet print heads with electrostatically actuated membrane
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16 Production of nozzles
• 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 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 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 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• 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 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 : Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14346 : Ejection by pressure produced by thermal deformation of ink chamber, e.g. buckling
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 : Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14443 : Nozzle guard
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 : by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

The invention provides for an inkjet nozzle which includes a first wafer, a second wafer and a paddle layer. The first wafer has active drive circuitry together with an ink jet print nozzle formed therein. The second wafer has an ink channel formed therein. The paddle layer is sandwiched between the first and second wafers in a chamber complementarily defined by the wafers. The paddle layer is arranged in signal communication with the active drive circuitry, so that ink supplied via the ink channel is ejected via the print nozzle upon actuation of the paddle layer by the circuitry.

Claims

1. An inkjet nozzle unit comprising:

a first wafer having formed therein active drive circuitry and an ink ejection nozzle;

a second wafer having an ink channel formed therein; and

a paddle layer sandwiched between the first and second wafers in a chamber complementarily defined by the wafers, the paddle layer in signal communication with the active drive circuitry, so that ink supplied via the ink channel is ejected via the ink ejection nozzle upon actuation of the paddle layer by the circuitry, wherein

the paddle layer includes two solenoid coil paddles arranged on top of each other, said coil paddles thermally expanding upon activation by the drive circuitry to eject the ink.

2. The inkjet nozzle of claim 1, wherein the paddle layer is constructed utilizing a damascene process utilizing chemical mechanical polishing techniques.

3. The inkjet nozzle of claim 1, wherein the paddle layer is finished with a planarized glass layer during utilisation of a damascene process.