Ink jet printhead with amorphous ceramic chamber

• US 7,802,871 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• 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): Luu; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lebron; Jannelle M
• Application Number:
  US11/490,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 347/54, 347/56, 347/61, 347/40
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1412 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• 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 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• 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 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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: 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 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• 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

A nozzle arrangement for use in an integrated circuit device is provided. The nozzle arrangement comprises a wafer substrate, a nozzle chamber wall disposed on the substrate, which with a roof wall defines a nozzle chamber, the roof wall forming an ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber, an inlet channel which extends through the substrate to the nozzle chamber, a thermal actuator having an actuating arm that extends through an opening in the nozzle chamber wall into the nozzle chamber for ejection of fluid from the ejection port, and a sealing structure depending from the actuating arm within the nozzle chamber wall opening. The sealing structure, nozzle chamber wall and roof wall are complementarily configured so as to form fluidic seals therebetween within the nozzle chamber wall opening.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement, for use in an integrated circuit device, the nozzle arrangement comprising:

a wafer substrate;

a nozzle chamber wall disposed on the wafer substrate;

a roof wall, whereby the nozzle chamber wall and the roof wall define a nozzle chamber, the roof wall forming an ejection port that is in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber;

an inlet channel, the inlet channel extending through the wafer substrate to the nozzle chamber;

a thermal actuator having a suspended actuating arm that extends through an opening in the nozzle chamber wall which is spaced from the wafer substrate into the nozzle chamber for ejection of fluid from the ejection port, the actuating arm being suspended within the opening in the nozzle chamber wall so that the actuating arm is spaced from both the wafer substrate and the nozzle chamber wall within the opening; and

a sealing structure defined within said opening of the nozzle chamber wall, the sealing structure, nozzle chamber wall and roof wall being complementarily configured so as to form fluidic seals therebetween within said opening.

2. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a layer of passivation material on the wafer substrate, the nozzle chamber wall being arranged on the passivation layer.

3. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the passivation material is silicone.

4. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is ink.

5. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle arrangement forms part of an inkjet printhead integrated circuit.

6. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thermal actuator includes a paddle positioned in the nozzle chamber between an outlet of the inlet channel and the ejection port.

7. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the actuating arm is connected to the paddle.

8. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the actuating arm includes an actuating portion that is connected to at least one CMOS layer positioned on the substrate, the actuating arm adapted to receive electrical signals from the CMOS layer.

9. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the actuating portion includes a pair of spaced actuating members.

10. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 9, further comprising a layer of passivation material on the wafer substrate, the nozzle chamber wall being arranged on the passivation layer.

11. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the actuating members include a lower actuating member and an upper actuating member, the lower actuating member spaced between the upper actuating member and the passivation layer.

12. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the lower actuating member includes a heating circuit.

13. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the lower actuating member is connected to the CMOS layer, and is configured to expand at a substantially greater rate than the upper actuating member.

14. A nozzle arrangement according to claim 13, wherein, when the lower actuating member receives an electrical signal from the CMOS layer, the paddle causes the fluid to be displaced.