Apparatus and method for routing power and ground lines in a ink-jet printhead
DCFirst Claim
1. An ink-jet printhead, comprising:
- a thin film substrate, said substrate including a plurality of thin film layers, said plurality including a passivation layer and an electrically conductive thin film layer underlying said passivation layer;
an ink barrier layer overlying said thin film substrate, said ink barrier layer defining ink chambers and ink channels, said ink barrier layer having a peripheral edge, said substrate further including a substrate portion extending beyond said ink barrier layer peripheral edge;
a bond pad disposed on said substrate portion adjacent said ink barrier layer peripheral edge; and
means for coupling electrically said bond pad to said electrically conductive thin film layer at a location within said substrate portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ink-jet printhead having a thin film substrate, the substrate including a plurality of thin film layers including a gold thin film layer overlying a tantalum thin film layer, an underlying passivation layer and an aluminum thin film layer underlying the passivation layer. A portion of the substrate is disposed adjacent an outer edge thereof and an ink barrier layer overlies the thin film substrate, the barrier layer having a first edge. The substrate portion extends beyond the barrier layer first edge. A plurality of bond pads is disposed on the substrate portion. Power and ground traces are coupled to a respective bond pad and are dropped through vias in the substrate portion to the thin film aluminum layer underlying the passivation layer. The traces are returned through vias to the gold thin film layer at a location separated from the barrier first edge. The gold and tantalum material between the vias is removed thereby providing a region in the printhead wherein the barrier layer directly adheres to the passivation layer.
18 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An ink-jet printhead, comprising:
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a thin film substrate, said substrate including a plurality of thin film layers, said plurality including a passivation layer and an electrically conductive thin film layer underlying said passivation layer;
an ink barrier layer overlying said thin film substrate, said ink barrier layer defining ink chambers and ink channels, said ink barrier layer having a peripheral edge, said substrate further including a substrate portion extending beyond said ink barrier layer peripheral edge;
a bond pad disposed on said substrate portion adjacent said ink barrier layer peripheral edge; and
means for coupling electrically said bond pad to said electrically conductive thin film layer at a location within said substrate portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of producing an ink-jet printhead, comprising the steps of:
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providing a thin film substrate, said substrate including a plurality of thin film layers including a passivation layer and electrically conductive thin film layers, at least one of said electrically conductive thin film layers underlying said passivation layer, said electrically conductive thin film layers forming electrically conductive traces, an ink barrier layer overlying said thin film substrate, said ink barrier layer defining ink chambers and ink channels, said ink barrier layer having a peripheral edge, said substrate further including a substrate portion extending beyond said ink barrier layer peripheral edge, and a plurality of bond pads disposed on said substrate portion adjacent said ink barrier layer peripheral edge; and
coupling said electrically conductive thin film layers to said plurality of bond pads, thereby routing electric current under said passivation layer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification