摘要:
A monolithic inkjet printhead (14) formed using integrated circuit techniques is described. A silicon substrate (20) has formed on its top surface a thin polysilicon layer (44) in the area in which a trench (36) is to be later formed in the substrate. The edges of the polysilicon layer align with the intended placement of ink feed holes (26) leading into ink ejection chambers (30). Thin film layers (46, 48), including a resistive layer (24), are formed on the top surface of the silicon substrate and over the polysilicon layer. An orifice layer (28) is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles (34) and ink ejection chambers (30). A trench mask is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. A trench is etched (using, for example, TMAH) through the exposed bottom surface of the substrate and to the polysilicon layer. The etching of the polysilicon layer exposes fast etch planes of the silicon. The TMAH then rapidly etches the silicon substrate along the etch planes, thus aligning the edges of the trench with the polysilicon. A wet etch is then performed using a buffered oxide etch (BOE) solution. The BOE will completely etch through the exposed thin film layers on the topside and underside of the substrate, forming ink feed holes through the thin film layers. The trench is now aligned with the ink feed holes due to the polysilicon layer.
摘要:
An inkjet print cartridge (10) comprises an ink reservoir (12); a substrate (28) having a plurality of ink firing chambers (130) arranged in first and second arrays and spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers and includes a primary channel (52) connected to the reservoir and to a secondary channel. A separate inlet passage (132) for each firing chamber connects the secondary channel to the chamber to allow high frequency refill thereof. A group of firing chambers in adjacent relationship form a primitive (P1-P14) in which only one firing chamber is activated at a time. A first circuit (78) on the substrate is connected to the firing elements; which a second circuit (36) on the cartridge is connected to the first circuit for transmitting firing signals to the firing elements at a predetermined frequency. Half of the firing chambers is located along one edge (86) of the substrate while the other half is located along an opposite edge of the substrate. Demultiplexing circuitry (78) on the substrate allows actuation signals and addressing signals for all 300 firing chambers to be provided through only 52 interconnect pads (20).
摘要:
An inkjet print cartridge (10) comprises an ink reservoir (12); a substrate (28) having a plurality of ink firing chambers (130) arranged in first and second arrays and spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers and includes a primary channel (52) connected to the reservoir and to a secondary channel. A separate inlet passage (132) for each firing chamber connects the secondary channel to the chamber to allow high frequency refill thereof. A group of firing chambers in adjacent relationship form a primitive (P1-P14) in which only one firing chamber is activated at a time. A first circuit (78) on the substrate is connected to the firing elements; which a second circuit (36) on the cartridge is connected to the first circuit for transmitting firing signals to the firing elements at a predetermined frequency. Half of the firing chambers is located along one edge (86) of the substrate while the other half is located along an opposite edge of the substrate. Demultiplexing circuitry (78) on the substrate allows actuation signals and addressing signals for all 300 firing chambers to be provided through only 52 interconnect pads (20).
摘要:
An inkjet printhead (14) includes a barrier layer (134) containing ink channels (132) and firing chambers (130) and located between a rectangular substrate (28) and a nozzle member (16) containing an array of orifices (17). The substrate contains two spaced linear arrays of ink ejection elements (70). The ink channels have ink entrances running along two opposite edges (86) of the substrate so that ink (88) flowing around the edges of the substrate gains access to the ink channels and to the firing chambers. High speed printing capability with a firing frequency up to 12 kHz is accomplished by offsetting neighbouring ink ejection elements from each other in each primitive (P1-P14) grouping in the linear array, combining short shelf length with damped ink inlet channels (132), and then firing only one ink ejection element at a time in each primitive grouping thereby minimizing undesirable interference such as fluidic crosstalk between closely adjacent ink firing chambers. High resolution printing capability is accomplished by densely positioning the ink ejection elements in each linear array.
摘要:
A single mask (30,56,64,70) is used to form a tapered nozzle (48) in a polymer nozzle member (46) using laser ablation. In one embodiment of the mask, clear portions of the mask, corresponding to the nozzle pattern to be formed, each incorporate a variable-density dot pattern (36), where the opaque dots (36) act to partially shield the underlying polymer nozzle member from the laser energy. This partial shielding of the nozzle member under the dot pattern results in the nozzle member being ablated to less of a depth than where there is no shielding. By selecting the proper density of opaque dots around the peripheral portions of the mask openings, the central portion of each nozzle formed in the polymer nozzle member will be completely ablated through, and the peripheral portions of the nozzle will be only partially ablated through. By increasing the density of dots toward the periphery of each mask opening, the resulting nozzle may be formed to have any tapered shape. Other mask patterns are also described.
摘要:
This invention provides an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir (12) and vaporization chambers (72) in an inkjet printhead (14). In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer (30) containing ink channels (80) and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate (28) and a nozzle member (16) containing an array of orifices (17). The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers.
摘要:
A plastic orifice plate (43) for an ink jet printhead and manufacturing process therefor which includes electroforming a metal die (22) having raised sections (30) thereon of predefined center-to-center spacings, and using the die to punch out openings (32) in a plastic substrate of a chosen thickness to form a plurality of closely spaced orifice openings (36) in the substrate. The orifice plate (43) can be of a chosen transparent material and secured to a printhead substrate where the dynamics of ink flow can be viewed through the orifice plate during printhead testing and evaluation.
摘要:
A fuel cell system in accordance with a present invention includes a fuel cell (102) including at least one anode (106) and a fuel supply apparatus (118) that supplies a plurality of fuel droplets (120).