# US 10,501,313 B2 · Fluid ejection device

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- Number: US 10,501,313 B2
- Document ID: US10501313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/915,454
- Filed: 2018-03-08
- Published: 2018-07-12
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-18
- Assignees: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd; STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
- Applicants: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd; STMicroelectronics S.r.l.; STMicroelectronics, Inc.
- Inventors: Teck Khim Neo; Mauro Pasetti; Franco Consiglieri; Luca Molinari; Andrea Nicola Colecchia; Simon Dodd
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501313B2

## CPC

- B81B 7/008: {MEMS characterised by an electronic circuit specially adapted for controlling or driving the same (B81B7/0087 takes precedence; arrangements for starting, regulating, braking, or otherwise controlling an actuator H02N; control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators G09G3/00)}
- B05B 1/24: incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically
- B05B 17/06: using ultrasonic {or other kinds of} vibrations
- B41J 2/04501: {Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits}
- B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit}
- B41J 2/04543: {Block driving}
- B41J 2/14016: {Structure of bubble jet print heads}
- B41J 2/14072: {Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside...}
- B81B 2201/05: Microfluidics
- B81B 2207/012: the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package
- B81B 2207/091: Arrangements for connecting external electrical signals to mechanical structures inside the package
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a microfluidic die that includes ejection circuitry and one time programmable memory with a minimal number of contact pads to external devices. The die includes a relatively large number of nozzles and a relatively small number of contact pads. The die includes decoding circuitry that utilizes the small number of contact pads to control the drive and ejection of the nozzles and the reading/writing of the memory with the same contact pads.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device, comprising:
a microfluidic die that includes:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of contact pads in the semiconductor substrate;
a first plurality of chambers in the semiconductor substrate;
a first plurality of nozzles;
a first plurality of heaters in the semiconductor substrate;
a first plurality of driving circuits configured to provide driving signals to the first plurality of heaters, the first plurality of driving circuits positioned between the first plurality of nozzles and the plurality of contact pads, each driving circuit of the first plurality of driving circuits including at least a transistor in the semiconductor substrate and coupled to one of the plurality of contact pads; and
a first memory in the semiconductor substrate including a first plurality of one time programmable memory bits, each respective one time programmable memory bit of the first plurality of one time programmable memory bits being associated with a respective one of the driving circuits of the first plurality of driving circuits.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein each of the first plurality of driving circuits is electrically coupled to at least two of the first plurality of heaters, and is configured to provide a driving signal to the at least two of the first plurality of heaters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the die includes a second memory including a second plurality of programmable memory bits, each of the second plurality of programmable memory bits being associated with a respective driving circuit of a second plurality of driving circuits.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3 wherein the first memory is at a first end of the semiconductor substrate and the second memory is at a second end of the semiconductor substrate that is opposite to the first end, the first plurality of nozzles, the first plurality of driving circuits, and the second plurality of driving circuits are positioned between the first memory and the second memory.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contact pads includes a first plurality of selection contact pads configured to select at least one of the first plurality of chambers and at least one of the first plurality of programmable memory bits, and a second plurality of selection contact pads configured to select between a fluid ejection mode, a read mode, and a write mode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the die includes:
a second plurality of chambers;
a second plurality of nozzles;
a second plurality of heaters configured to heat the second plurality of chambers;
a second plurality of driving circuits configured to provide driving signals to the second plurality of heaters; and
an inlet path coupled to the first and second plurality of chambers, the inlet path positioned between the first plurality of nozzles and the second plurality of nozzles.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of nozzles are positioned between the first plurality of driving circuits and the first memory.

### Claim 8

A device, comprising:
a microfluidic die including:
a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of chambers on the semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of nozzles on the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of nozzles corresponding to the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of fluid ejection elements on the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of ejection elements corresponding to the plurality of chambers;
a memory on the semiconductor substrate, the memory including a plurality of memory bits;
a plurality of contact pads on the semiconductor substrate, the plurality of contact pads including:
a plurality of first selection contacts configured to select at least one of the plurality of chambers and at least one of the plurality of memory bits; and
a plurality of second selection contacts configured to select between a mode of the device, the plurality of first selection contacts and the plurality of second selection contacts being aligned with each other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8 wherein the plurality of second selection contacts are configured to select between a fluid ejection mode, a read mode, and a write mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, further comprising:
fluid ejection circuits on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the plurality of fluid ejection elements, a number of the plurality of chambers being equal to a number of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, further comprising:
fluid ejection circuits on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the plurality of fluid ejection elements, a number of the plurality of chambers is two times a number of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits, such that pairs of the chambers are driven by one of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, further comprising:
fluid ejection circuits on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the plurality of fluid ejection elements, the plurality of fluid ejection elements positioned between the plurality of nozzles and the plurality of contact pads.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8 wherein the plurality of memory bits are one time programmable memory bits.