Droplet ejector assembly structure and methods

Abstract

A droplet ejector assembly for a printhead comprises a substrate, the substrate comprising a CMOS control circuit, a plurality of layers on the first surface of the substrate, a fluid chamber having a droplet ejection outlet, and a piezoelectric actuator element formed by one or more said layers and comprising first and second electrodes in contact with a piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric actuator element defines part of the fluid chamber. At least one said electrode electrically is connected to the CMOS control circuit. The droplet ejector comprises a fluid chamber having a droplet ejection outlet. The piezoelectric actuator element is separate to the droplet ejection outlet and the piezoelectric body is formed of one or more piezoelectric materials processable at a temperature below 450° C. Thus, a CMOS control circuit is integrated with a droplet ejector assembly. The CMOS control circuit may receive both an analogue actuator ejection pulse and serial digital controls signals and use the serial digital control signals to determine which piezoelectric actuator elements are connected to and driven by individual actuator ejection pulses.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.