Ink jet printhead chip with predetermined micro-electromechanical systems height
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorKia Silverbrook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink jet printhead chip includes a wafer substrate. A CMOS drive circuitry layer is positioned on the wafer substrate. A plurality of nozzle arrangements is positioned on the wafer substrate and the CMOS drive circuitry layer. Each nozzle arrangement includes nozzle chamber walls and a roof wall that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port defined in the roof wall. A micro-electromechanical actuator is connected to the CMOS drive circuitry layer. The actuator has at least one movable member that is positioned to act on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the ink ejection port on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer. The movable member is spaced between 2 microns and 15 microns from the CMOS drive circuitry layer.
Claims10
An ink jet printhead chip that comprises
- a wafer substrate,
- a CMOS drive circuitry layer positioned on the wafer substrate, and
- a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the wafer substrate and the CMOS drive circuitry layer, each nozzle arrangement comprising
- nozzle chamber walls and a roof wall that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port defined in the roof wall, and
- a micro-electromechanical actuator connected to the CMOS drive circuitry layer and that has at least one movable member that is positioned to act on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the ink ejection port on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer, the, or each, movable member being spaced between 2 microns and 15 microns from the CMOS drive circuitry layer.
A method of fabricating an ink jet printhead chip having a wafer substrate, a CMOS drive circuitry layer positioned on the wafer substrate and a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the wafer substrate and the CMOS drive circuitry layer, each nozzle arrangement having nozzle chamber walls and a roof wall that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port in the roof wall and a micro-electromechanical actuator connected to the CMOS drive circuitry layer the actuator having at least one movable member that is positioned to act on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the ink ejection port on receipt of a signal from the drive circuitry layer, the method comprising the steps of:
- depositing between 2 microns and 15 microns of a first sacrificial material on the CMOS drive circuitry layer to define a deposition area for a layer of actuator material,
- depositing said layer of actuator material on said deposition area,
- etching the layer of actuator material to form at least part of each micro-electromechanical actuator, and
- forming the nozzle chamber walls and roof wall by at least one of a deposition and an etching process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.