Micro-Extrusion Printhead With Nozzle Valves

A method for fouling a plurality of parallel gridlines on a target substrate using a printhead assembly, the printhead assembly including a reservoir for receiving one or more materials from a material feed system, a plurality of elongated nozzle channels, each nozzle channel extending between said reservoir and a corresponding nozzle outlets, where at least one valve structure is adjustably disposed adjacent to the nozzle outlets of each of said plurality of elongated nozzle channels, wherein the method comprises:

• controlling said at least one valve structure such that said at least one valve structure closes all of said plurality of nozzle channels, whereby said one or more materials are prevented by said at least one valve structure from passing from the reservoir to the outlets of said plurality of nozzle channels;
• positioning said printhead assembly over the surface of the target substrate such that the plurality of nozzle channels of the printhead assembly are disposed over the target substrate;
• while moving said printhead assembly relative to said substrate, controlling said at least one valve structure to open at least one of said plurality of nozzle channels such that said one or more materials pass through the outlet of said at least one nozzle channel onto said substrate, whereby said material is deposited onto said substrate and forms one of said plurality of parallel gridlines.