An actuator component for a droplet ejection head and method for manufacturing the same

A droplet ejection apparatus comprising:

• an actuator components, the actuator component including an actuator assembly and a nozzle plate:
• wherein said actuator assembly includes a plurality of liquid chambers arranged in a liquid chamber array extending in an array direction;
• wherein said plurality of liquid chambers are configured to be fluidically connectable to a liquid supply;
• and
• said actuator assembly further including a plurality of gas channels arranged in a gas channel array extending in said array direction;
• wherein said plurality of gas channels are configured to be fluidically connectable to a gas supply:
• wherein said liquid chamber array and said gas channel array are fluidically independent from each other;
• wherein said nozzle plate includes a plurality of droplet ejection nozzles arranged in a nozzle array extending in the array direction;
• said nozzle plate further including a plurality of gas orifices arranged in an orifice array extending in the array direction;
• wherein said gas orifices and said droplet ejection nozzles are arranged in a repeating pattern extending in the array direction:
• wherein each of said liquid chamber is fluidically connected to one or more of said droplet ejection nozzles and is configured to be actuable for ejection of droplets of a liquid through said one or more droplet ejection nozzles;
• wherein said plurality of gas channels are fluidically connected to respective one or more of said gas orifices for flow of a gas;
• and
• whereby in use of said actuator component gas flowing through said gas orifices controls one or more properties of liquid ejected from said droplet ejection nozzles;
• and
• the droplet ejection apparatus further including a liquid supply and a gas supply, wherein said gas supply is arranged to be a positive gas supply or negative gas supply.

A method of manufacturing an actuator component for a droplet ejection head, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

• forming an actuator assembly, comprising:
• forming one or more arrays of liquid chambers in one or more strips of piezoelectric material extending in an array direction,
• wherein each of said liquid chambers forms an open channel in the strip of piezoelectric material being open in a liquid chamber height direction and open at both ends in a liquid chamber extension direction;
• forming one or more arrays of gas channels in said one or more strips of piezoelectric material extending in said array direction,
• wherein each of said gas channels forms an open channel in the strip of piezoelectric material being open in the liquid chamber height direction and open at both ends in the liquid chamber extension direction;
• wherein said liquid chamber array and said gas channel array are fluidically independent from each other;
• and
• fixedly attaching a nozzle plate to the actuator assembly;
• forming droplet ejection nozzles and gas orifices in said nozzle plate either before or after the step of fixedly attaching the nozzle plate to the actuator assembly such that when assembled said actuator component comprises droplet ejection nozzles fluidically connected to said liquid chambers and gas orifices fluidically connected to said gas channels,
• wherein said gas orifices and said droplet ejection nozzles are arranged in a repeating pattern extending in the array direction.