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US 6,471,338 B2Granted
Microinjector head having driver circuitry thereon and method for making the same
AssigneeBenq Corporation
InventorsChih-Ching Chen, Tsung-Wei Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microinjector head with a driving circuit and the manufacturing method of the microinjector head are shown. The microinjector head uses a bubble as a virtual valve to eject fluid. The microinjector head has a manifold, chambers, a pair of first and second bubble generators, orifices, and a driving circuit. The driving circuit is used to control the pair of first and second bubble generating devices and eject fluid inside the corresponding chamber from the corresponding orifice. In addition, because the driving circuit and the bubble generators are integrated on a single substrate, the number of manufacturing processes is reduced and the circuit devices and connecting circuits of the. microinjector array are fewer.
Claims49
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate, said forming comprising:
- forming a thin oxide layer on the substrate;
- forming a silicon nitride layer on the thin oxide layer;
- oxidizing exposed regions of the thin oxide layer by local oxidation to form a field oxide, wherein the thin oxide layer covered by the silicon nitride layer is the first part of the dielectric layer, and the field oxide is the second part of the dielectric layer;
- and
- removing the silicon nitride layer;
- forming a driving circuit containing a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the second part of the dielectric layer;
- etching the substrate and the dielectric layer to form a manifold and a plurality of fluid chambers, the manifold and the fluid chambers being connected to supply fluid to the chambers;
- forming aplurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit;
- and
- forming an orifice opening to the corresponding chamber to eject the fluid.
10 more elements
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate;
- forming a driving circuit having a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- etching a portion of the second part of the dielectric layer, a sacrificial layer being formed on the etched portion of the second part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the sacrificial layer;
- etching a non-driving circuit portion of the substrate and the sacrificial layer for forming a manifold and a plurality of chambers, the manifold being connected to the chambers for providing fluid to the chambers, said etching comprising:
- back-side etching the substrate for forming the manifold;
- removing the sacrificial layer that does not cover the driving circuit;
- and
- back-side etching the substrate for forming the chambers;
- forming a plurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit;
- and
- forming a plurality of orifices, each orifice connected to the chambers for ejecting the fluid.
10 more elements
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate;
- forming a driving circuit containing a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the second part of the dielectric layer;
- etching the substrate and the dielectric layer to form a manifold and a plurality of fluid chambers, the manifold and the fluid chambers being connected to supply fluid to the chambers;
- forming a plurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, each bubble generator comprising a first bubble-generating device and a second bubble generating device, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit;
- forming a resistor layer on the low-stress material layer for forming a first heater as the first bubble-generating device and a second heater as the second bubble-generating device;
- forming a conductive layer on the resistor layer, the conductive layer and the resistor layer being connected;
- and
- forming an orifice opening to the corresponding chamber to eject the fluid;
- wherein the first bubble-generating device of each bubble generator is for generating a first bubble as a virtual valve between the chamber and the manifold, and a second bubble-generating device of each bubble generator is for generating a second bubble approaching the first bubble.
8 more elements
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate;
- forming a driving circuit containing a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the second part of the dielectric layer;
- etching the substrate and the dielectric layer to form a manifold and a plurality of fluid chambers, the manifold and the fluid chambers being connected to supply fluid to the chambers, said etching comprising:
- back-side etching the substrate for forming the manifold;
- removing the second part of the dielectric layer;
- and
- etching the substrate for forming the chambers;
- forming aplurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit;
- and
- forming an orifice opening to the corresponding chamber to eject the fluid.
9 more elements
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate;
- forming a driving circuit having a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- etching a portion of the second part of the dielectric layer, a sacrificial layer being formed on the etched portion of the second part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the sacrificial layer;
- etching a non-driving circuit portion of the substrate and the sacrificial layer for forming a manifold and a plurality of chambers, the manifold being connected to the chambers for providing fluid to the chambers;
- forming a plurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, each bubble generator comprising a first bubble-generating device and a second bubble generating device, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit, said forming comprising:
- forming a resistor layer on the low-stress material layer for forming a first heater as the first bubble-generating device and a second heater as the second bubble-generating device;
- and
- forming a conductive layer on the resistor layer, the conductive layer connected to the driving circuit;
- forming a plurality of orifices, each orifice connected to the chambers for ejecting the fluid.
8 more elements
A method for making a microinjector head with driving circuitry, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a dielectric layer having a first part and a second part on the substrate, said forming comprising:
- forming a thin oxide layer on the substrate;
- forming a silicon nitride layer on the thin oxide layer;
- local oxidizing the thin oxide layer not covered by the silicon nitride layer for forming a field oxide layer, wherein the thin oxide layer covered by the silicon nitride layer is the first part of the dielectric layer, and the field oxide layer is the second part of the dielectric layer;
- and
- removing the silicon nitride layer;
- forming a driving circuit having a plurality of functional devices on the first part of the dielectric layer;
- etching a portion of the second part of the dielectric layer, a sacrificial layer being formed on the etched portion of the second part of the dielectric layer;
- forming a low-stress material layer on the sacrificial layer;
- etching a non-driving circuit portion of the substrate and the sacrificial layer for forming a manifold and a plurality of chambers, the manifold being connected to the chambers for providing fluid to the chambers;
- forming a plurality of bubble generators on the low-stress material layer, the bubble generators connected to the driving circuit;
- and
- forming a plurality of orifices, each orifice connected to the chambers for ejecting the fluid.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.