Method of ejecting liquid from a micro-electromechanical device
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorKia Silverbrook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a printhead chip that includes a plurality of nozzle arrangements, each nozzle arrangement having nozzle chamber walls that define a nozzle chamber and an ink ejection port bounded by a rim includes the step of depositing a sacrificial layer on a substrate having drive circuitry formed on the substrate. The sacrificial layer is etched to define deposition zones for the nozzle chamber walls and the rim. A conformal layer of structural material is deposited on the sacrificial layer. The conformal layer is planarized to a predetermined depth to define each ink ejection port bounded by its respective rim. The sacrificial layer is then etched away.
Claims6
A method of ejecting liquid from a micro-electromechanical device of the type having a nozzle arrangement that defines a nozzle chamber and an actuator that acts on liquid in the nozzle chamber to eject the liquid from the nozzle chamber, the method comprising the step of heating the liquid to a predetermined temperature prior to ejecting the liquid from the nozzle chamber with the actuator.
A method of printing with a printhead chip that has a substrate, drive circuitry positioned on the substrate and a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate, each nozzle arrangement defining a nozzle chamber and having an actuator which acts on ink in the nozzle chamber to eject the ink from the nozzle chamber, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying ink to the nozzle chambers;
- heating the ink to a predetermined temperature;
- and
- once the ink has reached said predetermined temperature, applying an electrical current to each actuator so that the actuators can act on the ink in the nozzle chambers to eject the ink from the nozzle chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.