Inkjet printhead integrated circuit

#This invention relates to an inkjet printhead chip. More particularly, this invention relates to an inkjet printhead chip which incorporates micro-mechanical lever mechanisms.

#The following patents/patent applications are incorporated by reference.

#The following patents/patent applications are incorporated by reference.

#In the drawings,

#FIG. 1 shows a sectioned, three dimensional view of a nozzle arrangement of a printhead chip, in accordance with the invention, for an inkjet printhead; and

#FIG. 2 shows a three dimensional view of the nozzle arrangement of FIG. 1.

#In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a nozzle arrangement for a first embodiment of an ink jet printhead chip, in accordance with the invention.

#The nozzle arrangement 10 is one of a plurality of such nozzle arrangements formed on a silicon wafer substrate 12 to define the printhead chip of the invention. As set out in the background of this specification, a single printhead can contain up to 84 000 such nozzle arrangements. For the purposes of clarity and ease of description, only one nozzle arrangement is described. It is to be appreciated that a person of ordinary skill in the field can readily obtain the printhead chip by simply replicating the nozzle arrangement 10 on the wafer substrate 12.

#The printhead chip is the product of an integrated circuit fabrication technique. In particular, each nozzle arrangement 10 is the product of a MEMS—based fabrication technique. As is known, such a fabrication technique involves the deposition of functional layers and sacrificial layers of integrated circuit materials. The functional layers are etched to define various moving components and the sacrificial layers are etched away to release the components. As is known, such fabrication techniques generally involve the replication of a large number of similar components on a single wafer that is subsequently diced to separate the various components from each other. This reinforces the submission that a person of ordinary skill in the field can readily obtain the printhead chip of this invention by replicating the nozzle arrangement 10.