# US 9,434,157 B2 · Liquid discharging apparatus, head unit, capacitive load driving circuit, and integrated circuit device for capacitive load driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,157 B2 - Document ID: US9434157B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/932,327 - Filed: 2015-11-04 - Published: 2016-06-16 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-10 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Shunichi Shima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434157B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/04541: {Specific driving circuit} - B41J 2/04581: {controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements} - B41J 2/04588: {using a specific waveform} - B41J 2/04593: {Dot-size modulation by changing the size of the drop} - B41J 2/04596: {Non-ejecting pulses} - H02M 1/088: for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 5/293: using semiconductor devices only - H02M 1/44: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters - H02M 5/2932: {with automatic control of output voltage, current or power} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus including: a low voltage system circuit block including a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal pulse-modulated from a source signal; a high voltage system circuit block including a gate driver which generates an amplification control signal based on the modulation signal; a transistor which generates an amplification modulation signal amplified from the modulation signal based on the amplification control signal; a low pass filter which demodulates the amplification modulation signal and generates a driving signal; and a piezoelectric element which is displaced as the driving signal is applied, in which the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are formed on the same semiconductor substrate, in which the semiconductor substrate has one substrate potential supply terminal to which a substrate potential of the semiconductor substrate is supplied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid discharging apparatus comprising: a low voltage system circuit block including a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal pulse-modulated from a source signal; a high voltage system circuit block including a gate driver which generates an amplification control signal based on the modulation signal; a transistor which generates an amplification modulation signal amplified from the modulation signal based on the amplification control signal; a low pass filter which demodulates the amplification modulation signal and generates a driving signal; a piezoelectric element which is displaced as the driving signal is applied; a cavity in which the inside is filled with liquid and the internal volume changes due to the displacement of the piezoelectric element; and a nozzle which communicates with the cavity, and discharges the liquid inside the cavity as liquid droplets in accordance with the change in the internal volume of the cavity, wherein the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are formed on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate has one substrate potential supply terminal to which a substrate potential of the semiconductor substrate is supplied, and wherein, in a plan view, the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the low voltage system circuit block does not intersect the high voltage system circuit block, and the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the high voltage system circuit block does not intersect the low voltage system circuit block. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are respectively separated from each other in a triple well structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the low voltage system circuit block further includes a source signal generation portion which generates the source signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the low voltage system circuit block further includes a power source portion which supplies power to at least one of a plurality of circuits formed on the semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the high voltage system circuit block further includes a boosting circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oscillation frequency of the modulation signal is 1 MHz to 8 MHz. ### Claim 7 A head unit comprising: a low voltage system circuit block including a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal pulse-modulated from a source signal; a high voltage system circuit block including a gate driver which generates an amplification control signal based on the modulation signal; a transistor which generates an amplification modulation signal amplified from the modulation signal based on the amplification control signal; a low pass filter which demodulates the amplification modulation signal and generates a driving signal; a piezoelectric element which is displaced as the driving signal is applied; a cavity in which the inside is filled with liquid and an internal volume changes due to the displacement of the piezoelectric element; and a nozzle which communicates with the cavity, and discharges the liquid inside the cavity as liquid droplets in accordance with the change in the internal volume of the cavity, wherein the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are formed on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate has one substrate potential supply terminal to which a substrate potential of the semiconductor substrate is supplied, and wherein, in a plan view, the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the low voltage system circuit block does not intersect the high voltage system circuit block, and the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the high voltage system circuit block does not intersect the low voltage system circuit block. ### Claim 8 A capacitive load driving circuit comprising: a low voltage system circuit block including a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal pulse-modulated from a source signal; a high voltage system circuit block including a gate driver which generates an amplification control signal based on the modulation signal; a transistor which generates an amplification modulation signal amplified from the modulation signal based on the amplification control signal; and a low pass filter which demodulates the amplification modulation signal, generates a driving signal, and outputs the driving signal to a capacitive load, wherein the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are formed on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate has one substrate potential supply terminal to which a substrate potential of the semiconductor substrate is supplied, and wherein, in a plan view, the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the low voltage system circuit block does not intersect the high voltage system circuit block, and the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the high voltage system circuit block does not intersect the low voltage system circuit block. ### Claim 9 An integrated circuit device for capacitive load driving comprising: a low voltage system circuit block including a modulation portion which generates a modulation signal pulse-modulated from a source signal; and a high voltage system circuit block including a gate driver which generates and outputs an amplification control signal to an output circuit that drives a capacitive load based on the modulation signal, wherein the low voltage system circuit block and the high voltage system circuit block are formed on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate has one substrate potential supply terminal to which a substrate potential of the semiconductor substrate is supplied, and wherein, in a plan view, the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the low voltage system circuit block does not intersect the high voltage system circuit block, and the shortest straight path between the substrate potential supply terminal and the high voltage system circuit block does not intersect the low voltage system circuit block.