Patents by Inventor Yimin Guan

Yimin Guan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110123932
    Abstract: Methods are described for forming a fluid ejection device on a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having plurality of electrical heater elements. A sacrificial polymer layer is added over the first surface, a conformal material over the sacrificial polymer layer forms a nozzle layer, the sacrificial polymer is then removed to form ink ejection chambers, the nozzle layer is removed to form nozzle holes, a mask layer is used to form an exposed region and an unexposed region, the exposed region defining a central ink via, which is then etched to form the central ink via.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20110094102
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection devices, methods for making micro-fluid ejection heads, and micro-fluid ejection heads, including a micro-fluid ejection head. One such micro-fluid ejection head has relatively high resistance thin film heaters adjacent to a substrate. The thin film material comprises silicon, metal, and carbon (SiMC wherein M is a metal). Each thin film heater has a sheet resistance ranging from about 100 to about 600 ohms per square and a thickness ranging from about 100 to about 800 Angstroms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Stuart Jacobsen, Carl Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7922297
    Abstract: A silicon chip has a plurality of ink jetting structures. Each ink jetting structure of the plurality of ink jetting structures includes a heater stack having an electrical heater element. A power transistor is electrically connected to the electrical heater element. A planarization layer is interposed between the power transistor and the heater stack. The planarization layer has a planar base surface on which the heater stack is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Kristi Maggard Rowe, Timothy Lowell Strunk, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7918015
    Abstract: A process for making a fluid ejector head for a micro-fluid ejection device. In one embodiment, the process comprises depositing a thin film resistive layer on a substrate to provide a plurality of thin film heaters. The thin film resistive layer comprises a tantalum-aluminum-nitride material consisting essentially of AlN, TaN, and TaAl alloys, and containing from about 30 to about 70 atomic % tantalum, from about 10 to about 40 atomic % aluminum and from about 5 to about 30 atomic % nitrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Byron V. Bell, Robert W. Cornell, Yimin Guan, George K. Parish
  • Publication number: 20100321447
    Abstract: Heater chips for a micro-fluid ejection device, such as those having a reduced energy requirement and more efficient production process therefor. One such heater chip includes a resistive layer deposited adjacent to a substrate and a protective layer deposited adjacent to the resistive layer. The protective layer can be a tantalum oxide protective layer, which has a high breakdown voltage. An optional cavitation layer of tantalum, which bonds well with the tantalum oxide layer, may be deposited adjacent to the protective layer. Alternatively, for example, the tantalum oxide layer may serve as both the protective layer and the cavitation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Wilson Cornell, Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II
  • Patent number: 7841702
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a fluid heater element responsive to repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to produce cycles of fluid ejection and second strata overlying the first strata to protect the heater element. A decomposed sacrificial layer of a preselected polymer between the substrate and a heater substrata containing the heater element provides a decoupled relationship between them which, during a heat-up period of each cycle, results in the heater element buckling out of physical contact with substrate enabling the heater element to transfer heat energy for producing fluid ejection into the fluid without transferring any into the substrate whereas the decoupled relationship, during the next following cool-down period of each cycle, results in the heater element de-buckling back into physical contact with the substrate enabling the heater element transfer residual heat energy to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20100285411
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection devices, methods for making a micro-fluid ejection device, and methods for reducing a size of a substrate for a micro-fluid ejection head. One such micro-fluid ejection device has a polymeric layer adjacent a substrate and at least one conductive layer embedded in the polymeric layer. The polymeric layer comprises at least two layers of polymeric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Frank E. Anderson, Yimin Guan, Carl Edmond Sullivan, Timothy Lowell Strunk
  • Publication number: 20100213165
    Abstract: A micro-fluid ejection device structure and method therefor having improved low energy design. The devices include a semiconductor substrate and an insulating layer deposited on the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of heater resistors are formed on the insulating layer from a resistive layer selected from the group consisting of TaAl, Ta2N, TaAl(O,N), TaAlSi, Ti(N,O), WSi(O,N), TaAlN, and TaAl/TaAlN. A sacrificial layer selected from an oxidizable metal and having a thickness ranging from about 500 to about 5000 Angstroms is deposited on the plurality of heater resistors. Electrodes are formed on the sacrificial layer from a first metal conductive layer to provide anode and cathode connections to the plurality of heater resistors. The sacrificial layer is oxidized in a plasma oxidation process to provide a fluid contact layer on the plurality of heater resistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Frank E. Anderson, Byron V. Bell, Robert W. Cornell, Yimin Guan
  • Patent number: 7749397
    Abstract: A micro-fluid ejection device structure and method therefor having improved low energy design. The devices includes a semiconductor substrate and an insulating layer deposited on the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of heater resistors are formed on the insulating layer from a resistive layer selected from the group consisting of TaAl, Ta2N, TaAl(O,N), TaAlSi, Ti(N,O), WSi(O,N), TaAlN, and TaAl/TaAlN. A sacrificial layer selected from an oxidizable metal and having a thickness ranging from about 500 to about 5000 Angstroms is deposited on the plurality of heater resistors. Electrodes are formed on the sacrificial layer from a first metal conductive layer to provide anode and cathode connections to the plurality of heater resistors. The sacrificial layer is oxidized in a plasma oxidation process to provide a fluid contact layer on the plurality of heater resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank E. Anderson, Byron V. Bell, Robert W. Cornell, Yimin Guan
  • Publication number: 20100165056
    Abstract: A method for forming a floating heater element includes processing a silicon substrate to form a heater stack having the heater element on the substrate with peripheral edge portions, processing the heater stack by depositing and patterning a layer of photoresist or hard mask thereon to substantially mask the heater stack and form a trench through the photoresist or hard mask exposing a surface area of the substrate extending along the peripheral edge portions of the heater element, and processing the masked heater stack and exposed surface area of the substrate by sequentially removing the photoresist and portions of the substrate at the exposed surface area and that underlie the heater element so as to create a well in the substrate undercutting the heater element and open along the peripheral edge portions thereof, the well being capable of filling with a fluid so as to produce the floating heater element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Zachary Justin Reitmeier, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20100165054
    Abstract: A fin-shaped heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form fluid heater elements responsive to repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to produce repetitive cycles of ejection of a fluid, and second strata on the first strata to protect the fluid heater elements from adverse effects of the repetitive cycles of fluid ejection and of contact with the fluid. The first strata include a substrate having a front surface, and heater substrata supported on the front surface. The heater substrata have opposite facing side surfaces which extend approximately perpendicular to the front surface and an end surface interconnecting the side surfaces which extends approximately parallel to the front surface such that the heater substrata is provided in either an upright or inverted fin-shaped configuration on the substrate with the fluid heater elements forming the opposite facing side surfaces of the heat substrata.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20100165052
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a fluid heater element responsive to energy from repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to fire repetitive cycles of heating and ejecting fluid from an ejection chamber above the fluid heater element and second strata overlying the first strata and contiguous with the ejection chamber to provide protection of the fluid heater element. The first strata includes a substrate and a heater substrata overlying the substrate and including a resistive layer having lateral portions spaced apart, a central portion extending between the lateral portions and defining the fluid heater element, and transitional portions interconnecting the central portion and lateral portions and elevating the central portion relative to the lateral portions and above the substrate to form a gap between the lateral portions and between the central portion and substrate insulating the substrate from the fluid heater element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20100110146
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a fluid heater element responsive to repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to produce repetitive cycles of fluid ejection from an ejection chamber above the heater element and second strata overlying the first strata and contiguous with the ejection chamber to protect the heater element. The first strata includes a substrate with a cavity formed either in or above the substrate, a heater substrata overlying the cavity and substrate, and a decomposed layer of material between the substrate and heater substrata and processed to provide the cavity substantially empty of the layer of material such that the cavity provides a means which, during repetitive electrical activation, enables the heater element to transfer heat energy into the fluid in the ejection chamber for producing ejection of fluid therefrom substantially without transferring heat energy into the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20100111509
    Abstract: A heater stuck includes first strata having a planar configuration supporting and forming a fluid heater element responsive to repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to produce repetitive cycles of fluid ejection from an ejection chamber above the heater element and second strata having a planar configuration coating the heater element of the first strata and being contiguous with the ejection chamber to protect the heater element. The first strata include a substrate and heater strata disposed on it and forming a cavity above the substrate and encompassed on three sides by the heater substrata. The heater substrata includes a pair of conductive layer portions constituting terminal leads disposed on the substrate at opposite sides of the cavity and a resistive layer disposed on the conductive layer portions and defining the fluid heater element that spans the top of the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20100110145
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a fluid heater element responsive to repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to produce cycles of fluid ejection and second strata overlying the first strata to protect the heater element. A decomposed sacrificial layer of a preselected polymer between the substrate and a heater substrata containing the heater element provides a decoupled relationship between them which, during a heat-up period of each cycle, results in the heater element buckling out of physical contact with substrate enabling the heater element to transfer heat energy for producing fluid ejection into the fluid without transferring any into the substrate whereas the decoupled relationship, during the next following cool-down period of each cycle, results in the heater element de-buckling back into physical contact with the substrate enabling the heater element transfer residual heat energy to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Patent number: 7673972
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection devices, methods for making micro-fluid ejection heads, and micro-fluid ejection heads, including a micro-fluid ejection head. One such micro-fluid ejection head has relatively high resistance thin film heaters adjacent to a substrate. The thin film material comprises silicon, metal, and carbon (SiMC wherein M is a metal). Each thin film heater has a sheet resistance ranging from about 100 to about 600 ohms per square and a thickness ranging from about 100 to about 800 Angstroms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Stuart Jacobsen, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7624500
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to circuits and methods for the manufacture of circuits, such as those which avoid the formation of undesirable short circuit paths. One such method maintains a layout area of a fluid composition receiving layer within a layout area of a dielectric layer. Another such method relates to the application of fluid composition receiving layers, conductive layers, and dielectric layers, such as in the provision of printed circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaorong Cai, Michael John Dixon, Yimin Guan, Elios Klemo, Bryan Dale McKinley, Paul Sacoto, Jeanne Marie Saldanha Singh, George Nelson Woolcott, Frank Edward Anderson
  • Publication number: 20090267996
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a heater element responsive to electrical activation and second strata overlying the first strata and having different thicknesses in various portions overlying the heater element to enhance its protection from adverse effects of cavitation occurrences on the second strata. A first portion of the second strata where adverse effects of cavitation occurrences are more likely overlies opposite ends of the heater element and has a first thickness. A second portion of the second strata where adverse effects of cavitation occurrences are less likely has a planar structure overlying and extending between the opposite ends of the heater element. The second portion also has a second thickness less than the first thickness of the first portion. The first portion has a step-like structure relative to and protruding above the planar structure of the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventors: Byron Vencent Bell, Yimin Guan
  • Publication number: 20090233386
    Abstract: A method for forming an ink jetting device includes providing a silicon substrate having a first surface having formed thereon a plurality of electrical heater elements to form a first upper exposed surface; depositing a polymer over the first upper exposed surface to form a sacrificial polymer layer; patterning the sacrificial polymer layer to form a second exposed upper surface; depositing a conformal material over the second exposed upper surface to form a conformal nozzle layer; patterning the conformal nozzle layer to form a plurality of nozzle holes located over the electrical heater elements; patterning a mask layer to form an exposed region of the second surface of the silicon substrate that defines a location of a central ink via; etching the exposed region to form the central ink via; and removing a portion of a remainder of the polymer layer to form ink ejection chambers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Publication number: 20090153622
    Abstract: A silicon chip has a plurality of inkjetting structures. Each ink jetting structure of the plurality of ink jetting structures includes a heater stack having an electrical heater element. A power transistor is electrically connected to the electrical heater element. A planarization layer is interposed between the power transistor and the heater stack. The planarization layer has a planar base surface on which the heater stack is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Kristi Maggard Rowe, Timothy Lowell Strunk, Carl Edmond Sullivan