Abstract: The invention provides for a unit cell of a printhead for an inkjet printer. The unit cell includes a wafer substrate, a layer of micro-electromechanical drive circuitry deposited on the wafer substrate, and an interlayer dielectric deposited on the drive circuitry layer. The unit cell also includes a passivation layer deposited on the dielectric layer, the passivation layer defining a plurality of vias therethrough. Side walls are deposited on the heater element. A nozzle plate is positioned on the side walls so that the nozzle plate and the side walls form an ink chamber. A heater element is suspended from the sidewalls in said ink chamber. The heater element is connected to the drive circuitry layer through the vias. The unit cell has an ink channel defined through the wafer substrate and ends in an ejection nozzle in the nozzle plate.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a liquid ejection head which includes a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pressure generating elements provided correspondingly to the plurality of nozzles, the pressure generating elements being applied with drive signals to eject recording liquid from the corresponding nozzles; a plurality of driving wave generating circuits which generate drive-signal waves for driving the pressure generating elements; a circuit selecting device which selectively switches the driving wave generating circuits to apply the drive-signal waves to the pressure generating elements; a power source which supplies electricity to the pressure generating elements through the driving wave generating circuits; a connection control device which, in accordance with image data representing an image to be formed, selects at least one of the driving wave generating circuits used to drive the pressure generating elements, and controls connection between the at least one of the driving wave generat

Abstract: An inkjet printhead is provided having nozzles, bubble forming chambers containing ejectable ink, generally planar heater elements each bonded on one side to an associated chamber so that the other side faces into the chamber, a MEMS fluid sensor having a MEMS sensing element for detecting the presence or otherwise of the ejectable ink in the chamber, and control circuitry for measuring the current passing through the sensing element during its heating. The heater elements receive heating pulses to form gas bubbles in the ejectable ink on the side facing into the chamber which cause ink ejection from the nozzle. Each chamber has a dielectric layer proximate the side of the heater element which has a thermal product less than 1495 Jm?2K?1s?1/2, the thermal product being (?Ck)1/2, where ? is the density of the layer, C is specific heat of the layer and k is thermal conductivity of the layer.

Abstract: In an ink-jet apparatus employing an ink-jet head having a plurality of heaters corresponding to one ink ejection opening and performing printing by ejecting an ink from the ink-jet head, timings of bubble forming are mutually shifted at respective heaters of the plurality of heaters upon application of respective pulses to the plurality of heaters and based on information relating to an ink temperature of the ink-jet head. The ejection amount can be controlled by forming bubbles in the ink to eject the ink through the ink ejection opening.

Abstract: There is disclosed a liquid droplet ejecting apparatus including: a tank storing a liquid; a nozzle from which the liquid is ejected in the form of a droplet; a first pressure-feed portion which is disposed between the tank and the nozzle, and pressure-feeds the liquid as supplied from the tank, to eject the liquid droplet from the nozzle; a second pressure-feed portion which has an inner volume larger than that of the first pressure-feed portion, and is disposed between the tank and the first pressure-feed portion, the second pressure-feed portion pressure-feeding the liquid as supplied from the tank to the nozzle via the first pressure-feed portion, to eject the liquid from the nozzle in an amount larger than an amount of the liquid ejected by the first pressure-feed portion as the liquid droplet; and the second pressure-feed portion including: a pressure chamber; a pressurizing member that pressurizes the liquid in the pressure chamber by decreasing an inner volume of the pressure chamber; and a liquid com

Abstract: There are provided a printing apparatus having an arrangement capable of stably applying a voltage without using any special power supply control unit, and a power supply control method. According to the method, a signal representing a change of an image signal is generated in the ASIC of the printing apparatus main body. A discharge circuit which is arranged on the power supply path extending from the power supply unit and quickly decreases the voltage upon power-off is also used as a circuit for stabilizing the voltage. While a power supply unit and DC/DC converter with a conventional arrangement are adopted without adding any new component, a compact, low-cost power supply circuit with high voltage stability is implemented.

Abstract: An inkjet printer comprising: a printhead with a plurality of printhead IC's, each having an array of nozzles for ejecting drops of printing fluid, and drive circuitry for driving the array of nozzles; a print engine controller for sending print data to the printhead IC's; an interface for electrical communication between the print engine controller and the printhead IC's; wherein, all the printhead IC's have a common initial address except one printhead IC at the end of the printhead, the exception having a different address such that the print engine controller sends a first broadcast instruction to any printhead IC's having the different address, the first broadcast instruction instructing the printhead IC having the different address to change its address to a first unique address, the printhead IC's being interconnected such that when the exception has undated its address, the address of the adjacent printhead IC changes to the different address so that a second broadcast command changes the write addres

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for driving a piezoelectric ink jet head comprising a piezoelectric actuator AC that includes two piezoelectric ceramic layers 7a, 7b having such a size that covers the plurality of pressure chambers 2, wherein an electric field of opposite sense to the polarizing direction is applied to the second piezoelectric ceramic layer 7b by using the common electrodes 8a, 8b and, (1) for the pressure chambers 2 from which the ink is discharged, an electric field of the same sense as the polarizing direction of the layer is applied to the first piezoelectric ceramic layer 7a by using the individual electrode 10 and the first common electrode 8a, thereby causing the region of the piezoelectric actuator AC to deflect toward the pressure chamber 2, while (2) for the pressure chambers 2 from which the ink should not be discharged, an electric field of the opposite sense to the polarizing direction is applied to the first piezoelectric ceramic layer 7a by using the electrodes 10

Abstract: The invention provides for an inkjet printhead having a plurality of micro-electromechanical vapor bubble generators. Each bubble generator includes a nozzle in fluid communication with an ink chamber, and a heater positioned in thermal contact with ink in the chamber. Each generator also includes drive circuitry configured to provide a modulated pulse to the heater to generate a vapor bubble in the ink in said chamber, the pulse comprising a pre-heat series of a predetermined number of pulses separated by a predetermined period, followed by a trigger pulse of a period twice that of said predetermined period.

Abstract: A method of driving an ink-jet printhead, the ink-jet printhead having a pressure chamber to be filled with ink, a piezoelectric actuator for varying a volume of the pressure chamber, and a nozzle, through which an ink droplet is ejected, connected to the pressure chamber, the method including applying a driving pulse to the piezoelectric actuator to change the volume of the pressure chamber, thereby ejecting the ink droplet through the nozzle due to a change in pressure in the pressure chamber caused by the change in volume of the pressure chamber, and changing a volume of the ink droplet ejected through the nozzle by maintaining a rising time of the driving pulse constant and adjusting a duration time of a maximum voltage of the driving pulse.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing print quality of print media is for use on an ink jet printing system with a drop generator and an orifice plate disposed on the drop generator, wherein the orifice plate comprises nozzles forming a jet array. The drop generator is adapted to modulate ink volume per pixel by adjusting drop generator input voltage or drop generator pulse width. A corona discharge system is also used to form ionized air that contacts with a print media enhancing the wettability of the print media prior to exposing the print media to the drop generator. A controller operates the corona discharge system in tandem with the drop generator to optimize print quality by controlling drop spread and ink film thickness from the printhead onto the print media.

Abstract: This invention relates to a head substrate capable of reducing power loss and achieving a high integration degree or downsizing at low cost. The head substrate includes at least plural printing elements, plural driving elements which drive the plural printing elements, and plural level converters which boost the voltage of a driving signal for driving the plural driving elements, to a voltage enough to drive the respective driving elements. The head substrate further includes plural converted voltage generation circuits, arranged close to each other on the head substrate, for applying a common voltage for the boosting operation of level converters belonging to each group prepared by grouping the plural level converters. The plural converted voltage generation circuits share a reference voltage generation portion formed from a resistor and for generating a reference voltage for determining voltage values generated by the plural converted voltage generation circuits.

Abstract: This element substrate is an element substrate for a printhead which includes a plurality of printing elements to which a first voltage is applied, a plurality of driving elements which drive the plurality of printing elements, a logical circuit which outputs a driving signal to control the plurality of driving elements, and a driving voltage converter circuit which converts the voltage of the driving signal output from the logical circuit into a second voltage lower than the first voltage and outputs the second voltage to the plurality of driving elements. The element substrate includes a driving voltage generating circuit which generates, on the basis of the first voltage, the second voltage to drive the driving voltage converter circuit. The driving voltage generating circuit has a constant current source for generating a constant current based on the first voltage and generates the second voltage based on the constant current.

Abstract: The method of controlling droplet discharge for a liquid discharge apparatus which discharges droplets from a discharge head onto a discharge receiving medium, the method comprises the steps of: successively discharging a plurality of droplets from the discharge head so that at least some of the droplets discharged to mutually adjacent deposition points on a surface of the discharge receiving medium overlap; and carrying out at least one form of control selected from control which modifies a droplet discharge amount so that the droplet discharge amount of at least some of the droplets of the plurality of successively discharged droplets becomes relatively larger sequentially, and control which modifies flight velocity of the droplets so that the flight velocity of at least some of the droplets of the plurality of successively discharged droplets relatively increases sequentially.

Abstract: Ink jet printhead comprising a driving and encoding circuit (20) having a grid-like structure, including a plurality of inputs (24), a plurality of selecting elements (12), a plurality of actuating elements (IC) and at least one identifying element (21) of said printhead. Each identifying element (21) is associated with a corresponding selecting element (12) and corresponds to nodes arranged along a row or column of said grid-like structure, and is scanned, together with said actuating elements (11), during a preliminary checking step.

Abstract: A printhead IC comprising: an array of nozzles, each with a corresponding heater to form a vapor bubble in printing fluid that causes a drop of the printing fluid to eject through the nozzle; and, drive circuitry for generating drive pulses that energize the heaters, the drive circuitry being configured to operate in two modes, a printing mode in which the drive pulses it generates are printing pulses, and a maintenance mode in which the drive pulses are de-clog pulses; wherein, the de-clog pulse has lower power and a longer duration than the printing pulse.

Abstract: A driving circuit layout can suppress an increase in the area of a head substrate in an inkjet printhead by adopting a driving method for supplying a predetermined current to a heater. A plurality of printing elements and a plurality of switching elements which are very large in number are arrayed in the longitudinal direction of a head substrate. A plurality of terminals which receive a driving signal and a control signal that are used to drive the plurality of printing elements are arranged at the end of the board in the longitudinal direction of the board at positions opposite to the array of the plurality of printing elements. A constant electric current source for supplying a predetermined electric current is interposed between these two regions.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The substrate includes plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of power transistors, occupying a power transistor active area of the substrate, are disposed adjacent the ejection actuators and are connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators. An array of logic circuits, occupying a logic circuit area of the substrate, is disposed adjacent the plurality of power transistors and is connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors. A power conductor and a ground conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in a second metal conductor layer. The power conductor overlaps at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate and the ground conductor overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate.

Abstract: A liquid-drop-ejecting recording head carries out image recording by applying a jetting pulse having a binary digital driving waveform to a piezoelectric element, providing a vibration wave to liquid accommodated in an accommodating chamber, and ejecting a liquid drop from a eject opening. The liquid-drop-ejecting recording head classifies each pixel in accordance with density data thereof. When recording a pixel belonging to a high density range, plural jetting pulses, whose pulse width is ½ times a natural vibration period of a liquid flow at a flow path of the liquid, are applied within a single printing cycle at an interval which is set in advance in accordance with density data of the pixel.

Abstract: A printer includes a printhead and a source of liquid. The printhead includes a nozzle bore. The liquid is under pressure sufficient to eject a column of the liquid through the nozzle bore. The liquid has a temperature. A thermal modulator is associated with the nozzle bore. The thermal modulator is operable to transiently lower the temperature of the liquid as the liquid is ejected through the nozzle bore.

Abstract: A method estimates the temperature of a thermal print head element during printing. In one embodiment, the temperature is estimated using the resistance of the thermal print head element, which typically changes with the print head element temperature. The change in resistance of the print head element is exploited to indirectly estimate the temperature of the print head element.

Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes: a liquid chamber into which ink is filled; an ejection port through which the ink is ejected from the liquid chamber; a mist generation device which generates a mist from a surface of the ink inside the ejection port by applying vibration energy to the ink in the liquid chamber; an electric field generation device which generates an electric field causing the mist ejected from the ejection port to move to a recording medium; and a setting device which sets at least one of drive conditions of the mist generation device and a recording resolution in such a manner that a relationship Pt?d2 is satisfied, where d2 is an overlap-permissible diameter which is a minimum distance between centers of two mist dots formed by the mist on the recording medium that allows shapes of the two mist dots to be fixed as a prescribed shape when the two mist dots are deposited on the recording medium substantially simultaneously under substantially same ejection conditions so as to overlap part

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus including an ink jet recording head which ejects a droplet of an ink toward a recording medium, a driver circuit device which applies an electric voltage to the ink jet recording head so that the ink jet recording head ejects the droplet of the ink toward the recording medium, a carriage on which the ink jet recording head and the driver circuit device are mounted, and a first heat sink and a second heat sink which are mounted on the carriage such that the first and second heat sinks cooperate with each other to sandwich the driver circuit device and define an inner space.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejecting device. The semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of fluid ejection devices disposed on the substrate. A plurality of driver transistors are disposed on the substrate for driving the plurality of fluid ejection devices. A programmable memory matrix containing embedded programmable memory devices is operatively connected to the micro-fluid ejecting device for collecting and storing information on the semiconductor substrate for operation of the micro-fluid ejecting device. The programmable memory matrix provides a high density of memory bits embedded on the substrate for storing information about the micro-fluid ejecting device.

Abstract: A driving apparatus of a multi-function machine includes a scanner unit scanning data recorded on a sheet of document and a document transport part to transport the sheet of document. A printer unit prints data on a sheet of paper for an output and includes a carrier including a print head with an ink jet nozzle mounted thereon to carry out the printing operation by moving the print head. The driving apparatus includes a driving motor, a scanner driving part driving the scanner unit, a printer driving part driving the printer unit, and a power switching part disposed with the driving motor, the scanner driving part, and the printer driving part. The power switching part selectively transmits a power of the driving motor to at least one of the scanner driving part and the printer driving part.

Abstract: A liquid jetting device having: a recording head including a jetting energy generating element; a drive circuit generating drive signal for the element; a liquid detection sensor detecting a jetting characteristic value of liquid jetted from a nozzle; a drive voltage adjustment unit adjusting a voltage value of the drive signal; and a controller to control the drive circuit, the sensor and the drive voltage adjustment unit, wherein the controller performs control so that the liquid is jetted, and creates a correction data from the jetting characteristic value; and the controller performs control so that the voltage value is corrected based on a value obtained by multiplying the correction data by convergence coefficient within a range from 0.50 or more to less than 1.00, and repeats correcting the voltage value until a detection result of the liquid jetted based on the drive signal after the correction becomes a target value.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles and one or more heater elements 10 corresponding to each nozzle. Each heater element 10 is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle, to effect printing. In each nozzle, the heater element 10 requires less than 8 volts and a current of less than 60 milliamps for less than 1.5 microseconds, in order to form the gas bubble 12 that causes the ejection of the drop of ejectable liquid 11.

Abstract: The invention discloses an identifiable flexible printed circuit board (PCB) and a method of fabricating the same. The identifiable flexible PCB includes a flexible substrate, a conductive layer, and a printing ink layer. First, the conductive layer is formed over a surface of the flexible substrate. Second, the printing ink layer is formed on the surface of the flexible substrate by coating, exposing, and developing to uncover parts of the conductive layer. Also, at least one identifiable area is formed on the printing ink layer and one can easily and correctly identify the cartridge with the flexible PCB.

Abstract: A heater/driver array that includes heaters for generating thermal energy utilized to discharge ink and driver circuits for driving these is mounted on a substrate. The heaters are formed into a plurality of groups and are driven by block drive on a per-group basis. A block selection signal of driving-signal voltage level (VHT) and a heater driving signal corresponding to a selected block are generated based upon a print data signal, which has been input at a logic-signal voltage level (VDD), in any of an input circuit, shift register circuit and decoder circuit. The heater/driver array drives the heaters in accordance with the block selection signal and heater driving signal of the driving-signal voltage level.

Abstract: A driving circuit of a droplet ejection head which, by supplying analog driving signals to driving elements, ejects droplets from nozzles which are provided in correspondence with the driving elements. The driving circuit includes a driving signal generation unit, a pulse modulation unit, a switching signal generation unit, an amplification unit and a frequency-setting unit. The driving signal generation unit selectively outputs a first and a second analog driving signal. The pulse modulation unit pulse-modulates the analog driving signal and outputs a digital signal. The switching signal generation unit generates a switching signal. The amplification unit amplifies the digital signal by switching in accordance with the switching signal, and supplies the amplified digital signal to the driving elements. The frequency-setting unit sets a switching frequency of the switching signal in accordance with a frequency selection signal, which corresponds to the analog driving signal.

Abstract: A method of driving an ink-jet printhead, which heats ink contained in an ink chamber using a heater to generate and expand a bubble within the ink chamber and ejects ink from the ink chamber using an expansive force of the bubble, the method including applying a main pulse to the heater to eject ink and applying a post pulse to the heater after ink has been ejected.

Abstract: In an apparatus for ejecting droplets having nozzles that eject droplets, liquid containing chambers each connected at one longitudinal end thereof with a corresponding nozzle, and an actuator that changes a volume of each of the liquid containing chamber, an ejection pulse signal and an additional pulse signal each increasing the volume of the liquid containing chamber are sequentially applied in accordance with a one-dot printing instruction. When the volume of the liquid containing chamber decreases upon completion of the application of the ejection pulse signal, liquid becomes protruding from the nozzle. The additional pulse signal is then applied to pull a tail portion of the liquid back toward the liquid containing chamber, thereby ejecting a fine droplet. A time interval between a completion of the application of the ejection pulse signal and a start of the application of the additional pulse signal are set at defined times.

Abstract: With a liquid discharge device, a maximum of N liquid droplets are discharged so as to land within each pixel region for forming a pixel corresponding to the pixel region, a target landing position is selected at random for each liquid droplet, from M liquid landing position candidates, forming an array in the direction of an array of nozzles, determined such that at least a part of the landing liquid droplet region corresponding to each landing position candidate is included within the pixel region, and the discharge direction of the liquid droplet is controlled such that the liquid droplet lands at the determined target landing position. The liquid discharge device having such a configuration has the advantage of preventing occurrence of streaks between dot columns in a printed image due to irregularities in an array of discharge portions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for driving an ink-jet printhead in which current is applied to a heater to heat ink to be supplied in an ink chamber to generate a bubble to eject ink from the ink chamber, the apparatus including a circuit that alternately applies current to the heater to alternate a direction of current flowing through the heater.

Abstract: This invention relates to a printhead substrate capable of suppressing an increase in wiring width and an increase in the size of a substrate formed by a film forming process while increasing the number of simultaneously driven printing elements in order to improve the printing performance, a printhead using the substrate, and a printing apparatus using the printhead. The wiring lines of the substrate are formed into a common wiring line, and energy applied to a heating resistance element is prevented from deviating from a stable ink discharge range owing to the difference in the number of simultaneously driven heating resistance elements. For this purpose, a driving element is greatly downsized in comparison with a conventional one, and the operation region of a MOS transistor is shifted from the non-saturation region to the saturation region.

Abstract: A printhead for ejecting ink includes a substrate defining a plurality of ink supply channels. A plurality of nozzles is operatively mounted to the substrate. Each nozzle defines a respective ink chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink supply channel and an aperture through which ink can be ejected. A plurality of elongate actuators each have a thermally actuated arm with one end fixed to the substrate and a free end extending into a respective ink chamber. Each actuator configured to move on receipt of an electrical signal to eject ink from the ink chamber through its corresponding aperture. Each arm has a heater element. A drive circuitry layer is positioned on the substrate. The drive circuitry layer includes a plurality of drive transistors connected to the heater elements of corresponding respective actuators. The drive transistors are interposed between their associated actuators and the substrate.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus that drives an element to eject a liquid onto a medium, is provided with: a drive signal generator that is configured to generate a plurality of types of ejection drive signals for driving the element to eject the liquid; a sensor for detecting a temperature of the drive signal generator; and a controller that temporarily halts generation of the ejection drive signal from the drive signal generator based on the type of the ejection drive signal and a result of detection by the sensor.

Abstract: An ink-jet head unit including an ink-jet head having ejection-energy generating elements for generating energies for ejecting an ink from nozzles, and a row of terminals for energizing the ejection-energy generating elements, a flexible wiring board having a wiring pattern jointed in an end portion thereof to the terminals of the ink-jet head, the flexible wiring board extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of the row of terminals, and including an inclined portion extending from the end portion obliquely upwardly and outwardly of the ink-jet head, and a rigid member having a higher degree of rigidity than the flexible wiring board and disposed on the flexible wiring board in contact with at least the end portion.

Abstract: A system and a method for improving printing performance are provided. One method of improving printing performance performing a first print operation utilizing a printhead comprising a plurality of resistors by ejecting ink from a plurality of chambers each associated with at least one of at least some of the plurality of resistors, selectively energizing at least some of the plurality of resistors at an energy level insufficient to eject ink from the plurality of chambers, and performing a second print operation utilizing the printhead.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate for a micro-fluid ejection device. The substrate includes plurality of micro-fluid ejection actuators disposed adjacent a fluid supply slot in the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of power transistors, occupying a power transistor active area of the substrate, are disposed adjacent the ejection actuators and are connected through a first metal conductor layer to the ejection actuators. An array of logic circuits, occupying a logic circuit area of the substrate, is disposed adjacent the plurality of power transistors and is connected through a polysilicon conductor layer to the power transistors. A power conductor and a ground conductor for the ejection actuators is routed in a second metal conductor layer. The power conductor overlaps at least a portion of the power transistor active area of the substrate and the ground conductor overlaps at least a portion of the logic circuit area of the substrate.

Abstract: When ejectors (nozzles) are viewed in order in a sub-scanning direction, the ejectors are arranged so that positions of the ejectors in a main scanning direction alternate in an offsetting manner. When formed dots are viewed along the sub-scanning direction, sizes of the dots are changed at random. Accordingly, density unevenness is decreased, the ejectors can be arranged in high density, and an image can be recorded at high speed. That is, the invention provides a droplet ejecting head in which density unevenness which tends to be generated in a head having a matrix-like nozzle arrangement can be decreased without decreasing recording speed and thus high-speed recording is made compatible with high-quality recording. The invention also provides a droplet ejecting apparatus which is provided with the droplet ejecting head.

Abstract: The invention discloses an identifiable flexible printed circuit board (PCB) and a method of fabricating the same. The identifiable flexible PCB includes a flexible substrate, a conductive layer, and a printing ink layer. First, the conductive layer is formed over a surface of the flexible substrate. Second, the printing ink layer is formed on the surface of the flexible substrate by coating, exposing, and developing to uncover parts of the conductive layer. Also, at least one identifiable area is formed on the printing ink layer and one can easily and correctly identify the cartridge with the flexible PCB.

Abstract: A recording head substrate allowing an increased number of the exothermic bodies driven at a time without increasing the substrate size so as to increase a number of nozzles arranged in high density. The recording head substrate includes a plurality of electrothermal conversion members having exothermic bodies respectively corresponding to a plurality of discharge ports; a plurality of drive elements for driving the exothermic bodies; common wiring A connected to the exothermic bodies; and common wiring B connected to the drive elements; and an electrode pad connected to the common wiring A and the common wiring B. A number of the exothermic bodies driven at a time is determined by (RlineA+RlineB)/(Rh+Rd)<0.05/(0.95 n?1).

Abstract: A structure of inkjet-head chip and a method for making the same are disclosed. Driven by the need of making a thin insulator layer to lower the working power of the inkjet-head chip, we separately manufacture a passivation layer and a second conductive layer. The passivation layer and the second conductive layer have to be formed from different materials. The defining means for the passivation layer and the second conductive layer have high selectivity and do not overetch or damage the structure of inkjet-head chip.

Abstract: A fluid jet head with driving circuit of a heater set. A first and a second primary transistor are coupled to a first and a second heater. When the first primary transistor is turned on under control of a first control voltage and a first current is generated flowing through the first heater, the first primary transistor, and the first current path, then the first primary transistor has a first primary equivalent resistance corresponding to the first control voltage. When the second primary transistor is turned on under control of a second control voltage, and a second current is generated flowing through the second heater, the second primary transistor, and a second current path, then the second primary transistor has a second primary equivalent resistance corresponding to the second control voltage. Therefore, the thermal energy generated by the first heater is substantially equal to that generated by the second heater.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles and one or more heater elements 10 corresponding to each nozzle. Each heater element 10 is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle, to effect printing. In each nozzle, the heater element 10 requires less than 8 volts and a current of less than 60 milliamps for less than 1.5 microseconds, in order to form the gas bubble 12 that causes the ejection of the drop of ejectable liquid 11.

Abstract: A driving device of an ink-jet print head is provided that discharges liquid drops through a plurality of nozzles. The driving device comprises a data storage unit which stores a data block for liquid drop discharge; a data determination unit which determines the stored data block; a shift register which outputs the determined data block to the ink-jet print head; and a clock signal generation unit which generates clock signals for driving the shift register. The data determination unit determines whether the data block has a predetermined array. When the data block has the predetermined array, the clock signal generation unit stops generating the clock signals and the shift register outputs the data block having the predetermined array to the ink-jet print head.

Abstract: Devices, methodologies, and other embodiments associated with fluid ejection devices are described. One exemplary embodiment includes a fluid ejection device that comprises a plurality of firing cells configured to eject fluid when activated. The firing cells can be grouped into firing groups of firing cells including a first fire group and a second fire group. A circuit can be provided that is configured to activate selected firing cells where the circuit is configured to respond to activation signals including a first fire pulse to activate the firing cells of the first fire group and a second fire pulse to activate the firing cells of the second fire group. The circuit can also be configured to activate the first fire group and the second fire group to eject fluid overlapping in time.

Abstract: The present invention includes as one embodiment a printhead having a circuit with plural resistors and a power bus. The printhead includes a metal stack formed within the circuit, which is comprised of a first metal layer and a second metal layer and at least one power via. The power via is formed within the circuit as an interface between the first metal layer and the second metal layer and acts as a corrosion separation barrier between of the resistors and the power bus.

Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus of the invention includes: a pressure-generating chamber having an inside space whose volume is changeable, into which a liquid is supplied and which is communicated with a nozzle, a resonance frequency of said pressure-generating chamber having a period of Tc; a signal-generating unit that generates a driving signal having: a first signal-element for causing the pressure-generating chamber to expand, a second signal-element for causing the pressure-generating chamber to contract from an expanding state thereof in order to eject a drop of the liquid through the nozzle, and a third signal-element for causing the pressure-generating chamber to expand to an original state before outputting the first signal-element after the drop of the liquid is ejected; and a pressure-generating unit that causes the pressure-generating chamber to expand and contract, based on the driving signal.