Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, in particular, but not limited to, an electromechanical actuator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element having a first electrode, a second electrode and a piezoelectric thin film between the electrodes, wherein the thin film comprises a laminate having two or more piezoelectric thin film layers and wherein a first thin film layer is doped by one or more dopants and a second film layer is doped by one or more dopants and wherein at least one dopant of the second thin film layer is different from the dopant or dopants of the first thin film layer.

Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric ceramic having the composition: a[PbTiO3]-b[SrTiO3]-c[BiFeO3]-d[(KxBi1-x)TiO3]; wherein 0.4<x<0.6; 0.1<a<0.4; 0.01<b?0.2; c?0.05; d?0.01; and a+b+c+d=1 optionally comprising an A- or B-site metal dopant in an amount of up to 2 at. %.

Abstract: A method for reducing instability of a nozzle meniscus of a droplet deposition apparatus. The method includes the steps of receiving first and second data blocks for respective first and second line pixels, receiving a data set of forbidden pixel periods, determining a first jitter delay value based on the forbidden pixel periods, generating first and second print data based on the first and second data blocks, the first print data defining a first holding period and one or more drive pulses and the second print data defining one or more drive pulses; wherein the first and second print data generate first and second actuating element signals that cause an actuating element to eject at least one droplet from a nozzle, wherein the first jitter delay value adjusts a first pixel period, defined by the drive pulses, to fall outside of the forbidden pixel periods to reduce nozzle meniscus instability.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical component for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device, in particular, but not limited to, an electromechanical actuator.

Abstract: A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving an actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with a respective at least one actuating element and a respective at least one nozzle, the at least one actuating element for each chamber being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in an ejection direction through the corresponding at least one nozzle, each row extending in a row direction; a manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, and widens from said first end to said second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows and being located adjacent said mount; and at least one port, each port opening into the manifold chamber at the first end thereof; wherein at least one portion between the first end and second end of the manifold chamber is shaped as a hyperbolic acoustic horn.

Abstract: A method for depositing droplets onto a medium, utilising a droplet deposition head is provided. The head used in the method includes: an array of fluid chambers separated by interspersed walls, each fluid chamber communicating with an aperture for the release of fluid droplets and each wall separating two neighbouring chambers. Each wall is actuable such that in response to a first voltage, it will deform so as to decrease the volume of one chamber and increase the volume of the other chamber, and, in response to a second voltage, it will deform so as to cause the opposite effect on the volumes of its neighbouring chambers.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus including a droplet deposition head, actuating circuitry and head controller circuitry. The droplet deposition head having an array of actuating elements and a corresponding array of nozzles. The actuating circuitry applies drive waveforms to the actuating elements causing the ejection of fluid in the form of droplets through the array of nozzles and onto deposition media, which are moved relative to the droplet deposition head. The head controller circuitry is configured to receive an input set of ejection data, generate a series of sub-sets of ejection data based on the input set, and send the series of sub-sets of ejection data to the actuating circuitry. The actuating circuitry is further configured so as to, for each sub-set of ejection data, apply drive waveforms to the actuating elements such that they repeatedly eject droplets from one or more nozzles, thus depositing successive rows of droplets.

Abstract: A droplet deposition head including a datum surface arrangement for alignment of the head relative to an external mounting component in either a vertical mounting mode in which the head is held against a vertical mounting plate or a horizontal mounting mode where the head is held against a horizontal mounting plate. The datum surface arrangement comprising at least seven datum surfaces (x1; y1, y2, y3; z1, z2, z3) provided on the head, wherein five of the seven datum surfaces are provided for alignment in both vertical and horizontal mounting modes, and wherein a sixth datum surface (z3) is provided for alignment exclusively in said horizontal mounting mode and a seventh datum surface (y3) is provided for alignment exclusively in said vertical mounting mode.

Abstract: A manifold component for a droplet ejection head, the manifold component comprising: a mount for receiving at least one actuator component that provides one or more rows of fluid chambers, each chamber being provided with at least one respective actuating element and at least one respective nozzle, each at least one actuating element being actuable to eject a droplet of fluid in said ejection direction through the corresponding at least one of said nozzles, each row extending in a row direction; an inlet manifold chamber, which extends from a first end to a second end, the second end providing fluidic connection, in parallel, to at least a group of chambers within said one or more rows of fluid chambers and being located adjacent said mount; at least one inlet port, each inlet port opening into the inlet manifold chamber at the first end thereof; and a plurality of fluid guides disposed within the inlet manifold chamber, each fluid guide extending from a respective first end to a respective second end, the fi

Abstract: A drive circuit (100) for driving actuators of a printhead (97) from a common drive waveform has a switching circuit (32) for coupling the common drive waveform to an actuator (1,2), and a timing circuit (10) to control the switching circuit to form a drive pulse from the common drive waveform. The drive pulse is trimmed by controlling a duration (TTRIM) of a step at an intermediate level (VHOLD) in the drive pulse. This can improve the trade-off between available range of trimming and thermal efficiency because the voltage drop across the switching circuit can be reduced, compared to trimming only the height. Decoupling during a flat portion of the common drive waveform can enable the timing of the decoupling to be more relaxed compared to decoupling during a slope. Such relaxing can enable costs, complexity and thermal loading to be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying a solid solution ceramic material of a plurality of perovskite compounds which exhibits an electric field induced strain derived from a reversible phase transition, as well as a method for making such ceramic materials and ceramic materials obtainable therefrom. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method of identifying a solid solution ceramic material of at least three perovskite compounds which exhibits an electric field induced strain derived from a reversible phase transition; said method comprising the steps of: i) determining a molar ratio of at least one tetragonal perovskite compound to at least one non-tetragonal perovskite compound which, when combined to form a solid solution, provides a ceramic material comprising a major portion of a tetragonal phase having an axial ratio c/a of greater than 1.005 to 1.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bismuth-based solid solution ceramic material, as well as a process for preparing the ceramic material and uses thereof, particularly in an actuator component employed, for example, in a droplet deposition apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (I): (I): x(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-z1SrHfO3-z2SrZrO3, wherein x+y+Z1+Z2=1; y, (z1+z2)?0; x?0. In embodiments, the present invention also relates to a ceramic material having a general chemical formula (II): x(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-ZiSrHfO3-z2SrZrO3, wherein x+y+z?i+z2=1; x, y, fa+z2)?0; as well as a ceramic material of general formula (III): y(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3-z1SrHfO3-z2SrZrO3, wherein y+z1,+z2=1; y, (z1+z2)?0.

Abstract: A method for depositing droplets onto a medium, utilising a droplet deposition head is provided. The head used in the method includes: an array of fluid chambers separated by interspersed walls, each fluid chamber communicating with an aperture for the release of fluid droplets and each wall separating two neighbouring chambers. Each wall is actuable such that in response to a first voltage, it will deform so as to decrease the volume of one chamber and increase the volume of the other chamber, and, in response to a second voltage, it will deform so as to cause the opposite effect on the volumes of its neighbouring chambers.

Abstract: A droplet ejection apparatus comprising: a droplet deposition head comprising an array of actuating elements and a corresponding array of nozzles; actuating circuitry, configured to apply drive waveforms to said actuating elements, thereby causing the ejection of fluid in the form of droplets through said array of nozzles onto deposition media, which are moved relative to the head; and head controller circuitry, configured to: receive an input set of ejection data; generate a series of sub-sets of ejection data based on the input set; and send said series of sub-sets of ejection data to said actuating circuitry; wherein the actuating circuitry is further configured so as to, for each sub-set of ejection data, apply drive waveforms to said actuating elements such that they repeatedly eject droplets from one or more nozzles, thus depositing successive rows of droplets, the one or more nozzles and the sizes of the droplets ejected therefrom being determined by the current sub-set of ejection data, each of the on

Abstract: There is disclosed a controller for controlling two or more groups of nozzles in an array, the controller configured to: encode data blocks into a data stream, wherein each data block denotes how a respective group of nozzles is to be controlled for a droplet period; encode fire codes into the data stream, wherein each fire code is a reserved code that denotes when a respective group of nozzles is to be controlled in accordance with the data block for the droplet period; and wherein the data block precedes the fire code for the respective group of nozzles in the data stream and wherein the fire codes are generated independently of the data blocks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical element comprising a multilayer thin film ceramic member which is a dielectric exhibiting piezoelectric/electrostrictive properties which make it suitable for use in microelectromechanical systems.

Abstract: A method of poling piezoelectric elements of an actuator comprises applying an electric pulse heating waveform to the piezoelectric element(s) in order to increase the temperature thereof to a poling temperature (S202), applying an electric field poling waveform to the piezoelectric element(s) for a poling time period (S203), and apply an electric field holding poling waveform to the piezoelectric element(s) to maintain poling whilst the temperature of the actuator decreases (S204).

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising bonded components which together define a chamber in the device, which method comprises forming a bonding material layer on a surface of a first component, patterning the bonding material layer and, optionally, the first component and bonding a second component to the patterned bonding material layer and first component. The forming of the bonding material layer comprises partially curing a curable material and the bonding of the second component to the patterned bonding material layer and the first component comprises fully curing the partially cured material.