Abstract: A small form factor printhead and a thermal ink jet printer containing the reduce form factor printhead. The printhead includes an ink reservoir body having four side walls connected to a bottom wall. An ink supply port is disposed in the bottom wall. An ejection head is attached to an exterior surface of the bottom wall, wherein the ejection head is in ink flow communication with the ink supply port. A flexible circuit is electrically connected to the ejection head and is attached to the exterior surface of the bottom wall and an exterior surface of one of the four side walls. A cover is attached to a distal end of the four side walls opposite the bottom wall. A filter is attached adjacent to an underside of the cover.

Abstract: A fluidic delivery device having improved volumetric efficiency. The device includes a fluid container having a standpipe at a lower end of the container and open areas located below a fluid entrance end of the standpipe; a first fluid permeable body located in the fluid container above the fluid entrance end of the standpipe; and one or more second fluid permeable bodies located in the open areas of the fluid container below the first fluid permeable body and below the fluid entrance end of the standpipe.

Abstract: A fluid ejection head and a method of making a fluid ejection head. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate containing a plurality fluid ejection actuators on a device surface thereof. The substrate is reactive ion etched to form one or more fluid supply vias therein. A flow feature layer is laminated to the substrate and is exposed to ultra violet (UV) radiation through a photo mask to provide UV exposed areas of the flow feature layer. The flow feature layer is heated to cross-link material in the UV exposed areas. A nozzle plate layer is laminated to the flow feature layer and exposed to UV radiation through a photo mask to provide UV exposed areas for nozzle holes. The nozzle plate layer is cross-linked with heat and the flow feature layer and nozzle plate layer are developed to form the flow features and nozzle holes in the respective layers.

Abstract: A fluidic dispensing device includes a housing having an exterior wall and a chamber. The exterior wall has a chip mounting surface defining a first plane and has an opening. The chamber has a port coupled in fluid communication with the opening. An ejection chip is mounted to the chip mounting surface and is oriented along the first plane, and is in fluid communication with the opening. The ejection chip has a fluid ejection direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first plane. A stir bar is located in the chamber, and has a rotational axis. The rotational axis of the stir bar is oriented in an angular range of perpendicular, plus or minus 45 degrees, relative to the fluid ejection direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid ejection device that includes a nozzle plate. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzles for fluid ejection. Further, the fluid ejection device includes a substrate disposed below the nozzle plate. The substrate includes a top surface adapted to adhere to the nozzle plate. The substrate also includes at least one fluid via configured within the substrate for providing fluid to the plurality of nozzles of the nozzle plate. Furthermore, the fluid ejection device includes at least one supporting structure configured within each fluid via of the at least one fluid via. The at least one supporting structure is further configured at a predetermined depth from the top surface of the substrate to regulate the flow of the fluid from the at least one fluid via to the plurality of nozzles. Further, disclosed is a method to fabricate the fluid ejection device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluid ejection device that includes a nozzle plate. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzles for fluid ejection. Further, the fluid ejection device includes a substrate disposed below the nozzle plate. The substrate includes a top surface adapted to adhere to the nozzle plate. The substrate also includes at least one fluid via configured within the substrate for providing fluid to the plurality of nozzles of the nozzle plate. Furthermore, the fluid ejection device includes at least one supporting structure configured within each fluid via of the at least one fluid via. The at least one supporting structure is further configured at a predetermined depth from the top surface of the substrate to regulate the flow of the fluid from the at least one fluid via to the plurality of nozzles. Further, disclosed is a method to fabricate the fluid ejection device.

Abstract: A method of micro-machining a semiconductor substrate to form one or more through slots therein. The semiconductor substrate has a device side and a fluid side opposite the device side. The method includes diffusing a p-type doping material into the device side of the semiconductor substrate in one or more through slot locations to be etched through a thickness of the substrates. The semiconductor substrate is then etched with a dry etch process from the device side of the substrate to the fluid side of the substrate so that one or more through slots having a reentrant profile are formed in the substrate.

Abstract: A substantially planar micro-fluid ejection device, where the micro-fluid ejection head is covalently bound to a substantially planar support material, and a method of making the same.

Abstract: A micro-fluid ejection assembly and method therefor. The micro-fluid ejection assembly includes a silicon substrate having a fluid supply slot therein. The fluid supply slot is formed by an etch process conducted on a substrate using, a first etch mask circumscribing the fluid supply slot, and a second etch mask applied over a functional layer on the substrate.

Abstract: A substantially planar micro-fluid ejection device, where the micro-fluid ejection head is covalently bound to a substantially planar support material, and a method of making the same.

Abstract: A method of substantially simultaneously forming at least two fluid supply slots through a thickness of semiconductor substrate from a first surface to a second surface thereof. The method includes the steps of applying a photoresist layer to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate. The photoresist layer is patterned and developed using a gray scale mask for a first fluid supply slot. The semiconductor substrate is then reactive ion etched, to form the at least two fluid supply slots through the thickness of the substrate. The first fluid supply slot is substantially wider than the second fluid supply slot, and the first and second fluid supply slots are etched through the substrate at substantially the same rate.

Abstract: Methods of forming a fluid channel in a semiconductor substrate may include providing a semiconductor substrate having a backside and a device side, wherein the device side is configured to secure ink ejecting devices thereon and applying a material layer to the backside of the semiconductor substrate. The method may further include providing a gray scale mask configured with a pattern corresponding to a fluid channel having a plurality of slots, exposing the material layer to sufficient light radiation energy through the gray scale mask and etching the exposed material layer and the semiconductor substrate through to the device side of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Methods of forming a fluid channel in a semiconductor substrate may include applying a material layer to at least one surface of the semiconductor substrate. The method may further include manipulating the material layer to form a surface topography corresponding to a channel, the surface topography being configured to control directionality of ion bombardment of said substrate along electromagnetic field lines in a plasma sheath coupled to said surface topography.

Abstract: A method for improving fluidic flow for a microfluidic device having a through hole or slot therein. The method includes the steps of forming one or more openings through at least part of a thickness of a substrate from a first surface to an opposite second surface using a reactive ion etching process whereby an etch stop layer is applied to side wall surfaces in the one or more openings during alternating etching and passivating steps as the openings are etched through at least a portion of the substrate. Substantially all of the etch stop layer coating is removed from the side wall surfaces by treating the side wall surfaces using a method selected from chemical treatment and mechanical treatment, whereby a surface energy of the treated side wall surfaces is increased relative to a surface energy of the side wall surfaces containing the etch stop layer coating.

Abstract: A substantially planar micro-fluid ejection device, where the micro-fluid ejection head is covalently bound to a substantially planar support material, and a method of making the same.

Abstract: Methods of micro-machining a semiconductor substrate to form through fluid feed slots therein. One method includes providing a semiconductor substrate wafer having a thickness greater than about 500 microns and having a device side and a back side opposite the device side. The back side of the wafer is mechanically ground to provide a wafer having a thickness ranging from about 100 up to about 500 microns. Dry etching is conducted on the wafer from a device side thereof to form a plurality of reentrant fluid feed slots in the wafer from the device side to the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A process for etching semiconductor substrates using a deep reactive ion etching process to produce through holes or slots (hereinafter “slots”) in the substrates. The process includes applying a first layer to a back side of a substrate as a first etch stop material. The first layer is a relatively soft etch stop material. A second layer is applied to the first layer on the back side of the substrate to provide a composite etch stop layer. The second layer is a relatively hard etch stop material. The substrate is etched from a side opposite the back side of the substrate to provide a slot in the substrate.

Abstract: A method of micro-machining a semiconductor substrate to form one or more through slots therein. The semiconductor substrate has a device side and a fluid side opposite the device side. The method includes diffusing a p-type doping material into the device side of the semiconductor substrate in one or more through slot locations to be etched through a thickness of the substrate. The semiconductor substrate is then etched with a dry etch process from the device side of the substrate to the fluid side of the substrate so that one or more through slots having a reentrant profile are formed in the substrate.

Abstract: A method of micro-machining a semiconductor substrate to form through slots therein and substrates made by the method. The method includes providing a dry etching chamber having a platen for holding a semiconductor substrate. During an etching cycle of a dry etch process for the semiconductor substrate, a source power is decreased, a chamber pressure is decreased from a first pressure to a second pressure, and a platen power is increased from a first power to a second power. Through slots in the substrate provided by the method can have a reentrant profile for fluid flow therethrough.

Abstract: A method for improving fluidic flow for a microfluidic device having a through hole or slot therein. The method includes the steps of forming one or more openings through at least part of a thickness of a substrate from a first surface to an opposite second surface using a reactive ion etching process whereby an etch stop layer is applied to side wall surfaces in the one or more openings during alternating etching and passivating steps as the openings are etched through at least a portion of the substrate. Substantially all of the etch stop layer coating is removed from the side wall surfaces by treating the side wall surfaces using a method selected from chemical treatment and mechanical treatment, whereby a surface energy of the treated side wall surfaces is increased relative to a surface energy of the side wall surfaces containing the etch stop layer coating.