Abstract: A nozzle plate of an inkjet printhead, and a method of manufacturing the nozzle plate. The nozzle plate includes a substrate through which nozzles are formed; an ink-philic coating layer formed on an outer surface of the substrate and inner walls of the nozzles; and an ink-phobic coating layer selectively formed on the ink-philic coating layer disposed around the nozzles.

Abstract: A piezoelectric type inkjet printhead includes an upper substrate including a pressure chamber to be filled with ink that is to be ejected, a reservoir to store ink that flowed in from an ink container, a restrictor connect the reservoir to one end of the pressure chamber, an intermediate substrate comprising a damper formed on a portion of the intermediate substrate, which corresponds to other end of the pressure chamber, a lower substrate comprising a nozzle to eject ink and formed in a portion of the lower substrate, which corresponds to the damper, a hydrophobic layer formed on a bottom of the lower substrate, and a piezoelectric actuator formed on the upper substrate to supply driving power to eject ink to the pressure chamber, wherein the nozzle is formed in the lower substrate at a predetermined depth from a bottom surface of the lower substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a high density thick piezoelectric layer and a piezoelectric device the same. The method of forming the thick piezoelectric layer includes: forming a seed layer on a substrate by coating a sol including a piezoelectric material; primary heat-treating the seed layer; forming the thick piezoelectric layer by coating a paste that includes a piezoelectric material on the seed layer using a screen printing method; and secondary heat-treating the thick piezoelectric layer at a temperature higher than the primary heat-treating temperature. The piezoelectric material included in the sol has a composition identical or similar to the composition of the piezoelectric material included in the paste. The density of the thick piezoelectric layer is increased by particles of the piezoelectric material that penetrate into the thick piezoelectric layer from the seed layer in the secondary heat-treating, and thus, a high density thick piezoelectric layer can be formed.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator for providing a driving force to a pressure chamber of an ink-jet printhead for ejecting ink by deforming a vibration plate, the vibration plate forming an upper wall of the pressure chamber, the piezoelectric actuator including a lower electrode formed on the vibration plate, a piezoelectric film having either: (a) peripheral portions, the piezoelectric film formed on the lower electrode at a position that corresponds to the pressure chamber and having a space between the peripheral portions and the lower electrode, or (b) a lateral surface, the piezoelectric film formed on the lower electrode at a position that corresponds to the pressure chamber, the lateral surface of the piezoelectric film substantially forming a right angle with respect to a top surface of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric film for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor processing apparatus for processing batches of wafers with variable numbers of wafer lots. The apparatus includes an operator interface server adapted to receive batch information for a track-in operation, an equipment management server adapted to store data used to process the batch of wafers, and a device interface server adapted to control a selected unit of processing equipment used to process the batch of wafers. The batch information is transmitted from the operator interface server to the device interface server, and the device interface server attempts to set a sub-recipe in the selected unit of processing equipment based on the batch information. After the sub-recipe is set in the selected unit of processing equipment, the device interface server then attempts to set a process recipe in the device interface server.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead having a bezel structure to remove ink bubbles. The inkjet printhead includes a channel plate having an ink channel, actuators formed on the channel plate to provide driving forces to eject the ink, and an ink-supply bezel coupled to the channel plate. The ink-supply bezel includes an ink reservoir that is connected to an ink inlet and stores ink that is to be supplied to the ink channel, an ink supply port through which ink is supplied to the ink reservoir, and an air discharge port through which bubbles that are removed from the ink of the ink reservoir are discharged. The ink supply port and the air discharge port can be formed closed to both ends of the top surface of the ink reservoir, respectively. The ink supply port can have a bottom end lower than that of the air discharge port. The ink reservoir can include a sloped ceiling surface. Therefore, ink bubbles can be effectively removed from the ink before the ink is supplied to the ink channel.

Abstract: A method of forming a hydrophobic coating layer on a surface of a nozzle plate for an ink-jet printhead includes preparing a nozzle plate having a nozzle, forming a metal layer on a surface of the nozzle plate, forming a material layer covering the metal layer, selectively etching the material layer to expose a portion of the metal layer formed on an outer surface of the nozzle plate, and forming the hydrophobic coating layer of a sulfur compound on the exposed portion of the metal layer by dipping the nozzle plate in a sulfur compound-containing solution.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet head having piezoelectric actuators for restrictors includes a flow channel plate including an ink inlet through which ink enters, a plurality of pressure chambers into which ink to be ejected is filled, a manifold which is a path to receive ink from the ink inlet and to supply the received ink to the pressure chambers, a plurality of restrictors that connect the manifold to the pressure chambers, and a plurality of nozzles to eject ink from the pressure chambers to an outside thereof. The piezoelectric inkjet head also includes a plurality of first piezoelectric actuators formed on the flow channel plate corresponding to positions of the pressure chambers to provide a driving force to each of the pressure chambers to eject ink to the outside. The piezoelectric inkjet head also includes a plurality of second piezoelectric actuators formed on the flow channel plate corresponding to positions of the restrictors to change cross-sectional areas of the restrictors.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet printhead that includes a flow channel plate; an ink flow channel that is formed in the flow channel plate and includes an ink inlet through which ink enters, a plurality of pressure chambers to which ink to be ejected is filled, a manifold which is a path for supplying ink from the ink inlet to the pressure chambers, a plurality of restrictors that connect the manifold to the pressure chambers, and a plurality of nozzles to eject ink from the pressure chambers to the outside; and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators formed on the flow channel plate to provide a driving power to each of the pressure chambers to eject ink to the outside, wherein the manifold includes a plurality of individual manifolds defined by a plurality of first barrier ribs, which respectively correspond to the pressure chambers.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes an ink flow channel including a pressure chamber, a nozzle to communicate with the pressure chamber, an actuator to provide a driving force to eject ink from the pressure chamber, and a plurality of electrodes, a lower voltage is applied to an electrode closer to the nozzle as compared to an electrode farther from the nozzle to form a non-uniform electric field in the ink flow channel, and a method of removing bubbles in the inkjet printhead.

Abstract: A method to form a thick layer by screen printing and a method to form a piezoelectric actuator of an inkjet head. The method to form the thick layer including forming a guide groove in a surface to a predetermined depth, and forming the thick layer by applying a material to the surface inside the guide groove through screen printing. The method to form the piezoelectric actuator including forming an insulating layer on a top surface of a vibration plate and forming a guide groove in the top surface of the vibration plate or an insulating layer to a predetermined depth at a position corresponding to each of a plurality of pressure chambers, forming a lower electrode on the top surface of the insulating layer; forming a piezoelectric layer inside the guide groove by screen printing, and forming an upper electrode on a top surface of the piezoelectric layer.

Abstract: An inkjet printing system to control actuators in real time. The inkjet printing system includes a waveform generator to supply electric power in the form of a predetermined wave, at least one actuator to change a pressure in an ink chamber according to the electric power from the waveform generator, at least one sensing unit to continuously detect and output a voltage value for the voltage outputted by the actuator, and a controller to calculate an inductive voltage value induced by a deformation of the actuator using the detected result from the sensing unit, and to adjust the waveform of the electric power supplied by the waveform generator according to the calculated inductive voltage value, thereby controlling the actuator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator of an inkjet head and a method of forming the piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric actuator is formed on a vibration plate to provide a driving force to each of a plurality of pressure chambers. The piezoelectric actuator includes a lower electrode formed on the vibration plate, a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode at a position corresponding to each of the pressure chambers, a supporting pad formed on the lower electrode, the supporting pad contacting one end of the piezoelectric layer and extending away from the one end of the piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode extending from a top surface of the piezoelectric layer to a top surface of the supporting pad. The upper electrode is bonded to a driving circuit above the supporting pad to receive a voltage from the driving circuit. The piezoelectric layer may have substantially the same length as the pressure chamber.

Abstract: A method of forming a piezoelectric actuator of an inkjet head formed on a vibrating plate to provide a driving power for ejecting ink to each of pressure chambers is provided. The method includes forming a lower electrode on a vibrating plate, forming a piezoelectric layer on the lower electrode to be located above each of pressure chambers, forming a protecting layer covering the lower electrode and the piezoelectric layer, exposing an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer by decreasing a thickness of the protecting layer and the piezoelectric layer, forming an upper electrode on the upper surface of the piezoelectric layer, removing the protecting layer. According to the present invention, since the piezoelectric layer having a flat upper surface is formed in uniform figure, area and thickness of the upper electrode formed thereon is uniformly controlled.

Abstract: An inkjet head having a hydrophobic coating layer and a method of forming the hydrophobic coating layer on a surface of a nozzle plate of the inkjet head. The method includes filling a wax into a plurality of nozzles formed in the nozzle plate while coating the surface of the nozzle plate with wax, removing the wax from the surface of the nozzle plate, forming a hydrophobic coating layer on the surface of the nozzle plate, melting the wax filled in the nozzles, and removing portions of the hydrophobic coating layer covering the nozzles by discharging the melted wax through the nozzles using heat and/or pressure. Therefore, the hydrophobic coating layer is uniformly formed only on an outer surface of the nozzle plate, without forming the hydrophobic coating layer in an inner surface of the nozzles, thereby improving an ink ejecting performance of the nozzles.

Abstract: An inkjet head nozzle plate having a hydrophobic coating layer and a method of forming a hydrophobic coating layer on the inkjet nozzle plate. The method including preparing a stamp and a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles, applying a hydrophobic material to the stamp, bonding the hydrophobic material to the nozzle plate by moving the stamp onto the nozzle plate and heating the nozzle plate to bond the hydrophobic material of the stamp to the nozzle plate, and separating the stamp from the nozzle plate. Portions of the hydrophobic material bonded to the nozzle plate remain at the nozzle plate to form the hydrophobic coating layer on the nozzle plate, and other portions of the hydrophobic material corresponding to the nozzles of the nozzle plate remain on the stamp and are separated from the nozzle plate when the stamp is separated from the nozzle plate.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet printhead includes a manifold, a chamber array including a plurality of chambers in connection with the manifold and arranged along at least one side of the manifold, a vibrating plate to cover the plurality of chambers, and a plurality of piezoelectric actuators formed on the vibrating plate to change pressures of corresponding ones of the plurality of chambers by vibrating the vibrating plate. The plurality of chambers includes a plurality of pressure chambers disposed in a center portion of the chamber array and having corresponding ink ejecting nozzles, and at least two dummy chambers, one disposed on each side of the chamber array and having corresponding dummy nozzles that do not eject ink. A plurality of trenches may be formed in the vibrating plate between each of the piezoelectric actuators.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet printhead includes a fluid path forming substrate having a pressure chamber, a piezoelectric actuator formed on the fluid path forming substrate to provide a drive force to the pressure chamber to eject ink, and a damping layer formed on the piezoelectric actuator to dampen a residual vibration of the piezoelectric actuator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet printhead including an upper substrate formed of a single crystal silicon substrate or an SOI substrate and having an ink inlet therethrough, and a lower substrate formed of an SOI substrate having a sequentially stacked structure with a first silicon layer, an intervening oxide layer, and a second silicon layer in which a manifold, pressure chambers, and dampers are formed in the second silicon layer by wet or dry etching, and nozzles are formed through the intervening oxide layer and the first silicon layer by dry etching, and a method of manufacturing the same.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead and a method of driving the inkjet printhead include a flow channel substrate having a pressure chamber, and a piezoelectric actuator formed on the flow channel substrate to apply a driving force to the pressure chamber to eject ink. The piezoelectric actuator includes a piezoelectric layer formed on the flow channel substrate to correspond to the pressure chamber, and a plurality of common electrodes and a plurality of driving electrodes alternately arranged in a length direction of the piezoelectric layer.