Abstract: Described herein is a monolithic printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques. Thin film layers, including ink ejection elements, are formed on a top surface of a silicon substrate. The various layers are etched to provide conductive leads to the ink ejection elements. At least one ink feed hole is formed through the thin film layers for each ink ejection chamber. A trench is etched in the bottom surface of the substrate so that ink can flow into the trench and into each ink ejection chamber through the ink feed holes formed in the thin film layers. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers. A phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer, providing an insulation layer beneath the resistive layers, is etched back from the ink feed holes and is protected by a passivation layer to prevent the ink from interacting with the PSG layer. Other layers may also be protected from the ink by being etched back.

Abstract: A monolithic inkjet printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques is described. A silicon substrate has formed on its top surface a thin polysilicon layer in the area in which a trench is to be later formed in the substrate. The edges of the polysilicon layer align with the intended placement of ink feed holes leading into ink ejection chambers. Thin film layers, including a resistive layer, are formed on the top surface of the silicon substrate and over the polysilicon layer. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers. A trench mask is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. A trench is etched (using, for example, TMAH) through the exposed bottom surface of the substrate and to the polysilicon layer. The etching of the polysilicon layer exposes fast etch planes of the silicon. The TMAH then rapidly etches the silicon substrate along the etch planes, thus aligning the edges of the trench with the polysilicon.

Abstract: A monolithic inkjet printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques is described. A silicon substrate has formed on its top surface a thin polysilicon layer in the area in which a trench is to be later formed in the substrate. The edges of the polysilicon layer align with the intended placement of ink feed holes leading into ink ejection chambers. Thin film layers, including a resistive layer, are formed on the top surface of the silicon substrate and over the polysilicon layer. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers. A trench mask is formed on the bottom surface of the substrate. A trench is etched (using, for example, TMAH) through the exposed bottom surface of the substrate and to the polysilicon layer. The etching of the polysilicon layer exposes fast etch planes of the silicon. The TMAH then rapidly etches the silicon substrate along the etch planes, thus aligning the edges of the trench with the polysilicon.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having a substrate with an upper surface, and an ink supply conduit passing through the substrate. An array of independently addressable ink energizing elements are attached to the upper surface of the substrate. An orifice layer has a lower surface conformally connected to the upper surface of the substrate, and has an exterior surface facing away from the substrate. The orifice layer defines a plurality of firing chambers providing communication to the ink energizing elements, and each of the orifices is positioned in registration with a respective single ink energizing element. The exterior surface defines a plurality of nozzle apertures, each providing the upper terminus of a single firing chamber. Each of the firing chambers is laterally separated from all other firing chambers by a septum portion of the orifice layer.

Abstract: Described herein is a monolithic printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques. Thin film layers, including ink ejection elements, are formed on a top surface of a silicon substrate. The various layers are etched to provide conductive leads to the ink ejection elements. At least one ink feed hole is formed through the thin film layers for each ink ejection chamber. A trench is etched in the bottom surface of the substrate so that ink can flow into the trench and into each ink ejection chamber through the ink feed holes formed in the thin film layers. The trench completely etches away portions of the substrate near the ink feed holes so that the thin film layers form a shelf in the vicinity of the ink feed holes. In one embodiment, the shelf supports the ink ejection elements. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers.

Abstract: Described herein is a monolithic printhead formed using integrated circuit techniques. Thin film layers, including ink ejection elements, are formed on a top surface of a silicon substrate. The various layers are etched to provide conductive leads to the ink ejection elements. At least one ink feed hole is formed through the thin film layers for each ink ejection chamber. In one embodiment, there are more ink feed holes than ink ejection chambers, so that more than one ink feed hole provides ink to each ink ejection chamber. A trench is etched in the bottom surface of the substrate so that ink can flow into the trench and into each ink ejection chamber through the ink feed holes formed in the thin film layers. An orifice layer is formed on the top surface of the thin film layers to define the nozzles and ink ejection chambers.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer employs an integral pump disposed in an ink feed channel, input well, or output well to circulate ink to the ink expulsion chambers in the printhead.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes at least one print cartridge mounted in a scanning carriage having an ink interconnect coupled, via a flexible tube, to an ink output of a stationary pressure regulator. An ink input of the pressure regulator is connected, via a tube, to a stationary ink supply having replaceable ink cartridges. The print cartridge contains one or more printheads and one or more ink interconnects, one interconnect for each color ink which is printable by the print cartridge. To avoid ink pressure spikes due to the momentum of the ink in the flexible ink tube as the carriage scans across the medium, a flexible diaphragm is incorporated in the ink chamber of the print cartridge. The print cartridge is inserted in the scanning carriage so as to create a fluid coupling between the printhead and the flexible tube leading to the scanning carriage.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and vaporization chambers in an inkjet printhead. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edge of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer employs an integral pump disposed in an ink feed channel, input well, or output well to circulate ink to the ink expulsion chambers in the printhead.

Abstract: The configuration of an ink inlet through which flows ink into a chamber for expulsion from the chamber by a thermal process is such that a vapor bubble generated by the thermal process to eject ink from the chamber expands to simultaneously occlude the inlet, thereby to separate the ink within the chamber from ink within a channel that is in fluid communication with the inlet. The separation eliminates a liquid path between the chamber and the channel so that substantially no ink is blown back into the channel as the bubble expands, thereby improving the thermal efficiency of the process.

Abstract: An ink jet print head having a substrate with an upper surface, and an ink supply conduit passing through the substrate. An array of independently addressable ink energizing elements are attached to the upper surface of the substrate. An orifice layer has a lower surface conformally connected to the upper surface of the substrate, and has an exterior surface facing away from the substrate. The orifice layer defines a plurality of firing chambers providing communication to the ink energizing elements, and each of the orifices is positioned in registration with a respective single ink energizing element. The exterior surface defines a plurality of nozzle apertures, each providing the upper terminus of a single firing chamber. Each of the firing chambers is laterally separated from all other firing chambers by a septum portion of the orifice layer.

Abstract: An orifice membrane is provided an articulation parallel to the rows of orifices and between the area of the orifice membrane secured to the cartridge body and the area of the orifice membrane secured to the barrier layer of the heater resistor substrate. The reduced stress at the orifices reduces the distortion of the bore axis of the orifices.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and vaporization chambers in an inkjet printhead. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a compact substrate having a pair of elongated edge portions for ink channel architecture, a central interior for substrate circuitry, and a pair of truncated end portions for mounting and for electrical interconnects. The ink channel architecture includes a plurality of ink vaporization chambers each having a firing resistor therein, as well as ink feed channels communicating through an ink passage from an underside of the substrate around both edges of the substrate to the vaporization chambers.

Abstract: An improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and ink ejection chambers in an inkjet printhead is disclosed along with a preferred printhead architecture. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and firing chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two spaced apart arrays of ink ejection elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a firing chamber and ink ejection element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the firing chambers.

Abstract: Described is an inkjet print cartridge including an ink reservoir; a substrate having a plurality of individual ink firing chambers with an ink firing element in each chamber; said ink firing chambers arranged in a first chamber array and a second chamber array and said firing chambers spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing; an ink channel connecting said reservoir with said ink firing chambers, said channel including a primary channel connected at a first end with said reservoir and at a second end to a secondary channel; a separate inlet passage for each firing chamber connecting said secondary channel with said firing chamber for allowing high frequency refill of the firing chamber; a group of said firing chambers in adjacent relationship forming a primitive in which only one firing chamber in said primitive is activated at a time; a first circuit on said substrate connected to said firing elements; and a second circuit on said cartridge connected to said first circuit, for transmitting firing

Abstract: This invention provides an apparatus and method of fabrication thereof for an inkjet printhead with an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and vaporization chambers in an inkjet printhead. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers. The apparatus is fabricated without using ion implant technology.

Abstract: A printhead includes a substrate with an ink feed aperture extending from a first surface to a second surface and a plurality of heater resistors disposed on it. Primitive groupings of the resistors are coupled to associated group power sources. An ink barrier layer is deposited on the substrate to create ink firing chambers for each resistor. One wall of the ink barrier has a constricted opening through which ink is supplied from the ink feed aperture. A plurality of transistors are disposed in the substrate with each transistor output coupled to an associated one of the resistors and each input coupled to one of a plurality of addressing signal lines. The number of addressing signal lines is equal to the number of resistors in a primitive grouping.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved ink flow path between an ink reservoir and vaporization chambers in an inkjet printhead. In the preferred embodiment, a barrier layer containing ink channels and vaporization chambers is located between a rectangular substrate and a nozzle member containing an array of orifices. The substrate contains two linear arrays of heater elements, and each orifice in the nozzle member is associated with a vaporization chamber and heater element. The ink channels in the barrier layer have ink entrances generally running along two opposite edges of the substrate so that ink flowing around the edges of the substrate gain access to the ink channels and to the vaporization chambers.