Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet print cartridge having an ink reservoir; a substrate having a plurality of individual ink firing chambers with an ink firing element in each chamber along a top surface of the substrate and having a first outer edge along a periphery of substrate; the first outer edge being in close proximity to the ink firing chambers. The ink firing chambers are arranged in a first chamber array and a second chamber array and with the firing chambers spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers, the channel including a primary channel connected at a first end with the reservoir and at a second end to a secondary channel; the primary channel allowing ink to flow from the ink reservoir, around the first outer edge of the substrate to the secondary channel along the top surface of the substrate so as to be proximate to the ink firing chambers.

Abstract: A printhead for an inkjet printer employs an ink fill slot having an extended portion disposed as a depression on the primary surface of the printhead substrate. The barrier layer of the printhead forms the walls of the ink ejection chambers, the walls of and constrictions in the ink fill channels, and the contoured barrier lobes between the ink fill channels. The extended portion of the ink fill slot follows the contour of the barrier lobes such that the length of the substrate shelf between the ink fill channel constriction and the extended portion of the ink fill slot is equalized between ink ejection chambers.

Abstract: Described is an ink delivery system for an array of nozzle orifices in a print cartridge comprising an ink reservoir; a substrate having a plurality of individual ink firing chambers with an ink firing element in each chamber; 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; first circuit means on said substrate connected to said firing elements; and second circuit means on said cartridge connected to said first circuit means, for transmitting firing signals to said ink firing elements at a frequency greater than 9 kHz.

Abstract: Disclosed 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 along a top surface of said substrate and having a first outer edge along a periphery of substrate; the first outer edge being in close proximity to the ink firing chambers. The ink firing chambers are arranged in a first chamber array and a second chamber array and with the firing chambers spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers, the channel including a primary channel connected at a first end with the reservoir and at a second end to a secondary channel; the primary channel allowing ink to flow from the ink reservoir, around the first outer edge of the substrate to the secondary channel along the top surface of the substrate so as to be proximate to the ink firing chambers.

Abstract: Disclosed is an inkjet print cartridge having an ink reservoir; a substrate having a plurality of individual ink firing chambers with an ink firing element in each chamber along a top surface of the substrate and having a first outer edge along a periphery of substrate; the first outer edge being in close proximity to the ink firing chambers. The ink firing chambers are arranged in a first chamber array and a second chamber array and with the firing chambers spaced so as to provide 600 dots per inch printing. An ink channel connects the reservoir with the ink firing chambers, the channel including a primary channel connected at a first end with the reservoir and at a second end to a secondary channel; the primary channel allowing ink to flow from the ink reservoir, around the first outer edge of the substrate to the secondary channel along the top surface of the substrate so as to be proximate to the ink firing chambers.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a thin-film structure using a transparent substrate is disclosed. A first structure, such as a ring having a central pillar, is formed of a conductive material on a surface of the substrate. A photoresist material pillar is formed on top of the conductive material central pillar by exposure through the transparent material. Such structures are useful as mandrel structures in the forming of precision thin-film components such as nozzle plates, mesh filter screens, and the like, for ink-jet pens.

Abstract: An ink fill slot can be precisely manufactured in a substrate utilizing photolithographic techniques with chemical etching, plasma etching, or a combination thereof. These methods may be used in conjunction with laser ablation, mechanical abrasion, or electromechanical machining to remove additional substrate material in desired areas. The ink fill slots are appropriately configured to provide the requisite volume of ink at increasingly higher frequency of operation of the printhead by means of an extended portion that results in a reduced shelf length and thus reduced fluid impedance imparted to the ink. The extended portion is precisely etched to controllably align it with other elements of the printhead.

Abstract: In a print cartridge according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a polymer tape having orifices formed therein and containing conductive traces has a substrate containing heater elements affixed to a back surface of the tape. Each of the heater elements in the substrate is located substantially behind each of the orifices. The edges of the nozzle member overlap the edges of the substrate, and the back surface of the tape is sealed with respect to an ink reservoir so that a seal substantially circumscribes the substrate. This allows ink to flow around the side edges of the substrate and into vaporization chambers associated with each orifice. The conductive traces on the tape are attached to electrodes along the shorter side edges of the substrate so as not to interfere with the edge-feed of ink along the longer edges of the substrate.

Abstract: A single mask is used to form a tapered nozzle in a polymer nozzle member using laser ablation. In one embodiment of the mask, clear portions of the mask, corresponding to the nozzle pattern to be formed, each incorporate a variable-density dot pattern, where the opaque dots act to partially shield the underlying polymer nozzle member from the laser energy. This partial shielding of the nozzle member under the dot pattern results in the nozzle member being ablated to less of a depth than where there is no shielding. By selecting the proper density of opaque dots around the peripheral portions of the mask openings, the central portion of each nozzle formed in the polymer nozzle member will be completely ablated through, and the peripheral portions of the nozzle will be only partially ablated through. By increasing the density of dots toward the periphery of each mask opening, the resulting nozzle may be formed to have any tapered shape. Other mask patterns are also described.

Abstract: An ink fill slot can be precisely manufactured in a substrate utilizing photolithographic techniques with chemical etching, plasma etching, or a combination thereof. These methods may be used in conjunction with laser ablation, mechanical abrasion, or electromechanical machining to remove additional substrate material in desired areas. The ink fill slots are appropriately configured to provide the requisite volume of ink at increasingly higher frequency of operation of the printhead by means of an extended portion that results in a reduced shelf length and thus reduced fluid impedance imparted to the ink. The extended portion is precisely etched to controllably align it with other elements of the printhead.

Abstract: A single mask is used to form a tapered nozzle in a polymer nozzle member using laser ablation. In one embodiment of the mask, clear portions of the mask, corresponding to the nozzle pattern to be formed, each incorporate a variable-density dot pattern, where the opaque dots act to partially shield the underlying polymer nozzle member from the laser energy. This partial shielding of the nozzle member under the dot pattern results in the nozzle member being ablated to less of a depth than where there is no shielding. By selecting the proper density of opaque dots around the peripheral portions of the mask openings, the central portion of each nozzle formed in the polymer nozzle member will be completely ablated through, and the peripheral portions of the nozzle will be only partially ablated through. By increasing the density of dots toward the periphery of each mask opening, the resulting nozzle may be formed to have any tapered shape. Other mask patterns are also described.

Abstract: Ink jet print quality is improved and higher pen speed permitted by a bidirectional printing protocol. According to the new protocol, each individual character to be printed is first partitioned into a leading portion and a trailing portion. The trailing portion includes all trailing edge bits. Only the leading portion is printed on a forward pass of the ink jet pen. The trailing portion is printed on a reverse pass of the pen, so that trailing edge ink drops are instead printed as leading edge ink drops. As a result, satellite ink drops are directed toward the center of the character, where they are covered by primary ink drops, thereby minimizing character edge roughness associated with exposed satellite ink drops.

Abstract: A novel, nozzle member for an inkjet print cartridge and method of forming the nozzle member are disclosed. In this method, the nozzles or orifices are formed in a flexible polymer tape by Excimer laser ablation. In one embodiment, a substrate containing heating elements is mounted on the back of the nozzle member. Conductors for providing electrical signals to the substrate are located inside the flexible polymer tape and end at a via overlying an associated electrode on the substrate. The via electrically connects the conductors to the associated electrode.

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: A new and improved orifice or nozzle plate for an inkjet printhead and method of manufacture wherein the orifice or nozzle plate thickness has been increased significantly to a value on the order of 75 micrometers or greater while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the convergent contour of the multiple orifice openings formed therein. In a first embodiment of this invention, metal layer stacking through the use of successive electroforming processes is used to achieve a desired orifice plate structure, architecture and convergent orifice geometry. In a second embodiment of this invention, anisotropic electroplating on a metal surface and over the edges of an inorganic dielectric mask is used to produce this orifice plate of increased orifice bore thickness and convergent orifice bore geometry. In yet a third embodiment of the invention, a selected metal is plated upon a permanent insulating mandrel having a metal pattern thereon to form convergent orifice openings in the plated metal.

Abstract: The use of lumped resistive elements (28) in an ink feed channel (10) between an ink-propelling element, such as a resistor, (12) and an ink supply plenum (14) provides a means of achieving resistive decoupling and meniscus resonance control with a minimum of deleterious side effects and design compromises typical of prior art solutions. A secondary constriction (30) in the ink feed channel is defined by a width W.sub.2 sufficient to provide physical support for the resistive elements while avoiding resistance to ink refill. The printhead further comprises lead-in lobes (38) for assisting in purging any bubbles in the ink. The lobes are disposed between the projections and the plenum chamber and separate one pair of projections from a neighboring pair.

Abstract: A plastic orifice plate for an ink jet printhead and manufacturing process therefor which includes electroforming a metal die having raised sections thereon of predefined center-to-center spacings, and using the die to punch out openings in a plastic substrate of a chosen thickness to form a plurality of closely spaced orifice openings in the substrate. The orifice plate can be of a chosen transparent material and secured to a printhead substrate where the dynamics of ink flow can be viewed through the orifice plate during printhead testing and evaluation.