Abstract: A piezoelectric inkjet printhead including a reversible shutter disposed in an ink flow path is disclosed. The inkjet printhead may includes a plurality of ink pressure chambers, a plurality of piezoelectric actuators to provide the plurality of ink pressure chambers with a driving force for ink ejection, an ink manifold to supply the plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of restrictors disposed in the ink flow path between the manifold and the plurality of pressure chambers, a plurality of ink ejecting nozzles coupled to the plurality of pressure chambers, and a plurality of unidirectional shutters. The shutters may be disposed at respective outlets of the plurality of restrictors and may be adapted to open the restrictor when ink is supplied from the restrictor to the pressure chamber and close the restrictor and restrict or prevent the backflow of ink when ink is ejected from the pressure chamber through the nozzle.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead includes a substrate on which an ink chamber to be supplied with ink to be ejected is formed on a front surface of the substrate, a manifold for supplying ink to the ink chamber is formed on a rear surface of the substrate, and an ink passage in communication with the ink chamber and the manifold is formed parallel to the front surface of the substrate, a nozzle plate formed on the front surface of the substrate, a nozzle formed through the nozzle plate through which ink is ejected from the ink chamber, a heater formed on the nozzle plate, and an electrode electrically connected to the heater for applying current to the heater.

Abstract: A monolithic ink-jet printhead includes a substrate having a lower ink chamber formed on an upper surface thereof, a manifold for supplying ink to the lower ink chamber formed on a bottom surface thereof, and an ink channel providing communication therebetween; a nozzle plate having a plurality of passivation layers and a metal layer sequentially stacked on the substrate, the nozzle plate having an upper ink chamber formed therein on a bottom surface of the metal layer, a nozzle in communication with the upper ink chamber formed on an upper surface of the metal layer, and a connection hole providing communication between the upper ink chamber and the lower ink chamber; a heater located between the upper ink chamber and the lower ink chamber for heating ink contained in the lower and upper ink chambers; and a conductor electrically connected to the heater to apply a current to the heater.

Abstract: An inkjet-type DNA arrayer for performing PCR and a method of manufacturing DNA microarrays using the same are provided. The inkjet-type DNA arrayer includes: a substrate having a plurality of flow paths filled with a PCR solution; a plurality of first heaters heating the PCR solution according to the PCR temperature cycle; and a plurality of second heaters heating a product solution generated by the PCR to a predetermined temperature to discharge the product solution to outside.

Abstract: Provided are an inkjet-type spotting apparatus for manufacturing microarrays and a method of spotting using the same. The spotting apparatus includes a plurality of reservoirs which are arranged in rows and filled with a predetermined biomolecule solution; and a plurality of nozzles, each corresponding to one of the reservoirs and through which the biomolecule solution is ejected, wherein a distance between the nozzles in a first direction is larger than a distance between spots in a spot array, and the biomolecule solution is ejected sequentially from the nozzles in each of the rows onto a solid support while the apparatus moves in the first direction to form the spot array.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead includes a substrate on which an ink chamber to be supplied with ink to be ejected is formed on a front surface of the substrate, a manifold for supplying ink to the ink chamber is formed on a rear surface of the substrate, and an ink passage in communication with the ink chamber and the manifold is formed parallel to the front surface of the substrate, a nozzle plate formed on the front surface of the substrate, a nozzle formed through the nozzle plate through which ink is ejected from the ink chamber, a heater formed on the nozzle plate, and an electrode electrically connected to the heater for applying current to the heater.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microarray by non-contact spotting a biomolecular solution onto a surface of a solid support using a thermally driven print head. The thermally driven print head used to manufacture the microarray includes a discharge chamber filled with the biomolecular solution to be spotted and being substantially semispherical.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a temperature of an ink-jet printhead includes a heater driving field effect transistor (FET) connected to a heater, the heater driving FET for applying a heater voltage to the heater according to a waveform input to a gate of the heater driving FET, a current sensor for converting current flowing between a drain and a source of the heater driving FET into a voltage and for outputting the voltage, a comparator for comparing the voltage output from the current sensor with a predetermined reference voltage, a warming control signal generator for generating a warming control signal in a form of a pulse string, and a switching unit for receiving an output signal from the comparator and the warming control signal, and for outputting the warming control signal according to a level of the output signal from the comparator to the gate of the heater driving FET.

Abstract: A bubble-jet type ink-jet printhead and manufacturing method thereof including a substrate integrally having an ink supply manifold, an ink chamber, and an ink channel; a nozzle plate having a nozzle on the substrate; a heater centered around the nozzle and an electrode for applying current to the heater on the nozzle plate; and an adiabatic layer on the heater for preventing heat generated by the heater from being conducted upward from the heater. Alternatively, a bubble-jet type ink-jet printhead may be formed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer having a first substrate, an oxide layer, and a second substrate stacked thereon and include an adiabatic barrier on the second substrate. In the bubble-jet type ink-jet printhead and manufacturing method thereof, the adiabatic layer or the adiabatic barrier is provided to transmit most of the heat generated by the heater to ink under the heater, thereby increasing energy efficiency.

Abstract: A thermally-driven ink-jet printhead includes a substrate having an ink chamber to be filled with ink to be ejected, a manifold for supplying ink, and an ink channel for providing flow communication therebetween. First and second sidewalls are formed to a predetermined depth from an upper surface of the substrate and define the ink chamber to have a substantially rectangular shape. A nozzle plate including a plurality of material layers is formed on the substrate. A nozzle passes through the nozzle plate and is in flow communication with the ink chamber. A heater is disposed between the nozzle and one of the first sidewalls above the ink chamber. A conductor is electrically connected to the heater. The conductor and the heater are disposed within the nozzle plate. A shifting feature moves cavitation points beyond an outer edge of the heater.

Abstract: A method of driving an ink-jet printhead, which heats ink contained in an ink chamber using a heater to generate and expand a bubble within the ink chamber and ejects ink from the ink chamber using an expansive force of the bubble, the method including applying a main pulse to the heater to eject ink and applying a post pulse to the heater after ink has been ejected.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead includes a substrate having an ink chamber and a manifold, a nozzle plate formed on the substrate, first and second heaters and conductors, a material layer, and a plurality of ink channels. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of passivation layers formed of an insulating material, a heat dissipation layer formed on the plurality of passivation layers and made of a thermally conductive material, and a nozzle passing through the nozzle plate and in flow communication with the ink chamber. The first and second heaters and conductors are interposed between adjacent passivation layers of the nozzle plate. The material layer is interposed between the ink chamber and the manifold to form a bottom wall of the ink chamber and a top wall of the manifold. The plurality of ink channels is formed in the material layer to provide flow communication between the ink chamber and the manifold.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead includes a substrate having an ink chamber and a manifold, a nozzle plate formed on the substrate, first and second heaters, first and second conductors, and first and second ink channels. The nozzle plate includes a plurality of passivation layers formed of an insulating material, a heat dissipation layer formed on the passivation layers and made of a thermally conductive material, and a nozzle passing through the nozzle plate and in flow communication with the ink chamber. The first and second heaters and conductors are interposed between adjacent passivation layers of the nozzle plate. The ink channels are interposed between the ink chamber and the manifold, for providing flow communication between the ink chamber and the manifold. The first and second heaters, conductors and ink channels are symmetric with respect to the nozzle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a monolithic ink-jet printhead includes preparing a silicon substrate, forming an ink passage comprising a manifold supplying ink, an ink chamber filled with ink supplied from the manifold, an ink channel connecting the ink chamber to the manifold, and a nozzle through which the ink is ejected from the ink chamber, on the silicon substrate, and reprocessing a wall of the ink passage by passing XeF2 gas through the ink passage and dry etching the wall of the ink passage. In the reprocessing of the wall of the ink passage using XeF2 gas, the wall of the ink passage is smoothed, and a size of the ink passage can be more precisely adjusted to a design dimension, thereby improving a printing performance of the ink-jet printhead.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead using a laser to expel ink includes an ink chamber to be filled with ink and an ink channel to supply the ink chamber with ink, the ink chamber and the ink channel formed in a passageway plate, a cover plate provided on the passageway plate, an ink ejection hole formed through the cover plate at a position corresponding to the ink chamber, a condenser lens provided on a bottom surface of the passageway plate at a position corresponding to the ink chamber, and laser beam irradiating means for irradiating a laser beam through the condenser lens and onto ink contained in the ink chamber, wherein a surface of the ink is vibrated by a pressurized wave generated by the laser beam, and a vibration causes an ink droplet to be expelled through the ink ejection hole from the surface of the ink.

Abstract: In an ink-jet printhead and a method for manufacturing the same, the ink-jet printhead includes a substrate, an ink chamber to be filled with ink to be ejected formed on an upper surface of the substrate, a restrictor, which is a path through which ink is supplied from an ink reservoir to the ink chamber, perforating a bottom surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the ink chamber, a nozzle plate, which is stacked on the upper surface of the substrate and forms an upper wall of the ink chamber, a nozzle perforating the nozzle plate at a position corresponding to a center of the ink chamber, a heater formed in the nozzle plate to surround the nozzle, and a conductor for applying a current to the heater.

Abstract: In a droplet ejector and an ink-jet printhead using the same, the droplet ejector includes a fluid path through which a fluid moves, a nozzle being formed on one end of the fluid path, a volumetric structure formed in the fluid path, the volumetric structure being sensitive to an external stimulus and being capable of varying in size to eject a droplet of the fluid through the nozzle, and a stimulus generator, which applies a stimulus to the volumetric structure to vary a size of the volumetric structure.

Abstract: An ink-jet printhead includes an ink chamber to be filled with ink to be ejected, a manifold, which supplies ink to the ink chamber, an ink channel, which provides communication between the ink chamber and the manifold, a nozzle through which ink is ejected from the ink chamber, first and second heaters, which heat ink in the ink chamber to generate bubbles, and a conductor, which is electrically connected to the first and second heaters and applies a current to the first and second heaters, wherein the first and second heaters are positioned symmetrically around a center of the nozzle, and one of the first and second heaters is positioned adjacent to the ink channel.

Abstract: A micro-pump includes a pumping chamber having a predetermined inner space to be filled with a fluid, at least one fluid entrance and at least one fluid exit, which are connected to the pumping chamber, a heating element provided at one side of the pumping chamber to generate bubbles in the pumping chamber by heating the fluid, and electrodes for applying current to the heating element, wherein the fluid is made to flow into or out of the pumping chamber by expansion and contraction of the bubbles, and wherein a cross-sectional area of at least one of the fluid entrance and the fluid exit varies along a direction in which the fluid flows. The micro-pump has a relatively simple structure, enhanced pumping efficiency and enhanced durability.

Abstract: A monolithic ink-jet printhead, and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein the monolithic ink-jet printhead includes a manifold for supplying ink, an ink chamber having a hemispheric shape, and an ink channel formed monolithically on a substrate; a silicon oxide layer, in which a nozzle for ejecting ink is centrally formed in the ink chamber, is deposited on the substrate; a heater having a ring shape is formed on the silicon oxide layer to surround the nozzle; a MOS integrated circuit is mounted on the substrate to drive the heater and includes a MOSFET and electrodes connected to the heater. The silicon oxide layer, the heater, and the MOS integrated circuit are formed monolithically on the substrate. Additionally, a DLC coating layer having a high hydrophobic property and high durability is formed on an external surface of the printhead.