Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided with discharge ports for discharging liquid, liquid flow paths communicated with the discharge ports for supplying liquid to the discharge ports, a substrate having heat generating members for creating bubbles in the liquid, and movable members facing the heat generating members and being arranged in the liquid flow paths. The movable members have a free end on the discharge port side with a specific gap with respect to the heat generating members. The movable member is fixed to the substrate above the heat generating member on the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate for a recording head includes a circuit through which current flows upon impression of a source voltage, irrespective of the operating state of an energy converting element, and a current cutoff means for cutting off current to the circuit in response to an entered control signal. A reset signal for achieving a standby state of the printing operation serves as the control signal. The current cutoff circuit is operated when the reset signal is active in an H state, and it cuts off the constant current. By cutting off the constant current, the leak current of a heater power source VH may be accurately measured, permitting determination of whether the source voltage wiring is properly insulated from other circuit elements of the substrate. The constant current may also be cut off in the standby state, in which printing is not performed, so as to reduce power consumption.

Abstract: A substrate for use of an ink jet recording head is provided with a plurality of heat generating members for generating thermal energy to be utilized for discharging ink. The heat generating members are structured by thin film formed by material represented by Tax Siy Rz, which has specific resistance value of 4000 &mgr;&OHgr;·cm or less, where R is one or more kinds of elements selected from among C, O, N, and x+y+z=100. With the structure thus arranged, the heat generating members make it possible to maintain the change of resistance values within a small amount even when used continuously for a long time, and provide recorded images in high quality with long life and reliability.

Abstract: In an liquid discharging head used in an ink-jet recording apparatus, in order to prevent damage of a face surface of orifices and degradation of a blade and maintain orifices in an excellent state preventing adherence of contamination to the face surface for a long time, the face surface is coated with a material having an ultrahigh water-repellent property.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a plurality of recording elements arranged in an array on a substrate, the recording elements having electric resistances with a variance not less than 4% from a resistance value of at least one of the recording elements, wherein the recording elements generate ink ejection energy to effect printing; a plurality of measuring elements, disposed adjacent at least each of the opposite ends of the array of the recording elements, for detesting characteristic values of the recording elements; and a storing section for storing an average, a median or a reference value corresponding thereto.

Abstract: A method of preserving a recording head which includes an ink flow path by which the ink is supplied and a discharge port in communication with the ink flow path to discharge the ink supplied into the ink flow path; is connected to an ink tank in the recording apparatus in such a way to be removably attached to or detached from the ink tank, to allow the ink to be discharged from the discharge port; and uses a reactive ink as the recording ink containing a colorant and reactive component reactive with another ink, comprises a step of examining discharging conditions of the recording head using an ink for examination of a composition free of the reactive component, which is supplied into the ink flow path, and a step of step of preserving the recording head for preservation by replacing the ink for examination remaining in the ink flow path in the recording head by an ink for preservation containing neither the colorant nor reactive component, after the step of examining discharging conditions is over.

Abstract: A base member for an ink jet head, the base member comprising a substrate, a heat generating resistor provided between electrodes which constitute a pair on the substrate an upper protection layer provided on an insulation layer which in turn is provided on the heat generating resistor, the upper protection layer having a contact surface contactable to ink, the improvement residing in that the upper protection layer is made of amorphous alloy having a following composition formula: Ta&agr;Fe&bgr;Ni&ggr;Cr&dgr;  where 10 atomic %≦&agr;≦30 atomic %, &agr;+&bgr;<80 atomic % &agr;<&bgr;, &dgr;>&ggr; and, &agr;+&bgr;+&ggr;+&dgr;=100 atomic %, and, at least the contact surface of the upper protection layer contains an oxide of a constituent component.

Abstract: To provide an ink-jet head substrate enabling both highly koge. characteristic ink and corrosive ink to be used, an ink-jet head using the same basis and an ink-jet recording apparatus equipped with the same head. The ink-jet head substrate includes: heat generating resistors forming heat generating sections on a base; electrode wires electrically connected to the heat generating resistors; and anti-cavitation films installed via an insulator protective layer on the heat generating resistors and the electrode wires, in which the anti-cavitation film is formed of materials varying with individual given areas on the base.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head with a heat-generating resistance layer for generating thermal energy used for ink discharge, and a wiring electrode layer electrically connected to the heat-generating resistance layer to form an electro-thermal converting element, an insulating protective layer covering the electro-thermal converting element, and an external electrical connection portion electrically connected to the electro-thermal converting element and configured to connect to an external wiring for applying a voltage to the electro-thermal converting element. Further, the external electrical connection portion is formed by a layer grown by electroless plating from the wiring electrode layer through a through hole formed in the insulating protective layer. The external electrical connection portion projects beyond the insulating protective layer and has a flat surface at the most extended projection of the external electrical connection portion.

Abstract: A recording unit is provided which includes an ink housing part for housing an ink containing a coloring material and an aqueous medium, and an ink jet head part for discharging an ink droplet of the ink, wherein at least one color of the ink is a polyvalent metal salt containing ink further containing a polyvalent metal salt; the ink jet head part for discharging at least the polyvalent metal salt containing ink has a configuration comprised of a substrate having on a base body, a heat-generating resistor member forming a heat-generating part, an electrode wire electrically connected to the heat-generating resistor member, and a cavitation resistant film provided on the heat-generating resistor member and the electrode wire via an insulating protection layer, and a liquid flow path communicating with a discharge port for discharging an ink droplet provided corresponding to the heat-generating part; and the cavitation resistant film includes a layer comprised of an amorphous alloy containing Ta and a layer co

Abstract: A substrate for use in an ink jet recording head includes a plurality of heat generating resistive members formed on the substrate, a wiring pattern formed to be electrically connected with the heat generating resistive members, and a protection film formed on the heat generating resistive members and the wiring pattern to protect them from ink, and then, a vertically turn-up wiring structure is formed with an insulation film formed on the substrate, and one side of the wiring connected with the heat generating resistive members is arranged immediately below the heat generating resistive members in a width and a length larger than that of heat generating resistive members with the insulation film between them. For this substrate, the heat generating resistive members and the wiring positioned immediately below them are formed by polysilicon having impurities in different densities.

Abstract: A base member for an ink jet head, the base member comprising a substrate, a heat generating resistor provided between electrodes which constitute a pair on the substrate an upper protection layer provided on an insulation layer which in turn is provided on the heat generating resistor, the upper protection layer having a contact surface contactable to ink, the improvement residing in that

Abstract: A substrate for use of an ink jet recording head is provided with a plurality of heat generating members for generating thermal energy to be utilized for discharging ink. The heat generating members are structured by thin film formed by material represented by Tax Siy Rz, which has specific resistance value of 4000 &mgr;&OHgr;·cm or less, where R is one or more kinds of elements selected from among C, O, N, and x+y+z=100. With the structure thus arranged, the heat generating members make it possible to maintain the change of resistance values within a small amount even when used continuously for a long time, and provide recorded images in high quality with long life and reliability.

Abstract: A base plate for use of a recording head, which is used for an ink jet head for printing by discharging ink to a recording medium, being provided with energy converting element for discharging ink by generating a bubble in ink with the conversion of electric energy to thermal energy, and an anti-cavitation film to protect the energy converting element from shocks generated at the time of bubble growth and extinction, said anti-cavitation film being used as electrodes for detecting the state of ink by energizing the ink, comprises a first diode having the anode thereof connected to the anti-cavitation film and the cathode thereof connected to the ground potential, and a second diode having the cathode thereof connected to the anti-cavitation film and the anode thereof connected to the power supply potential. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to reduce the possibility that the circuit element formed on a semiconductor substrate is destroyed by electrostatic discharge.

Abstract: The current cutoff circuit is operated when the reset signal for achieving a standby state of the printing operation is active in H state, and cuts off constant current I0. Constant current is therefore cut off, thereby permitting accurate measurement of leak current of the heater power source VH by issuing a reset signal in H state when measuring leak current of the heater power source VH. In the standby state in which the printing operation is not performed, the reset signal becomes active, and operation of the current cutoff circuit cuts off constant current. The power consumption can therefore be reduced. Because the reset signal serves as a control signal for controlling the current cutoff circuit, it is not necessary to increase the number of terminals for connecting the element substrate and the wiring substrate.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head provided with a pair of substrates mutually adjoined in a laminar state, plural liquid flow paths formed on the adjoined surface of said substrates, plural drive elements respectively formed in a predetermined position of said liquid flow paths, and orifices communicating with ends of said liquid flow paths in which liquid discharged from said orifice by the action of said drive element, wherein a face constituting an external surface of a member forming said orifices is coated with a material with superhydrophilicity.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head, a liquid discharging apparatus having such a liquid discharge head, and a method for manufacturing such a liquid discharge head. The liquid discharge head is provided with a top plate including a plurality of ink discharge ports for discharging ink droplet, a plurality of first liquid passages for supplying ink in correspondence to the plurality of ink discharge ports and a common liquid chamber for supplying the ink to the first liquid passages, a liquid discharge head substrate obtained by forming second liquid passages arranged adjacent to the first liquid passages and including bubble generating areas on a substrate on which a plurality of heat generating elements for causing the ink discharge port to discharge the ink droplets and including drivers for driving the heat generating elements, and a movable diaphragm for completely isolating the first liquid passages and the second liquid passages from each other and displaceable by a bubble generated on the heat generating element.

Abstract: A substrate for use of an ink jet recording head comprises a plurality of heat generating resistive members formed on the substrate, a wiring pattern formed to be electrically connected with the heat generating resistive members, and a protection film formed on the heat generating resistive members and the wiring pattern to protect them from ink, and then, a vertically turn-up wiring structure is formed with an insulation film formed on the substrate, and one side of wiring connected with the heat generating resistive members is arranged immediately below the heat generating resistive members in a width and a length larger than those of heat generating resistive members with the insulation film between them. For this substrate, the heat generating resistive members and the wiring positioned immediately below them are formed by polysilicon having impurities in different densities.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet head substrate comprising a heat generating resistance member forming a heat generating portion, an electrode wiring electrically connected to the heat generating resistance member, and an anti-cavitation film provided on the heat generating resistance member and the electrode wiring via an insulation protection layer, and wherein the anti-cavitation film is formed from different materials with more than two layers.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head in which a heating resistor forming a heating portion, a wiring electrically connected to the heating resistor, and a protective film formed on the heating resistor and the wiring to protect the heating resistor and the wiring are arranged on a substrate for the ink jet recording head. An ink path in communication with a discharging port for discharging ink is also formed on the substrate for the ink jet recording head.