Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of printing using dots of ink discharged from nozzles to form the image. To ensure quality and efficiency of printing, a feed back mechanism from the printhead is used, to provide real time readings on various parameters of the printhead. These readings are compared to a pulse parameter table, to adjust the parameter of the pulse to ensure quality and efficiency of the printing. The temperature of the printhead is sensed to allow the timing of the firing pulses to be adjusted to take into consideration the viscosity of the ink. The amount of voltage available to the pulse actuator can be sensed so that the pulse width can be adjusted to compensate for a flat battery or high voltage source. The resistivity of the actuator heater can be sensed so as to adjust the pulse widths to maintain a constant energy irrespective of the heater resistivity.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus and a method of driving this apparatus control vibrations imparted to a liquid by a discharge waveform (a first signal) that causes liquid drops to be discharged and by a micro vibration waveform (a second signal) that does not cause liquid drops to be discharged and that also imparts a shear rate to the liquid that lowers the viscosity of the liquid.

Abstract: A method for forming an ink-jet image, comprising the steps of: (a) ejecting droplets of an ink through ink-nozzles of an ink-jet head of an ink-jet recording apparatus, the ink-jet recording apparatus being provided with a driving signal generator producing: (i) an expansion pulse which expands a volume of the ink chamber by deforming the actuator contained in the dividing wall of the ink chamber; (ii) a shrinkage pulse which compresses the volume of the ink chamber by deforming the actuator; and (iii) a predetermined quiescent period between the expansion pulse and the shrinkage pulse, the quiescent period being regulated so as to decrease the cross talk among the ink chambers adjacent to each other, (b) hardening the droplets of the ink ejected on the recording media via irradiation of an actinic ray, wherein the ink contains a radical polymerization monomer and a radical initiator.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus has an ink jet head comprised of a substrate having at least a pair of partition walls with deformable side walls spaced apart at a preselected distance to form a channel for receiving ink and communicating with a nozzle opening, a pair of electrodes each connected to respective ones of the side walls of the partition walls, and a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage to the pair of electrodes to deform the side walls of the partition walls to vary the volume of the channel to thereby eject ink from the channel. A data storage device of the ink jet head stores two or more different types of driving information data of the ink jet head including driving condition data. An external circuit is connected to the driving circuit of the ink jet head and has a setting device for reading at least the driving condition data stored in the data storage device and automatically setting driving conditions of the ink jet head.

Abstract: Power is provided from one portion of a printer, such as a printer electronics module, to another portion of the printer, such as a printhead. Logic signals produced in a first electronic module of the printer are transmitted to a second electronics module of the printer. A power signal is derived from the logic signals without interfering with the magnitude or duration of logic signals, and the logic power signal is applied to power the second electronic module without having a separate dedicated power line.

Abstract: A dynamic memory based integrated circuit ink jet firing cell that includes a heater resistor, a drive transistor, and a dynamic memory circuit for storing firing data only for such heater resistor. Also disclosed is an integrated circuit firing array that includes a plurality of dynamic memory based firing cells divided into a plurality of fire groups of firing cells, each fire group having a plurality of subgroups; data lines for providing energizing data to the firing cells; control lines for providing control information to the firing cells wherein all firing cells within a subgroup are connected to a common subset of the control lines so as to be controlled to concurrently store energizing data; and a plurality fire lines for supplying energizing energy to the firing cells, wherein all firing cells of a fire group receive energizing energy from only one fire line.

Abstract: The manner in which power is supplied to the firing elements of an ink jet printhead is improved by moving a power supply capacitor from the printer to the print head cartridge to improve the regulation of the supply of power to the firing elements of the print head cartridge. The capacitor can be attached to the tab circuit with solder or other wire bonding techniques. Placing the capacitor on the print head cartridge reduces the impedance between the capacitor and the print head, allows the capacitor to be matched to the print head cartridge firing requirements, allows remote voltage sensing at the print head, provides better voltage regulation at the print head and reduces the likelihood the printhead electronics will be damaged due to voltage spiking.

Abstract: This invention provides a printing head which can prevent an increase in the number of block enable signal lines, and can prevent changes in printing ink density caused by interference due to the relative pressures of nozzles generated in ink discharge, and an image printing apparatus using the printing head. For this purpose, an increase in the number of input signal lines along with an increase in the number of blocks is prevented using a block clock signal or the like instead of a block enable signal as an input signal to the printing head. Three ring counters generate signals having different nozzle driving orders. These signals are selectively used by a ring counter selection signal. Ink is not always discharged from the nozzles in the same output order. This can prevent changes in ink density caused by pressure interference.

Abstract: A printer comprising an inkjet printhead having an array of nozzles is provided. Each nozzle comprises a chamber for storing ink to be ejected, an aperture defined in a wall of the chamber, a thermal bend actuator for ejecting ink from the chamber through the aperture, a MEMS temperature sensor and drive circuitry for operating the thermal bend actuator. The drive circuitry is operable in two modes: a normal mode wherein drive signals to each actuator ejects ink from the corresponding chamber, and a preheat mode wherein drive signals to each actuator heats ink in the corresponding chamber but does not eject ink from the chamber. The preheat mode is selected by the printer if the MEMS temperature sensors sense that the ink is below a predetermined temperature threshold.

Abstract: A page-wide inkjet print head is formed by assembling individual glass fiber tube sections, which are then sintered together drawn to thin or neck the diameter of the orifices, slicing the glass tube sections and depositing individual semiconductor control circuits in or approximate to the top of the glass tube sections. Ink reservoirs can supply water based ink that flows through the glass tube sections but which is held in place by capillary action. Ink is ejected by heating a semiconductor resistive element deposited into one open end of the tube section so as to cause the ink to be ejected onto a print medium.

Abstract: An ink jet printer includes a printhead control circuit that produces printhead command signals based on data signals provided by the printer. A power circuit actuates ink ejectors in response to the printhead command signals and includes a plurality of compensation circuits. Each ink ejector is associated with a single compensation circuit and each compensation circuit includes a number of switches connected in parallel with each other. Each switch in a single compensation circuit is connected to actuate a single ink ejector when the switch is turned on. The compensation circuits adjust their internal resistance by turning on more or less switches and thereby compensate for changing effective parasitic resistance of the power lines.

Abstract: A programmable memory on an inkjet printhead chip. The memory includes at least a memory array that has a plurality of memory elements, and a bipolar device that isolates a memory element from another memory element in the memory array.

Abstract: A stable operation is realized without any malfunction of a driver even under a voltage condition that a supplied voltage is 3.3 V or lower. For this purpose, in an ink-jet printhead having an ink orifice for discharging ink, a plurality of heat generation elements for generating heat energy used to discharge ink, and an ink channel which incorporates the heat generation elements and communicates with the ink orifice, a driver for driving the heat generation elements, and a logic circuit for controlling the driver are formed on a single board. The gate oxide film thickness of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the driver is larger than that of an enhancement NMOS transistor which forms the logic circuit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus employing a bubble jet (a registered trademark) capable of maintaining at all times conditions of ink at and around a discharge port suitable for discharge without performing a predischarge or the like involving an interruption of a printing operation is provided. The printing apparatus supplies the electrothermal energy converting element with such an electrical energy that generates a bubble to the extent that ink droplets are discharged from the nozzle.

Abstract: A fluid injection head structure. The fluid injection head structure is formed on a substrate and has a manifold therein, bubble generators, a conductive trace, and at least two rows of chambers adjacent to the manifold in flow communication with the manifold. The conductive trace disposed on a top surface of the substrate and partially disposed between the two rows of the chambers above the manifold is used to drive the bubble generator.

Abstract: A dynamic memory based integrated circuit ink jet firing cell that includes a heater resistor, a drive transistor, and a dynamic memory circuit for storing firing data only for such heater resistor. Also disclosed is an integrated circuit firing array that includes a plurality of dynamic memory based firing cells divided into a plurality of fire groups of firing cells, each fire group having a plurality of subgroups; data lines for providing energizing data to the firing cells; control lines for providing control information to the firing cells wherein all firing cells within a subgroup are connected to a common subset of the control lines so as to be controlled to concurrently store energizing data; and a plurality fire lines for supplying energizing energy to the firing cells, wherein all firing cells of a fire group receive energizing energy from only one fire line.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead assembly includes at least one inkjet printhead including N primitives and an address having M possible address values. Each primitive includes a group of at most M drop generators. The address is cycled through all M address values to control a sequence of which one drop generator in the primitive is fired at a given time. One drop generator in the primitive can be fired simultaneously with one drop generator in each of the other primitives. A primitive to address ratio (N/M) of the printhead is at least 10 to 1.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead with thermal bend actuators for ejecting ink from the nozzle apertures and drive circuitry for operating each thermal bend actuator in a normal mode wherein drive signals to the actuator ejects ink from the chamber, or a pre-heat mode wherein drive signals to the actuator heats ink in the chamber but does not eject ink from the chamber. The invention uses the drive signal to the bend actuator to generate heat to raise the temperature of the ink in the chamber, but controls the signal so that the actuator will not respond in a manner that will eject ink. After a brief pre-heat cycle, the drive circuitry can switch to normal operating mode and the bend actuators will eject ink for printing. With the ink temperature and viscosity within normal operating range, the print quality is not compromised.

Abstract: An arrangement for ejecting fluid includes at least one inner driver adapted to independently create a first drive bubble for ejecting a first drop of fluid, and at least one outer driver generally surrounding the inner driver, the inner driver and the outer driver together being adapted to create a second drive bubble for ejecting a second drop of fluid, the second drop of fluid being larger than the first drop of fluid, wherein the inner driver and the outer driver are electrically connected.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of printing using dots of ink discharged from nozzles to form the image. To ensure quality and efficiency of printing, a feed back mechanism from the printhead is used, to provide real time readings on various parameters of the printhead. These readings are compared to a pulse parameter table, to adjust the parameter of the pulse to ensure quality and efficiency of the printing. The temperature of the printhead is sensed to allow the timing of the firing pulses to be adjusted to take into consideration the viscosity of the ink. The amount of voltage available to the pulse actuator can be sensed so that the pulse width can be adjusted to compensate for a flat battery or high voltage source. The resistivity of the actuator heater can be sensed so as to adjust the pulse widths to maintain a constant energy irrespective of the heater resistivity.

Abstract: A present invention provides a liquid ejection head comprising a plurality of ejection openings arranged in the feeding direction of a printing medium and a plurality of ejection energy generating elements for generating energy used for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings disposed in correspondence to the ejection openings, and subjected to the scanning movement along the printing medium transverse to the feeding direction of the printing medium, wherein the ejection openings are divided into a plurality of groups arranged parallel to the scanning movement direction while alternately offset in this direction, so that the ink droplets ejected from ejection openings located at the opposite ends of the arrangement are prevented from deflecting to the center of the arrangement and from generating white streaks when the solid printing is carried out.

Abstract: Methods of operating a thermal actuator, especially for use in a liquid drop emitter for ink jet printing, are disclosed. Methods are disclosed for operating a thermal actuator comprising a base element, a thermo-mechanical element extending from the base element, having a moveable portion residing in a first position and reliably operating at temperatures below a maximum temperature Tmax and including apparatus adapted to apply energy pulses to the thermo-mechanical element to cause a temperature increase therein and movement of the moveable portion to a second position. The methods for operating comprise determining a first energy pulse having a first energy, E1, and a first energy pulse time, t1, for suddenly increasing the temperature of the thermo-mechanical actuator, but not above Tmax.

Abstract: A MOSFET and the method for fabricating them are disclosed to make the inkjet head chips. The MOSFET has the scaled-down junction formation for the source and drain. Using a lower temperature process and interlayer dielectric, the source and drain dopants can not be diffused deeply due to high-temperature driver-in. The contact holes of the drain are provided with plugs of refractory material to avoid spiking between the metal and silicon. This achieves the requirement of high-density devices on the print head chip.

Abstract: The manner in which power is supplied to the firing elements of an ink jet printhead is improved by moving a power supply capacitor from the printer to the print head cartridge to improve the regulation of the supply of power to the firing elements of the print head cartridge. The capacitor can be attached to the tab circuit with solder or other wire bonding techniques. Placing the capacitor on the print head cartridge reduces the impedance between the capacitor and the print head, allows the capacitor to be matched to the print head cartridge firing requirements, allows remote voltage sensing at the print head, provides better voltage regulation at the print head and reduces the likelihood the printhead electronics will be damaged due to voltage spiking.

Abstract: A printhead with drive circuitry for a heating element, wherein at least part of the drive circuitry is positioned proximate to and within 60 microns of the heating element. Moving the drive circuitry within 60 microns of the heating element enhances the nozzle packing on the printhead substrate and improves its energy efficiency.

Abstract: A printhead has a plurality of printing elements and a drive circuit for driving the printing elements aligned in a predetermined direction on an element board. The printhead is provided with a Schmitt trigger having hysteresis properties that give different threshold values to the rising and falling edges of a waveform of a logic signal (HE, LT, CLK, DATA) input into the drive circuit. The Schmitt trigger is provided with means for adjusting the length of the delay at the rising and falling edges of the input waveform signal, so that the speed of data transmission to the printhead can be increased even as the supply voltage is lowered.

Abstract: Droplet deposition apparatus comprises a fluid chamber comprising an actuator actuable by electrical signals to effect ejection of droplets from the fluid chamber, a drive circuit for supplying the electrical signals; and a conduit for supplying droplet fluid to said fluid chamber, the drive circuit being in substantial thermal contact with the conduit so as to transfer a substantial part of the heat generated in the drive circuit to the droplet fluid.

Abstract: This present invention is to provide a driving circuit and method for an inkjet printhead. The driving circuit includes a group of group-driving lines, a group of column-driving lines and a group of row-driving lines. The printhead includes a plurality of driving groups which are driven by driving signals inputted in sequence via the corresponding group-driving lines. Each driving group includes a plurality of actuator and control switches which are driven by driving signals inputted via the corresponding column-driving line and row-driving line. Each control switch is just driven when the corresponding group-driving line, column-driving line and row-driving line input driving signals at the same time. Then, the driven control switch conducts the electric current to the corresponding actuator so as to jet out the ink in the ink chamber.

Abstract: A dynamic memory based integrated circuit ink jet firing cell that includes a heater resistor, a drive transistor, and a dynamic memory circuit for storing firing data only for such heater resistor. Also disclosed is an integrated circuit firing array that includes a plurality of dynamic memory based firing cells divided into a plurality of fire groups of firing cells, each fire group having a plurality of subgroups; data lines for providing energizing data to the firing cells; control lines for providing control information to the firing cells wherein all firing cells within a subgroup are connected to a common subset of the control lines so as to be controlled to concurrently store energizing data; and a plurality fire lines for supplying energizing energy to the firing cells, wherein all firing cells of a fire group receive energizing energy from only one fire line.

Abstract: A method of firing a plurality of jetting heaters in an ink jet printer includes identifying a first of the jetting heaters to be fired. A second of the jetting heaters to be fired immediately after the firing of the first jetting heater is also identified. Power is simultaneously applied to each of the first jetting heater and the second jetting heater.

Abstract: A recording head provided with a plurality of nozzles, a plurality of pressure chambers, each communicated with one nozzle, and a plurality of pressure generating elements, each associated with one pressure chamber and actuated to eject ink from one associated nozzle. An ejection controller specifies a nozzle from which an ink droplet having the least weight is ejected as a reference nozzle. A driving signal generator generates a driving signal applied to the respective pressure generating elements. The drive signal has a driving voltage determined such that an ink droplet ejected from the reference nozzle has a predetermined flight velocity or more.

Abstract: An apparatus for a thermal actuator for a micromechanical device, especially a liquid drop emitter such as an ink jet printhead, is disclosed. The disclosed thermal actuator comprises a base element and a cantilevered element extending from the base element and normally residing at a first position before activation. The cantilevered element includes a first layer constructed of an electrically resistive material, such as titanium aluminide, patterned to have a first resistor segment and a second resistor segment each extending from the base element; a coupling device that conducts electrical current serially between the first and second resistor segments; and a second layer constructed of a dielectric material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion and attached to the first layer.

Abstract: An ink jet recording head and an ink jet recording apparatus which can be manufactured at low cost and with a continuous length by using nonlinear elements having MIM-type electrical characteristics to drive heat generating members having a bubble jet recording system so as to prevent the nonlinear elements from being destroyed by a heat generation of the nonlinear elements.

Abstract: This invention provides an image print apparatus capable of quickly reducing, with a low-cost arrangement, charges accumulated in a capacitor used for reducing variations in printhead voltage, and a control method thereof. After a head power supply VH which supplies power to the printhead is turned off, the print element of the printhead is so driven as not to discharge ink.

Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes plural heat generating members, each linearly communicating with a discharge port, a liquid flow path communicating with each discharge port and having a bubble generating area in which a movable member is provided, a limiting portion opposed to the bubble generating area in the liquid flow path for limiting displacement of the movable member, and a circuit for receiving data of a predetermined number of bits for each heat generating member and generating drive pulses for each heat generating member based on the respective input data. Substantial contact between the displaced movable member and the limiting portion renders a portion of the liquid flow path including the bubble generating area a substantially closed space except for the discharge port. The number of drive pulses generated from the input data is larger than the predetermined number of bits for at least one set of the data.

Abstract: An acoustic inkjet print head having the RF generator and amplifier located at the load location for directly driving the load is disclosed. In so doing the power distribution medium, e.g. transmission line and any power divider device are eliminated. The overall power efficiency can be near to the high efficiency amplifier. In the case of Class-E, greater than 90 percent efficiency can be achieved. Due to the miniaturization of components the high efficiency power supply can be shielded effectively to minimize EME and can be further be integrated to a MCM or IC.

Abstract: The invention is intended to suppress failures of connected portions between electrode pads and bumps. A liquid ejection head comprises a recording device board including an energy generating device disposed thereon to generate energy for ejecting a liquid through an ejection orifice, and an electrode pad which is disposed in a recess formed in the recording device board and is electrically communicated with the energy generating device. The liquid ejection head further comprises an electrode lead for supplying power to the electrode pad externally of the recording device board, a bump for connecting the electrode pad and the electrode lead to establish electrical communication therebetween, and a sealing resin material filled in the recess to surround an electrically connected portion between the electrode pad and the bump without covering the bump.

Abstract: Printhead substrate for inputting a data signal (DATA) in synchronization with a clock signal (CLK). The printhead substrate comprises: input terminals inputting the clock signal and data signal; shift registers inputting and maintaining the data signal in synchronization with the clock signal inputted from the input terminals; and a time lag adjuster arranged between an input terminal and the shift register to adjust a time lag of at least one of the clock signal or data signal. By virtue of adjusting the time lag by the time lag adjuster, setup time and hold time between the clock signal and the data signal inputted to the shift register is ensured.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead which comprises a plurality of nozzles and one or more heater elements 10 corresponding to each nozzle. Each heater element 10 is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle, to effect printing. In each nozzle, the heater element 10 requires less than 8 volts and a current of less than 60 milliamps for less than 1.5 microseconds, in order to form the gas bubble 12 that causes the ejection of the drop of ejectable liquid 11.

Abstract: Within a printer, compensation is provided for color migration within ink drops. Color compensation is provided by varying firing frequency of each print nozzle so as to fire high frequency bursts of ink drops. Each print nozzle is idle, not being used to eject ink drops, between high frequency bursts of ink drops.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprises CPUs provided for corresponding one of a plurality of colors, each of which generates image data of a specified color; memories, each of which stores the image data of the specified color; system ASICs, each of which manages the memories; video output controllers, each outputting the image data supplied from the corresponding system ASICs as a video signal; and image generating sections, each generating an image based on the video signal outputted from the video output controllers.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inkjet printing system that includes an inkjet printhead having a plurality of electrical contacts. The plurality of electrical contacts include address contacts and enable contacts for enabling drop generators and drive current contacts for providing drive current to enable drop generators for selectively ejecting ink therefrom. The printing system includes a printing device having a plurality of electrical contacts including address contacts, enable contacts and drive current contacts. The plurality of electrical contacts are configured to establish electrical contact with corresponding electrical contacts on the inkjet printhead upon insertion of the inkjet printhead into the printing device. The printing device provides periodic address signals and enable signals to the address and enable contacts one the printhead. In addition, the printing device selectively applies drive current to accomplish forming images on print media.

Abstract: The present invention includes as one embodiment an inkjet printing method for decreasing print banding in a thermal inkjet printhead having a plurality of substrates with adjacent overlapping and non-overlapping regions between the substrates, the method comprising synchronizing a difference in time delay between ink ejected from the adjacent overlapping and non-overlapping regions of each substrate to reduce the difference.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet head substrate which can sufficiently suppress generation of noises at the time when heating elements are driven, and which can be constituted small in size. In an ink jet head substrate including a plurality of heating elements, a power transistor for driving the heating elements according to image data, an input pad of a heat pulse (pulse width regulating signal) for regulating a width of a drive pulse to be applied to the heating elements, and a block selection unit for dividing the plurality of heating elements into blocks for a predetermined number of heating elements to drive the heating elements in a time division manner with the divided block as a unit, a delay circuit group consisting of a logic circuit (delay circuit) for supplying a drive pulse, which is applied to the heating elements in a selected block, at staggered timing is provided in a line of a heat pulse.

Abstract: In an inkjet recording head having a plurality of ink ejecting ports and a plurality of energy generating elements respectively positioned in confrontation with the ink ejecting ports for generating energy utilized to eject ink from the ink ejecting ports, the plurality of ink ejecting ports and the plurality of energy generating elements being divided into a plurality of blocks, and the ejecting ports and the energy generating elements being timeshapred driven in a sequence of the blocks in a common driving period, the plurality of energy generating elements are disposed in an approximate sraight line, and the respective ink ejecting ports are off-set with respect to the energy generating elements in a projecting relationship in correspondence to the sequence of the timeshapred drive.

Abstract: A circuit board for an ink-jet recording head which ejects ink includes a plurality of electrothermal transducers for generating thermal energy which is used for ejecting ink; and a plurality of wiring electrodes for supplying electric power to the plurality of electrothermal transducers, the plurality of wiring electrodes each having a thickness of one of at least two values according to the length of each wiring electrode, whereby the resistance of the wiring electrodes are made uniform between each wiring electrode without significantly increasing the width of the wiring electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid ejection method includes a step of preparing a liquid ejection head including an electrothermal transducer element for generating thermal energy contributable to ejection of liquid, an ejection outlet for ejecting the liquid, the ejection outlet being provided at a position opposed to the electrothermal transducer element, and a liquid flow path in fluid communication with the ejection outlet to supply the liquid to the ejection outlet and having the electrothermal transducer element on its bottom side; and a step of applying the thermal energy to the liquid to cause the liquid to undergo a change of state and thus to create a bubble. The liquid is ejected through the ejection outlet by the pressure of the bubble. The bubble is first in communication with ambience during reduction of the volume of the bubble after the bubble reaches a maximum volume.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer in which drive data for a print head is converted into a light signal by a first light-emitting diode provided in a control circuit. The light signal is transmitted, through an optical fiber, to a first photo-diode provided in a receiver circuit. The light signal received by the first photo-diode is converted into an electric signal. Data concerning the status of a print head unit is converted into a light signal by a second light-emitting diode provided in the receiver circuit. The light signal is transmitted from the second light-emitting diode, through the optical fiber, to a second photo-diode provided in the control circuit. The light signal received by the second photo-diode is converted into an electric signal.

Abstract: A clock dividing section receives a system clock and generates and outputs clock signals of two or more types. Selectors select any of the clock signals of two or more types outputted by the clock dividing section and feed it to a printing control block or reading control block. A decision divider monitors operational states of each block and gives control so that a frequency to be supplied to a functional block in an idle state where any operation is not required is lower than that to be supplied to a functional block being in an active state. Power consumption of the whole custom IC can be more reduced compared with a configuration wherein a clock of fixed frequency is constantly supplied to each functional block and a noise can be controlled.

Abstract: A method, and structure formed thereof, for processing an exposed conductive connection between an thermal inkjet head device and a flexible tape circuit connectable to control signals for driving the inkjet device. According to the method of processing, the exposed conductive connection is electrophoretically plated with a polymer to protect it against corrosive damage by coupling the exposed conductive connection to a first voltage potential and immersing it into an electrophoretic polymer solution in contact with an electrode at a second voltage potential thereby establishing a current between the electrode and the exposed connection such that the exposed connection is coated with a thin film of polymer of uniform thickness.