Protective Patents (Class 347/64)
  • Patent number: 8123330
    Abstract: In an ink jet head using a thermal energy for ejecting ink, this invention aims to reliably and uniformly remove kogations deposited on a heat application portion in contact with the ink. To realize this objective, the upper protective layer is arranged in an area including the heat application portion so that it can be electrically connected to serve as an electrode which causes an electrochemical reaction with the ink. The upper protective layer is formed of a material containing a metal which is dissolved by the electrochemical reaction and which does not form, on heating, an oxide film which hinders the dissolution. With this arrangement, a reliable electrochemical reaction can be produced to dissolve a surface layer of the upper protective layer, thereby removing kogations on the heat application portion reliably and uniformly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Sakai, Ichiro Saito, Teruo Ozaki, Sakai Yokoyama, Takahiro Matsui, Takuya Hatsui, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 8104872
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes: a substrate in which an ink feed hole is formed; a chamber layer which is formed on the substrate by performing a photolithography process and which includes a first photosensitive resin; and a nozzle layer which is formed on the chamber layer by performing a photolithography process and which includes a second photosensitive resin. The first photosensitive resin and the second photosensitive resin are materials which are developed by different developing solutions, respectively. Additional layers and components may be incorporated into the inkjet printhead and may be formed on an upper surface of the substrate. The additional layers and components may include an insulating layer, one or more heaters, one or more electrodes, a passivation layer, a glue layer, and an anti-cavitation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Myong-Jong Kwon, Sung-Joon Park, Jin-Wook Lee
  • Patent number: 8083328
    Abstract: An electrostatic actuator comprises: a fixed electrode formed on a substrate; a movable electrode placed at an position opposing the fixed electrode via a predetermined gap; a driving unit giving the movable electrode a displacement by generating an electrostatic force between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode: and an insulation film made of HfxAlyOz formed on an opposing surface of at least one of the fixed electrode and the movable electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kitahara, Motoki Itoda, Masahiro Fujii, Yoshifumi Hano
  • Patent number: 8079675
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a substrate provided with an energy generating element to generate energy used for discharging ink, a discharge port through which the ink is discharged, a supply port for supplying the ink, and an ink path formed on the substrate for making the discharge port and the supply port communicate with each other, wherein wall members forming the ink path are made of an inorganic material, and a space between adjacent ink paths is filled up by a metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Ozaki, Ichiro Saito, Kenji Ono, Satoshi Ibe, Toshiyasu Sakai, Sakai Yokoyama, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 8070265
    Abstract: A method for forming a floating heater element includes processing a silicon substrate to form a heater stack having the heater element on the substrate with peripheral edge portions, processing the heater stack by depositing and patterning a layer of photoresist or hard mask thereon to substantially mask the heater stack and form a trench through the photoresist or hard mask exposing a surface area of the substrate extending along the peripheral edge portions of the heater element, and processing the masked heater stack and exposed surface area of the substrate by sequentially removing the photoresist and portions of the substrate at the exposed surface area and that underlie the heater element so as to create a well in the substrate undercutting the heater element and open along the peripheral edge portions thereof, the well being capable of filling with a fluid so as to produce the floating heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Zachary Justin Reitmeier, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 8070264
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating micro-fluid ejection heads and micro-fluid ejection heads are provided herein, such as those that use non-conventional substrates. One such micro-fluid ejection head includes a substrate having first and second glass layers disposed adjacent to a surface thereof and a plurality of fluid ejection actuators disposed adjacent to the second glass layer. The first glass layer is thicker than the second glass layer and the second glass layer has a surface roughness of no greater than about 75 ? Ra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wilson Cornell, Michael John Dixon, Curtis Ray Droege, Elios Klemo, Bryan Dale McKinley
  • Patent number: 8048691
    Abstract: Size reduction and high integration of each of the laminated substrates are achieved, while forming an excellent wiring which electrically connects the substrates to each other. A conductive ink, i.e., an ink, containing a conductive material is used, and in a state where a voltage is applied between a print head and a substrate unit, an ink droplet of the conductive ink is discharged from the print head, while relatively shifting the substrate unit and the print head substantially parallel to at least the upper surface of the substrate. Thus, a conductive layer which electrically connects electrodes to each other between the substrates is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuo Nishi
  • Patent number: 8042912
    Abstract: A heater stack includes first strata configured to support and form a fluid heater element responsive to energy from repetitive electrical activation and deactivation to fire repetitive cycles of heating and ejecting fluid from an ejection chamber above the fluid heater element and second strata overlying the first strata and contiguous with the ejection chamber to provide protection of the fluid heater element. The first strata includes a substrate and a heater substrata overlying the substrate and including a resistive layer having lateral portions spaced apart, a central portion extending between the lateral portions and defining the fluid heater element, and transitional portions interconnecting the central portion and lateral portions and elevating the central portion relative to the lateral portions and above the substrate to form a gap between the lateral portions and between the central portion and substrate insulating the substrate from the fluid heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Zachary Justin Reitmeier
  • Patent number: 8012363
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a printhead having a hydrophobic ink ejection face, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a partially-fabricated printhead comprising a plurality of nozzle chambers and a nozzle plate having relatively hydrophilic nozzle surface, the nozzle surface at least partially defining the ink ejection face of the printhead; (b) depositing a hydrophobic polymeric layer onto the nozzle surface; (c) depositing a protective metal film onto at least the polymeric layer; (d) depositing a sacrificial material onto the polymeric layer; (e) patterning the sacrificial material to define a plurality of nozzle opening regions; (f) defining a plurality of nozzle openings through the metal film, the polymeric layer and the nozzle plate; (g) subjecting the printhead to an oxidizing plasma; and (h) removing the protective metal film, thereby providing a printhead having a relatively hydrophobic ink ejection face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Emma Rose Kerr, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7998555
    Abstract: A beam having a base material of silicon monocrystal and at least one projection which is integrally formed so as to be supported at least at one end thereof and which has two surfaces having an orientation plane (111), includes a bottom surface in a plane which is common with a plane of the base material; a groove penetrating from the bottom surface to a top of the projection; and a protecting member having a resistance property against a crystal anisotropic etching liquid and covering an inner wall of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Ushijima, Takeo Yamazaki, Makoto Terui, Kazuhiro Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7997697
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head including a nozzle substrate having nozzle openings, a cavity substrate having discharge chambers that communicate with the nozzle openings and discharge droplets from the nozzle openings, a reservoir substrate having a reservoir concave portion that serves as a reservoir which communicates commonly with the discharge chambers. The reservoir substrate is provided between the nozzle substrate and the cavity substrate and a resin thin film is formed on a whole inner face of the reservoir concave portion and on a bottom face of a second concave portion. The second concave portion is provided in a peripheral of the reservoir concave portion and has a depth which is smaller than the depth of the reservoir concave portion. The resin thin film is cut circularly so as to surround the reservoir concave portion, and a part of the resin thin film serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation. serves as a diaphragm buffering pressure variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuji Arawaka, Kazufumi Oya
  • Patent number: 7980656
    Abstract: On a liquid ejection head substrate, an upper protective layer, as well as coming into contact with a resin layer of a path forming member having an ejection opening, comes into contact with ink in a heat generating portion inside the channel formed. The upper protective layer contains iridium and silicon. The upper protective layer is configured so that, at a surface in contact with the ink and resin layer, Ir100-XSiX attains a 15 at. %?X?30 at. % silicon content rate, and that X approaches zero as a position in the upper protective layer approaches an adhesion layer. As a result, at the interface where the upper protective layer comes into contact with the path forming member, by the silicon attaining the heretofore described content rate, it is possible to improve the adhesion with the path forming member made of resin compared with a case of using iridium alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Sakurai, Ichiro Saito
  • Patent number: 7976132
    Abstract: A nozzle assembly for an inkjet printhead is provided. The nozzle assembly comprises a nozzle chamber having a roof, the roof having a moving portion moveable relative to a static portion and a nozzle opening defined in the roof, such that movement of the moving portion relative to the static portion causes ejection of ink through the nozzle opening. The nozzle assembly also comprises an actuator for moving the moving portion relative to the static portion, and a mechanical seal interconnecting the moving portion and the static portion. The mechanical seal comprises a polymeric material selected from the group comprising: polymerized siloxanes and fluorinated polyolefins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Kia Silverbrook, Emma Rose Kerr, Misty Bagnat, Vincent Patrick Lawlor
  • Patent number: 7950769
    Abstract: In an ink jet head using a thermal energy for ejecting ink, this invention aims to reliably and uniformly remove kogations deposited on a heat application portion in contact with the ink. To realize this objective, the upper protective layer is arranged in an area including the heat application portion so that it can be electrically connected to serve as an electrode which causes an electrochemical reaction with the ink. The upper protective layer is formed of a material containing a metal which is dissolved by the electrochemical reaction and which does not form, on heating, an oxide film which hinders the dissolution. With this arrangement, a reliable electrochemical reaction can be produced to dissolve a surface layer of the upper protective layer, thereby removing kogations on the heat application portion reliably and uniformly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Sakai, Ichiro Saito, Teruo Ozaki, Sakai Yokoyama, Takahiro Matsui, Takuya Hatsui, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7942506
    Abstract: An inkjet printer head includes a substrate, an insulating layer having a groove and disposed on the substrate, a heating member having a concavely curved upper surface and disposed on an upper portion of the groove, an electrode to make contact with the heating member to apply electric current to the heating member, a chamber layer disposed on the heating member, and a nozzle layer having one or more nozzles and disposed on the chamber layer. According to the inkjet printer head, the heating member has a curved structure to increase a length of the heating member, so that resistance of the heating member can be increased. Thus, the heating member can stably operate regardless of current variation applied thereto, and the printing work can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Joon Park, Tae-Jin Kim, Young Hye Park, Dai Geun Kim
  • Patent number: 7926909
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording head includes a substrate which has a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface, and energy-generating elements arranged above the first surface and configured to generate energy used to discharge ink. The recording head also includes discharge ports through which the ink is discharged and arranged to correspond to the energy-generating elements, ink channels communicatively connected to the discharge ports, a supply port which extends from the first surface to the second surface of the substrate and which is communicatively connected to the ink channels, and a film extending over the wall of the supply port. The film further extends on the first surface of the substrate and is covered with a first layer extending from the first surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hayakawa, Masaya Uyama, Makoto Terui
  • Patent number: 7926915
    Abstract: An inkjet nozzle assembly includes a nozzle chamber comprising a floor and a roof. The roof has a nozzle opening defined therein, and a moving portion moveable towards the floor. The assembly further comprises a thermal bend actuator, defining at least part of the moving portion of the roof, for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening. The thermal bend actuator comprises an upper first beam for connection to drive circuitry and a lower second beam mechanically cooperating with the first beam, such that when a current is passed through the first beam, the first beam expands relative to the second beam resulting in bending of the moving portion towards the floor of the nozzle chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7914116
    Abstract: A droplet discharge head includes a nozzle substrate having a nozzle opening for discharging a liquid as a droplet; a flow path substrate having a flow path for the liquid, the flow path communicating with the nozzle opening; and a diaphragm constituting a wall surface of the flow path. The nozzle substrate, the flow path substrate, and the diaphragm are bonded together in layers using an adhesive, and a liquid-resistant film resistant to the liquid is continuously formed on surfaces of the nozzle substrate, the flow path substrate, and the diaphragm, the surfaces being in contact with the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7901052
    Abstract: A thermal bend actuator comprises an active beam for connection to drive circuitry and a passive beam mechanically cooperating with the active beam. When a current is passed through the active beam, the active beam expands relative to the passive beam resulting in bending of the actuator. The passive beam is comprised of first and second layers, and the second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam. The second layer is relatively more thermally insulating than the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Gregory John McAvoy, Misty Bagnat, Vincent Patrick Lawlor, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7891768
    Abstract: A printhead assembly which includes an ink supply arrangement having a profile member defining a semi-open cross-section with peripheral, structured side walls having free, opposing, lengthwise running edges delineating a gap extending along the entire length of the profile member, said profile member defining three internal webs that stand out from a base wall section of the peripheral wall into the interior of said member so as to define together with the side wall sections ink supply channels which are open towards the gap. The assembly also includes a plurality of printhead segment carriers operatively fast with the ink supply arrangement so that the ink supply channels are arranged in fluid communication with a printhead operatively supported on said segments. Also included is a shield plate supported by the profile member, said plate for protecting the printhead during printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King
  • Patent number: 7883185
    Abstract: There is provided an ink cartridge including: a thermal ink-jet head provided with a heat generating portion that generates thermal energy for ejecting ink from an ejection opening, and contains the ink. In the ink cartridge, the heat generating portion has, at its surface in contact with the ink, a protective layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, and a silicon carbide; and the ink contains at least one of a polyvalent carboxylic acid and a salt thereof, and the total content of the polyvalent carboxylic acid and the salt thereof is in the range of from 0.001 mmol/l or more to 0.5 mmol/l or less. The ink cartridge shows a small change in driving pulse and a small change in image to be outputted, and provides sufficient ejection property and sufficient printing durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomioka, Hideki Yamakami
  • Patent number: 7862155
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ink ejection. This board has the heaters formed with high precision to reduce their areas. It has provisions to protect the electrode wires against corrosion and prevent a progress of corrosion. The substrate is deposited with the thin first electrodes made of a corrosion resistant metal. Over the first electrodes the second electrodes made of aluminum are formed. The second electrodes are deposited with a resistor layer. The heater is formed in the gap between the first electrodes. With this construction, the heaters are formed without large dimensional variations among them. Should a defect occur in a protective layer above or near the heaters, a progress of corrosion can effectively be prevented because the material of the resistor layer is more resistant to encroachment than aluminum and the first electrodes are corrosion resistant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shibata, Sakai Yokoyama, Kenji Ono, Teruo Ozaki, Satoshi Ibe, Ichiro Saito, Toshiyasu Sakai
  • Publication number: 20100321447
    Abstract: Heater chips for a micro-fluid ejection device, such as those having a reduced energy requirement and more efficient production process therefor. One such heater chip includes a resistive layer deposited adjacent to a substrate and a protective layer deposited adjacent to the resistive layer. The protective layer can be a tantalum oxide protective layer, which has a high breakdown voltage. An optional cavitation layer of tantalum, which bonds well with the tantalum oxide layer, may be deposited adjacent to the protective layer. Alternatively, for example, the tantalum oxide layer may serve as both the protective layer and the cavitation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Wilson Cornell, Yimin Guan, Burton Lee Joyner, II
  • Patent number: 7841703
    Abstract: A printhead is provided which has a plurality of rows of print nozzles. Each row has first and second drive circuitry for each nozzle respectively positioned at opposite sides of each nozzle with respect to the row. The respective positions of the first and second circuitry of each nozzle of each row are rotated 180 degrees relative to the respective positions of the first and second circuitry of each nozzle in each adjacent row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Mark Jackson Pulver, Michael John Webb, John Robert Sheahan, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7833608
    Abstract: A beam having a base material of silicon monocrystal and at least one projection which is integrally formed so as to be supported at least at one end thereof and which has two surfaces having an orientation plane (111), includes a bottom surface in a plane which is common with a plane of the base material; a groove penetrating from the bottom surface to a top of the projection; and a protecting member having a resistance property against a crystal anisotropic etching liquid and covering an inner wall of the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Ushijima, Takeo Yamazaki, Makoto Terui, Kazuhiro Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 7828419
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head includes a substrate having a plurality of energy-generating elements that generate energy for discharging ink droplets and an ink supply port extending in a direction in which the energy-generating elements are arranged, a plurality of discharge ports that are provided correspondingly to the energy-generating elements, a discharge-port-forming member provided on the substrate and including a plurality of ink passages that include the energy-generating elements and connect the supply port and each of the discharge ports, and a rib provided on a surface of the discharge-port-forming member opposite the supply port and extending in a direction in which the energy-generating elements are arranged. A surface of the rib opposite the supply port has a protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Ikegame, Shuji Koyama
  • Patent number: 7819506
    Abstract: Thermally curable encapsulant compositions, micro-fluid ejection devices, and methods for protecting micro-fluid ejection heads. One such encapsulant composition may include one having from about 50.0 to about 95.0 percent by weight of at least one cross-linkable resin having a flexible backbone; from about 0.1 to about 20.0 percent by weight of at least one thermal curative agent; and from about 0.0 to about 50.0 percent by weight filler, and exhibits a relatively low shear modulus upon curing (e.g., less than about 10.0 MPa at 25° C.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Christopher Graham, Eric Spencer Hall, Gary Anthony Holt, Jr., Richard Leo Hubert, II, Johnny Dale Massie, Sean Terrance Weaver, Jonathan Harold Laurer, Rich Wells
  • Patent number: 7810913
    Abstract: An inkjet recording system includes an inkjet recording head in which a part of wall face of a pressure chamber in which a nozzle is provided is formed of a piezoelectric element. Centerline average roughness Ra of the piezoelectric element is 0.05 to 2 ?m, viscosity of the ink is 2.0 to 10.0 mPa·s, and the following expression (1) is satisfied; r ? ? ? ? ? cos ? ? ? 2 ? ? ? ? 0.07 ( 1 ) wherein r represents centerline average roughness (?m) of surface of piezoelectric element forming wall face of the pressure chamber, ? represents surface tension (mN/m) of ink, ? represents viscosity of ink (mPa·s), and ? represents contact angle (degree) of ink with respect to piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Noriaki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 7784916
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating micro-fluid ejection heads and micro-fluid ejection heads are provided herein, such as those that use non-conventional substrates. One such micro-fluid ejection head includes a substrate having first and second glass layers disposed adjacent to a surface thereof and a plurality of fluid ejection actuators disposed adjacent to the second glass layer. The first glass layer is thicker than the second glass layer and the second glass layer has a surface roughness of no greater than about 75 ? Ra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wilson Cornell, Michael John Dixon, Curtis Ray Droege, Elios Klemo, Bryan Dale McKinley
  • Patent number: 7784918
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection heads and methods for extending the life of micro-fluid ejection heads. One such micro-fluid ejection head includes a substrate having a plurality of thermal ejection actuators. Each of the thermal ejection actuators has a resistive layer and a protective layer thereon. A flow feature member is adjacent the substrate and defines a fluid feed channel, a fluid chamber associated with at least one of the actuators and in flow communication with the fluid feed channel, and a nozzle. The nozzle is offset to a side of the chamber opposite the feed channel. A polymeric layer having a degradation temperature of less than about 400° C. overlaps a portion of the at least one actuator associated with the fluid chamber and positioned less than about five microns from at least an edge of the at least one actuator opposite the fluid feed channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Cornell, James Harold Powers, Shirish Padmakar Mulay, Robert L. Cornell
  • Patent number: 7784917
    Abstract: A method of making a micro-fluid ejection head structure and micro-fluid ejection heads made by the method. The method includes applying a tantalum oxide layer to a surface of a fluid ejection actuator disposed on a device surface of a substrate so that the tantalum oxide layer is the topmost layer of a plurality of layers including a resistive layer, and a protective layer selected from a passivation layer, a cavitation layer, and a combination of a passivation layer and a cavitation layer. The tantalum oxide layer has a thickness (t) that satisfies an equation t=(¼*W/n), wherein W is a wavelength of radiation from a radiation source, and n is a refractive index of the tantalum oxide layer. A photoimageable layer is also applied to the substrate. The photoimageable layer is imaged with the radiation source and then developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Byron Vencent Bell, Christopher Allen Craft, Bryan Thomas Fannin, Burton Lee Joyner, II, Sean Terrence Weaver
  • Patent number: 7780270
    Abstract: A heating structure of an inkjet printhead and an inkjet printhead including the heating structure. The heating structure includes a substrate, a heater formed on the substrate, an electrode formed on the heater, a passivation layer formed to cover the heaters and the electrodes, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) formed in the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Won-tae Lee, You-seop Lee
  • Patent number: 7781343
    Abstract: By forming a protection layer on the back side of a substrate prior to any process sequences, which may deposit material or material residues on the back side, the respective back side uniformity may be significantly enhanced, thereby also increasing process efficiency of subsequent back side critical processes, such as lithography, back end of line processes and the like. In one illustrative embodiment, silicon carbide may be used as a material for forming a respective protection layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Globalfoundries Inc.
    Inventors: Tobias Letz, Holger Schuehrer, Markus Nopper
  • Patent number: 7766455
    Abstract: Micro-fluid ejection head structures, methods of making micro-fluid ejection head structures having improved operability, and methods for improving the durability of micro-fluid ejection head structures are provided. One such micro-fluid ejection head structure includes a micro-fluid ejection head having a substrate and nozzle plate assembly adhesively attached adjacent to a substrate support using a substrate adhesive. The nozzle plate is adhesively attached adjacent to the substrate with a nozzle plate adhesive. A thermally, UV or other cure mechanism encapsulant material is attached adjacent to the ejection head and substrate support. Each of the substrate adhesive, and the encapsulant material, after curing, have a Young's modulus of less than about 2000 MPa, a shear modulus at 25° C. of less than about 15 MPa, and a glass transition temperature of less than about 90° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: David Christopher Graham, Brian Christopher Hart, Gary Anthony Holt, Jr., John William Krawczyk, Sean Terrence Weaver, Mary Claire Smoot
  • Patent number: 7753495
    Abstract: A base member for use in manufacturing an ink jet recording head, which includes a supply port, an ejection outlet, a liquid flow path for directing liquid supplied from the supply port to the ejection outlet, and an ejection pressure generating element, disposed in the liquid flow path, for ejecting the liquid. The supply port is formed as a through-opening in a substrate on which the ejection pressure generation element is provided. The base member includes a recessed portion formed on the side of the substrate provided with the ejection pressure generation element. The recessed portion extends from an edge of the supply port to a neighborhood of the ejection pressure generation element. A protection layer is provided at least on a portion of the substrate surface constituting the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hayakawa, Makoto Terui
  • Publication number: 20100165056
    Abstract: A method for forming a floating heater element includes processing a silicon substrate to form a heater stack having the heater element on the substrate with peripheral edge portions, processing the heater stack by depositing and patterning a layer of photoresist or hard mask thereon to substantially mask the heater stack and form a trench through the photoresist or hard mask exposing a surface area of the substrate extending along the peripheral edge portions of the heater element, and processing the masked heater stack and exposed surface area of the substrate by sequentially removing the photoresist and portions of the substrate at the exposed surface area and that underlie the heater element so as to create a well in the substrate undercutting the heater element and open along the peripheral edge portions thereof, the well being capable of filling with a fluid so as to produce the floating heater element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Yimin Guan, Zachary Justin Reitmeier, Carl Edmond Sullivan
  • Patent number: 7731338
    Abstract: A heat transfer type ink-jet print head and a method of fabricating the same. A method of fabricating an ink-jet print head includes sequentially laminating a heat generation layer and an electrode layer on a substrate, laminating a protective layer on the top surfaces of the electrode layer and the heat generation layer by sequentially laminating a first protective layer and a second protective layer on the top surfaces of the electrode layer and the heat generation layer, and laminating an ink chamber barrier and a nozzle plate on the top surface of the protective layer to form an ink chamber to prevent defects such as “pin-holes” from being generated during the formation of the first protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jae-sik Min, Young-ung Ha
  • Patent number: 7712875
    Abstract: For providing a base for a liquid discharge head having an internal surface of a liquid flow path and a discharge port, suppressed in swelling by liquid and having high precision and high reliability, the base including a base member, an energy generating element for discharging a liquid, formed on the base member, and a resin structure having a liquid discharge port for discharging the liquid and disposed on the base member so as to cover the energy generating element, is provided with a protective layer. The protective layer is formed by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition on a surface of the resin structure in which the liquid discharge port is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shibata, Takahiro Matsui, Ichiro Saito, Takuya Hatsui, Sakai Yokoyama, Teruo Ozaki
  • Patent number: 7699441
    Abstract: A liquid drop ejector includes a substrate and a liquid chamber for receiving a liquid. The liquid chamber is positioned over the substrate and includes a nozzle plate, a chamber wall and a liner layer. The nozzle plate and the chamber wall include an organic material. The liner layer includes an inorganic material. The liner layer is located on the nozzle plate and the chamber wall such that the inorganic material is contactable with the liquid when the liquid is present in the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: John A. Lebens
  • Publication number: 20100079551
    Abstract: The invention provides a substrate for a liquid discharge head having a heat generating resistor layer, wiring electrically in contact with the heat generating resistor layer, an insulating protection layer that covers the heat generating resistor layer and the wiring, and a liquid passage that are formed in order on an insulating layer formed on a base plate. The insulating protection layer being a layer formed by radical shower CVD.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ichiro Saito, Kazuaki Shibata, Takahiro Matsui, Sakai Yokoyama, Teruo Ozaki
  • Patent number: 7681993
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ejecting ink as they are energized. This circuit board is so constructed as to reduce wire resistances for the heaters while at the same time preventing an increase in the size of the board and realizing a high-density integration of the heaters required for high resolution printing. This construction is made possible by forming electrode wires of first and second electrode wire layers to reduce an area that the wire patterns for the heater occupy on the circuit board. In reducing the effective thickness of protective insulation layer formed on the heater to prevent a possible degradation of thermal efficiency, one of the protective insulation layers over the electrode wires is removed from the heater, depending on the thickness of the electrode wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Ono, Teruo Ozaki, Toshiyasu Sakai, Ichiro Saito, Satoshi Ibe, Sakai Yokoyama, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7665827
    Abstract: A liquid discharge recording head which discharges a liquid includes a substrate on which liquid-discharge-energy-generating elements are provided and which constitutes a part of a flow path for supplying the liquid; and a covering resin layer which is provided on the substrate, which constitutes a part of the flow path, and which includes orifices for discharging the liquid, wherein the covering resin layer is composed of an oxetane resin composition containing an oxetane compound having at least one oxetanyl group in its molecule and a photocationic polymerization initiator as essential components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Igarashi, Shogo Ono, Manabu Tomita, Minoru Kohno
  • Patent number: 7658468
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head is formed by laminating a nozzle plate, ink pool plates, a through plate, an ink supply path plate, a pressure chamber plate and a vibrating plate in order. These members of the head are bonded to each other with an adhesive. An inner wall of an ink channel is covered with a channel film for continuously covering the entire inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kumiko Tanaka, Michiaki Murata
  • Patent number: 7641316
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ink ejection as they are energized. This circuit board reduces areas of the heaters to achieve higher printing resolution and image quality. This board also prevents a degradation of thermal energy efficiency and reduces power consumption. The protective insulation layer for the electrode wire layer is formed of two layers and one of the two layers is removed from above the heater to improve the heat energy efficiency. The resistor layer is deposited over the electrode wire layer. The patterning for removing the protective insulation layer is done in a wider range than a gap of the electrode wire layer, the gap being used to form the heater. Further, by forming the electrode wires in two layers, a possible reduction in an effective bubble generation area of the heater can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyasu Sakai, Teruo Ozaki, Kenji Ono, Ichiro Saito, Sakai Yokoyama, Satoshi Ibe, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7625072
    Abstract: In order to dissipate to a high degree of efficiency the heat of a liquid discharge substrate of an ink jet recording head and effectively suppress increases in the substrate temperature, in an ink jet recording head in which a liquid discharge substrate is mounted on a supporting member through a foil-shaped heat dissipation member, the area of the heat dissipation member is greater than the projected area of the liquid discharge substrate with respect to the supporting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Riichi Saito, Yasutomo Watanabe, Toshiaki Hirosawa, Shuzo Iwanaga, Akira Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7581824
    Abstract: To provide an electrostatic actuator that generates high pressure under a given voltage and includes an insulating film exhibiting excellent insulation resistance, a droplet discharge head that includes the electrostatic actuator and a method for manufacturing the droplet discharge head, a droplet discharge apparatus that includes the droplet discharge head and has excellent printing performance, and a device that includes the electrostatic actuator and has excellent driving performance. A diaphragm 12, a counter electrode 17 opposite to the diaphragm 12 with a gap interposed therebetween, and an insulating film 16 on a surface of the diaphragm 12 opposite to the counter electrode 17 are included. The insulating film 16 includes at least a dielectric film 16a formed of a substance having a higher relative dielectric constant than silicon oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Fujii, Katsuji Arakawa
  • Patent number: 7566116
    Abstract: In an ink jet head circuit board including a heater for generating thermal energy used for ejecting ink in response to application of electricity, a drop in thermal energy efficiency is prevented while reducing an area of the heater to achieve higher-resolution and higher-image-quality printing, and damages on the heater attributable to a manufacturing process are avoided. To achieve this, a resistor layer is disposed on an electrode wire layer; and two protective layers are disposed thereon. Then the upper protective layer is removed in a site above the heater. Accordingly, it is possible to dispose the protective layers without causing a decrease in an effective bubble generating region, and to improve thermal energy efficiency by reducing the effective thickness of the protective layer above the heater. Moreover, the resistor layer is covered with the first protective layer and is thereby prevented from adverse effects in the manufacturing process such as etching processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Saito, Toshiyasu Sakai, Teruo Ozaki, Sakai Yokoyama, Kenji Ono, Satoshi Ibe, Kazuaki Shibata
  • Patent number: 7559631
    Abstract: A liquid-jet head and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The liquid-jet head includes a channel substrate which has pressure generation chambers formed therein and communicating nozzle orifices for discharging liquid droplets, and piezoelectric elements. The piezoelectric element includes a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer and an upper electrode, and disposed on one surface of the channel substrate via a vibration plate, wherein at least pattern regions of the respective layers which constitute the piezoelectric element are covered with an insulating film formed of an inorganic insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masato Shimada, Shiro Yazaki, Tsutomu Nishiwaki, Akihito Tsuda, Masataka Yamada
  • Patent number: 7543915
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fluid ejection device includes providing a sacrificial structure substantially overlying a semiconductor substrate. The structure has a shape configured to define an ink chamber, ink manifold, and a nozzle. The method also includes providing a first metal adjacent the sacrificial structure and substantially overlying the substrate and removing the sacrificial structure to form the ink chamber and the nozzle. The method further includes removing a portion of the first and second sacrificial materials to form the sacrificial structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mohammed S. Shaarawi, Benjamin L. Clark
  • Patent number: 7533971
    Abstract: A head of an inkjet printer is formed by bonding of a heater substrate and a nozzle plate. In order to bond the heater substrate where a heater thin film and a protecting film are vapor-deposited, and the nozzle plate where a nozzle is formed, an intermediate layer is formed by forming a thin film of glass on the heater substrate by vapor-depositing, and the nozzle plate is installed on the heater substrate. SiO2 is formed at an interface between the nozzle plate and the heater thin film due to heating and application of an electric field, and thus the nozzle plate and the heater substrate are bonded with an electrostatic force of SiO2. The nozzle plate and the heater substrate are bonded by using the intermediate layer made of the thin film of glass instead of a general polymer as the bonding layer, thereby preventing swelling of the polymer and isolation of layers of the head occurring due to ink penetration into interfaces of the layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-joon Park, Seo-hyun Cho, Sang-chul Koh, Jae-sik Min, Tae-kyun Kim, Myung-song Jung