Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Zamtec Limited

Other

Gregory John McAvoy

Kia Silverbrook

Angus John North

Emma Rose Kerr

Vincent Patrick Lawlor

Misty Bagnat

Samuel George Mallinson

Mehdi Azimi

Rónán Pádraig Seán O'Reilly

David McLeod Johnstone

Jennifer Mia Fishburn

Paul Justin Reichl

Simon Robert Walmsley

Matthew Taylor Worsman

Darrell LaRue McReynolds

An inkjet printhead has a plurality of nozzles; a bubble forming chamber corresponding to each of the nozzles; and a heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers. The heater element is configured for heating an ejectable liquid above its boiling point to form a gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop from the nozzle. The heater element is comprised of titanium aluminum nitride.

Inkjet printhead having titanium aluminium nitride heater elements

A fluid sensor for detecting fluid in a chamber, has a MEMS sensing element of conductive material with a resistance that is a function of temperature, and electrical contacts for connection to an electrical power source for heating the sensing element with an electrical signal, so that control circuitry can measure the current passing through the sensing element during heating of the sensing element; and determine the temperature of the sensing element from the known applied voltage, the measured current and the known relationship between the current, resistance and temperature. As the temperature of the element will be greater if it is in the presence of gas rather than liquid, the sensor determines if there is liquid or gas in the chamber. This is particularly useful to detect if the chambers of an inkjet printhead are primed with ink.

MEMS fluid sensor

An inkjet nozzle assembly has a chamber with a nozzle opening for ejecting a liquid, a heater element disposed in the chamber, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the heater element and a wall of the chamber. The dielectric layer has a thermal product of less than 1495 JmKs. The thermal product is defined as (&#x3c1;Ck), where &#x3c1; is the density of the layer, C is specific heat of the layer and k is thermal conductivity of the layer.

Inkjet nozzle assembly having heater element bonded to chamber wall via dielectric layer

Provided is an inkjet printhead integrated circuit that has a wafer substrate that has an ink passage, and a nozzle plate supported on the substrate by side walls to define an ink chamber supplied with ink via the ink passage. The nozzle plate has an ink ejection port corresponding to the ink chamber. A heater element is bonded to the nozzle plate inside the chamber for vaporising ink to generate a vapor bubble that ejects ink through the ejection port. The heater element is bonded to the nozzle plate with a low thermal product layer. The thermal product thermal product is less than 1495 JmKs, the thermal product being (&#x3c1;Ck), where &#x3c1; is the density of the layer, C is specific heat of the layer and k is thermal conductivity of the layer.

Inkjet printhead intergrated configured to minimize thermal losses

A method of fabricating an inkjet printhead assembly having backside electrical connections. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing printhead integrated circuits, each having a backside recessed edge portion and connectors extending through the integrated circuit, each connector having a head connected to frontside drive circuitry and a base in the recessed edge portion; (b) positioning a connection end of a connector film in the recessed edge portion; (c) connecting each film contact to the base of a corresponding connector; and (d) attaching the backside of each printhead integrated circuit together with the connector film to an ink supply manifold so as to provide the inkjet printhead assembly having backside electrical connections.

Method of fabricating inkjet printhead assembly having backside electrical connections

A printhead integrated circuit has a frontside comprising drive circuitry and inkjet nozzle assemblies, a backside for attachment to an ink supply manifold and ink supply channels providing fluid communication between the backside and the inkjet nozzle assemblies. The backside has a recessed portion for accommodating part of a connector film, which supplies power to the drive circuitry.

Printhead integrated circuit configured for backside electrical connection

A printhead integrated circuit comprising a silicon substrate defining a frontside and a backside, inkjet nozzle assemblies positioned at the frontside, drive circuitry for supplying power to the inkjet nozzle assemblies and through-silicon connectors extending from the frontside towards the backside. The through-silicon connectors provides electrical connections between the drive circuitry and corresponding integrated circuit contacts. The integrated circuit contacts are positioned for connection to a backside-mounted connector film supplying power to the drive circuitry.

Printhead integrated comprising through-silicon connectors

A printhead integrated circuit includes: a substrate comprising drive circuitry; a ceramic nozzle plate spaced apart from the substrate, the nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzle openings and a plurality of moveable portions defined therein; an active beam disposed on each moveable portion of the nozzle plate, such that each moveable portion is moveable towards the substrate when a current from the drive circuitry is passed through a respective active beam; and a polymer layer coating the nozzle plate and the active beams, wherein the polymer layer is comprised of a polymerized siloxane.

Printhead integrated circuit having exposed active beam coated with polymer layer

An inkjet printhead has nozzles and respective heater elements. A print engine controller actuates the heater elements to eject ink through the corresponding nozzle. During use, the print engine controller actuates each of the heater elements at least once every decap time. The decap time is a predetermined time period in which the viscosity of the ejectable liquid at the nozzle increases to a threshold, at which ejection fails and the nozzle clogs.

Printhead with individual nozzle firing frequency at least once per decap time

An inkjet printhead assembly comprising an ink supply manifold; printhead integrated circuits and a connector film for supplying power to drive circuitry in the printhead integrated circuits. Each printhead integrated circuit has a frontside comprising the drive circuitry and inkjet nozzle assemblies, a backside attached to the ink supply manifold, and ink supply channels providing fluid communication between the backside and the inkjet nozzle assemblies. A connection end of the connector film is sandwiched between part of the ink supply manifold and the printhead integrated circuits.

Inkjet printhead assembly having backside electrical connection

A method of actuating a thermal bend actuator having an active beam fused to a passive beam. The method comprises passing an electrical current through the active beam so as to cause thermoelastic expansion of the active beam relative to the passive beam and bending of the actuator. The current is delivered in an actuation pulse having a pulse width of less than 0.2 microseconds.

Short pulsewidth actuation of thermal bend actuator

A method of fabricating a printhead integrated circuit configured for backside electrical connections. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a wafer comprising a plurality of partially-fabricated nozzle assemblies on a frontside of the wafer and through-silicon connectors extending from the frontside towards a backside of the wafer; (b) depositing a conductive layer on the frontside of said wafer and etching to form an actuator for each nozzle assembly and a frontside contact pad over a head of each through-silicon connector; (c) performing further MEMS processing steps to complete formation of nozzle assemblies ink supply channels through-silicon connectors; and (d) dividing the wafer into individual printhead integrated circuits. Each printhead integrated circuit thus formed is configured for backside-connection to the drive circuitry via the through-silicon connectors the contact pads.

Method of fabricating printhead integrated circuit with backside electrical connections

A microfluidic diaphragm valve. The valve comprises: an inlet port; an outlet port; a weir positioned between the inlet and outlet ports, the weir having a sealing surface; a diaphragm membrane for sealing engagement with the sealing surface; and a thermal bend actuator for moving the diaphragm membrane between a closed position in which the membrane is sealingly engaged with the sealing surface and an open position in which the membrane is disengaged from said sealing surface.

Mechanically-actuated microfluidic diaphragm valve

An ink jet printhead includes a plurality of nozzles each having a nozzle aperture; a plurality of bubble forming chambers, each corresponding respectively to one of the plurality of nozzles; an inlet for communicating printing fluid between the nozzle aperture and a printing fluid supply, the inlet and the nozzle aperture being aligned along a common central axis; and a heater element disposed in each of the bubble forming chambers. Each heater element has two bubble nucleation regions suspended within the bubble forming chamber in a plane parallel to that of the nozzle aperture. The two bubble nucleation regions are laterally offset from the central axis, such that the lateral offset of one of the bubble nucleation regions is equal and opposite to the lateral offset of the other bubble nucleation region. The bubble nucleation regions are spaced from each other such that bubbles nucleated at each will grow until they unite to form the gas bubble that causes the ejection of a drop of ejectable liquid.

Thermal ink jet printhead

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 comprises a first layer comprised of silicon nitride and a second layer comprised of silicon dioxide. The second layer is sandwiched between the first layer and the active beam to provide thermal insulation for the first layer.

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Balmain, Australia

Gregory John McAvoy