Zamtec Limited

Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd

Memjet Technology Limited

3c Project Management Limited

Other

Zamitec Ltd

Gregory John McAvoy

Kia Silverbrook

Rónán Pádraig Seán O'Reilly

Emma Rose Kerr

Vincent Patrick Lawlor

Misty Bagnat

Angus John North

Ronan O'Reilly

Samuel George Mallinson

Mehdi Azimi

David McLeod Johnstone

Julie Catherine Hogan

Simon Robert Walmsley

Simon Fielder

Paul Justin Reichl

Matthew Taylor Worsman

Lewis Matich

Brian Kevin Donohoe

Eimear Ryan

Richard Coull

The present disclosure provides a printhead assembly comprising: a plurality of printhead modules (), including a first printhead module, a second printhead module and a third printhead module. Each of the plurality of printhead modules () comprises: a plurality of printhead nozzles () each provided with an actuator () for selectively ejecting print agent therefrom; at least one print agent manifold () providing a fluid communication pathway between at least one print agent inlet and the plurality of printhead nozzles (); and control circuitry () to control the actuators () of the printhead module () to eject print agent from the printhead nozzles (). The first printhead module is mounted to the third printhead module via the second printhead module.

Printhead assembly

A droplet ejector for a printhead comprises: a substrate having a mounting surface and an opposite nozzle surface; a nozzle-forming layer formed on at least a portion of the nozzle surface of the substrate; a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the substrate and at least in part by the nozzle-forming layer, the fluid chamber having a fluid chamber outlet defined at least in part by a nozzle portion of the said nozzle-forming layer, the said nozzle portion comprising an inner portion located closer to the fluid chamber outlet and an outer portion located closer to a periphery of the nozzle portion; and either or both of an inner actuator arrangement formed on the inner portion of the nozzle portion of the nozzle-forming layer and an outer actuator arrangement formed on the outer portion of the nozzle portion of the nozzle-forming layer.

Droplet ejector

A droplet ejector for a printhead comprises: a substrate having a mounting surface and an opposite nozzle surface; at least one electronic component integrated with the substrate; a nozzle-forming layer formed on at least a portion of the nozzle surface of the substrate; a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the substrate and at least in part by the nozzle-forming layer, the fluid chamber having a fluid chamber outlet defined at least in part by a nozzle portion of the said nozzle-forming layer; a piezoelectric actuator formed on at least a portion of the nozzle portion of the nozzle-forming layer; and a protective layer covering the piezoelectric actuator and the in nozzle forming layer. The piezoelectric actuator comprises a piezoelectric body provided between first and second electrodes. At least one of the said first and second electrodes is electrically connected to the at least one electronic component. The piezoelectric body comprises one or more piezoelectric materials processable at a temperature below 450&#xb0; C.

A process for forming inkjet nozzle devices on a frontside surface of a wafer substrate. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing the wafer substrate having a plurality of etched holes defined in the frontside surface, each etched hole being filled with first and second polymers such that the second polymer is coplanar with the frontside surface; (ii) forming the inkjet nozzle devices on the frontside surface using MEMS fabrication steps; and (iii) removing the first and second polymers via oxidative ashing, wherein first and second polymers are different.

Process for forming inkjet nozzle devices

A process for filling one or more etched holes defined in a frontside surface of a wafer substrate. The process includes the steps of: depositing a layer of a thermoplastic first polymer onto the frontside surface and into each hole until the holes are overfilled with the first polymer; depositing a layer of a photoimageable second polymer different than the first polymer; selectively removing the second polymer from regions outside a periphery of the holes; exposing the wafer substrate to a controlled oxidative plasma so as to reveal the frontside surface of the wafer substrate; and planarizing the frontside surface to provide holes filled with a plug of the first polymer only, each plug having a respective upper surface coplanar with the frontside surface.

Process for filling etched holes using first and second polymers

A process for filling one or more etched holes defined in a frontside surface of a wafer substrate. The process includes the steps of: (i) depositing a layer of a photoimageable thermoplastic polymer onto the frontside surface and into each hole; (ii) reflowing the polymer; (iii) selectively removing the polymer from regions outside a periphery of each hole, the selective removing comprising exposure and development of the polymer; (iv) optionally repeating steps (i) to (iii) until each hole is overfilled with the polymer; and (v) planarizing the frontside surface to provide one or more holes filled with a plug of the polymer. Each plug has a respective upper surface coplanar with the frontside surface.

Process for filling etched holes using photoimageable thermoplastic polymer

A process for filling one or more etched holes defined in a frontside surface of a wafer substrate. The process includes the steps of: (i) depositing a layer of a thermoplastic first polymer onto the frontside surface and into each hole; (ii) reflowing the first polymer; (iii) exposing the wafer substrate to a controlled oxidative plasma; (iv) optionally repeating steps (i) to (iii); (v) depositing a layer of a photoimageable second polymer; (vi) selectively removing the second polymer from regions outside a periphery of the holes using exposure and development; and (vii) planarizing the frontside surface to provide holes filled with a plug comprising the first and second polymers, which are different than each other. Each plug has a respective upper surface coplanar with the frontside surface.

Process for filling etched holes

A method of ejecting an ink droplet from an inkjet nozzle device having an actuator and a meniscus pinned across a nozzle opening. The method includes the steps of: delivering a sub-ejection pulse to the actuator for perturbing the meniscus from a quiescent state; and subsequently delivering an ejection pulse to the actuator at an instant when the meniscus is perturbed from its quiescent state, the ejection pulse ejecting the ink droplet from the nozzle opening. A time period between a trailing edge of the sub-ejection pulse and a leading edge of the ejection pulse controls a droplet volume of the ejected ink droplet.

Method of ejecting ink droplets having variable droplet volumes

An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes: a substrate having a silicon layer; a nozzle plate disposed on the silicon layer; and embedded inkjet nozzle devices. Each inkjet nozzle device includes a nozzle chamber having a roof actuator; drive circuitry laterally disposed relative to the nozzle chamber; a connection arm extending parallel with the nozzle plate from the actuator towards the drive circuitry; and a metal via interconnecting each connection arm and the drive circuitry, the metal via extending perpendicularly to the nozzle plate. The drive circuitry is positioned proximal the nozzle plate relative to a plane of the floor.

Inkjet nozzle device with roof actuator connected to lateral drive circuitry

A method of providing a printhead assembly having a hydrophilic ink pathway and a hydrophobic ink ejection face. The method includes the steps of: providing a printhead assembly comprising a printhead attached to an ink supply manifold, the printhead comprising a nozzle plate having a hydrophobic coating and a protective metal film disposed on the hydrophobic coating; treating surfaces of an ink pathway in the printhead assembly with a solution comprising an alkoxylated polyethyleneimine; drying the surfaces; and removing the protective metal film so as to reveal the hydrophobic coating.

Method of providing printhead assembly having complementary hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces

A stationary pagewidth inkjet printhead has one or more nozzle rows extending along a longitudinal axis of the printhead. The printhead is comprised of a plurality of printhead modules having first and second opposite ends butted across a width of a page. Each butting pair of printhead modules defines a common join region, wherein a nozzle pitch across the join region exceeds one nozzle pitch, one nozzle pitch being defined as a minimum longitudinal distance between a pair of nozzles in a same nozzle row. A first nozzle positioned at the first end of a first printhead module in a butting pair is configured to fire ink droplets into a respective join region.

Inkjet printhead with join regions seamlessly compensated by directional nozzles

An inkjet printhead includes a ceramic nozzle plate having a plurality of movable portions defined therein and a polymeric material covering the nozzle plate and the plurality of movable portions.

Ink printhead having ceramic nozzle plate defining movable portions

A method of forming an inkjet nozzle chamber includes the steps of: (a) depositing a layer of chamber material onto a substrate, the layer of chamber material defining a depth of the nozzle chamber; (b) removing a predetermined region of the layer of chamber material to define sidewalls of the nozzle chamber and an internal volume of the nozzle chamber; (c) depositing a sacrificial material to fill the internal volume contained within the sidewalls; (d) depositing a roof layer onto the sacrificial material and the sidewalls; (e) etching the roof layer to define a nozzle opening therein; and (f) removing the sacrificial material contained in the internal volume so as to form the nozzle chamber.

Method of forming inkjet nozzle chamber

A MEMS integrated circuit includes a silicon substrate having a frontside with a drive circuitry layer and a backside. A MEMS layer is disposed on the drive circuitry layer. The MEMS layer includes a plurality of MEMS devices electrically connected to the drive circuitry layer. Connector posts extends from the drive circuitry layer to a contact pad positioned in a roof of the MEMS layer and through-silicon connectors extending linearly from the contact pad, through the drive circuitry layer and the silicon substrate, towards the backside of the silicon substrate. Each through-silicon connector terminates at a backside integrated circuit contact, such that each integrated circuit contact is electrically connected to the drive circuitry layer via the contact pad positioned in the roof of the MEMS layer.

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Greystones, Ireland

Gregory John McAvoy