Hewlett-Packard Company

Harold W Levie

Alfred I Pan

Howard H Taub

Glenn Hoch Rankin

A thermal ink jet head incorporates bubble-generating resistors, each with a relatively thick layer of unpassivated resistive material, such as TaAl. The thermal ink jet head includes an ink source, ink channels, respective orifices, and circuitry for providing the electrical energy which the resistors convert to heat to form bubbles which expel ink through respective orifices. A range between 3,000 .ANG. and 5,000 .ANG. is preferred for the resistive material to minimize failure rate while avoiding thermal, electrical and manufacturing limitations of passivated resistors.

Ink jet head incorporating a thick unpassivated TaAl resistor

A thermal ink jet print head is provided having a new and improved barrier design. Two barriers are provided for each resistor, the barriers partially surrounding the resistor. The barriers are spaced apart to provide ink feed channels to the resistor and are arranged to impart angular momentum to the ink relative to the resistor during refill on bubble collapse.

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Livermore, CA, United States of America

Harold W Levie