The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 19, 2008
Filed:
Feb. 18, 2005
Bassam Shamoun, Fremont, CA (US);
Janusz Jozwiak, San Ramon, CA (US);
Quanyuan Shang, Saratoga, CA (US);
Hongbin Ji, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Bassam Shamoun, Fremont, CA (US);
Janusz Jozwiak, San Ramon, CA (US);
Quanyuan Shang, Saratoga, CA (US);
Hongbin Ji, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Applied Materials, Inc., Samta Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for controlling the quantity of fluid output (e.g., drop size) by individual nozzles of a print head to a very high precision at a frequency equal to the frequency at which fluid is normally dispensed. This is achieved by mapping fluid quantity control information into the data that represents the image to be printed. Data representative of an image is received and converted into pixel data. In at least one embodiment, the pixel data includes pixels represented by N bits, and the N bits may represent a drop size for the pixel and a union of the N bits may represent a nozzle status. A print head may be controlled based on the pixel data, and the print head may include nozzles that are each adapted to deposit at least one drop size quantity of a fluid on a substrate.