Granted Patent B2

US 7,354,794 · App. 11/062,019 · Granted Apr 8, 2008

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A method of connecting a circuit device to a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:

printing an elongate strip of an electrically conductive fluid to electrically interconnect a first contact pad on a semiconductor substrate including fluid ejection actuators with a second contact pad on an electrical trace circuit, the electrical trace circuit being disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the semiconductor substrate, wherein the electrically conductive fluid contains a liquid component and a conductive particle component; and

subsequently, removing at least a substantial portion of the liquid component from a substantial portion of the conductive particle component to provide a substantially solid elongate strip of conductive material interconnecting the first contact pad and the second contact pad.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a protective material to the solid elongate strip of conductive material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second contact pad is disposed on a first side of the electrical trace circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second contact pad is disposed on a second side of the electrical trace circuit.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the elongate strip of electrically conductive fluid is printed on the first contact pad on the semiconductor substrate and on an insulated surface disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the semiconductor substrate, further comprising attaching the second contact pad to the elongate strip of electrically conductive fluid on the insulated surface to interconnect the first contact pad with the second contact pad.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical trace circuit comprises a printed circuit board.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical trace circuit comprises a flexible circuit device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongate strip of electrically conductive fluid is printed over an underfill material disposed between the substrate and electrical trace circuit.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of removing the liquid component from the conductive particle component comprises heating the printed elongate strip to fuse the conductive particles to one another in the conductive particle component.

10. A micro-fluid ejection head comprising the semiconductor substrate and circuit device interconnected by the method of claim 1 .

11. A micro-fluid ejection device comprising:

a fluid reservoir body;

a semiconductor substrate attached in fluid flow communication with the fluid reservoir body, the substrate containing fluid ejection actuators and first electrical contact pads electrically connected to the fluid ejection actuators;

a circuit device disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the semiconductor substrate, the circuit device containing electrical trace circuits terminating in second electrical contact pads; and

elongate strips of electrically conductive material printed to electrically interconnect the first contact pads with the second contact pads.

12. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , further comprising a protective material applied to the elongate strips of electrically conductive material.

13. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , wherein the second contact pads are disposed on a first side of the circuit device.

14. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , wherein the second contact pads are disposed on a second side of the circuit device.

15. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 14 , wherein the elongate strips of electrically conductive fluid are printed on the first contact pads on the semiconductor substrate and on an insulated surface disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the semiconductor substrate, wherein the second contact pads on the circuit device are electrically connected to the elongate strips on the insulated surface to interconnect the first contact pads with the second contact pads.

16. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , wherein the circuit device comprises a printed circuit board.

17. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , wherein the circuit device comprises a flexible circuit device.

18. The micro-fluid ejection device of claim 11 , further comprising an underfill material disposed between the semiconductor substrate and the circuit device, wherein the printed elongate strips of electrically conductive material are printed over the underfill material.

19. A method of connecting a circuit device to a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:

printing an electrically conductive fluid to electrically interconnect a first contact pad on a semiconductor substrate with a second contact pad on an electrical trace circuit, the electrical trace circuit being disposed adjacent to and spaced-apart from the semiconductor substrate, wherein the electrically conductive fluid contains a liquid component and a conductive particle component; and

subsequently, removing at least a substantial portion of the liquid component from a substantial portion of the conductive particle component to provide a substantially solid elongate strip of conductive material interconnecting the first contact pad and the second contact pad.

20. A micro-fluid ejection device comprising a circuit device and a semiconductor substrate connected in accordance with the method of claim 19 , wherein the semiconductor substrate includes fluid ejection actuators.

Assignments (7)