Printhead integrated circuit having ink ejecting thermal actuators
View Patent ↗An inkjet printhead integrated circuit is provided including a substrate defining ink supply channels, a drive circuitiy layer positioned on the substrate, and nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate electrically connected to the drive circuitry. Each nozzle arrangement includes a nozzle chamber defined by the substrate, a roof structure positioned over the chamber defining an ink ejection port, and a thermal actuator positioned in the roof. A portion of the actuator is made of a material which expands when heated and the actuator is arranged to receive an electrical current from the drive circuitry to heat the portion. Upon receipt of the current, the actuator is configured to be displaceable towards the substrate so as to reduce a volume of the chamber. Upon cessation of the current, the actuator is configured to be displaceable back to its original position so that ink is ejected from the ejection port.
1. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit comprising:
a substrate that defines a plurality of ink supply channels;
a drive circuitry layer positioned on the substrate; and
a plurality of nozzle arrangements positioned on the substrate electrically connected to the drive circuitry layer, each nozzle arrangement comprising:
a chamber defined by the substrate;
a roof positioned over the nozzle chamber, the roof having a rim defining an ink ejection port, the rim being supported above the respective ink supply channel with support arms that extend from the rim to the drive circuitry layer; and
at least one thermal actuator positioned in the roof, at least one portion of the thermal actuator being made of a material which expands when heated, the at least one portion being interposed between two of the support arms and the thermal actuator being arranged to receive an electrical current from the drive circuitry layer to thereby heat the at least one portion,
wherein, upon receipt of the current the thermal actuator is configured to be displaceable towards the substrate so as to reduce a volume of the chamber, so that ink is ejected from the ink ejection port.
2. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of thermal actuators are positioned in each roof structure about the ink ejection port.
3. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each thermal actuator comprises:
an actuator arm constituting the at least one portion of the thermal actuator extending towards the ink ejection port; and
a heating circuit embedded in the actuator arm, the heating circuit being arranged to receive the electrical current from the drive circuitry layer.
4. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the material of each actuator arm is a material which has a coefficient of thermal expansion sufficient to permit the material to perform work as a result of thermal expansion and contraction; and
each heating circuit is positioned so that the associated actuator arm is subjected to differential thermal expansion and contraction to displace the actuator arm towards and away from the respective ink supply channel.
5. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the material of each actuator arm is polytetrafluoroethylene and a material of each heating circuit is one of the materials in a group including gold and copper.
6. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each actuator arm incorporates an actuating portion connected to the drive circuitry layer and an ink displacement member positioned on the actuating portion so as to extend towards the ink ejection port.
7. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein each actuator arm is interposed between consecutive support arms.
8. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drive circuitry layer is a CMOS layer.