Inkjet printhead integrated circuit having an array of inkjet nozzles
View Patent ↗An inkjet printhead integrated circuit includes a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages. An array of control and drive circuits is positioned on the substrate, each control and drive circuit having a drive transistor that includes a series of parallel traces. An array of inkjet nozzles is arranged on the substrate, each inkjet nozzle including a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber. Each of a plurality of elongate actuators is anchored to the substrate at a fixed end and overlies and is spaced from, an associated control and drive circuit. Each actuator includes a heater element for differential thermal expansion and contraction and thus displacement of the actuator. Each heater element has a series of corrugations corresponding with respective traces of the drive transistor. A plurality of ink displacement members is received in respective nozzle chambers. Each ink displacement member is movable to eject ink from the ink ejection ports. The ink displacement members are connected to respective actuators at opposite free ends.
1. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit that comprises a substrate that defines a plurality of ink passages;
an array of control and drive circuits positioned on the substrate, each control and drive circuit having a drive transistor that includes a series of parallel traces;
an array of inkjet nozzles arranged on the substrate, each inkjet nozzle including a nozzle chamber structure that defines a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with a respective ink passage and an ink ejection port in fluid communication with the nozzle chamber; and
a plurality of elongate actuators, each actuator anchored to the substrate at a fixed end and overlying and spaced from, an associated control and drive circuit, and including a heater element for differential thermal expansion and contraction and thus displacement of the actuator, the heater element having a series of corrugations corresponding with respective traces of the drive transistor; and
a plurality of ink displacement members received in respective nozzle chambers and movable to eject ink from the ink ejection ports, the ink displacement members being connected to respective actuators at opposite free ends.
2. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , in which each control and drive circuit includes a shift register, a transfer register and an enable gate to control operation of the drive transistor.
3. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , in which the array of inkjet nozzles and the associated elongate actuators are arranged on the substrate according to a pattern that is defined by a replication hierarchy in which a first stage rotates an inkjet nozzle by an acute angle with respect to an axis initially passing through the ink ejection port and the actuator, a second stage replicates the inkjet nozzle without rotation a predetermined number of times and a third stage replicates the nozzles of the second stage a predetermined number of times with a rotation of substantially 180 degrees.
4. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , in which each heater element and the associated ink displacement member include a common metal layer with a discontinuity to insulate the ink displacement member electrically from the heater element.
5. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , in which a cross-sectional area of the heater elements is reduced proximate the fixed ends of the respective actuators so that a heating effect generated by the heater elements is amplified proximate said fixed ends.
6. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 1 , in which each actuator includes a structural layer to be heated by the heater element, the heater element being interposed between the structural layer and the substrate.
7. An inkjet printhead integrated circuit as claimed in claim 6 , in which each actuator includes a further layer positioned on the structural layer, the further layer being similar to the heater element to impart stability to the actuator.