Micro-fluid ejection devices having reduced input/output addressable heaters
View Patent ↗Micro-fluid ejection devices, methods for making micro-fluid ejection, heads, and micro-fluid ejection heads having N actuators on a first substrate and logic capable of driving the N actuators on a second substrate. The ejection heads also have less than N electrical connections between the first and second substrates.
1. A micro-fluid ejection head comprising:
N actuators on a first substrate; and
logic capable of driving the N actuators on a second substrate different than the first substrate, wherein there are less than N electrical connections between the first and second substrates.
2. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 1 , further comprising N diodes on the first substrate, wherein each of the N diodes is electrically connected in series with a respective corresponding one of the N actuators.
3. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 2 , wherein the diodes are vertically-oriented Schottky diodes.
4. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 2 , wherein the first substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, and combinations thereof.
5. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 4 , wherein a semiconductor material is formed on the first substrate.
6. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor material is polysilicon.
7. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 6 , wherein the silicon is laser recrystallized on the first substrate to achieve the desired properties.
8. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 7 , wherein the diodes are formed in polysilicon.
9. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 8 , wherein the diodes are Schottky diodes.
10. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 9 , wherein the Schottky diodes are vertically oriented.
11. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 9 , wherein the Schottky diodes are laterally oriented.
12. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 8 , wherein the diodes are P-N junction diodes.
13. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the N actuators are electrically connected to a bus.
14. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 13 , wherein a thickness of the bus is greater than 2 micrometers.
15. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 14 , wherein a thickness of the bus is greater than 6 micrometers.
16. The micro-fluid ejection bend of claim 14 , wherein the bus is embedded in the first substrate.
17. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 16 , wherein the first substrate comprises a ceramic substrate having a green tape layer, and wherein the bus is embedded in the green tape layer.
18. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 14 , wherein the bus is formed in a channel of the first substrate.
19. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 18 , wherein the first substrate comprises a ceramic substrate having a green tape layer, and wherein the channel is in the green tape layer.
20. The micro-fluid ejection head of claim 14 , wherein the bus is formed by screen printing a metallization material.