Drive device, print head and image forming apparatus

1. A drive device configured to drive a plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements with each light emitting element comprising: a first terminal connected to a first power supply; a second terminal configured to enable drive current flow to the first terminal from the second terminal, and a first control terminal configured to control the conduction state between the first terminal and the second terminal, the first terminals of the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements being connected in common, the second terminals of the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements being connected in common, the drive device comprising:

a drive circuit, including a first MOS transistor, and configured to drive three-terminal light emitting elements that are in conduction state among the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements based on a received drive signal, wherein

the first MOS transistor includes:

a third terminal connected to a second power supply having a potential different from the potential of the first power supply;

a fourth terminal connected to the second terminals of the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements connected in common, a second control terminal configured to control the conduction state between the third terminal and the fourth terminal based on the drive signal; and

a substrate terminal configured to have a potential applied thereto different from the potential of the second power supply to change a threshold voltage of the first MOS transistor, wherein

an absolute value of the potential that is applied to the substrate terminal is set higher than an absolute value of the potential of the second power supply such that an equivalent output resistance value of the drive circuit is higher than a maximum value of an absolute value of negative resistance determined by a turn-on characteristic of the three-terminal light emitting elements, wherein a threshold voltage of the first MOS transistor is increased in such a manner that the first MOS transistor exhibits a constant current property.

2. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive circuit further includes a second MOS transistor connected between the second terminals of the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements connected in common and the first power supply and configured to perform on/off operations complementary to the first MOS transistor based on the drive signal.

3. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein

the potential of the first power supply is a ground potential,

the potential of the second power supply is a positive power supply potential,

the potential set in the substrate terminal is a positive potential higher than the potential of the second power supply,

the drive signal is a signal shifting between a logic “H” level and a logic “L” level,

the first MOS transistor is a P-channel MOS transistor including a source which is the third terminal, a drain which is the fourth terminal, a gate which is the second control terminal, and the substrate terminal, and configured to be conducting when the drive signal is at the logic “L” level, and

the second MOS transistor is an N-channel MOS transistor.

4. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein

the potential of the first power supply is a positive power supply potential,

the potential of the second power supply is a ground potential,

the potential set in the substrate terminal is a negative potential less than the potential of the second power supply,

the drive signal is a signal shifting between a logic “H” level and a logic “L” level,

the first MOS transistor is an N-channel MOS transistor including a source which is the third terminal, a drain which is the fourth terminal, a gate which is the second control terminal, and the substrate terminal, and configured to be conducting when the drive signal is at the logic “H” level, and

the second MOS transistor is a P-channel MOS transistor.

5. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth terminal and the second terminals connected in common are connected with each other via a connection cable having a predetermined characteristic impedance, and

a terminating circuit having a termination resistor connected to the second terminals connected in common is disposed at an end portion of an area where the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements are arrayed.

6. The drive device according to claim 5 , wherein

the terminating circuit includes the termination resistor and a capacitor, and

the termination resistor and the capacitor are connected in series between the second terminals connected in common and a ground potential terminal.

7. The drive device according to claim 5 , wherein the termination resistor has a resistance value substantially equal to the characteristic impedance in the connection cable.

8. The drive device according to claim 5 , wherein the terminating circuit is set to satisfy a relationship of Zo/2≦RL≦2xZo where a resistance value of the termination resistor is RL and the characteristic impedance in the connection cable is Zo.

9. The drive device according to claim 5 , further comprising a shift register configured to receive serial data and to sequentially output a plurality of trigger signals on the basis of clock signals, and to turn the three-terminal light emitting elements on by giving the plurality of trigger signals to the first control terminals in the three-terminal light emitting elements,

wherein the termination resistor is formed on a semiconductor chip in which the shift register is integrated.

10. The drive device according to claim 5 , wherein

the connection cable is any one of a coaxial cable, an insulated wire, a twist pair cable, a flexible flat cable, or a flexible printed board.

11. The drive device according to claim 5 , wherein resistor is made of any one of a polysilicon material formed on a semiconductor substrate, a diffusion resistance material formed by diffusing an impurity or a material formed by pattering the same material as a material for the three-terminal light emitting elements.

12. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the three-terminal light emitting elements is a light emitting thyristor, and

the light emitting thyristor includes the first terminal as a cathode, the second terminal as an anode, and the first control terminal as a gate.

13. The drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising a shift register configured to receive serial data and to sequentially output a plurality of trigger signals on the basis of clock signals, and to turn the three-terminal light emitting elements on by giving the plurality of trigger signals to the first control terminals in the three-terminal light emitting elements.

14. A print head comprising:

the plurality of three-terminal light emitting elements and

the drive device according to claim 1 .

15. An image forming apparatus comprising

the print head according to claim 14 , wherein

the print head emits light to form an image on a recording medium.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising

the print head according to claim 14 to emit light;

an image carrier configured to have a latent image formed thereon by receiving the light emitted from the print head;

a development unit configured to form a developer image on the image carrier by developing the latent image on the image carrier with a developer;

a transfer unit configured to transfer the developer image onto a recording medium; and

a fixing unit configured to fix the developer image to the recording medium.

17. The drive device according to claim 1 , a further comprising current adjusting means for adjusting a current flowing through the fourth terminal of the first MOS transistor by adjusting the potential applied to the substrate terminal.

18. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth terminal of the first MOS transistor is directly connected with the second terminal of each of the three-terminal light emitting elements.