Printers are devices that deposit a fluid, such as ink, on a print medium, such as paper. A printer may include a printhead that is connected to a printing material reservoir. The printing material may be expelled, dispensed, and/or ejected from the printhead onto a physical medium.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.
Examples of fluid devices may include a fluid die to receive a fluid. In some examples of fluid devices, a fluid in the die may be moved or mixed. In some examples, fluid devices may include a fluid ejection devices to dispense or eject a fluid. Example fluid ejection devices, as described herein, may be implemented in printing devices, such as two-dimensional printers and/or three-dimensional printers (3D). As will be appreciated, some example fluid ejection devices may be printheads. In some examples, a fluid ejection device may be implemented into a printing device and may be utilized to print content onto a medium, such as paper, a layer of powder-based build material, reactive devices (such as lab-on-a-chip devices), etc. Example fluid ejection devices include ink-based ejection devices, digital titration devices, 3D printing devices, pharmaceutical dispensation devices, lab-on-chip devices, fluidic diagnostic circuits, and/or other such devices in which amounts of fluids may be dispensed/ejected.
Examples of fluid devices may comprise at least one fluid die comprising a substrate including a first surface. In examples of fluid ejection devices, the substrate may include an array of nozzles formed therethrough. Furthermore, example fluid devices may comprise a molded panel in which the at least one fluid die may be embedded therein. In examples, fluid devices may be coupled to electrical components. For example, a fluid device may be coupled to an electrical circuit to drive the mixing of a fluid or ejection of a fluid from the nozzles. However, forming electrical connections may take a certain amount of space on the substrate and the molded panel may interfere with forming the electrical connection. In examples, the size of an electrical contact pad may be selected to allow for sufficient space to form the electrical connection. Furthermore, a certain clearance around the electrical contact pad may be maintained to ensure the molded panel does not interfere with or block a conductive member (e.g., a wire) coupling to the electrical contact pad. However, there is a need for a smaller fluid die size.
To address these issues, in the examples described herein, a fluid device is described in which a smaller portion of the substrate of the fluid die may be used to form an electrical connection. In such an example, a first surface of the substrate of the fluid die may be disposed below a top surface of the molded panel. In examples, a raised contact formation or conductive bump may be disposed on the first surface of the substrate to form an electrical connection between the fluid device and another component. In such examples, the raised contact formation may extend at least up to top surface of molded panel to form an electrical connection with another component at a location above the top surface of the molded panel. In such examples, the surface area of a substrate to form an electrical connection may be reduced.
As used herein, a raised contact formation that extends at least up to a top surface of a molded panel may describe the height of the raised contact formation extending at least to a location in which a top surface of the molded panel is approximately planar with a top surface of the raised contact formation. Approximately planar may refer to a plane of top surface of the raised contact formation and a plane of the top surface of the molded panel being generally parallel, where, herein, “approximately” and “generally” may refer to the surfaces having angles of orientation therebetween within a range of 0° to 10°. In other examples, a raised contact formation that extends at least up to a top surface of a molded panel may describe a raised contact formation having a height less than the molded panel. In such an example, the distance between the top surface of the raised contact formation and the top surface of the molded panel may be within a range of a thickness of a conductive member (e.g., a wire) to be coupled to the raised contact formation. In examples, the thickness of the conductive member may be up to 25 micrometers or microns (25 μm).
Accordingly, as used herein, the fluid die embedded in the molded panel may describe the arrangement of the fluid die such that side surfaces of the fluid die and at least one of a top surface or a bottom surface of the fluid die may be at least partially enclosed by the molded panel. In addition, the at least one fluid die may be described as molded into the molded panel. In some examples the substrate of the fluid die may be formed with silicon or a silicon-based material. Various features, such as nozzles, may be formed by etching and/or other such microfabrication processes.
Nozzles may facilitate ejection/dispensation of fluid. Fluid ejection devices may comprise fluid ejection actuators disposed proximate to the nozzles to cause fluid to be ejected/dispensed from a nozzle orifice. Some examples of types of fluid ejectors implemented in fluid ejection devices include thermal ejectors, piezoelectric ejectors, and/or other such ejectors that may cause fluid to eject/be dispensed from a nozzle orifice.
In some examples, fluid dies may be referred to as slivers. Generally, a sliver may correspond to a die having: a thickness of approximately 650 μm or less; exterior dimensions of approximately 30 mm or less; and/or a length to width ratio of approximately 3 to 1 or larger. In some examples, a length to width ratio of a sliver may be approximately 10 to 1 or larger. In some examples, a length to width ratio of a sliver may be approximately 50 to 1 or larger. In some examples, a length to width ratio of a sliver may be approximately 100 to 1 or larger. In some examples, fluid dies may be a non-rectangular shape.
In some examples, the molded panel may comprise an epoxy mold compound, such as CEL400ZHF40WG from Hitachi Chemical, Inc., and/or other such materials. Accordingly, in some examples, the molded panel may be substantially uniform. In some examples, the molded panel may be formed of a single piece, such that the molded panel may comprise a mold material without joints or seams. In some examples, the molded panel may be monolithic.
Turning now to the figures, and particularly to
In examples, a raised contact formation 130 or conductive bump may be disposed on first surface 115 of substrate 114. In examples, raised contact formation 130 may be comprised of any material to provide an electrical connection. For example, raised contact formation 130 may be comprised of one or more conductors or semiconductors, such as, at least one of gold, aluminum, copper, silver, etc. In examples, raised contact formation 130 may form an electrical connection with or electrically couple to a component. In examples, raised contact formation 130 may be connected to an electrical contact pad 140 or bonding pad disposed on substrate 114 to form an electrical contact therewith. Furthermore, raised contact formation 130 may be disposed to form an electrical connection with another component at a top surface thereof. For example, raised contact formation 130 may be connected to a conductive member at a top surface 135. In the following discussion and in the claims, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to include suitable indirect and/or direct connections. Thus, if a first component is described as being coupled to a second component, that coupling may, for example, be: (1) through a direct electrical or mechanical connection, (2) through an indirect electrical or mechanical connection via other devices and connections, (3) through an optical electrical connection, (4) through a wireless electrical connection, and/or (5) another suitable coupling. In contrast, the term “connect,” “connects,” or “connected” is intended to include direct mechanical and/or electrical connections.
In examples, raised contact formation 130 may be disposed to extend at least up to top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In some examples, top surface 125 of molded panel 122 may define a hole 126 through which at least a portion of first substrate 115 may be exposed. In such an example, raised contact formation 130 may be disposed to extend from electrical contact pad 140 through at least a portion of hole 126. In examples, raised contact formation 130 may be electrically connected to a conductive member at top surface 135. In other words, in examples described herein, raised contact formation 130 may be electrically connected to the conductive member at a location above top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In one example, top surface 135 of raised contact formation 130 may be disposed above top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In another example, top surface 135 of raised contact formation 130 may be disposed to be approximately planar with top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In some examples, more than one raised contact formation 130 may be disposed on substrate 114.
In examples, the conductive member may be any member to provide an electrical connection between components. For example, the conductive member may be a wire. In some examples, the conductive member may be connected to raised contact formation 130 at a location approximately planar with top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In other examples, the conductive member may be connected to raised contact formation 130 at a location above the plane of top surface 125 of molded panel 122. In examples, fluid die 112 may be embedded in molded panel 122 without molded panel 122 interfering with the electrical connection between raised contact formation 130 and the conductive member.
In examples, electrical contact pad 140 may be disposed on first surface 115 of substrate 114 to couple to raised contact formation 130. In examples, electrical contact pad 140 may be disposed over electrical traces of fluid die 112 to provide an electrical connection to such electrical traces. In examples, electrical contact pad 140 may be comprised of any material to provide an electrical connection. For example, electrical contact pad 140 may be comprised of one or more conductors or semiconductors, such as at least one of gold, aluminum, copper, silver, etc. In examples, a clearance A around the contact pad 140 to form an electrical contact may be reduced with the use of raised contact formation 130 to form the electrical coupling to the conductive member. In examples, the clearance A may be in a range from 10 μm to 50 μm. Although shown with a uniform clearance around electrical contact pad 140, the examples described herein may include non-uniform clearance around the electrical contact pad 140 with a minimum clearance being in the range described.
In examples, electrical contact pad 140 may have a cross-sectional of any shape in a plane parallel to first surface 115 of substrate 114 to provide an electrical connection. For example, electrical contact pad 140 may have a square or rectangular cross-section in a plane parallel to first surface 115 of substrate 114. In yet another example, contact pad 140 may have a circular cross-section in a plane parallel to first surface 115 of substrate 114. In examples, electrical contact pad 140 may have a width less than 100 micrometers. As used herein, the term width refers to the shortest of any dimensions which may describe the cross-section of electrical contact pad 140 in a plane parallel to first surface 115 of substrate 114. For example, when electrical contact pad 140 has a substantially square shape, the width may refer to any side of electrical contact pad 140 because all four sides may be substantially equal sized. In contrast, in an example where electrical contact pad 140 has a rectangular cross-section in a plane parallel to first surface 115 of substrate 114, the width may refer to the shortest side of electrical contact pad 140. As shown, raised contact formation 130 may electrically couple electrical contact pad or bonding pad 140 to the conductive member.
Turning now to
In the example of
Turning now to
In examples, device 300b further includes a conductive member 350b having a first end and a second end. In examples, conductive member 350b may be electrically coupled to fluid die 312b via raised contact formation 330b at the first end. In examples, the first end of conductive member 350b may be connected to raised contact formation 330b at a location at least above the plane of top surface 325 of molded panel 322. In the example of
Turning now to
In examples, each of first raised contact formation 730a and second raised contact formation 730b may be coupled to a circuit assembly (not shown). In such an example, a single conductive member may be connected to both first raised contact formation 730a and second raised contact formation 730b in a manner similar to that shown in
Turning to
Accordingly, examples provided herein may implement a fluid device comprising at least one fluid ejection die embedded in a molded panel. As discussed, the fluid die may comprise a substrate having a first surface including a bonding pad and a raised contact formation extending from the bonding pad to at least the top surface of the molded panel. As will be appreciated, embedding of fluid dies in a molded panel and forming an electrical connection with an electrical component at a location above the top surface of the molded panel may facilitate use of a smaller electrical contact pad or bonding pad. Furthermore, formation of electrical contacts above the top surface of the molded panel, may facilitate use of a smaller clearance between the bonding pad and the molded panel without interfering with the electrical coupling of the device with electrical components.
While various examples are described herein, elements and/or combinations of elements may be combined and/or removed for various examples contemplated hereby. For example, the example operations provided herein in the flowchart of
The preceding description has been presented to illustrate and describe examples of the principles described. This description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit these principles to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the description. Therefore, the foregoing examples provided in the figures and described herein should not be construed as limiting of the scope of the disclosure, which is defined in the Claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/044027 | 7/26/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2019/022735 | 1/31/2019 | WO | A |
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