Patent Application
20110018941
The present invention relates to printers and in particular inkjet printers. It is has been developed primarily for providing improved mounting of printhead integrated circuits so as to facilitate printhead maintenance.
The following applications have been filed by the Applicant simultaneously with the present application:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference. The above applications have been identified by their filing docket number, which will be substituted with the corresponding application number, once assigned.
The following patents and patent applications, filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention, are hereby incorporated by cross-reference.
The Applicant has previously demonstrated that pagewidth inkjet printheads may be constructed using a plurality of printhead integrated circuits (‘chips’), which are abutted end-on-end along the width of a page. Although this arrangement of printhead integrated circuits has many advantages (e.g. minimizing the width of a print zone in the paper feed direction), each printhead integrated circuit must still be connected to other printer electronics, which supply power and data to each printhead integrated circuit.
Hitherto, the Applicant has described how a printhead integrated circuit may be connected to an external power/data supply by wirebonding bond pads on each printhead integrated circuit to a flex PCB (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,865). However, wirebonds protrude from the ink ejection face of the printhead and can, therefore, have a deleterious effect on both print maintenance and print quality.
It would be desirable to provide a printhead assembly in which printhead integrated circuits are connected to an external power/data supply without these connections affecting print maintenance and/or print quality.
Accordingly, in a first aspect there is provided an inkjet printhead assembly comprising:
Inkjet printhead assemblies according to the present invention advantageously provide a convenient means for attaching printhead integrated circuits to an ink supply manifold whilst accommodating electrical connections to the printhead. Furthermore, the frontside face of the printhead is fully planar along its entire extent.
Optionally, the connector film comprises a flexible polymer film having a plurality of conductive tracks.
Optionally, the connector film is a tape-automated bonding (TAB) film.
Optionally, the backside has a recessed portion for accommodating the connector film.
Optionally, the recessed portion is defined along a longitudinal edge region of each printhead integrated circuit.
Optionally, a plurality of through-silicon connectors provide electrical connection between the drive circuitry and the connection end of the connector film.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector extends linearly from the frontside towards the backside.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector is tapered towards the backside.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector is comprised of copper.
Optionally, each printhead integrated circuit comprises:
Optionally, each through-silicon connector extends linearly from a contact pad in the MEMS layer, through the CMOS layer and towards the backside, the contact pad being electrically connected to the CMOS layer.
Optionally, the printhead assembly comprises one or more conductor posts extending linearly between the contact pad and the CMOS layer.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector is electrically insulated from the CMOS layer.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector has outer sidewalls comprising an insulating film.
Optionally, the outer sidewalls comprise a diffusion barrier layer between the insulating film and a conductive core of the through-silicon connector.
Optionally, each through-silicon connector is connected to the connection end of the film with solder.
Optionally, the film is bonded to the ink supply manifold together with a plurality of the printhead integrated circuits.
Optionally, the plurality of printhead integrated circuits are positioned in an end-on-end butting arrangement to provide a pagewidth printhead assembly.
Optionally, a frontside face of the printhead is planar and free of any wirebond connections.
Optionally, the frontside face is coated with a hydrophobic polymer layer (e.g. PDMS).
In a second aspect, there is provided a printhead integrated circuit having:
Optionally, a connection end of the connector film is sandwiched between at least part of the ink supply manifold and the printhead integrated circuit when the backside is attached to the ink supply manifold.
Optionally, the recessed portion is defined along a longitudinal edge region of the printhead integrated circuit.
Optionally, the recessed portion comprises a plurality of integrated circuit contacts, each integrated circuit being connected to the drive circuitry.
Optionally, the connector film is a tape-automated bonding (TAB) film, and wherein the integrated circuit contacts are positioned for connection to corresponding contacts of the TAB film.
Optionally, a plurality of through-silicon connectors extend linearly from the frontside towards the backside, each through-silicon connector providing an electrical connection between the drive circuitry and a corresponding integrated circuit contact.
Optionally, each integrated circuit contact is defined by an end of a respective through-silicon connector.
Optionally, the backside has a plurality of ink supply channels extending longitudinally along the printhead integrated circuit, each ink supply channel defining one or more ink inlets for receiving ink from the ink supply manifold. Optionally, each ink supply channel supplies ink to a plurality of frontside inlets. Optionally, each frontside inlet supplies ink to one or more of the inkjet nozzle assemblies.
Optionally, each ink supply channel has a depth corresponding to a depth of the recessed portion.
In a third aspect, there is provided a printhead integrated circuit comprising:
Optionally, each integrated circuit contact is defined by an end of a respective through-silicon connector.
In a fourth aspect, there is provided a method of fabricating an inkjet printhead assembly having backside electrical connections, the method comprising the steps of:
Optionally, the attaching step sandwiches the connection end of the connector film between part of the ink supply manifold and the one or more printhead integrated circuits.
Optionally, the film is a tape-automated bonding (TAB) film.
Optionally, the connecting step comprises soldering each film contact to the base of its corresponding connector.
Optionally, the attaching step is performed using an adhesive film.
Optionally, the adhesive film has a plurality of ink supply apertures defined therein.
Optionally, the attaching step comprises aligning each printhead integrated circuit with the adhesive film such that each ink supply aperture is aligned with an ink inlet, bonding the printhead integrated circuits to one side of the adhesive film, and bonding an opposite side of the film to the ink supply manifold.
Optionally, in the connecting step, each printhead integrated circuit is connected to a respective connector film.
Optionally, in the connecting step, a plurality of printhead integrated circuits are connected to the same connector film.
Optionally, the plurality of printhead integrated circuits are attached to the ink supply manifold in an end-on-end butting arrangement to provide a pagewidth printhead assembly.
In a fifth aspect, there is provided a method of fabricating a printhead integrated circuit configured for backside electrical connections, the method comprising the steps of:
Optionally, the conductive material is selected from the group consisting of: titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride, titanium, aluminium, and vanadium-aluminium alloy.
Optionally, the actuator is selected from the group consisting of: a thermal bubble-forming actuator and a thermal bend actuator.
Optionally, the further MEMS processing steps comprise depositing a material onto the contact pad so as to seal or encapsulate the contact pad.
Optionally, the further MEMS processing steps comprise etching a backside of the wafer so as to define the ink supply channels and a backside recessed portion for each printhead integrated circuit.
Optionally, the ink supply channels and the backside recessed portion have a same depth.
Optionally, the backside etching exposes a foot of each through-silicon connector in the backside recessed portion, each foot comprising an integrated circuit contact.
Optionally, the through-silicon connectors are positioned along a longitudinal edge region of each printhead integrated circuit, and the backside recessed portion extends along the longitudinal edge region.
Optionally, the integrated circuit contacts are positioned for connection to corresponding contacts of a TAB film.
Optionally, a CMOS layer comprises the drive circuitry, and the nozzle assemblies are disposed in a MEMS layer formed on the CMOS layer.
Optionally, one or more conductor posts extend linearly between the contact pad and the CMOS layer and/or between the actuator and the CMOS layer.
Optionally, the conductor posts are formed prior to deposition of the conductive layer.
Optionally, the conductor posts are formed concomitantly with the through-silicon connectors.
Optionally, the conductor posts and the through-silicon connectors are formed by deposition of a conductive material into predefined vias.
Optionally, the conductive material is deposited by an electroless plating process.
Optionally, each of the predefined vias has a diameter proportionate with a depth such that the all the vias are filled evenly by the deposition.
Optionally, the conductive material is copper.
Optionally, the further MEMS processing steps comprise coating a frontside face with a hydrophobic polymer layer.
Optionally, the hydrophobic polymer layer is comprised of PDMS.
Optionally, the further MEMS processing steps comprise oxidatively removing sacrificial material.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to following drawings in which:
Hitherto, the Applicant has described printhead integrated circuits (or ‘chips’) 100 which may be linked together in a butting end-on-end arrangement to define a pagewidth printhead.
Each printhead IC 100 comprises thousands of nozzles 102 arranged in rows. As shown in
The length of an individual printhead IC 100 is typically about 20 to 22 mm. Thus, in order to print an A4/US letter sized page, eleven or twelve individual printhead ICs 100 are contiguously linked together. The number of individual printhead ICs 100 may be varied to accommodate sheets of other widths. For example, a 4″ photo printer typically employs five printhead ICs linked together.
The printhead ICs 100 may be linked together in a variety of ways. One particular manner for linking the ICs 100 is shown in
As will be apparent from
Referring now to
Returning to
Ink is supplied to the backside of each printhead IC 100 via an ink supply manifold in the form a two-part LCP molding. Referring to
The ink supply manifold comprises a main LCP molding 122 and an LCP channel molding 124 sealed to its underside. The printhead ICs 100 are bonded to the underside of the channel molding 124 with the adhesive IC attach film 120. The upperside of the LCP channel molding 124 comprises LCP main channels 126, which connect with ink inlets 127 and ink outlets 128 in the main LCP molding 122. The ink inlets 127 and ink outlets 128 fluidically communicate with ink reservoirs and an ink supply system (not shown), which supplies ink to the printhead at a predetermined hydrostatic pressure.
The main LCP molding 122 has a plurality of air cavities 129, which communicate with the LCP main channels 126 defined in the LCP channel molding 124. The air cavities 129 serve to dampen ink pressure pulses in the ink supply system.
At the base of each LCP main channel 126 are a series of ink supply passages 132 leading to the printhead ICs 100. The adhesive film 120 has a series of laser-drilled supply holes 134 so that the backside of each printhead IC 100 is in fluid communication with the ink supply passages 132.
Referring now to
To aid in positioning of the ICs 100 correctly, fiducials 103A are provided on the surface of the ICs 100 (see
Returning now to
The bond pads 105 are connected to an upper CMOS layer of the printhead IC 100. As shown in
Referring to
The printhead assembly 130 is designed as part of a user-replaceable printhead cartridge, which can be removed from and replaced in an inkjet printer 160 (see
Since the flex PCB 140 is wirebonded to bond pads 105 on each printhead IC 100, the printhead inevitably has a non-planar longitudinal edge region in the vicinity of the bond pads. This is illustrated most clearly in
Wirebonding to the bond pads 105 in the printhead IC 100 has several disadvantages, principally due to the fact that a significant longitudinal region of the printhead IC has wirebonds 150 (and, moreover, the wirebond sealant 142) projecting from its ink ejection face 154. The non-planarity of the ink ejection face 154 may result in less effective printhead maintenance. For example, a wiper blade is unable to sweep across the entire width of the ink ejection face 154 because the wirebond sealant 142 blocks the path of the wiper blade, either upstream or downstream of the nozzles 102 with respect to a wiping direction.
Another disadvantage of wirebond projections is that the entire printhead cannot be coated with a hydrophobic coating, such as PDMS. The Applicant has found that PDMS coatings significantly improve both print quality and printhead maintenance (see, for example, US Publication No. US 2008/0225076, the contents of which is herein incorporated by reference) and a fully planar ink ejection face would improve the efficacy of such coatings even further.
In view of some of the inherent disadvantages of wirebond connections to the printhead IC 100, the Applicant has developed a printhead IC 2, which uses backside electrical connections and therefore has a fully planar ink ejection face.
Referring to
However, the printhead IC 2 differs from the printhead IC 100 by virtue of the electrical connections made to its CMOS circuitry layers 113. Significantly, the printhead IC 2 lacks any frontside wirebonding along its longitudinal edge region 4. Rather, the printhead IC 2 has a backside recess 6 at its longitudinal edge, which accommodates a TAB (tape-automated bonding) film 8. The TAB film 8 is typically a flexible polymer film (e.g. Mylar® film) comprising a plurality of conductive tracks terminating at corresponding film contacts 10 at a connector end of the TAB film. The TAB film 8 is positioned flush with a backside surface 12 of the printhead IC 2 so that the TAB film and the printhead IC 2 can be bonded together to the LCP channel molding 124. The TAB film 8 may be connected to the flex PCB 140; indeed, the TAB film may be integrated with the flex PCB 140. Alternatively, the TAB film 8 may be connected to the printer electronics using alternative connection arrangements known to the person skilled in the art.
The printhead IC 2 has a plurality of through-silicon vias extending from its frontside and into the longitudinal recessed edge portion 6, which accommodates the TAB film 8. Each through-silicon via is filled with a conductor (e.g. copper) to define a through-silicon connector 14, which provides electrical connection to the TAB film 8. Each film contact 10 is connected to a foot or base 15 of the through-silicon connector 14 using a suitable connection e.g. solder ball 16.
The through-silicon connector 14 extends through a silicon substrate 20 of the printhead IC 2 and through the CMOS circuitry layers 113. The through-silicon connector 14 is insulated from the silicon substrate 20 by insulating sidewalls 21. The insulating sidewalls 21 may be formed from any suitable insulating material compatible with MEMS fabrication, such as amorphous silicon, polysilicon or silicon dioxide. The insulating sidewalls 21 may be monolayered or multilayered. For example, the insulating sidewalls 21 may comprise an outer Si or SiO2 layer and an inner tantalum layer. The inner Ta layer acts as diffusion barrier so as to minimize diffusion of copper into the bulk silicon substrate. The Ta layer may also act as seed layer for electrodeposition of copper during fabrication of the through-silicon connectors 14.
As shown in
In the case of the Applicant's thermal bend-actuated printheads, such as those described in US 2008/0129793 (the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference), a conductive thermoelastic actuator 25 may define a roof of each nozzle chamber 101. Hence, the contact pad 24 may be formed at the same time as the thermoelastic actuator 25 during MEMS fabrication and, moreover, be formed of the same material. For example, the contact pad 24 may be formed from thermoelastic materials, such as vanadium-aluminium alloys, titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride etc.
However, it will appreciated that formation of the contact pad 24 may be incorporated into any step of MEMS fabrication and, moreover, may be comprised of any suitably conductive material e.g. copper, titanium, aluminium, titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride etc.
The contact pad 24 is connected to an upper layer of the CMOS circuitry 113 via copper conductor posts 30 extending from the contact pad towards the CMOS circuitry. Hence, the conductor posts 30 provide electrical connection is provided between the TAB film 8 and the CMOS circuitry 113.
Although the arrangement of contact pad 24 and connector posts 30 in
For example, and referring now to
Returning now to
Although in
A MEMS fabrication process for the printhead IC 2 shown in
The starting point for MEMS fabrication is a standard CMOS wafer comprising the silicon substrate 20 and CMOS circuitry 113 formed on a frontside surface of the wafer. At the end of the MEMS fabrication process, the wafer is diced into individual printhead integrated circuits (ICs) via etched dicing streets, which define the dimensions of each printhead IC fabricated from the wafer.
Although the present description refers to MEMS fabrication processes performed on the CMOS layer 113, it will of course be understood that the CMOS layer 113 may comprise multiple CMOS layers (e.g. 3 or 4 CMOS layers) and is usually passivated. The CMOS layer 113 may be passivated with, for example, a layer of silicon oxide or, more usually, a standard ‘ONO’ stack comprising a layer of silicon nitride sandwiched between two layers of silicon oxide. Hence, references herein to the CMOS layer 113 implicitly include a passivated CMOS layer, which typically comprises multiple layers of CMOS.
The following description focuses on fabrication steps for one nozzle assembly 101 and one through-silicon connector 14. However, it will of course be appreciated that corresponding steps are being performed simultaneously for all nozzle assemblies and all through-silicon connectors.
In a first sequence of steps shown in
Referring to
The roof material (e.g. silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or combinations thereof) is deposited onto the planarized SiO2 layer 35 to define the frontside roof layer 37. The roof layer 37 will define a rigid planar nozzle plate in the completed printhead IC 2.
In the next stage, and referring now to
Before filling the vias 38 with a conductive material, and in a modification of the process described in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/323,471, a through-silicon via 39 is defined in the next step by etching through the roof layer 37, the SiO2 layer 35, the CMOS layer 113 and into the silicon substrate 20 (see
The through-silicon via etch is performed by patterning a mask layer of photoresist 40 and etching through the various layers. Of course, different etch chemistries may be required for etching through each of the various layers, although the same photoresist mask may be employed for each etch.
Each through-silicon via 39 typically has a depth through the silicon substrate 20 corresponding to the depth of the plugged frontside ink inlet 32 (typically about 20 microns). However, each via 39 may be made deeper than the frontside ink inlet 32 depending on the thickness of the TAB film 8.
In the next sequence of steps, and referring to
The insulating film 42 may be comprised of any suitable insulating material, such as amorphous silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide etc. The diffusion barrier 43 is typically a tantalum film.
Referring next to
In the next sequence of steps, and referring to
By virtue of being fused to thermoelastic beam members 25, parts of the SiO2 roof layer 37 function as a lower passive beam member 46 of a mechanical thermal bend actuator. Therefore, each nozzle assembly 101 comprises a thermal bend actuator comprising an upper thermoelastic beam 25 connected to the CMOS 113, and a lower passive beam 46. These types of thermal bend actuator are described in more detail in, for example, US Publication No. 2008/309729, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
The thermoelastic active beam member 25 may be comprised of any suitable thermoelastic material, such as titanium nitride, titanium aluminium nitride and aluminium alloys. As explained in the Applicant's earlier US Publication No. 2008/129793, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, vanadium-aluminium alloys are a preferred material, because they combine the advantageous properties of high thermal expansion, low density and high Young's modulus.
As mentioned above, the thermoelastic material is also used to define the contact pad 24. The contact pad 24 extends between heads of the conductor posts 30 and the head 22 of the through-silicon connector 14. Hence, the contact pad 24 electrically connects the through-silicon connector 14 with each conductor post 30 and the underlying CMOS layer 113.
Still referring to
Referring now to
Final oxidative removal (‘ashing’) of the protective photoresist 49 results in singulation of individual printhead ICs 2 and formation of fluid connections between the backside and the nozzle assemblies 101. The resultant printhead IC 2 shown in
The present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment and number of specific alternative embodiments. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant fields that a number of other embodiments, differing from those specifically described, will also fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments described in the present specification, including documents incorporated by cross-reference as appropriate. The scope of the invention is only limited by the attached claims.
