Inkjet printers and other printing devices have become ubiquitous in society. These printing devices can utilize a slotted substrate to deliver ink in the printing process. Such printing devices can provide many desirable characteristics at an affordable price. However, the desire for more features and lower prices continues to press manufacturers to improve efficiencies. Consumers want, among other things, high print image resolution, realistic colors, and increased pages or printing per minute. Accordingly, the present invention relates to slotted substrates suitable for use in printing devices and/or other applications.
The same components are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
a, 8–9 show top views of a portion of an exemplary slot in accordance with one embodiment.
Overview
The embodiments described below pertain to methods and systems for forming slots in a substrate. Several embodiments of this process will be described in the context of forming fluid-feed slots (“slots”) in a substrate that can be incorporated into a print head die or other fluid ejecting device. Other suitable applications for exemplary slotted substrates can include various microelectromechanical (MEMs) devices, among others.
As commonly used in print head dies, the substrate can comprise a semiconductor substrate that can have microelectronics incorporated within, deposited over, and/or supported by the substrate on a thin-film surface that can be opposite a back surface or backside. The slot(s) can receive fluid such as ink from a fluid supply or reservoir. The slot can then supply the ink to fluid ejecting elements contained in ejection chambers within the print head.
In some embodiments this can be accomplished by connecting the slot to one or more ink feed passageways, each of which can supply an individual ejection chamber. The fluid ejecting elements commonly comprise piezo-electric crystals or heating elements such as firing resistors that energize fluid which causes increased pressure in the ejection chamber. A portion of that fluid can be ejected through a firing nozzle with the ejected fluid being replaced by fluid from the slot. Bubbles can, among other origins, be formed in the ink as a byproduct of the ejection process. If the bubbles accumulate in the slot they can occlude ink flow to some or all of the ejection chambers and cause the print head to malfunction.
In some embodiments, the slots can extend between a first surface and a second surface and can comprise a central portion and one or more capillary channels in fluid flowing relation to the central portion. In some of these embodiments, the exemplary slots can reduce ink starvation of firing nozzles supplied by the slot.
Exemplary Printer System
Other printing devices can utilize multiple print cartridges each of which can supply a single color or black ink. In some embodiments, other exemplary print cartridges can supply multiple colors and/or black ink to a single print head. For example, other exemplary embodiments can divide the fluid supply so that each of the three slots 304 receives a separate fluid supply. Other exemplary print heads can utilize less or more slots than the three shown here.
Slots 304 pass through portions of substrate 306. In this exemplary embodiment, silicon can be a suitable substrate. In some embodiments, substrate 306 comprises a crystalline substrate such as monocrystalline silicon. Examples of other suitable substrates include, among others, gallium arsenide, glass, silica, ceramics, or a semi-conducting material. The substrate can comprise various configurations as will be recognized by one of skill in the art.
Substrate 306 has a first surface 310 separated by a thickness t from a second surface 312. The described embodiments can work satisfactorily with various thicknesses of substrate. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness t can range from less than about 100 microns to at least about 2000 microns. Other exemplary embodiments can be outside of this range. The thickness t of the substrate in one exemplary embodiment can be about 675 microns.
As shown in
The barrier layer 316 can comprise, among other things, a photo-resist polymer substrate. In some embodiments, above the barrier layer is an orifice plate 318. In one embodiment, the orifice plate comprises a nickel substrate. In another embodiment, the orifice plate is the same material as the barrier layer. The orifice plate can have a plurality of nozzles 319 through which fluid heated by the various firing resistors 314 can be ejected for printing on a print media (not shown). The various layers can be formed, deposited, or attached upon the preceding layers. The configuration given here is but one possible configuration. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the orifice plate and barrier layer are integral.
The exemplary print cartridge shown in
Exemplary Embodiments and Methods
In one such example,
In relation to the bubble example, other slot designs can allow bubbles to block ink flow through the portion of the slot where the bubble resides. In such a design, any devices, such as ink feed passageways and associated firing nozzles, supplied by that portion of the slot are likely to receive little or no ink.
With the present embodiments, a bubble tends to remain in central portion 502 while fluid can still flow through adjacent capillary channels 504. In some embodiments, surface tension, among other factors, can contribute to the bubble's tendency to remain in central portion 502 until such a time as the bubble dissipates or migrates out of the slot. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, capillary action, among other factors, can contribute to the fluid's tendency to flow through the capillary channels 504.
The embodiment represented in
The embodiment represented in
Suitable embodiments can utilize capillary channels, which when viewed in cross-section approximate portions of simple geometrical shapes such as circles, ellipses, rectangles, and triangles, among other. Examples of which are provided above and below. In this particular embodiment, individual capillary channels 504 can approximate a portion of an ellipse. Other suitable embodiments can comprise irregularly shaped capillary channels.
Exemplary slots can have various suitable configurations. For example, some exemplary slots are scalable to any lengths achievable with conventional slots. In one example, an exemplary slot can have a length of at least about 23,000 microns. Exemplary slots can also have various suitable widths similar to those of conventional slots. In the embodiment represented in
a shows an enlarged view of a portion of slot 304b. In this embodiment, individual capillary channels 504b approximate a portion of a circle. Slot 304b can be defined, at least in part, by a first sidewall 706 which defines an individual capillary channel 504b. In this embodiment, first sidewall 706 is arcuate; examples of other suitable configurations are described below. Slot 304b can also be defined, at least in part, by a second sidewall 708, which in this embodiment is generally planar. In some embodiments, first and second sidewalls 706, 708 are oriented through the substrate at less than 180 degrees relative to one another. In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, individual capillary channels intersect the central portion at a relatively pointed intersection region of substrate material, an example of which is designated at 710 in
For the purposes of illustration, the described embodiments have individual capillary channels having generally uniform configurations along their length between the first and second surfaces of the substrate. Other suitable embodiments may have other configurations. For example, a capillary channel that approximates a portion of a circle may have a radius of 20 microns at the substrate's second surface and taper to a radius of 10 microns at the first surface.
In a further example, capillary channels may be utilized which pass through less than the entire thickness of the substrate. In one such example, if testing shows the potential for bubbles to accumulate in a given portion of a slot, such as a portion proximate to the first surface of the substrate, capillary channels could be utilized which extend from the first surface through less than an entirety of the substrate's thickness.
Exemplary slots can be formed utilizing any suitable technique or combination of techniques. For example, in one implementation, the slots are formed utilizing laser machining. Various suitable laser machines will be recognized by one of skill in the art. For example, one suitable laser machine that is commercially available is the Xise 200 laser Machining Tool, manufactured by Xsil ltd. of Dublin, Ireland.
In one suitable formation technique a laser beam scans a pattern which includes both a central portion and multiple capillary channels. In another embodiment, the laser beam first forms a central portion through the substrate and then forms associated capillary channels. Still other embodiments, may form the capillary channels first and then the central portion.
Other suitable techniques for forming the slots can be utilized. Such techniques include etching among others. One such procedure involves patterning a masking layer in a desired pattern followed by alternating acts of etching and passivating.
Other suitable slot formation techniques can utilize multiple removal techniques. For example, a first process, such as etching, can be utilized to form a central portion and then laser machining can be utilized to form the associated capillary channels. Still other embodiments may use a first removal technique such as sand drilling to “rough out” a central portion, followed by another process such as laser machining to finish the slot. The skilled artisan will recognize other satisfactory formation techniques.
Several embodiments have been described in the context of printing devices. The skilled artisan will recognize many of the embodiments to be equally suitable for other applications such as various MEMs devices.
The described embodiments can provide methods and systems for forming a slot in a substrate. The slots can supply ink to the various fluid ejecting elements connected to the slot. The slots can have one or more capillary channels positioned along a central portion. Such a configuration can maintain fluid flow in the slot in the presence of gas bubbles or other obstructive materials.
Although the inventive concepts have been described in language specific to structural features and methodological steps, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as forms of implementation.
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