Die for a printhead

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267243-B2
Application number	US-201916766527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A die for a printhead is described herein. The die includes fluid feed holes disposed in a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the die. The fluid feed holes are formed through a substrate of the die. Fluidic actuators are proximate to the fluid feed holes, to eject fluid received from the fluid feed holes. Field-effect transistors are parallel to the fluid feed holes. Each fluidic actuator is powered by an associated field effect transistor. Logic circuitry to actuate the field-effect transistors is disposed on an opposite side of the fluid feed holes from the field-effect transistors. Traces, disposed between the fluid feed holes, electrically couple the logic circuitry to the field-effect transistors. The die has a repeating structure including one fluid feed hole, two fluidic actuators, and two field-effect transistors placed at an interval of two times a dot pitch in a line along the die.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A die for a printhead, comprising:
a plurality of fluid feed holes disposed in a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the die, wherein the fluid feed holes are formed through a substrate of the die;
a plurality of fluidic actuators, proximate to the plurality of fluid feed holes, to eject fluid received from the fluid feed holes;
a plurality of field-effect transistors parallel to the plurality of fluid feed holes, wherein each of the plurality of fluidic actuators is powered by an associated field-effect transistor; and
logic circuitry to actuate the plurality of field-effect transistors on the die on an opposite side of the fluid feed holes from the plurality of field-effect transistors, wherein traces, disposed between the fluid feed holes, electrically couple the logic circuitry to the plurality of field-effect transistors; and
wherein the die has a repeating structure comprising one fluid feed hole, two fluidic actuators, and two field-effect transistors placed at an interval of two times a dot pitch in a line along the die.

2. The die of claim 1 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are placed on the same side of the one fluid feed hole, and wherein one of the two fluidic actuators is larger than the other fluidic actuator.

3. The die of claim 1 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are placed on opposite sides of the one fluid feed hole, and wherein the two fluidic actuators are offset from each other by an interval of one dot pitch.

4. The die of claim 1 , wherein the traces comprise energizing circuitry to activate power circuitry for thermal resistors.

5. The die of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fluidic actuators comprises a plurality of thermal resistors, wherein each fluidic actuator has an associated thermal resistor, and wherein a trace couples a field-effect transistor to a thermal resistor for powering the thermal resistor.

6. The die of claim 1 , comprising a shared common ground and a shared supply bus to provide power to the plurality of field-effect transistors.

7. The die of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of die zones, comprising:
a logic power zone along one edge of the die, comprising a common logic power line and a common logic ground line;
an address line zone;
an address logic zone, comprising address logic for selecting a fluidic actuator from a group of fluidic actuators in the plurality of fluidic actuators;
a memory zone, comprising a memory element for each group of fluidic actuators in the plurality of fluidic actuators;
a feed zone, comprising the plurality of fluid feed holes;
a power circuitry zone, comprising power circuitry to power thermal resistors for each of the plurality of fluidic actuators; and
a power zone, comprising a shared power bus and a shared common ground for the power circuitry.

8. The die of claim 7 , comprising:
a first fluidic actuator zone, comprising a portion of the plurality of fluidic actuators, and disposed along one side of the feed zone; and
a second fluidic actuator zone, comprising another portion of the plurality of fluidic actuators, and disposed along an opposite side of the feed zone from the first fluidic actuator zone.

9. The die of claim 1 , wherein the interval of two times a dot pitch is about 42 micrometers.

10. A die for a printhead, comprising:
a plurality of fluid feed holes disposed in a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the die, wherein the fluid feed holes are formed through a substrate of the die;
a plurality of fluidic actuators, proximate to the plurality of fluid feed holes, to eject fluid received from the fluid feed holes;
a plurality of field-effect transistors, wherein each of the plurality of fluidic actuators is powered by an associated field-effect transistor; and
logic circuitry to actuate the plurality of field-effect transistors on the die on an opposite side of the fluid feed holes from the plurality of field-effect transistors, wherein traces, disposed between the fluid feed holes, electrically couple the logic circuitry to the plurality of field-effect transistors; and
wherein the die has a repeating structure comprising one fluid feed hole, two fluidic actuators, and two field-effect transistors placed at an interval of two times a dot pitch in a line along the die.

11. The die of claim 10 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are placed on the same side of the one fluid feed hole, and wherein one of the two fluidic actuators is larger than the other fluidic actuator.

12. The die of claim 10 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are placed on opposite sides of the one fluid feed hole, and wherein the two fluidic actuators are offset from each other by an interval of one dot pitch.

13. The die of claim 10 , wherein the traces comprise energizing circuitry to activate power circuitry for thermal resistors.

14. The die of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of fluidic actuators comprises a plurality of thermal resistors, wherein each fluidic actuator has an associated thermal resistor, and wherein a trace couples a field-effect transistor to a thermal resistor for powering the thermal resistor.

15. The die of claim 10 , comprising a shared common ground and a shared supply bus to provide power to the plurality of field-effect transistors.

16. The die of claim 10 , comprising a plurality of die zones, comprising:
a logic power zone along one edge of the die, comprising a common logic power line and a common logic ground line;
an address line zone;
an address logic zone, comprising address logic for selecting a fluidic actuator from a group of fluidic actuators in the plurality of fluidic actuators;
a memory zone, comprising a memory element for each group of fluidic actuators in the plurality of fluidic actuators;
a feed zone, comprising the plurality of fluid feed holes;
a power circuitry zone, comprising power circuitry to power thermal resistors for each of the plurality of fluidic actuators; and
a power zone, comprising a shared power bus and a shared common ground for the power circuitry.

17. A method for forming a die for a printhead, comprising:
etching a plurality of fluid feed holes in a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of a substrate;
forming a plurality of layers on the substrate, wherein the layers comprise:
logic power circuits along one edge of the substrate, comprising a common logic power line and a common logic ground line;
address line circuits;
address logic circuits, comprising address logic for selecting a fluidic actuator from a group of fluidic actuators;
memory circuits, comprising a memory element for each group of fluidic actuators;
printing power circuits, comprising a power circuit to power a thermal resistor for each of a plurality of fluidic actuators, and wherein layers are formed on the substrate between the plurality of fluid feed holes to electrically couple the address logic to the power circuit; and
printing power connections, comprising a shared power bus and a shared common ground for the printing power circuits; and

wherein the die has a repeating structure comprising one fluid feed hole, two fluidic actuators, and two field-effect transistors placed at an interval of two times a dot pitch in a line along the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are formed on the same side of the one fluid feed hole, and wherein one of the two fluidic actuators is larger than the other fluidic actuator.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the two fluidic actuators are formed on opposite sides of the one f

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Gardner James Michael
• Fuller Anthony M
• Cumbie Michael W

Classifications

• B41J2/14056 Primary

  Plural heating elements per ink chamber · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2/1601

  Production of bubble jet print heads (B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2202/13

  Heads having an integrated circuit · CPC title

• B41J2/14072

  Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside... · CPC title