Fluid ejection devices including electrical interconnect elements for fluid ejection dies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11472180-B2
Application number	US-201916769921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 6, 2019
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of fluid ejection dies, wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a contact pad and a plurality of fluid actuation devices. The device includes an electrical interconnect element in contact with the contact pad of each of the fluid ejection dies to electrically interconnect the plurality of fluid ejection dies.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
at least three fluid ejection dies, wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a plurality of contact pads and a plurality of fluid actuation devices, wherein the plurality of contact pads of each of the fluid ejection dies is arranged in a column; and
at least one electrical interconnect element that is positioned entirely perpendicularly to the column of contact pads in each of the at least three fluid ejection dies and that extends across at least a portion of a top surface of each of the at least three fluid ejection dies wherein the at least one electrical interconnect element is in direct contact with one of the contact pads of each of the at least three fluid ejection dies to electrically interconnect the at least three fluid ejection dies.

2. The device of claim 1 , and further comprising a flex circuit connected to the at least one electrical interconnect element and to electrical interconnect pads to connect to a host controller.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one electrical interconnect element includes a structure that is more rigid than the flex circuit.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the electrical interconnect elements functions as a ground or power and connects to two contact pads adjacent opposite longitudinal ends of at least one die, whereby the two contact pads are connected through an interconnect line of the flex circuit that extends along and next to the fluid ejection dies.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical interconnect element includes a targeting fiducial to facilitate alignment of the at least one electrical interconnect element with the contact pads of the fluid ejection dies.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a data contact pad for data transfer, and wherein the at least one electrical interconnect element is in contact with the data contact pad.

7. The device of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of electrical interconnect elements.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein each of the electrical interconnect elements in the plurality of electrical interconnect elements is in contact with a data contact pad of one of the fluid ejection dies.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein each of the electrical interconnect elements in the plurality of electrical interconnect elements includes at least one element that is in contact with one of the contact pads of each of the fluid ejection dies to electrically interconnect the at least three fluid ejection dies.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the electrical interconnect elements in the plurality of electrical interconnect elements includes a u-shaped element with two vertical portions and a horizontal portion, and wherein the horizontal portion is in contact with a data contact pad of one of the fluid ejection dies.

11. A device, comprising:
a carrier including a window;
at least three fluid ejection dies positioned within the window, wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a column of contact pads and a plurality of fluid actuation devices; and
a plurality of electrical interconnect elements of which each electrical interconnect element is positioned entirely perpendicularly to the column of contact pads of each of the at least three fluid ejection dies and is in contact with a contact pad of each of the fluid ejection dies to interconnect the contact pads.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device includes a flex circuit comprising interconnect wires and wherein an electrical interconnect element connects contact pads of multiple fluid ejection dies to a single interconnect wire.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the electrical interconnect elements functions as a ground and connects to two contact pads adjacent opposite longitudinal ends of at least one of the dies through an interconnect wire of the flex circuit that extends next to and along the dies.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the flex circuit comprises:
interconnect pads for connection to a fluid ejection system;
electrical interconnect wires along a length of the flex circuit; and
electrical interconnect elements to connect contact pads of the dies to the interconnect pads via the electrical interconnect wires.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a contact pad for signal transfer, and wherein the device further comprises:
a plurality of electrical interconnect elements, wherein each of the electrical interconnect elements in the plurality of electrical interconnect elements is in contact with the contact pad for signal transfer of one of the fluid ejection dies.

16. A fluid ejection cartridge, comprising:
a plurality of fluid ejection dies attached to a common substrate, wherein each of the fluid ejection dies includes a plurality of contact pads and a plurality of fluid actuation devices, wherein the plurality of contact pads and fluid actuation devices of each of the fluid ejection dies are arranged in columns along a length direction of each die; and
a plurality of electrical interconnect elements, wherein each electrical interconnect elements is positioned perpendicularly to the columns of contact pads and extends at least partially across a top surface of each fluid ejection die, in direct contact with a respective contact pads of each fluid ejection die, each electrical interconnect element to connect contact pads of the plurality of fluid ejection dies to a single common routing of a flex circuit that in turn is connected to a corresponding single interconnect pad to connect said contact pads to a fluid ejection system.

17. The fluid ejection cartridge of claim 16 , wherein each of the fluid ejection dies comprises a single color fluid ejection die, and each single color fluid ejection die is of a different color.

18. The fluid ejection cartridge of claim 16 , wherein at least one electrical interconnect element functions as a ground or power and connects to two contact pads adjacent opposite longitudinal ends of at least one die, whereby those contact pads are connected through an interconnect line of the flex circuit that extends along and next to the dies.

19. The fluid ejection cartridge of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the electrical interconnect elements functions as a ground and connects to two contact pads adjacent opposite longitudinal ends of at least one die through an interconnect wire of the flex circuit that extends next to and along the dies.

20. The fluid ejection cartridge of claim 16 , wherein the flex circuit comprises:
interconnect pads for connection to a fluid ejection system;
electrical interconnect wires along the length of the flex circuit; and
electrical interconnect elements to connect contact pads of the dies to the interconnect pads via the electrical interconnect wires.

21. The fluid ejection cartridge of claim 16 , and further comprising a plurality of said single common routings and a plurality of single interconnect pads, each single common routing connected to a corresponding single interconnect pad and corresponding electrical interconnect element.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Fuller Anthony M
• Forrest Daren L
• Cumbie Michael W
• Groom Michael
• Jenssen Conrad

Classifications

• B41J2/145

  Arrangement thereof · CPC title

• B41J2/14072

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

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2/14 Primary

  Structure thereof {only for on-demand ink jet heads} · CPC title

• B41J2202/20

  Modules · CPC title