Fluid actuators connected to field effect transistors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633949-B2
Application number	US-201816973999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2018
Priority date	Sep 24, 2018
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

Examples include a fluidic die. The fluidic die comprises an array of field effect transistors. Connecting members electrically connect at least some of the field effect transistors of the array of field effect transistors, and the field effect transistors of the array are arranged into respective sets of field effect transistors. The fluidic die further comprises a first fluid actuator connected to a first set of field effect transistors having a first number of field effect transistors. The die includes a second fluid actuator connected to a second respective set of field effect transistors having a second number of field effect transistors that is different than the first number of field effect transistors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluidic die comprising:
an array of field effect transistors;
connecting members interconnecting at least some of the field effect transistors of the array of field effect transistors, the field effect transistors of the array arranged into respective sets of field effect transistors;
a first fluid actuator connected to a first respective set of field effect transistors having a first number of field effect transistors; and
a second fluid actuator connected to a second respective set of field effect transistors comprising a second number of field effect transistors that is different than the first number of field effect transistors, wherein the connecting members connect the field effect transistors of the second set in parallel.

2. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid actuator corresponds to a first fluid actuator size, and the second fluid actuator corresponds to a second fluid actuator size that is different than the first fluid actuator size.

3. The fluidic die of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first fluid chamber in which the first fluid actuator is disposed, the first fluid chamber having a first chamber volume; and
a second fluid chamber in which the second fluid actuator is disposed, the second fluid chamber having a second chamber volume that is different than the first chamber volume.

4. The fluidic die of claim 1 , further comprising:
a microfluidic channel in which the first fluid actuator is disposed; and
a fluid chamber in which the second fluid actuator is disposed, the fluid chamber fluidically coupled to the microfluidic channel, wherein the second number of field effect transistors is greater than the first number of field effect transistors.

5. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the first respective set of field effect transistors includes a single field effect transistor.

6. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the second respective set of field effect transistors includes at least three interconnected field effect transistors connected in parallel.

7. The fluidic die of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first nozzle having a first nozzle orifice size;
a second nozzle having a second nozzle orifice size that is greater than the first nozzle orifice size;
a first fluid chamber in which the first fluid actuator is disposed, the first fluid chamber fluidically coupled to the first nozzle, the first fluid chamber having a first chamber volume, wherein the first respective set of field effect transistors corresponds to a single field effect transistor; and
a second fluid chamber in which the second fluid actuator is disposed, the second fluid chamber fluidically coupled to the second nozzle, the second fluid chamber having a second chamber volume that is greater than the first chamber volume, wherein the second respective set of field effect transistors includes at least three field effect transistors.

8. The fluidic die of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid inlet passage;
a fluid outlet passage;
a microfluidic channel in which the first fluid actuator is disposed, the microfluidic channel fluidically coupled to the fluid supply passage at a first end, and the microfluidic channel fluidically coupled to the fluid collection passage at a second end;
a nozzle; and
a fluid chamber in which the second fluid actuator is disposed, the fluid chamber fluidically coupled to the nozzle and the microfluidic channel.

9. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the first respective set of field effect transistors consists of a single field effect transistor.

10. The fluidic die of claim 1 , further comprising a third fluid actuator connected to a third respective set of field effect transistors, wherein the first, second and third sets of field effect transistors all include a different number of transistors and where any set with multiple transistors includes connecting members connecting the multiple transistors in parallel.

11. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid actuator comprises a first nozzle with a first orifice of a first size and the second fluid actuator comprises a second nozzle with a second orifice of a second size different from the first size.

12. The fluidic die of claim 11 , wherein the second orifice of the second nozzle is noncircular.

13. The fluidic die of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid actuator comprises a fluid pump and is disposed in a micro-recirculation system to recirculate fluid within the fluidic die.

14. A fluidic die comprising:
an array of field effect transistors;
a plurality of connecting members, the plurality of connecting members including respective connecting members interconnecting at least some field effect transistors of the array of field effect transistors; and
a plurality of fluid actuators, the plurality of fluid actuators including a first type of fluid actuator and a second type of fluid actuator, each fluid actuator of the first type connected to a respective first set of field effect transistors including at least one field effect transistor, and each fluid actuator of the second type is connected to a respective second set of field effect transistors including at least one more field effect transistor than the respective first sets of field effect transistors;
wherein the first fluid actuator corresponds to a first fluid actuator size, and the second fluid actuator corresponds to a second fluid actuator size that is different than the first fluid actuator size.

15. The fluidic die of claim 14 , wherein the array of field effect transistors is a first array of field effect transistors, the fluidic die further comprising:
a second array of field effect transistors, wherein the plurality of connecting members includes respective connecting members interconnecting sets of field effect transistors of the second array of field effect transistors; and
wherein the plurality of fluid actuators includes a third type of fluid actuator, each respective fluid actuator of the third type is connected to a respective third set of field effect transistors of the second array of field effect transistors, and each respective third set of field effect transistors includes a number of field effect transistors that is different than a number of field effect transistors of the respective first sets of field effect transistors.

16. A process for a fluidic die comprising:
forming fluid actuators on a substrate that includes a plurality of field effect transistors and disconnected connecting members;
connecting some connecting members to thereby interconnect at least some field effect transistors and to connect respective sets of field effect transistors having different numbers of field effect transistors to the fluid actuators.

17. The process of claim 16 , further comprising:
forming fluid chambers for the fluidic die such that the fluid actuators are disposed in the fluid chambers, the fluid chambers including a first set of fluid chambers having a first chamber volume, and the fluid chambers including a second set of fluid chambers having a second chamber volume,
wherein, the fluid actuators disposed in the first set of fluid chambers are connected to sets of field effect transistors having a first number of interconnected field effect transistors, and the fluid actuators disposed in the second set of fluid chambers are connected to sets of field effect transistors having a second number of interconnected field effect transistors that is greater than the first number of interconnected field effect transistors.

18. The process

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Martin Eric
• Przybyla James R
• Cicili Rogelio

Classifications

• B41J2/0455 Primary

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• B41J2/14201

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• B41J2/14072

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• B41J2/0458

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• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title