Support substrates for microfluidic die

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017190174-A1
Application number	US-201615253601-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides supports for microfluidic die that allow for nozzles of the microfluidic die to be on a different plane or face a different direction from electrical contacts on the same support. This includes a rigid support having electrical contacts on a different side of the rigid support with respect to a direction of ejection of the nozzles, and a semi-flexible support or semi-rigid support that allow the electrical contacts to be moved with respect to a direction of ejection of the nozzles. The semi-flexible and semi-rigid supports allow the die to be up to and beyond a 90 degree angle with respect to a plane of the electrical contacts. The different supports allow for a variety of positions of the microfluidic die with respect to a position of the electrical contacts.

First claim

1 . A device, comprising:
a microfluidic support having electrical connections, the microfluidic support including:
a first rigid portion having a first opening;
a second rigid portion; and
a flexible portion separating the first rigid portion from the second rigid portion, the flexible portion including the electrical connections.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first rigid portion has a first thickness, the second rigid portion has a second thickness that is substantially equal to the first thickness, and the flexible portion has a third thickness that is less than the first thickness.

3 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising contact pads on the second rigid portion, the contact pads being electrically coupled to the electrical connections, the electrical connections extending from the first rigid portion to the second rigid portion.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the electrical connections are embedded in the microfluidic support.

5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the electrical connections extend from the first rigid portion to the second rigid portion.

6 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a liner that covers sidewalls of the first opening.

7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a microfluidic die configured to eject fluid, the microfluidic die aligned with the first opening.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the first rigid portion is on the flexible portion, and the flexible portion is the second rigid portion.

9 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising contact pads on the flexible portion, the contact pads being electrically coupled to the electrical connections.

10 . The device of claim 1 wherein the second rigid portion includes a second opening and the flexible portion includes a third opening, the first, second, and third openings being aligned with each other.

11 . A device, comprising:
a support including:
a first rigid layer;
a second rigid layer; and
a flexible layer having a first portion and a second portion, the first rigid layer being separated from the second rigid layer by the first portion; and
contact pads on the second portion of the flexible layer.

12 . The device of claim 11 wherein the first rigid layer includes a first opening, the second rigid layer includes a second opening, and the flexible layer includes a third opening, the first, second, and third openings being aligned with each other.

13 . The device of claim 12 , further comprising a microfluidic die on the second rigid layer and aligned with the second opening, the microfluidic die positioned in the first opening and the third opening.

14 . The device of claim 12 wherein the second opening is smaller than the first opening and smaller than the third opening.

15 . The device of claim 11 wherein the first rigid layer is coupled to the first portion of the flexible layer by a first attachment layer, and the second rigid layer is coupled to the first portion of the flexible layer by a second attachment layer.

16 . A device, comprising:
a rigid substrate having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end; a microfluidic die positioned on the first surface and at the first end of the rigid substrate; and contact pads positioned on the second surface and at the second end of the rigid substrate, the contact pads being electrically coupled to the microfluidic die.

17 . The device of claim 16 wherein the rigid substrate includes a through hole, and the microfluidic die overlaps the through hole.

18 . The device of claim 16 wherein the contact pads are electrically coupled to the microfluidic die by electrical connections embedded in the rigid substrate.

19 . The device of claim 16 wherein the contact pads include a first row of contact pads and a second row of contact pads, and the rigid substrate includes through holes positioned between the first row of contact pads and the second row of contact pads.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Inc
• St Microelectronics Int Nv
• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Dodd Simon
• Hunt David S
• Scheffelin Joseph Edward
• Gruenbacher Dana

Classifications

• B41J2/1433 Primary

  Structure of nozzle plates · CPC title

• B41J2002/14491

  Electrical connection · CPC title

• B41J2/14072 Primary

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

• B41J2002/14362

  Assembling elements of heads · CPC title

• B41J2/14201

  Structure of print heads with piezoelectric elements · CPC title