Microfluidic system with single drive signal for multiple nozzles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919334-B2
Application number	US-201514975540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a microfluidic die that includes a plurality of heaters above a substrate, a plurality of chambers and nozzles above the heaters, a plurality of first contacts coupled to the heaters, and a plurality of second contacts coupled to the heaters. The plurality of second contacts are coupled to each other and coupled to ground. The die includes a plurality of contact pads, a first signal line coupled to the plurality of second contacts and to a first one of the plurality of contact pads, and a plurality of second signal lines, each second signal line being coupled to one of the plurality of first contacts, groups of the second signal lines being coupled together to drive a group of the plurality of heaters with a single signal, each group of the second signal lines being coupled to a remaining one of the plurality of contact pads.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic component, comprising:
a die, the die including:
a first fluid ejection group including:
a first plurality of input contacts;
a first plurality of output contacts;
a first plurality of heaters coupled between one of the first plurality of input contacts and one of the first plurality of output contacts;
a first plurality of chambers, each chamber having walls, each chamber positioned above one of the first plurality of heaters;
a first plurality of nozzles, each nozzle positioned above one of the first plurality of chambers; and
a first signal line coupled to the first plurality of input contacts and configured to drive the first plurality of heaters at the same time;

a plurality of second fluid ejection groups, each second fluid ejection group including:
a second plurality of input contacts;
a second plurality of output contacts;
a second plurality of heaters coupled between one of the second plurality of input contacts and one of the second plurality of output contacts;
a second plurality of chambers, each chamber having walls, each chamber positioned above one of the second plurality of heaters;
a second plurality of nozzles, each nozzle positioned above one of the second plurality of chambers; and
a second signal line coupled to the second plurality of input contacts and configured to drive the second plurality of heaters at the same time;

a third signal line coupled to the first plurality of output contacts and to each of the second plurality of output contacts.

2. The microfluidic component of claim 1 wherein the first and second plurality of input contacts, the first and second plurality of output contacts, the first signal line, each of the second signal lines, and the third signal line are formed from a first conductive layer.

3. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising:
a circuit board, the die being coupled to the circuit board, the circuit board including:
a number of first contact pads;
a number of second contact pads coupled to the first signal line, each of the second signal lines, and the third signal line of the die;
a plurality of electrical traces coupled between the number of first contact pads and the number of second contact pads, some of the plurality of electrical traces being coupled to more than one of the number of second contact pads.

4. The microfluidic component of claim 1 , further comprising:
a circuit board, the die being coupled to the circuit board, the circuit board including:
a number of first contact pads;
a number of second contact pads coupled to the first signal line, each of the second signal lines, and the third signal line of the die;
a plurality of electrical traces coupled between the number of first contact pads and the number of second contact pads, the first contact pads including a first one that is coupled to ground and to the third signal line and remaining ones of the first contact pads receive a drive signal configured to drive the first fluid ejection group and each of the second fluid ejection groups separately.

5. The microfluidic component of claim 1 wherein the die includes an inlet path that is in fluid communication with the first plurality of chambers and each of the second plurality of chambers.

6. A method of forming a microfluidic component, comprising:
forming a first fluid ejection group on a die, the forming of the first fluid ejection group on the die including:
forming a first plurality of input contacts;
forming a first plurality of output contacts;
forming a first plurality of heaters coupled between one of the first plurality of input contacts and one of the first plurality of output contacts;
forming a first plurality of physical chambers, each physical chamber positioned above one of the first plurality of heaters and has walls separating each physical chamber;
forming a first plurality of nozzles, each nozzle positioned above one of the first plurality of physical chambers; and
forming a first signal line coupled to the first plurality of input contacts and configured to drive the first plurality of heaters at the same time;

forming a plurality of second fluid ejection groups on the die, wherein forming each second fluid ejection group includes:
forming a second plurality of input contacts;
forming a second plurality of output contacts;
forming a second plurality of heaters coupled between one of the second plurality of input contacts and one of the second plurality of output contacts;
forming a second plurality of physical chambers, each physical chamber positioned above one of the second plurality of heaters and has walls separating each physical chamber;
forming a second plurality of nozzles, each nozzle positioned above one of the second plurality of physical chambers;
forming a second signal line coupled to the second plurality of input contacts and configured to drive the second plurality of heaters at the same time; and
forming a third signal line coupled to the first plurality of output contacts and to each of the second plurality of output contacts.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising forming the first and second plurality of input contacts, the first and second plurality of output contacts, the first signal line, each of the second signal lines, and the third signal line from a first conductive layer.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
coupling the die to a circuit board, the circuit board including:
a number of first contact pads;
a number of second contact pads coupled to the first signal line, each of the second signal lines, and the third signal line of the die;
a plurality of electrical traces coupled between the number of first contact pads and the number of second contact pads, some of the plurality of electrical traces being coupled to more than one of the number of second contact pads.

9. A microfluidic component, comprising:
a die;
a plurality of fluid ejection groups on the die, each fluid ejection group including:
a plurality of input contacts;
a plurality of output contacts coupled to a ground;
a plurality of heaters, each heater coupled between one of the plurality of input contacts and one of the plurality of output contacts;
a plurality of physically distinct chambers, each chamber aligned with one of the plurality of heaters;
a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle aligned with one of the plurality of chambers; and
a plurality of first signal lines, each of the first signal lines being coupled to a number of the plurality of input contacts.

10. The microfluidic component of claim 9 wherein a number of the plurality of first signals lines is less than a number of the plurality of heaters.

11. The microfluidic component of claim 9 , further comprising a second signal line coupled to the plurality of output contacts coupling the output contacts to the ground.

12. The microfluidic component of claim 11 , further comprising a first contact pad on the die that is coupled to the second signal line and a plurality of second contact pads on the die, each of the second contact pads being coupled to one of the plurality of first signal lines.

13. The microfluidic component of claim 9 wherein the die includes an inlet path and a first group of the plurality of input contacts is on a first side of the inlet path and a second group of the plurality of input contacts on a second side of the inlet path and a first group of the plurality of output contacts on the first side of the inlet path and a second group of the plurality of output contacts on the second side of the inlet path.

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Assignees

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

Inventors

• Dodd Simon
• Scheffelin Joe
• Hunt Dave
• Giere Matt
• Gruenbacher Dana
• Sherman Faiz

Classifications

• B41J2/14016

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• H05K1/181

  associated with surface mounted components · CPC title

• B41J2/14072

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

• B41J2/175

  Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} · CPC title

• B05B17/0638

  spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices · CPC title