Fluid ejection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938136-B2
Application number	US-201615240709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a microfluidic die that includes ejection circuitry and one time programmable memory with a minimal number of contact pads to external devices. The die includes a relatively large number of nozzles and a relatively small number of contact pads. The die includes decoding circuitry that utilizes the small number of contact pads to control the drive and ejection of the nozzles and the reading/writing of the memory with the same contact pads.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a die that includes:
a plurality of chambers;
a plurality of nozzles;
a plurality of heaters that, in operation, heats the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of driving circuits, each driving circuit electrically coupled to at least two of the plurality of heaters, each driving circuit in operation, provides a driving signal to the at least two of the plurality of heaters; and
a plurality of one time programmable memory bits, each memory bit associated with each driving circuit.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of contact pads that include a first plurality of selection contact pads and a second plurality of selection contact pads.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein a ratio of a number of driving circuits to a number of first plurality of selection contact pads is in a range of 20:3 and 10:1.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein each driving circuit includes:
a first transistor coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads;
a second transistor coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads;
a third transistor coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads;
a fourth transistor coupled between the first transistor and ground;
a fifth transistor coupled between the second transistor and ground; and
a sixth transistor coupled between the third transistor and ground.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein a gate of the first transistor is coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads, a first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the second plurality of selection contact pads and a second terminal of the first transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the second transistor and a first terminal of the fourth transistor.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein a gate of the second transistor is coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads, a second terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the third transistor and a first terminal of the fifth transistor.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein a gate of the third transistor is coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads, a second terminal of the third transistor is coupled to a first terminal of the sixth transistor.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the plurality of contact pads includes a discharge contact pad and gates of the fourth, fifth, and sixth transistors are coupled to the discharge contact pad.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a firing transistor, a gate of the firing transistor being coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein a first terminal of the firing transistor is coupled to ground and a second terminal of the firing transistor is coupled to the at least two of the plurality of heaters.

11. The device of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of memory circuits configured to read and write the memory bits, each memory circuit includes a read branch and a write branch, each read branch and each write branch includes:
a first transistor having a gate coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads and a first terminal coupled to the second plurality of selection contact pads;
a second transistor having a gate coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads, a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor;
a third transistor having a gate coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads, a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the second transistor;
a read control transistor having a gate coupled to a second terminal of the third transistor, a first terminal coupled to ground, and a second terminal coupled to the memory bit.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of contact pads includes a discharge contact pad, and each read branch and each write branch includes:
a fourth transistor having a gate coupled to the discharge contact pad, a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor, and a second terminal coupled to ground;
a fifth transistor having a gate coupled to the discharge contact pad, a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second transistor, and a second terminal coupled to ground; and
a sixth transistor having a gate coupled to the discharge contact pad, a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor, and a second terminal coupled to ground.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein each reach branch is coupled to a first one of the second plurality of selection contact pads and each write branch is coupled to a second one of the second plurality of selection contact pads.

14. A device, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of chambers on the substrate;
a plurality of nozzles corresponding to the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of fluid ejection elements in the substrate corresponding to the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of fluid ejection circuits;
a plurality of memory bits;
a plurality of contact pads configured to receive signals from an external source, the plurality of contact pads including:
a plurality of first selection contacts configured to select at least one of the plurality of chambers and at least one of the plurality of memory bits; and
a plurality of second selection contacts configured to select between a fluid ejection mode, a read mode, and a write mode.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein a ratio of the plurality of first selection contacts to the plurality of second selection contacts is in a range of 2:1 and 3:2.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein a number of the plurality of chambers is equal to a number of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein a number of the plurality of chambers is two times a number of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits, such that pairs of the chambers are driven by one of the plurality of fluid ejection circuits.

18. A device, comprising:
a plurality of chambers, each chamber being associated with at least one nozzle;
a plurality of fluid ejection elements associated with the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of driving circuits coupled to the plurality of fluid ejection elements;
a plurality of one time programmable memory bits;
a plurality of contact pads that are configured to control both the plurality of driving circuits and the plurality of one time programmable memory bits; and
decoding circuitry coupled to the plurality of driving circuits, the plurality of one time programmable memory bits, and the plurality of contact pads.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein a number of the plurality of fluid ejection elements is greater than a number of the plurality of driving circuits and a number of the plurality of contact pads is smaller than the number of the plurality of driving circuits.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein a ratio of the number of the plurality of driving circuits to the number of the plurality of contact pads is in a range of 5:2 and 8:3.

21. A device, comprising
a die that includes:
a plurality of chambers;
a plurality of nozzles;
a plurality of heaters associated with the plurality of chambers;
a plurality of contact pads that include a first plurality of selection contact pads and a second plurality of selection contact pads;
a plurality of driving circuits, each driving circuit including:
a first transistor coupled to the first plurality of selection contact pads;
a second transistor coupled to the first

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
• St Microelectronics Srl
• St Microelectronics Inc

Inventors

• Neo Teck Khim
• Pasetti Mauro
• Consiglieri Franco
• Molinari Luca
• Colecchia Andrea Nicola
• Dodd Simon

Classifications

• B41J2/04543

  Block driving · CPC title

• B81B2207/012

  the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package · CPC title

• B05B12/00

  Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area · CPC title

• B05B1/24 Primary

  incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically · CPC title

• B41J2/14072

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