Patent · US Expired

Thin-film printhead device for an ink-jet printer

US6239820A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
30References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 15, 1998
Grant dateMay 29, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 15, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J2/1646
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides an ink-jet printhead substructure highly thermally efficient and greatly simplified in both the method of manufacture and resulting structure. The printhead substructure of the present invention comprises a resistor formed on an insulated substrate, a single conductive layer that provides both the conductive bonding interconnect pads and the conductive traces for the substructure, a passivation layer and a cavitation barrier. The resistor, passivation layer and cavitation barrier may comprise a single graded layer. The graded thin-film structure provides the resistor, passivation and cavitation barrier components without creating abrupt layer interfaces thereby, improving printhead reliability and durability. Fabrication of the printhead substructure of the present invention requires only two or three lithographic masks and a minimized number of sputter source materials.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.