Inkjet chip architecture with stepped orifice sheet

Abstract

A stepped orifice piece is applied to an ink jet chip framework and comprises an orifice piece body, a plurality of orifices are formed in the surface of the orifice piece body, the orifices are viewed from a side section view, the hollowed-out portion of each orifice is in a trapezoid shape with an upper step and a lower step overlapped, and the junction of the orifice piece body and the orifices is in a stepped shape with the upper step and the lower step. In addition, the heights of the upper ladder and the lower ladder of the spray hole are a first height and a second height respectively, the first height ranges from 5 micrometers to 20 micrometers, and the second height ranges from 10 micrometers to 30 micrometers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzles, and more specifically, to an inkjet chip architecture in which the nozzles have a stepped configuration, thereby optimizing the shape and size of the ink droplets when ejected. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printing, commonly known as "Inkjet Printing," is a widely used printing technology whose history dates back to the 1950s when it was invented by the British company Hewlett-Packard. Since then, inkjet printing technology has developed rapidly, making inkjet printers the mainstream technology for home and commercial printing. Inkjet printers have many advantages, including: low cost, especially economical for home and small business use; high print quality, providing high-resolution and high-quality images, particularly for photos or pictures; ease of use, as inkjet printers are easy to install, and most can print via computer or mobile devices. Combined with the increasingly popular all-in-one office machines (including fax, photocopying, and scanning), they can rapidly expand the flexibility of office paperwork.

[0003] The applications of existing inkjet printing technology are becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from inkjet printers used in schools and offices to 3D printing and industrial printing on various material surfaces (such as label printing), all with various inkjet chips optimized for different needs. For example, US Patent 9016836B2 describes an inkjet chip architecture. Figure 3 of this '836 case reveals that its architecture includes a stacked structure composed of components such as a protective layer, a resistive layer, a thermally resistive layer, and a silicon carbide layer. Ink flows from the lower layer of the inkjet chip upwards through an ink channel, passing through the aforementioned stacked structure of components, and then into the ink supply chamber to supply the printing needs, enabling modern inkjet printing technology to achieve the goal of printing high-resolution and high-quality images.

[0004] Furthermore, the nozzle plate in the inkjet chip has nozzles for ink ejection. For inkjet printing technology, in order to achieve the aforementioned goal of high resolution and high quality images during printing, the structure of the nozzles, such as the size of the nozzle inlet and outlet, and the corresponding manufacturing method, directly affects the physical characteristics of the ink flow. For example, whether the ink droplets are uniform and fine, and whether the flow rate can be stably controlled, will directly affect the printing effect. In the current market where the requirements for printing quality are getting higher and higher, in order to make the printed pattern more detailed, there is a considerable demand for optimizing the size or configuration of the nozzles in accordance with the characteristics of the ink fluid so that the size and shape of the ejected ink droplets meet the printing requirements. This demand is the subject that this invention needs to explore. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to explore an inkjet chip architecture with a stepped nozzle plate, wherein the stepped nozzle plate has nozzles. By improving the configuration and size of the nozzles, the pressure and flow rate of the ink ejected from the nozzles meet the printing requirements, thereby better controlling the ink droplet formation process. Consequently, the detail and resolution of the printed results can further meet the needs of various office, commercial, and industrial applications, achieving the aforementioned objective of this invention. For detailed technical solutions, please refer to the following description.

[0006] A broad embodiment of the present invention provides a stepped nozzle sheet applied to an inkjet chip architecture, comprising: a nozzle sheet body covering the inkjet chip, wherein a plurality of nozzles are further formed on the surface of the nozzle sheet body, and the nozzles, viewed from a side cross-sectional view, have a hollowed-out portion that is a trapezoid with two overlapping steps, and the nozzle sheet body at the junction with the nozzles presents a stepped shape with two steps, wherein the heights of the upper and lower steps of the nozzles are a first height and a second height, respectively, wherein the first height ranges from 5μm to 20μm (5μm-20μm), and the second height ranges from 10μm to 30μm (10μm-30μm).

[0007] Another general embodiment of the present invention provides an inkjet chip architecture with a stepped nozzle plate, comprising: a nozzle plate body, wherein a plurality of nozzles are further formed on the surface of the nozzle plate body, wherein the nozzles, viewed from a side cross-sectional view, have a hollowed-out portion that is a trapezoid with two overlapping steps, and the nozzle plate body at the junction with the nozzles presents a stepped shape with two steps, wherein the heights of the upper and lower steps of the nozzles are a first height and a second height, respectively, wherein the first height ranges from 5μm to 20μm (5μm-20μm), and the second height ranges from 10μm to 30μm (10μm-30μm); and an inkjet chip, wherein the above-mentioned nozzle plate body covers the inkjet chip.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inkjet chip includes: a plurality of ink droplet generators, wherein each ink droplet generator includes a chip substrate, a thermal barrier layer, a heating resistor layer, a conductive layer, a protective layer, and a barrier layer stacked in sequence to form a stacked structure, wherein an ink supply chamber is provided between the protective layer and the barrier layer, and an ink outlet is provided at the top of the ink supply chamber to connect to the nozzle plate body.

[0009] In the above embodiments of the present invention, the thermal barrier layer is an insulating material formed on the chip substrate, the heating resistance layer is a resistive material formed on the thermal barrier layer, the conductive layer is a conductive material, and a portion of the conductive layer is formed on the heating resistance layer, a portion of the protective layer is formed on the heating resistance layer, the other portion of the protective layer is formed on the conductive layer, and the barrier layer is a polymer material formed on the protective layer. In addition, the ink supply chamber and the ink outlet are integrally formed in the barrier layer, and the ink is supplied from the side of the ink supply chamber through an ink supply channel in a direction parallel to the plane of the stacked structure. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The following detailed description of the invention and the illustrated embodiments are intended to enable a fuller understanding of the invention; however, it should be understood that this is limited to providing a reference for understanding the application of the invention and not to limiting the invention to a particular embodiment.

[0011] Figure 1 This describes the application of stepped nozzle plates in inkjet chip architecture.

[0012] Figure 2 Shows the external configuration of the nozzle plate body.

[0013] Figure 3A The stacked structure of an inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzles is illustrated from a side-view perspective.

[0014] Figure 3B The upper and lower stepped structure of the nozzle is further shown from a side view, as well as the stepped configuration at the junction of the nozzle plate body and the nozzle.

[0015] Figure 4 The stacked structure of the inkjet chip is illustrated from a side view (the nozzle plate body is omitted in the figure).

[0016] [Symbol Explanation]

[0017] 1: Inkjet chip architecture

[0018] 10: Nozzle plate body

[0019] 11: Spray nozzle

[0020] 20: Inkjet chip

[0021] 21: Ink supply channel

[0022] 22: Ink Droplet Generator

[0023] 221: Thermal barrier

[0024] 222: Heating resistance layer

[0025] 222a: Heating resistor

[0026] MJ25A-1343CN_251359 1TWCN_Simplified Chinese Version

[0027] 223: Conductive layer

[0028] 224: Protective layer

[0029] 224A: First protective layer

[0030] 224B: Second protective layer

[0031] 224C: Third protective layer

[0032] 225: Barrier layer

[0033] 226: Ink Supply Chamber

[0034] 227: Ink outlet

[0035] 228: Chip substrate

[0036] ink flow: direction of ink flow

[0037] w: First altitude

[0038] x: Second altitude Detailed Implementation

[0039] This invention will be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments and viewpoints to enable the reader to fully understand how these embodiments are implemented. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this invention can also be implemented without these details. Furthermore, this invention can also be applied and implemented through other specific embodiments, and the various details set forth in this specification can be applied based on different needs, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this invention. Therefore, this invention will be described with reference to preferred embodiments and viewpoints. Such descriptions are for explaining the structure of the invention and are for illustrative purposes only, not for limiting the scope of the patent application. The terms used in the following description will be interpreted in the broadest and most reasonable manner. When directions such as up, down, left, and right are mentioned in the description (e.g., upper step, lower step, etc.), those skilled in the art can understand them from the description and accompanying drawings, and use them in conjunction with the detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art can adjust the structure of the invention to meet the needs of actual industry according to manufacturing or application requirements, which is hereby stated in advance.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3A ,as well as Figure 3B To achieve the objectives of this invention, in one embodiment, a stepped nozzle plate is proposed and applied to an inkjet chip architecture 1, comprising: a nozzle plate body 10 covering an inkjet chip 20, wherein a plurality of nozzles 11 are further formed on the surface of the nozzle plate body 10, the nozzles 11 being formed by... Figure 3A The side three-dimensional cross-sectional view in the figure, and Figure 3B Viewed from the side, the hollowed-out portion presents a trapezoidal shape with two overlapping steps. The nozzle plate body 10, at its junction with the nozzle 11, also presents a stepped shape with two overlapping steps. These two stepped shapes have inclined surfaces. The heights of the upper and lower trapezoids of the nozzle 11 are a first height w and a second height x, respectively. The first height w ranges from 5 μm to 20 μm (5 μm-20 μm), and the second height x ranges from 10 μm to 30 μm (10 μm-30 μm). Thus, according to a viewpoint of the present invention, and the fluid continuity equation... (Continuity): AV = constant (where A is the cross-sectional area through which the fluid passes and V is the fluid velocity). When ink flows from the lower stepped type of nozzle 11 into the upper stepped type, the cross-sectional area becomes smaller, resulting in finer atomization of the ink droplets. Furthermore, the ink droplets are further accelerated during ejection. Combined with the upper and lower stepped design of nozzle 11 in this invention, and the corresponding optimization of the size range of the first height w and the second height x, the size, flow rate, ejection speed, and droplet shape of the ink droplets can be optimized according to the application requirements. This allows the inkjet chip architecture 1 using stepped nozzles to achieve a print quality ranging from 150 to 48000 DPI (Dots Per Inch), achieving the aforementioned fineness and resolution during printing and meeting the needs of various office, commercial, and industrial applications. It should be noted that the hollowed-out portion of the nozzle 11 is a trapezoid with two overlapping steps. Those skilled in the art can also configure it into an n-step trapezoid or other arbitrary configurations according to the application needs, and further adjust the parameters such as the size, flow rate, ejection speed, and droplet shape required when the ink droplets are ejected.

[0041] Please refer to the same document. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3A ,as well as Figure 3B In another embodiment of the present invention, an inkjet chip architecture 1 with a stepped nozzle plate is provided, comprising: a nozzle plate body 10, wherein a plurality of nozzles 11 are further formed on the surface of the nozzle plate body 10, the nozzles 11 being formed by... Figure 3A and Figure 3B Viewed from a side cross-sectional perspective, the nozzle plate body 10 presents a two-tiered trapezoidal shape at its junction with the nozzle 11. The upper and lower tiers of the nozzle 11 have a first height w and a second height x, respectively. The first height w ranges from 5μm to 20μm (5μm-20μm), and the second height x ranges from 10μm to 30μm (10μm-30μm). Additionally, an inkjet chip 20 is provided, with the nozzle plate body 10 covering the inkjet chip 20. Similarly, when ink flows from the lower tier of the nozzle 11 into the upper tier, the ink droplets are further... The process is accelerated by combining the upper and lower trapezoidal configuration of the nozzle 11 in this invention with the corresponding optimization of the size range of the first height w and the second height x, enabling the inkjet chip architecture 1 to achieve a print quality of 150 to 48000 DPI resolution. It should be noted that the nozzle 11 presents an upper and lower overlapping trapezoidal shape. Those skilled in the art can also configure it as an n-step trapezoid or other arbitrary configuration according to the application needs, further adjusting the parameters such as the size, flow rate, ejection speed, and droplet shape required when the ink droplets are ejected. Since its advantages and principles are the same as those of the previous embodiment, they will not be described in detail here.

[0042] Please see Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 In some embodiments of the present invention, the nozzles 11 arranged on the nozzle plate body 10 can be in a single row or in a double row. In other embodiments, they can also be arranged in multiple rows. Those skilled in the art can modify or configure the nozzles according to the application scenario, such as printing range, manufacturing cost, or resolution requirements after reading the present invention.

[0043] Please see Figure 3A ,as well as Figure 4 According to embodiments of the present invention, the nozzle plate body 10 can be disposed on the surface of the inkjet chip 20 in a bonding manner, or it can be formed on the inkjet chip 20 by semiconductor processes. Figure 3A This is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of inkjet chip architecture 1. Figure 4 Then it is a general Figure 3AA side view diagram formed after slight rotation (omitting the nozzle body 10), wherein the inkjet chip 20 further includes: a plurality of ink droplet generators 22, including a chip substrate 228, a thermal barrier layer 221, a heating resistor layer 222, a conductive layer 223, a protective layer 224, and a barrier layer 225, which are stacked to form a stacked structure, with each nozzle 11 corresponding to an opposite ink droplet generator 22. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the chip substrate 228 can be fabricated using semiconductor processes on 3 to 20-inch wafers. In the above-described embodiments of the present invention, the thermal barrier layer 221 is an insulating material formed on the chip substrate 228, the heating resistance layer 222 is a resistive material formed on the thermal barrier layer 221, the conductive layer 223 is a conductive material and is partially formed on the heating resistance layer 222 to form a heating resistor 222a, and the protective layer 224 is partially formed on the heating resistor 222a formed by the heating resistance layer 222. There is an ink supply chamber 226 between the protective layer 224 and the barrier layer 225, and the top of the ink supply chamber 226 has an ink outlet 227 to connect to a nozzle 11 with a two-step (or n-step) trapezoidal shape. Furthermore, other portions of the protective layer 224 are formed on the conductive layer 223, while the barrier layer 225, made of polymer material, is formed on the protective layer 224. The ink supply chamber 226 and the ink outlet 227 are integrally formed in the barrier layer 225. The ink is supplied from the side of the ink supply chamber 226 via an ink supply channel 21, parallel to the plane of the stacked structure, to reduce the flow path of the ink and increase the speed of ink supply. Figure 3A The ink flow is as described above, in which ink is supplied from the side of the ink supply chamber 226, parallel to the plane of the stacked structure.

[0044] According to the present invention, the material of the nozzle plate body 10 may be selected from any combination of one or more of polyimide (PI), metal, and ceramic.

[0045] According to the present invention, the thermal barrier layer 221 is an insulating material formed on the chip substrate 228. The chip substrate 228 is made of silicon wafer, and the insulating material can be selected from any combination of one or more of field oxide (FOX), silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4) and phosphosilicate glass (PSG).

[0046] According to the present invention, the heating resistance layer 222 is a resistive material formed on the thermal barrier layer 221. The resistive material can be any combination of one or more of the following: polysilicon, tantalum aluminide (TaAl), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), tantalum disilicide (Si2Ta), carbon (C), silicon carbide (SiC), indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide (ZnO), cadmium sulfide (CdS), hafnium diboride (HfB2), titanium-tungsten alloy (TiW), and titanium nitride (TiN).

[0047] According to the present invention, the conductive layer 223 is a conductive material, which is any combination of one or more of aluminum (Al), aluminum-copper alloy (AlCu), aluminum-silicon alloy (AlSi), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), palladium-silver alloy (PdAg), platinum (Pt), aluminum-silicon copper (AlSiCu), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and yttrium (Y).

[0048] According to the present invention, a portion of the protective layer 224 is formed on the heating resistance layer 222, and the other portion of the protective layer 224 is formed on the conductive layer 223. The protective layer 224 is composed of a second protective layer 224B stacked on top of a first protective layer 224A, and a third protective layer 224C stacked on top of the second protective layer 224B (that is, the stacking order from bottom to top is the first protective layer 224A, the second protective layer 224B, and the third protective layer 224C). The first protective layer 224A is made of silicon nitride (Si3N4); the second protective layer 224B is a passivation material selected from one of silicon nitride (Si3N4), silicon dioxide (SiO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), rhenium heptaoxide (Re2O7), niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), uranium pentoxide (U2O5), tungsten trioxide (WO3), silicon oxynitride (Si4O5N3), and silicon carbide (SiC); and the third protective layer 224C is a metallic material, which is any combination of one or more of tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium nitride (TiN), and tungsten nitride (TiW). The number and materials of the aforementioned protective layers 224 can be appropriately adjusted and modified according to the degree of erosion of each material by the ink, the thermal stress on the inkjet chip architecture 1 caused by temperature changes when the heating resistor 222a is operating, and the product life cycle required for the inkjet chip architecture 1. Similarly, the first protective layer 224A, the second protective layer 224B, and the third protective layer 224C described in this invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0049] The barrier layer 225 is a polymer material formed on the protective layer 224. The polymer material is either polyimide or an organic plastic material. The ink supply chamber 226 and the ink outlet 227 are integrally formed in the barrier layer 225. The bottom of the ink supply chamber 226 is connected to the protective layer 224, and the ink outlet 227 at the top of the ink supply chamber 226 is connected to the nozzle 11.

[0050] MJ25A-1343CN_251359 1TWCN_Simplified Chinese Version

[0051] According to embodiments of the present invention, the ink supply channels 21 in the inkjet chip 20 can be 1-6 colors. If single-color ink is provided, this single-color ink can be cyan (C): Cyan, magenta (M): Megenta, yellow (Y): Yellow, and black (K): Black. In other embodiments of the present invention, the ink supply channels 21 can be 6 colors, providing black (K): Black, cyan (C): Cyan, magenta (M): Megenta, yellow (Y): Yellow, light cyan (LC): Light cyan, and light magenta (LM): Light magenta. Of course, in another embodiment, the ink supply channels 21 can also be 4 colors, providing cyan (C): Cyan, magenta (M): Megenta, yellow (Y): Yellow, and black (K): Black. The number of ink supply channels 21 or the colors provided can be replaced or modified according to actual application requirements.

[0052] In summary, the stepped nozzle plate proposed in this invention can be applied to an inkjet chip architecture. By optimizing the nozzle architecture, using a two-step structure and corresponding size range, the ink flow rate can be progressively accelerated, while controlling the shape and size of ink droplets during formation. This not only enhances the performance of inkjet printing technology in printing high-resolution and high-quality images but also meets the cost requirements of various office, commercial, and industrial applications, making it highly applicable in industry. Those skilled in the art will be free to make various modifications after reading this invention, but none of them will depart from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A stepped nozzle plate, comprising: A nozzle plate body, the surface of which has multiple nozzles, and the multiple nozzles, when viewed from the side, have a hollowed-out portion that is in two steps, with the height of the upper step and the lower step being a first height and a second height, respectively. The first height ranges from 5 μm to 20 μm; The second height ranges from 10 μm to 30 μm.

2. The stepped nozzle plate as described in claim 1, wherein the hollowed-out portion of the plurality of nozzles has a trapezoidal configuration with upper and lower steps.

3. The stepped nozzle plate as described in claim 2, wherein the nozzle plate body presents a stepped shape with two upper and lower steps when viewed from the side at the junction with the plurality of nozzles, and the stepped shape is provided with an inclined surface.

4. The stepped nozzle plate as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of nozzles may be configured in a single row, a double row, or a multi-row configuration.

5. The stepped nozzle plate as described in claim 1, wherein the resolution range corresponding to the ink droplets formed by the stepped nozzle plate is between 150 and 48000 DPI.

6. An inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzle plates, comprising: A nozzle plate body, the surface of which has multiple nozzles, the multiple nozzles, viewed from the side, have a hollowed-out portion that is two-tiered, with the upper tier and the lower tier having a first height and a second height, respectively; and, An inkjet chip, with the nozzle plate covering the inkjet chip; The first height ranges from 5 μm to 20 μm; The second height ranges from 10 μm to 30 μm.

7. The stepped nozzle plate as described in claim 5, wherein the hollowed-out portion of the plurality of nozzles has a trapezoidal configuration with upper and lower steps.

8. The inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzle sheet as described in claim 6, wherein the nozzle sheet body presents a stepped shape with two upper and lower steps when viewed from the side at the junction with the plurality of nozzles, and the stepped shape is provided with an inclined surface.

9. The inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzles as described in claim 6, wherein the plurality of nozzles can be configured in a single row, a double row, or a multi-row configuration.

10. The inkjet chip architecture with stepped nozzles as described in claim 6, wherein the inkjet chip includes a plurality of droplet generators, the plurality of droplet generators having a chip substrate, a thermal barrier layer, a heating resistance layer, a conductive layer, a protective layer, and a barrier layer stacked to form a stacked structure; wherein, The conductive layer is partially formed on the heating resistor layer, the protective layer is partially formed on the heating resistor layer, and the remaining portion of the protective layer is formed on the conductive layer. An ink supply chamber and an ink outlet are integrally formed in the barrier layer. The bottom of the ink supply chamber is connected to the protective layer, and the top of the ink outlet is connected to the multiple nozzles. The resolution range that the inkjet chip architecture can correspond to is between 150 and 48000 DPI.

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