Inkjet die structure

Abstract

An inkjet chip structure includes a first surface, a second surface, an ink supply hole, and a plurality of ink ejection holes. The ink supply hole is recessed through the first surface to the second surface and extends longitudinally. The ink supply hole includes a first hole portion recessed from the first surface toward the second surface, and a second hole portion recessed from a bottom surface of the first hole portion to the second surface. At least one connecting rib extends laterally between two side walls of the second hole portion. The at least one connecting rib separates the second hole portion into two or more through holes. The two or more through holes are located on the second surface, and the two or more through holes occupy more than 2.5% of an area of the second surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an inkjet chip structure, and more specifically, to an inkjet chip in which two or more through holes formed by ink supply holes occupy more than 2.5% of the second surface area, allowing sufficient ink to enter the first hole portion, so as to avoid ink supply interruption due to insufficient ink supply during printing, thereby stabilizing print quality. 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] Please see Figure 1A and Figure 1B This describes the matching and control method between the ink cartridge 10 and the printer in the existing known technology. In Figure 1, it can be seen that the ink cartridge 10 includes a flexible circuit board 100. An inkjet chip 100A is provided on the flexible circuit board 100. An elongated ink supply hole 110A is provided in the center of the chip and multiple nozzles 120A are located on both sides of the chip, so that the inkjet chip 100A is symmetrical from left to right. There are also several circuit board contacts (not shown in the figure) corresponding to the inkjet chip 100A and used to transmit printer control signals. The inkjet chip 100A stores information such as ink cartridge serial number, ink type, and inkjet head-printer matching information, and simultaneously controls the ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles 120A for printing.

[0004] The inkjet chip 100A is elongated, with an elongated ink supply hole 110A extending through most of its length. This results in the inkjet chip 100A extending continuously only on the top and bottom sides on the left and right sides. Because the ink supply hole 110A extends through the top and bottom surfaces, the structure is not continuous due to the central hollowing out, which blocks the stress transmission path and reduces the stress-bearing volume, resulting in insufficient support. Since the stress will concentrate at the continuous extension of the inkjet chip 100A on the top and bottom sides of the elongated ink supply hole 110A, strain will be generated. Therefore, the inkjet chip 100A is prone to breakage during the production process, leading to a decrease in yield.

[0005] However, as mentioned above, although current inkjet printing technology can meet the various output needs of schools, office documents, 3D printing, and industry, the consumer market's demands for various printing performance aspects of inkjet printing, such as color, resolution, printing range, and printing speed, are becoming increasingly stringent. In general, industries still have a great need to continuously pursue the aforementioned inkjet printing performance to maintain their competitiveness in industrial use. Therefore, given the current market situation, there is still an urgent need to continuously improve and optimize performance aspects such as printing speed and ink supply speed. In view of this, the aforementioned needs have become the subject of this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide an inkjet chip structure in which a longitudinally extending ink supply hole is recessed into the first surface of the inkjet chip and extends through to the second surface. The ink supply hole forms two or more through holes on the second surface, and the two or more through holes occupy more than 2.5% of the area of ​​the second surface. By increasing the area of ​​the two or more through holes, sufficient ink is provided to enter the first hole, so as to avoid ink supply interruption due to insufficient ink supply during printing, thereby achieving stable print quality. For detailed technical solutions, please refer to the following description.

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides an inkjet chip structure, including: a first surface, a second surface, an ink supply hole, and a plurality of nozzles, wherein the ink supply hole includes a first hole portion and a second hole portion, the first hole portion being recessed from the first surface toward the second surface, the second hole portion extending through the bottom surface of the first hole portion to the second surface, and at least one connecting rib extending laterally between the two sidewalls of the second hole portion, the at least one connecting rib separating the second hole portion to form two or more through holes, the two or more through holes being located on the second surface, and the two or more through holes occupying more than 2.5% of the area of ​​the second surface, and the width of the non-line area being more than 400 μm.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the spacing between two adjacent through holes on the second surface of the inkjet wafer is 30 μm or more.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical distance between the two longitudinally adjacent nozzles is between 80 μm and 90 μm.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical distance between the two longitudinally adjacent nozzles is between 40 μm and 45 μm.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the plurality of nozzles arranged longitudinally is between 24,000 μm and 26,000 μm.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of nozzles are arranged longitudinally, and the number of nozzles in a single row is more than 300.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of nozzles are arranged longitudinally, and the number of nozzles in a single row is more than 600.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inkjet wafer includes: a wafer substrate, a thermal barrier layer, a heating resistance layer, a conductive layer, a protective layer, a barrier layer, and nozzle sheets stacked sequentially to form a stacked structure, wherein an ink chamber is provided between the protective layer and the barrier layer; and a plurality of nozzles penetrate the nozzle sheet formed at the top of the ink chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0015] 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.

[0016] Figure 1A Explain the known configuration of the ink cartridge and inkjet chip.

[0017] Figure 1B Describe the structure of a known inkjet chip, including the nozzle and ink supply nozzles.

[0018] Figure 2A This invention describes the detailed structure of an inkjet chip in one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2B This invention describes the detailed structure of the inkjet chip further magnified in one embodiment of the invention.

[0020] Figure 3A This invention describes the detailed structure of the inkjet chip in another embodiment.

[0021] Figure 3B To indicate Figure 3A The AA three-dimensional cross-section shows the detailed structure of the inkjet chip after further magnification.

[0022] Figure 3C To indicate Figure 3A The side view of the BB in the image shows a further magnified detailed structure of the inkjet chip.

[0023] Figure 3D To indicate Figure 3A The CC side view section shows a further magnified detailed structure of the inkjet chip.

[0024] Figure 4 This illustration shows a top view of the detailed structure of the inkjet chip in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a detailed view of the inkjet chip structure from another stereoscopic perspective.

[0026] Figure 6 To indicate Figure 2A The three-dimensional cross-section is shown to illustrate the stacking configuration of the inkjet chip structure.

[0027] Figure 7 This invention illustrates the detailed architecture of a control module for controlling inkjet printing from nozzles, according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0028] [Symbol Explanation]

[0029] 10: Ink cartridge

[0030] 100: Flexible Circuit Board

[0031] 100A, 200: Inkjet chip

[0032] 201: First Surface

[0033] 202: Second Surface

[0034] 203: Chip Circuit Area

[0035] 204: Non-line area

[0036] 110A, 200A: Ink supply port

[0037] 200B: First hole

[0038] 200C: Second hole

[0039] 200D: Connecting Rib

[0040] 200E: Through hole

[0041] 120A, 210: Nozzle

[0042] 220: Ink Chamber

[0043] 230: Spray nozzle plate

[0044] 240: Protective layer

[0045] 240A: First protective layer

[0046] 240B: Second protective layer

[0047] 240C: Third protective layer

[0048] 250: Conductive layer

[0049] 260: Heating resistance layer

[0050] 270: Thermal barrier

[0051] 280: Chip substrate

[0052] 290: Barrier layer

[0053] 300: Control Module

[0054] 310: Power Supply Unit

[0055] 320: Heating unit

[0056] 330: Power Control Unit

[0057] 340: Addressing Unit

[0058] 350: Grounding unit

[0059] G: Depth of the first hole

[0060] H: Depth of the second hole

[0061] L: Spacing distance

[0062] X: Centerline

[0063] Y: Width of the chip circuit area

[0064] Z: Width of non-line area Detailed Implementation

[0065] 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 used 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 terminology used in the following description will be interpreted in the broadest and most reasonable way so that it can be used in conjunction with the detailed description of a particular embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, when describing directions, such as up, down, left, right, longitudinal, or lateral, unless otherwise defined in this specification, the relative directions of up, down, left, right, longitudinal, or lateral should be understood in the context of the description and the accompanying drawings. This allows those skilled in the art to adjust the structure of the invention to meet the needs of actual industry according to manufacturing or application requirements, hence this prior explanation.

[0066] Please see Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 6In one embodiment of the present invention, in order to achieve the aforementioned objective of improving printing performance, the present invention proposes an inkjet chip structure, wherein the inkjet chip 200 includes: a chip substrate 280, a thermal barrier layer 270, a heating resistor layer 260, a conductive layer 250, a protective layer 240, a barrier layer 290, and nozzle plates 230, which are sequentially stacked to form a stacked structure. The chip substrate 280 is used to support the components of the inkjet chip 200, the heating resistor layer 260 is used to heat the ink, and the conductive layer 250 is used to supply the energy required by the heating resistor layer 260 to heat the ink. An ink chamber 220 is formed between the protective layer 240, the barrier layer 290, and the nozzle plate 230. Multiple nozzles 210 penetrate the nozzle plate 230 formed at the top of the ink chamber 220. When the heating resistor layer 260 is heated, bubbles are generated in the ink chamber 220, which then compress the ink, causing it to be ejected from the nozzles 210. The inkjet chip 200 includes a first surface 201 and a second surface 202 opposite to it. An ink supply hole 200A is recessed on the first surface 201, extending longitudinally through the second surface 202. The multiple nozzles 210 are located on one side of the ink supply hole 200A. The multiple nozzles 210 form a pattern on the first surface 201 of the inkjet chip 200. Figure 2A The nozzles shown are arranged in a single row, and the plurality of nozzles 210 are arranged in a regular or irregular pattern, such as in a wave or sawtooth pattern. In one embodiment of the present invention, in the single row of nozzles, the vertical distance between two longitudinally adjacent nozzles 210 in a single row is between 80 μm and 90 μm (micrometer).

[0067] Please see Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 3D , Figure 4 and Figure 5According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ink supply hole 200A includes a first hole portion 200B and a second hole portion 200C. The first hole portion 200B is recessed from a first surface 201 toward a second surface 202. The bottom surface of the first hole portion 200B has a recessed second hole portion 200C that extends to the second surface 202. At least one connecting rib 200D extends laterally between the two sidewalls of the second hole portion 200C. The at least one connecting rib 200D separates the second hole portion 200C to form two or more holes. The spacing L (thickness of connecting rib 200D) between two adjacent through holes 200E on the second surface 202 is more than 30μm. By using at least one connecting rib 200D to make the ink supply holes 200A hollow, the connecting rib 200D can serve as a stress transmission path to increase the stress-bearing volume and the supporting force around the ink supply holes 200A, thereby improving the strength of the chip and making the inkjet chip 100A less prone to breakage during the production process, thus improving the production yield.

[0068] The first hole 200B of the ink supply hole 200A has a depth G of 20μm or more, and the second hole 200C has a depth H of 30μm or more. The design of the first hole 200B with a larger volume allows for more ink to be accommodated, providing sufficient ink reserves for large-area printing. At least one connecting rib 200D separates and forms two or more through holes 200E. The ink flow rate is accelerated by the through holes 200E with a smaller volume and a larger depth, thereby increasing the ink replenishment speed of the first hole 200B, thus achieving the purpose of fast printing and increasing the printing area.

[0069] The aforementioned two or more through holes 200E are located on the second surface 202, and the two or more through holes 200E occupy more than 2.5% of the area of ​​the second surface 202, that is, the area of ​​the through holes 200E is... The number of through holes 200E / area of ​​the second surface 202 is ≥2.5%. During inkjet printing, by increasing the area of ​​the two or more through holes 200E, sufficient ink can be provided to enter the first hole portion 200B through each through hole 200E, so as to avoid insufficient ink supply during printing and the situation of ink supply interruption, which would affect the print quality (such as partial image or text being missing or deformed), and thus have the effect of stabilizing print quality.

[0070] Please see Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 3D and Figure 4 According to an embodiment of the present invention, as can be clearly seen from the figures, the ink supply hole 200A is located on the first surface 201 of the inkjet wafer 200 in an asymmetrical shape (as shown in the figures). Figure 4The center line X can be clearly compared to the position. The inkjet chip 200 forms a chip circuit region 203 on one side of the ink supply hole 200A, and a non-circuit region 204 is formed on the other side of the ink supply hole 200A corresponding to the chip circuit region 203. The distance between the ink supply hole 200A and the edge of the inkjet chip 200 in the chip circuit region 203 (the width Y of the chip circuit region 203) is greater than the distance between the ink supply hole 200A and the other edge of the inkjet chip 200 in the non-circuit region 204 (the width Z of the non-circuit region 204), and the width of the non-circuit region 204 is more than 400μm.

[0071] The inkjet chip 200 described above has circuitry in the chip circuitry area 203 that controls inkjet printing. When the printer cleans and maintains the printhead, the cleaning mechanism of its cleaning circuit board involves a scraper moving from right to left to remove dirt or accumulated ink from the nozzle surface. When the scraper moves to contact the inkjet chip 200, it initially generates a large contact force. After continuous contact and displacement, the contact force weakens. Therefore, by designing the chip circuitry area 203 to be wider than the non-circuitry area 204 and having the same length, the chip circuitry area 203 has a larger volume to accommodate more circuitry, while the smaller non-circuitry area 204 is used for scraper contact to withstand greater impact. This design provides sufficient space for circuitry while preventing damage to the circuitry due to impact, thereby extending the lifespan of the inkjet chip 200.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above-described single-row nozzle structure, the distance between the two longitudinally adjacent nozzles 210 is between 40μm and 45μm. The advantage of this arrangement is that the upper and lower nozzles 210 can more effectively control the printing of the same nozzle point, making the pattern on the nozzle point more detailed.

[0073] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the single-row nozzle structure, the distance between the multiple nozzles 210 arranged longitudinally is between 24000μm and 26000μm. Because the distance between the nozzles 210 is relatively wide, the range that the inkjet chip 200 can print at one time is also between 24000μm and 26000μm, effectively improving the printable range.

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the single-row nozzle structure, the number of nozzles 210 arranged longitudinally is 300 or more or 600 or more in a single row. That is, it should be noted that the number of nozzles 210, the lateral distance of the ink supply holes 200A, and the printable range are only examples here. Those skilled in the art can arbitrarily replace or modify them according to the application needs after reading the specification of the present invention.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the single-row nozzle structure, the vertical distance between any two longitudinally adjacent nozzles 210 in the single row is between 40μm and 45μm. The single-row nozzle structure can be set on the left or right side of the ink supply hole 200A according to the application requirements.

[0076] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in the single-row nozzle structure, the lateral distance (width) of the ink supply nozzle 200A is 80μm or more.

[0077] Please continue reading. Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 3C , Figure 3D and Figure 6 The ink flow is located at the ink supply port 200A. The ink flows parallel through the ink supply port 200A to the ink chamber 220, thereby reducing the flow path during ink supply and increasing the ink supply speed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the DPI (Dots Per Inch) resolution corresponding to the inkjet chip 200 ranges from 150 to 48000 DPI.

[0078] According to the present invention, the thermal barrier layer 270 is an insulating material formed on the wafer substrate 280, the wafer substrate 280 is a silicon wafer, and the insulating material can be selected from one of field oxide (FOX), silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4) and phosphosilicate glass (PSG).

[0079] According to the present invention, the heating resistance layer 260 is a resistive material formed on the thermal barrier layer 270. The resistive material may be one of 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).

[0080] According to the present invention, the conductive layer 250 is a conductive material, which is one of aluminum (Al), aluminum-copper alloy (AlCu), aluminum-silicon alloy (AlSi), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), palladium-silver alloy (PdAg), platinum (Pt), aluminum-silicon-copper alloy (AlSiCu), niobium (Nb), vanadium (V), hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and yttrium (Y).

[0081] According to the present invention, a conductive layer 250 is formed on the heating resistor layer 260 at a location not corresponding to the nozzle 210, a portion of a protective layer 240 is formed on the heating resistor layer 260, and the remaining portion of the protective layer 240 is formed on the conductive layer 250. The protective layer 240 is composed of a second protective layer 240B stacked on top of a first protective layer 240A, and a third protective layer 240C stacked on top of the second protective layer 240B (that is, the stacking order from bottom to top is the first protective layer 240A, the second protective layer 240B, and the third protective layer 240C). The first protective layer 240A is made of silicon nitride (Si3N4); the second protective layer 240B 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 240C is a metallic material selected from one of tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), titanium nitride (TiN), and tungsten nitride (TiW). The number and materials of the aforementioned protective layers 240 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 200 as a whole caused by temperature changes when the heating resistance layer 260 is in operation, and the required product life cycle of the inkjet chip 200. Similarly, the first protective layer 240A, the second protective layer 240B, and the third protective layer 240C described in this invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0082] The barrier layer 290 is a polymer material formed on the protective layer 240. The polymer material is either polyimide or an organic plastic material. The ink chamber 220 is integrally formed in the barrier layer 290. The bottom of the ink chamber 220 is connected to the protective layer 240, and the top of the ink chamber 220 has a nozzle 210 that passes through the nozzle plate 230.

[0083] According to embodiments of the present invention, the ink supply aperture 200A in the inkjet chip 200 can provide 1-6 colors. Figure 3 shows one such ink supply aperture 200A, which can provide a single-color ink, specifically cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). In other embodiments of the present invention, the ink supply aperture 200A can provide 6 colors, specifically black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), light cyan (LC), and light magenta (LM). Of course, in another embodiment, the ink supply aperture 200A can also provide 4 colors, specifically cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). The number of ink supply apertures 200A or the colors provided can be changed or modified according to actual application requirements.

[0084] Please see Figure 7 Furthermore, according to the present invention, the inkjet chip structure also includes several control modules 300 for controlling the operation of the nozzle 210. Each control module 300 includes: a grounding unit 350, a power supply unit 310, a heating unit 320, a power control unit 330, and an addressing unit 340. The power supply unit 310 supplies the power required for inkjet printing. The heating unit 320 is coupled to the power supply unit 310 and heats the ink required for inkjet printing. The power control unit 330 is coupled to the grounding unit 350 and uses the power from the power supply unit 310 to control the operation of the heating unit 320. The addressing unit 340 controls the power control unit 330 to turn on and off.

[0085] In summary, the main objective of this invention is to provide an inkjet chip structure in which an ink supply hole 200A is formed by a recess in the inkjet chip 200 extending from the first surface 201 to the second surface 202, and the ink supply hole 200A extends longitudinally. The ink supply hole 200A includes a first hole portion 200B and a second hole portion 200C. The first hole portion 200B is recessed from the first surface 201 toward the second surface 202. The bottom surface of the first hole portion 200B has a second hole portion 200C recessed and extending to the second surface 202. At least [missing information] extends laterally between the two sidewalls of the second hole portion 200C. A connecting rib 200D separates the second hole portion 200C to form two or more through holes 200E located on the second surface 202, and the two or more through holes 200E occupy more than 2.5% of the area of ​​the second surface 202. By increasing the area of ​​the two or more through holes 200E, sufficient ink is provided to enter the first hole portion 200B to avoid ink supply interruption due to insufficient ink supply during printing, which would affect the printing quality. This achieves stable printing quality to meet the increasingly stringent market demands and meet the needs of industrial applications.

Claims

1. An inkjet chip structure, wherein the inkjet chip comprises: The first surface; A second surface; An ink supply aperture is recessed into the inkjet chip, extending longitudinally from the first surface to the second surface. The aperture includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is recessed from the first surface toward the second surface, and the second portion extends from the bottom of the first portion through to the second surface. At least one connecting rib extends laterally between the two sidewalls of the second portion, and this connecting rib divides the second portion into two or more through holes. These two or more through holes are located on the second surface and occupy at least 2.5% of the area of ​​the second surface. Multiple nozzles are located on one side of the ink supply port.

2. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacing between adjacent through holes on the second surface of the inkjet wafer is 30 μm or more.

3. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical distance between the two longitudinally adjacent nozzles is between 80 μm and 90 μm.

4. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical distance between the two longitudinally adjacent nozzles is between 40 μm and 45 μm.

5. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between the plurality of nozzles arranged longitudinally is between 24000 μm and 26000 μm.

6. The inkjet wafer structure as described in claim 1, wherein the total number of the plurality of nozzles is 300 or more.

7. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the total number of the plurality of nozzles is 600 or more.

8. The inkjet wafer structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral distance between the ink supply holes is 80 μm or more.

9. The inkjet chip structure of claim 1, wherein the inkjet chip comprises: A chip substrate; A heating resistor layer heats the ink; A conductive layer supplies the energy required by the heating resistor layer to heat the ink; A protective layer; a barrier layer; One nozzle plate; The wafer substrate, the heating resistance layer, the conductive layer, the protective layer, the barrier layer, and the nozzle sheet form a stacked structure. An ink chamber is formed between the protective layer, the barrier layer, and the nozzle plate; and Multiple nozzles are connected to the nozzle plate formed at the top of the ink chamber.

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