Ejection element substrate

Abstract

To improve efficiency of energy for driving an ejection element in an ejection element substrate.SOLUTION: Provided is an ejection element substrate, including: a plurality of ejection elements configured to discharge liquid housed in a liquid chamber from a discharge port by energy generated by an energy element provided to a substrate; a first electrode configured to apply voltage to the plurality of ejection elements; a selection circuit configured to select any one of the plurality of ejection elements; and a second electrode configured to apply voltage to the ejection elements selected by the selection circuit such that the ejection element is caused to discharge liquid. The plurality of ejection elements is arranged in a first direction, and the first electrode is formed on the substrate as solid wiring along the first direction so as to be commonly connected to the plurality of ejection elements.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ejection element substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Printers and other recording devices perform recording by ejecting ink onto a recording medium from a recording head equipped with an ejection element substrate. The ejection element substrate includes ink supply ports, ejection elements such as heaters, their drive circuits, power electrodes serving as terminals for connecting wiring, and peripheral circuits. When ink is ejected, the ejection elements are driven to eject ink from the ejection ports. In Patent Document 1, an ejection element substrate having multiple ink supply ports has wiring for driving the heaters provided on beams separating the multiple ink supply ports. In Patent Document 1, the length of the wiring for driving each of the multiple heaters is adjusted to equalize the electrical energy supplied to the heaters, thereby improving print quality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-013412 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, the electrical energy driving each heater is uniform, but the distance between the heater and the power supply electrode is several hundred micrometers, which causes wiring resistance. The voltage drop caused by this wiring resistance results in a loss of electrical energy driving the heater.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of energy used to drive ejection elements on an ejection element substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention employs the following configuration: a plurality of ejection elements that eject liquid contained in a liquid chamber from an ejection port by energy generated by an energy element provided on the substrate; a first electrode that applies a voltage to the plurality of ejection elements; a selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of ejection elements; a second electrode that applies a voltage to the ejection element selected by the selection circuit to cause the ejection element to eject liquid; An ejection element substrate comprising: the plurality of ejection elements are arranged along a first direction, The first electrode is formed on the substrate by solid wiring along the first direction so as to be commonly connected to the plurality of ejection elements. The ejection element substrate is characterized by the above features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the energy used to drive the ejection elements on the ejection element substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1A] 1 is a plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a first embodiment; [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a first embodiment; [Figure 1C] FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a first embodiment; [Figure 1D] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a discharge element substrate according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified example of an ejection element substrate in which the configuration of the electrode pads is changed. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a discharge element substrate according to a modified example in which the configuration of the power supply electrodes is changed; [Figure 4A] 10 is a plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a second embodiment; [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a second embodiment; [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged plan view of a discharge element substrate according to a second embodiment; [Figure 4D] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a discharge element substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] Schematic diagram of an ejection element substrate in which the electrode pad configuration is changed from that of Example 2. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram of an ejection element substrate in which the configuration of the ground electrode is changed from that of Example 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged plan view of the vicinity of the ejection elements of the ejection element substrate according to the third embodiment; [Figure 8] Example of circuit configuration of ejection element board [Figure 9] Configuration example showing part of a recording head [Figure 10] Recording device configuration example DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described in these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those dimensions. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, and the like of components described once in the following description will remain the same in subsequent descriptions unless otherwise specified. Well-known or publicly known technologies in the relevant technical field can be applied to configurations and processes not specifically illustrated or described. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention.

[0010] The following embodiment can be preferably applied to a discharge element substrate used mainly inside a printing apparatus (recording apparatus).

[0011] [Example 1] 1A to 1D are schematic configuration diagrams of an ejection element substrate 100 according to Example 1. Fig. 1A is an overall plan view of the ejection element substrate 100. Figs. 1B and 1C are enlarged plan views of a portion near an ejection element 101 in Fig. 1A. Fig. 1D is a schematic configuration diagram of a cross section taken along line A-A' in Fig. 1C.

[0012] The ejection element substrate 100 is provided with ejection elements 101, which are units for ejecting liquid such as ink. The ejection elements 101 are provided with energy generating elements 112 that generate energy, and in this embodiment, the energy generating elements 112 are heaters that eject ink using thermal energy. Note that the energy generating elements 112 are not limited to heaters, and may be, for example, ultrasonic elements.

[0013] Each ejection element 101 includes at least one ejection orifice 110, and ejects liquid contained in a liquid chamber 113 from the ejection orifice 110 by energy generated by an energy generating element 112. The recording device selects an appropriate ejection element from among the multiple ejection elements 101 based on image information and ejects liquid, thereby forming a desired image on a recording material. For example, eight ejection elements 101a to 101h are shown in FIG. 1C. The cross section of the region corresponding to ejection element 101h (the portion surrounded by the dashed line M in FIG. 1C) is indicated by reference numeral 101 in FIG. 1D.

[0014] A plurality of drive circuits 102 for driving the plurality of ejection elements 101 are provided on the ejection element substrate 10. 1. The ejection elements 101 are arranged in a row along a first direction along a first side of the ejection element substrate 100. The first direction is the up-and-down direction (Y direction) in FIG. 1. A plurality of ejection elements 101 may be provided corresponding to each drive circuit 102. Even when a plurality of ejection elements 101 correspond to one drive circuit 102, the plurality of ejection elements 101 are arranged side by side along the first direction. In this embodiment, the arrangement direction of each component such as the ejection elements 101 is along the direction of the side of the ejection element substrate 100, but is not limited to this.

[0015] The selection circuits 103 are arranged in a first direction along a first side of the ejection element substrate 100. The selection circuits 103 are capable of outputting a selection signal that selects one of the multiple drive circuits 102, thereby selecting the ejection element 101 corresponding to the drive circuit 102. In this way, by selecting the ejection element 101 to be driven in accordance with the movement timing of the print head, it becomes possible to perform printing in accordance with image information. The combination of the multiple drive circuits 102 and the multiple selection circuits 103 may be arranged so that the effective array density in the ejection element array direction is smaller than that of the multiple ejection elements 101.

[0016] FIG. 1A shows a power supply electrode 104 for applying a voltage to the energy generating elements 112 of the ejection elements 101. In this embodiment, the power supply electrode 104 is provided so as to extend along a first side of the ejection element substrate 100. Two power supply electrodes 104 are provided side by side in a second direction. For convenience, in the following description, the Y direction in the figure will be referred to as the "first direction" and the X direction will be referred to as the "second direction." The second direction is a direction perpendicular to the first direction within the substrate surface. Furthermore, if the ejection element substrate 100 is rectangular, the side along the first direction (side 100A1 or side 100A2) will be referred to as the "first side," and the side along the second direction (side 100A3 or side 100A4) will be referred to as the "second side." However, the shape of the ejection element substrate 100 is not limited to a rectangle. Furthermore, even when the shape of the ejection element substrate 100 is rectangular, the direction of the sides and the arrangement direction of the elements do not necessarily have to coincide.

[0017] 1B, power supply wiring 105 that forms a power supply path from the power supply electrode 104 to the energy generating elements 112 of the ejection element 101 is provided to correspond to the ejection element 101. In addition, a ground electrode 106 for applying a ground voltage to the energy generating elements 112 of the ejection element 101 is arranged on the substrate. The width of the power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 in the second direction (X direction) varies depending on the heater current and nozzle length, but is expected to be approximately 100 μm to 1000 μm. In addition, the distance between the power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 is expected to be approximately 5 μm to 10 μm.

[0018] At least one of the power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 may be a so-called solid wiring. Here, solid wiring refers to wiring formed with high wiring density so as to cover the entire surface of a predetermined region on the substrate, and providing a common electrical connection to multiple ejection elements 101. The use of solid wiring ensures a wide wiring area across the surface of the substrate, thereby reducing wiring resistance. Furthermore, the connection from the solid wiring portion to the ejection elements 101 can be made with short wiring such as the power supply wiring 105, thereby reducing wiring resistance.

[0019] The film thickness of the power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 varies depending on the film formation process, but is expected to be approximately 600 nm to 1000 nm. The ejection element substrate 100 may be formed by forming transistors that constitute the drive circuit 102 on a substrate, and then arranging the power supply electrode 104 so that it is laminated thereon.

[0020] 1A, in this embodiment, when the ejection element substrate 100 is viewed from above, the drive circuits 102 and the power electrodes 104 are arranged in overlapping positions, and the selection circuit 103 and the ground electrodes 106 are arranged in overlapping positions. In this case, on the plurality of drive circuits 102, there is at least a power wiring 105 connected to the power electrodes 104 that do not drive the corresponding ejection elements 101. Alternatively, the selection circuits 103 may be arranged so that at least wiring is provided on the selection circuits 103 to connect to the ground electrodes 106 for driving the corresponding ejection elements 101.

[0021] The power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 may be divided into two near the middle of the first side of the ejection element substrate 100. Furthermore, the number of divisions is not limited to two. Electrode pads 107 for electrical connection to the outside are arranged on the edge of the ejection element substrate 100. Power is supplied to the ejection elements 101 by applying a voltage to the power supply electrode 104 or the ground electrode 106 from the outside via these electrode pads 107. Also, although not shown in FIG. 1A , there is another electrode pad 107 on the ejection element substrate 100 that is not connected to the power supply electrode 104. Power is supplied to the drive circuit 102 and the selection circuit 103 from the outside and control signals are input and output via these electrode pads 107.

[0022] Because current flows through the power electrode 104 to each ejection element 101, it is advantageous to use a wide structure to reduce resistance (for example, the solid wiring described above). For an electrode to have a wide structure, it must have a larger wiring area per unit area on the substrate than conventional structures. Furthermore, when the power electrode 104 is divided as described above, it is also preferable to provide electrode pads 107 corresponding to each divided power electrode 104. By shortening the distance between each corresponding electrode pad 107 and the power electrode 104, the length from the electrode pad 107 to the ejection element 101 can be shortened. By configuring the power electrode 104 in this way, the voltage drop across the power electrode 104 can be sufficiently reduced.

[0023] 1A, the electrode pads 107 are arranged on the upper and lower edge portions of the ejection element substrate 100, but if the power supply electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 are not divided into two near the middle of the first side of the ejection element substrate 100, the electrode pads 107 may be arranged only on either the upper or lower side as shown in Fig. 2. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which adjacent power supply electrodes 104 are connected to each other, or a configuration in which the number of terminals is reduced by sharing the electrode pads 107 connected to the power supply electrodes 104.

[0024] The supply ports 108 that supply ink to the ejection elements 101 are arranged to correspond to the ejection elements 101. The supply ports 108 are formed so as to penetrate the ejection element substrate 100.

[0025] 1B, 1C, and 1D, the layout of the ejection element substrate 100 near the ejection elements 101 will be described. The multiple supply ports 108 are arranged in a row along the Y direction. The multiple ejection elements 101 are each arranged between the multiple supply ports 108. In each ejection element 101, an ejection port 110 that ejects ink is formed above the energy generation element 112.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, two rows of power electrodes 104 are formed side by side in the X direction, sandwiching an array (an ejection element array) formed by a plurality of ejection elements 101. Similarly, two rows of ground electrodes 106 are formed side by side in the X direction, sandwiching the ejection element array. The two rows of ground electrodes 106 are arranged to sandwich the power electrode 104 in the X direction. Furthermore, each power electrode 104 is arranged so as to be closer to the ejection element 101 than the corresponding ground electrode 106. Furthermore, the power electrode 104 is arranged so as to be closer to the ejection element array than the supply port 108.

[0027] Each power supply electrode 104 is connected to the plurality of ejection elements 101 via a power supply wiring 105. As shown in FIG. 1D, the power supply electrode 104 and the ejection elements 101 may be connected via a through hole 111 in addition to the power supply wiring 105. Furthermore, the plurality of drive circuits 102 are connected to the plurality of ejection elements 101 via drive wiring 109. A ground electrode 106 is connected to a plurality of drive circuits 102, though this is not shown. Power is supplied from a power source to the plurality of ejection elements 101 via a power supply wire 105 and a drive wire 109.

[0028] 1D, power supply wiring 105, drive wiring 109, and through-holes 111 are formed on a base substrate 114, and energy generating elements 112 are formed on the substrate. It is also preferable to form a protective layer 115 to protect the energy generating elements 112 and the wiring. Furthermore, a face plate 116 is provided on the substrate, and a liquid chamber 113 and a discharge port 110 are formed on the face plate 116. Furthermore, a communication port 117 that connects the liquid chamber 113 with the supply port 108 is provided in the base substrate 114.

[0029] In this way, in this embodiment, each power supply electrode 104 is arranged close to the ejection element 101, and the power supply wiring 105 connecting the power supply electrodes 104 and the ejection element 101 is configured to be short. This makes it possible to reduce the wiring resistance of the power supply wiring 105. As a result, it is possible to reduce the voltage drop due to the power supply wiring 105, and improve the power efficiency of the multiple ejection elements 101.

[0030] Here, "arranging the power electrode 104 and the ejection elements 101 in close proximity" is achieved by the following configurations in this embodiment. In the first configuration, the distance between each ejection element 101 and the power electrode 104 is shorter than the distance between the power electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106. In the second configuration, the power electrode 104 is formed as a solid wiring with high wiring density, thereby shortening the minimum distance between the power electrode 104 and each ejection element 101. In the third configuration, the power electrode 104 is formed along a first direction, and the ejection elements 101 are also arranged along the first direction. In the fourth configuration, two power electrodes 104 are formed parallel to each other along the first direction, sandwiching the ejection element array. This allows the ejection elements to be allocated to either the left or right, with some of the ejection elements 101 connected to one power electrode 104 and the remaining part connected to the other power electrode 104. Then, by allocating the ejection elements 101 alternately or in a predetermined number of rows to the left and right, ample wiring is possible. In order to arrange the power supply electrode 104 in the vicinity of the ejection element 101, it is not necessary to satisfy all of the first to fourth configurations described above, but it is preferable to satisfy most of them.

[0031] Furthermore, by adopting the following fifth configuration, the power supply electrodes 104 can be more reliably positioned near the ejection elements 101. In other words, when the ejection element substrate 100 is viewed in a plan view, this configuration includes a portion of the power supply electrodes 104 within the area of ​​the ejection elements 101. This corresponds to the power supply electrodes 104 being included within the range of the ejection elements 101 indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 1D.

[0032] 1C, the multiple ejection elements 101 arranged in a row are designated, starting from the top, as ejection elements 101a to 101h. Here, the odd-numbered element group (ejection elements 101a, 101c, 101e, and 101g) counting from the top is defined as the first element group, and the even-numbered element group (ejection elements 101b, 101d, 101f, and 101h) is defined as the second element group. Here, the first element group is connected to the right-side power electrode 104a via power wiring 105, and the second element group is connected to the left-side power electrode 104b via power wiring 105. That is, in this embodiment, each ejection element 101 included in the ejection element row is alternately connected to different power electrodes 104. Furthermore, a drive wiring 109 is connected to the side of each ejection element 101 not connected to the power wiring 105 (i.e., the side not connected to the power electrode 104).

[0033] In this way, by allocating the ejection elements 101 connected to the respective power supply electrodes 104, the voltage drop can be sufficiently reduced. The method of allocating the ejection elements 101 is not limited to the method of allocating them alternately one by one. For example, as will be described later, it is possible to allocate adjacent two elements at a time. Any other method may be used as long as it is possible to appropriately allocate the ejection elements 101 to different power supply electrodes 104 and reduce the wiring resistance compared to the conventional method.

[0034] As described above, in this embodiment, the layout is such that the power supply electrodes 104 are positioned in the vicinity of the ejection elements 101, thereby shortening the power supply wiring 105. Furthermore, in the ejection element array, each ejection element 101 is connected to a power supply electrode 104 that is different from that of the adjacent ejection elements 101. As a result, the voltage drop in each power supply electrode 104 and power supply wiring 105 can be sufficiently reduced. This improves the efficiency of the electrical energy supplied to the multiple ejection elements 101.

[0035] The arrangement in which the power supply electrode 104 and the ejection element 101 are close to each other is an arrangement in which the power supply wiring 105 connecting the power supply electrode 104 and the energy generating element 112 is shorter than at least the prior art. Furthermore, it is preferable that the power supply electrode 104 is arranged so that it overlaps part of the area of ​​the ejection element 101 when viewed from above.

[0036] [Example 2] In this embodiment, the layout of the power supply electrodes 104 and the ground electrodes 106 is different from that in the first embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] Figures 4A to 4D are schematic configuration diagrams of an ejection element substrate 200 according to Example 2. Figure 4A is an overall plan view of the ejection element substrate 200. Figures 4B and 4C are enlarged plan views of a portion near an ejection element 201 in Figure 4A. Figure 4D is a schematic configuration diagram of a cross section taken along line BB' in Figure 4C.

[0038] As in the first embodiment, a plurality of ejection elements 201 and a plurality of drive circuits 202 corresponding to each of the plurality of ejection elements 201 are arranged in a row along the Y direction of the ejection element substrate 200. A plurality of selection circuits 203 are also arranged along the Y direction. The combination of the drive circuits 202 and the selection circuits 203 is also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0039] 4A shows a power supply electrode 204 for supplying power to the energy generating elements 212 of the ejection elements 201. In this embodiment, the power supply electrode 204 is provided so as to extend along a first side of the ejection element substrate 200. In addition, a ground electrode 206 for supplying a ground voltage to the energy generating elements 212 of the ejection elements 201 is also arranged so as to extend along the first side. Here, in FIG. 1A, the power supply electrode 104 is arranged on the inner side and the ground electrode 106 is arranged on the outer side in the X direction. On the other hand, in FIG. 4A, the ground electrode 206 is arranged on the inner side and the power supply electrode 204 is arranged on the outer side.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4B , power supply wiring 205 forming a power supply path from the ground electrode 206 to the energy generating elements 212 of the ejection element 201 is provided to correspond to the ejection element 201. The width of the power supply electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206 in the second direction (X direction) varies depending on the heater current and the nozzle length, but is expected to be approximately 100 μm to 1000 μm. The distance between the power supply electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206 is expected to be approximately 5 μm to 10 μm. The film thickness of the power supply electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206 varies depending on the film formation process, but is expected to be approximately 600 nm to 1000 nm. The ejection element substrate 200 may be formed by forming transistors that constitute the drive circuit 202 on a substrate, and then arranging the power supply electrode 204 so that it is layered on top of the transistors.

[0041] 4A, in this embodiment, when the ejection element substrate 200 is viewed from above, the drive circuits 202 and the ground electrodes 206 are arranged in overlapping positions, and the selection circuits 203 and the power supply electrodes 204 are arranged in overlapping positions. The arrangement may be such that there is at least a power supply wiring 205 connected to a ground electrode 206 that does not drive the ejection element 201. Also, the arrangement may be such that there is at least a wiring on the multiple selection circuits 203 that is connected to a power supply electrode 204 for driving the corresponding ejection element 201.

[0042] As in Example 1, the power supply electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206 may be divided into two or more parts in the Y direction. Also, as in Example 1, electrode pads 207 are arranged on the edge of the ejection element substrate 200 to apply voltage to the power supply electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206, and power is supplied to the drive circuit 202 and the selection circuit 203 via the electrode pads 207 (not shown).

[0043] Furthermore, because current flows through the power supply electrode 204 to each of the ejection elements 201, it is advantageous to make the power supply electrode 204 wide so as to reduce resistance. Typically, it is advisable to employ solid wiring as described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, when the power supply electrode 204 is divided, by providing an electrode pad 207 corresponding to each divided power supply electrode 204, the length from the electrode pad 207 to the ejection element 201 can be shortened. By configuring the power supply electrode 204 in this way, the voltage drop at the power supply electrode 204 can be sufficiently reduced.

[0044] 4A, the electrode pads 207 are arranged on the upper and lower edge portions of the ejection element substrate 200, but if the power electrode 204 and the ground electrode 206 are not divided into two near the middle of the first side of the ejection element substrate 200, the electrode pads 207 may be arranged only on the upper or lower side as shown in Fig. 5. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which adjacent ground electrodes 206 are connected to each other, or a configuration in which the electrode pads 207 connected to the ground electrodes 206 are shared to reduce the number of terminals.

[0045] The supply ports 208 that supply ink to the ejection elements 201 are arranged to correspond to the ejection elements 201. The supply ports 208 are formed so as to penetrate the ejection element substrate 200.

[0046] 4B, 4C, and 4D, the layout of the ejection element substrate 200 near the ejection elements 201 will be described. The plurality of supply ports 208 are arranged in a row along the Y direction. The plurality of ejection elements 201 are each arranged between the plurality of supply ports 208. An ejection port 210 that ejects ink is formed above each ejection element 201.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C , two rows of ground electrodes 206 are formed side by side in the X direction, sandwiching an array (ejection element array) formed by a plurality of ejection elements 201. Similarly, two rows of power supply electrodes 204 are formed side by side in the X direction, sandwiching the ejection element array. The two rows of power supply electrodes 204 are arranged to sandwich the ground electrode 206 in the X direction. Each ground electrode 206 is arranged so as to be closer to the ejection element 201 than the corresponding power supply electrode 204. Furthermore, the ground electrode 206 is arranged so as to be closer to the ejection element array than the supply port 208.

[0048] Each ground electrode 206 is connected to the plurality of ejection elements 201 via power supply wiring 205. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4D , the ground electrode 206 and the energy generating elements 212 may be connected via through holes 211 in addition to the power supply wiring 205. Furthermore, the plurality of drive circuits 202 are connected to the plurality of ejection elements 201 via drive wiring 209. Through holes 211 are interposed at the connection portion between the two. Note that, although not shown in the figure, the power supply electrode 204 is connected to the plurality of drive circuits 202. Power is supplied from the power source to the plurality of energy generating elements 212 via the power supply wiring 205 and drive wiring 209.

[0049] In this way, in this embodiment, each ground electrode 206 is located near the ejection element 201. The power supply wiring 205 is arranged so as to be short, connecting the ground electrode 206 and the ejection elements 201. This reduces the wiring resistance of the power supply wiring 205. As a result, it is possible to reduce the voltage drop caused by the power supply wiring 205, and improve the power efficiency of the multiple ejection elements 201.

[0050] 4C, similarly to the case of FIG. 1C, the plurality of ejection elements 201 are arranged as first elements. The ejection elements 201 are classified into a first group (ejection elements 201a, 201c, 201e, 201g) and a second group (ejection elements 201b, 201d, 201f, 201h). In this case, the first element group is connected to the ground electrode 206 on the right side via a power supply wiring 205, and the second element group is connected to the ground electrode 206b on the left side via a power supply wiring 205. That is, in this embodiment, the ejection elements 201 included in the ejection element array are alternately connected to different ground electrodes 206. Furthermore, a drive wiring 209 is connected to the opposite side of each ejection element 201, that is not connected to the power supply wiring 205.

[0051] In this way, by allocating the ejection elements 201 connected to the respective ground electrodes 206, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the voltage drop. The method of allocating the ejection elements 201 is not limited to allocating them alternately one by one. For example, as will be described later, it is also possible to allocate them in groups of two adjacent elements. Any other method may be used as long as it is possible to appropriately allocate the ejection elements 201 to different ground electrodes 206 and reduce the wiring resistance compared to conventional methods.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the layout is such that the power supply wiring 205 is short by arranging each ground electrode 206 close to the ejection elements 201. Furthermore, in the ejection element array, each ejection element 201 is connected to a different ground electrode 206 than the adjacent ejection elements 201. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the voltage drop in each power supply electrode 204 and power supply wiring 205. This improves the efficiency of the electrical energy supplied to the multiple ejection elements 201.

[0053] [Example 3] In this embodiment, another example is shown regarding the combination of connecting a plurality of ejection elements 101 (or 201) arranged in a row with a power supply wiring 105 (or 205) and a drive wiring 109 (or 209), as described in Examples 1 and 2.

[0054] 7 is a partially enlarged plan view of the vicinity of the ejection elements 301 of this embodiment. Except for the combination of the multiple ejection elements 301, the power supply wiring 305, and the drive wiring 309 when connecting them, the configuration is the same as that of Example 1 or Example 2, so a schematic diagram and description of the ejection element substrate 300 will be omitted.

[0055] In this embodiment, a plurality of ejection elements 301 are arranged in a row, and a given ejection element 301 and its adjacent ejection element 301 form one group. Each group of ejection elements 301 is connected to either the left or right power electrode 304 via power wiring 305, so that each group alternates with each adjacent group of ejection elements 301. In this example, adjacent ejection elements 301a and 301b form a pair and are connected to the right-side power electrode 304a. Similarly, ejection elements 301c and 301d are connected to the left-side power electrode 304b, ejection elements 301e and 301f are connected to the right-side power electrode 304a, and ejection elements 301g and 301h are connected to the left-side power electrode 304b. A drive wiring 309 is connected to the side of each ejection element 301 that is not connected to the power wiring 305.

[0056] The above description applies when the power supply electrode 304 is disposed on the inside in the X direction as in Example 1. On the other hand, when the ground electrode 306 is disposed on the inside in the X direction as in Example 2, the ejection elements 301a, 301b, 301e, and 301f are connected to the right ground electrode 306. The ejection elements 301c, 301d, 301g, and 301h are connected to the left ground electrode 306b.

[0057] In this way, by allocating the ejection elements 301 to be connected to each power supply electrode 304, it is possible to sufficiently reduce the voltage drop at the power supply electrode 304. Furthermore, in this embodiment, two ejection elements 301 are formed into one group, but three or more ejection elements 301 may be formed into one group, and the ejection elements 301 may be connected to either the left or right power supply electrode 304 via the power supply wiring 305 so that each group of ejection elements 301 alternates with each group of adjacent ejection elements 301.

[0058] As described above, when the configuration of this embodiment is applied to the layout of embodiment 1, each power supply electrode 304 is placed in the vicinity of the ejection elements 301. This allows the layout to shorten the power supply wiring 305. Furthermore, each group of ejection elements 301 is connected to either the left or right power supply electrode 304 so that it alternates with each group of adjacent ejection elements 301. As a result, the voltage drop in each power supply electrode 304 and power supply wiring 305 can be sufficiently reduced.

[0059] Furthermore, when the configuration of this embodiment is applied to the layout of embodiment 2, each ground electrode 306 is placed near the ejection elements 301. This allows the layout to shorten the power supply wiring 305. Furthermore, each group of ejection elements 301 is connected to either the left or right ground electrode 306 so that it alternates with each group of adjacent ejection elements 301. As a result, the voltage drop in each power supply electrode 304 and power supply wiring 305 can be sufficiently reduced.

[0060] As described above, the configuration of this embodiment also improves the efficiency of the electrical energy supplied to the plurality of ejection elements 301.

[0061] [Example 4] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the ejection element substrate 100 (200, 300) described in the first to third embodiments is applied to a recording apparatus.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows an example of the circuit configuration of a printhead substrate having the ejection elements 101 (201, 301) described in the first to third embodiments.

[0063] The recording unit 800 has a heater resistor Rh and a drive unit (e.g., a transistor MD and a logical product circuit AND) that drives the heater resistor Rh. By driving the heater resistor Rh (i.e., by energizing the heater resistor Rh to generate heat), a recording material such as ink is ejected to perform recording.

[0064] The control circuit 801 can be configured with, for example, a shift register, a latch circuit, etc. (not shown). A clock signal CLK, an image data signal DATA, a latch signal LT, and a heater control signal HE may be input to the control circuit 801 via, for example, a host PC (not shown). Furthermore, a power supply voltage VDD (for example, 3 to 5 V) is supplied to the AND circuits AND and NAND and the control circuit 801 as a power supply voltage for logic. Therefore, the heater resistors Rh of the printing unit 800 are each electrically connected to the control circuit 801.

[0065] Here, the control circuit 801 can perform time-division driving to drive the heater resistors Rh by controlling the operation of the recording units 800 for each of m groups, each having n recording units 800. The time-division driving can be performed by the control circuit 801 outputting an m-bit group selection signal 802 that selects m groups and an n-bit block selection signal 803 that selects n recording units 800 within a group.

[0066] The AND circuit AND receives the corresponding group selection signal 802 and block selection signal 803, and when both signals are in the ON state, it turns on the transistor MD. When the transistor MD is in the ON state, it drives the heater resistor Rh connected in series. Here, the recording unit 800 is supplied with a power supply voltage VH (e.g., 24 V) as a power supply voltage for driving the heater, and the ground potential is ground GND. The power supply voltage VH is connected to the power supply electrode 104, and the ground GND is connected to the ground electrode 106.

[0067] A control signal 804 and a block selection signal 803 are input to the AND circuit NAND, and a signal corresponding to these is output from the inverter to the transistor MD, switching the on / off state of the transistor MD.

[0068] Also, in FIG. 8, the recording units 800 are connected to the control circuit 801, but they may each be connected to a different control circuit.

[0069] 9 and 10, an example in which the above-described printhead substrate is mounted on a printing apparatus will be described, taking an inkjet printing system as an example. However, the printing apparatus is not limited to this form and may be, for example, a thermal transfer printing apparatus such as a melting type or a dye sublimation type. The printing apparatus may be a single-function printer having only a printing function, or a multi-function printer having multiple functions such as a printing function, a fax function, and a scanner function. The printing apparatus may also be a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing color filters, electronic devices, optical devices, microstructures, etc. using a predetermined printing method.

[0070] "Recording" refers not only to the formation of images, designs, patterns, structures, and other visually perceptible features on a recording medium, but also to the processing of the medium. "Recording medium" includes not only paper, as used in typical recording devices, but also cloth, plastic film, metal plates, glass, ceramics, resin, wood, leather, and other materials to which a recording agent can be applied. "Recording agent" refers not only to liquids such as ink that can be applied to a recording medium to form images, designs, patterns, etc. or to process the recording medium, but also to liquids that can be used to process the recording agent (for example, to solidify or insolubilize colorants contained in the recording agent).

[0071] 9 illustrates an example of the appearance of a print head 1000. The print head 1000 can include a print head unit 1001 having an ejection element substrate 100 including a plurality of ejection ports 110, and an ink tank 1002 attached to the print head unit 1001. The ink tank 1002 holds ink to be supplied to the print head unit 1001. The ink tank 1002 and the print head unit 1001 can be separated, for example, by dashed line K, allowing the ink tank 1002 to be replaced.

[0072] The print head 1000 has electrical contacts (not shown) for receiving electrical signals from the carriage 1120 (FIG. 10), and ejects ink in accordance with the electrical signals to perform the above-described printing. The ink tank 1002 has, for example, a fibrous or porous ink-retaining material (not shown), which can retain ink.

[0073] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a recording apparatus 1100. The recording head 1000 is the recording head partially shown in FIG. 9, and can be mounted on a carriage 1120 together with an ink tank (a recording agent container). The carriage 1120 can be attached to a lead screw 1104 having a spiral groove 1121. By rotating the lead screw 1104, the recording head 1000 can move together with the carriage 1120 along a guide 1119 in the direction of arrow S or arrow Q. The rotation of the lead screw 1104 is linked to the rotation of a drive motor 1101 via drive force transmission gears 1102 and 1103.

[0074] The recording paper P can be transported onto a platen 1106 by a transport unit (not shown). A paper pressure plate 1105 can press the recording paper P against the platen 1106 along the carriage movement direction. The recording device 1100 can confirm the position of a lever 1109 provided on the carriage 1120 via photocouplers 1107 and 1108 and can switch the rotation direction of the drive motor 1101, etc. The support member 1110 can support a cap member 1111 that caps each nozzle of the recording head 1000. A suction unit 1112 can suck the inside of the cap member 1111 and perform a suction recovery process for the recording head 1000 through an opening 1113 in the cap.

[0075] A well-known cleaning blade is used as the cleaning blade 1114, and a moving member 1115 can move the cleaning blade 1114 in the front-to-rear direction. A main body support plate 1116 can support the moving member 1115 and the cleaning blade 1114. A lever 1117 can be provided to start the suction recovery process.

[0076] The lever 1117 moves in accordance with the movement of the cam 1118 that engages with the carriage 1120. The driving force from the drive motor 1101 can be controlled by a known transmission means such as a clutch switch. The recording device 1100 is provided with a recording control unit (not shown), and the recording device 1100 can control the driving of each mechanism according to electrical signals such as recording data from the outside. The recording device 1100 can complete recording on the recording paper P by repeating the reciprocating movement of the recording head 1000 and the transport of the recording paper P by a transport unit (not shown).

[0077] The recording device can also be used as a device that has 3D data and forms a three-dimensional image.

[0078] In this way, by applying the ejection element substrates 100 (200, 300) of Examples 1 to 3 to a recording apparatus, it is possible to minimize the voltage drop due to the power supply electrodes and wiring resistance, thereby improving the productivity of the recording apparatus.

[0079] In each embodiment, the power electrode 104 is a common power electrode that is commonly connected to a plurality of ejection elements. The ground electrode 106 is also a common power electrode that is commonly connected to a plurality of ejection elements. The power electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 can be called a first electrode and a second electrode, respectively. When the power electrode 104 is the first electrode, the ground electrode 106 is the second electrode. On the other hand, when the ground electrode 106 is the first electrode, the power electrode 104 is the second electrode. In the embodiments, at least one of the power electrode 104 and the ground electrode 106 is connected to a common electrode. By making either one of them a solid wiring, the wiring distance between the electrode and the ejection element 101 can be shortened.

[0080] As described above, in the past, when a supply port was disposed between an ejection element and a power supply electrode, the power supply wiring connecting the ejection element and the power supply electrode became long, and a voltage drop occurred due to the wiring resistance that increased with the wiring length, which caused a problem in terms of the power efficiency of the ejection element. Therefore, as explained in each embodiment of the present application, by arranging the power supply electrode near the ejection element and shortening the power supply wiring, it is possible to reduce the voltage drop due to the wiring resistance and improve the efficiency of the electrical energy used to drive the heater.

[0081] [Configuration 1] a plurality of ejection elements that eject liquid contained in a liquid chamber from an ejection port by energy generated by an energy element provided on the substrate; a first electrode that applies a voltage to the plurality of ejection elements; a selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of ejection elements; A voltage is applied to the ejection elements selected by the selection circuit. a second electrode for ejecting liquid; An ejection element substrate comprising: the plurality of ejection elements are arranged along a first direction, The first electrode is formed on the substrate by solid wiring along the first direction so as to be commonly connected to the plurality of ejection elements. 10. A discharge element substrate comprising: [Configuration 2] Two of the first electrodes are formed in parallel to each other so as to sandwich the plurality of ejection elements arranged along the first direction. 2. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1. [Configuration 3] Some of the plurality of ejection elements are connected to one of the first electrodes, The remaining part of the plurality of ejection elements is connected to the other first electrode. 3. The ejection element substrate according to claim 2. [Configuration 4] The plurality of ejection elements are alternately connected to the one first electrode and the other first electrode. 4. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3. [Configuration 5] The plurality of ejection elements are sequentially allocated to the one first electrode and the other first electrode in predetermined numbers. 4. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3. [Configuration 6] The two second electrodes are formed parallel to each other along the first direction so as to sandwich the two first electrodes therebetween. 6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles. [Configuration 7] further comprising a plurality of drive circuits respectively corresponding to the plurality of ejection elements; the selection circuit selects, from the plurality of drive circuits, a drive circuit corresponding to the ejection element to be driven; The second electrode applies a voltage to the ejection element via the selection circuit and the drive circuit. 7. The ejection element substrate according to claim 6. [Configuration 8] For each of the plurality of ejection elements, the distance between the ejection element and the first electrode is shorter than the distance between the ejection element and the second electrode. 8. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles. [Configuration 9] The first electrode is a power electrode, and the second electrode is a ground electrode. 9. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles. [Configuration 10] The first electrode is a ground electrode, and the second electrode is a power electrode. 9. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles. [Configuration 11] The first electrode is divided into a plurality of parts in the first direction. 11. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles. [Configuration 12] A recording head including the ejection element substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 11, An image is recorded on a recording material by the liquid discharged from the discharge element substrate. A recording device characterized by: [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 100, 200, 300: ejection element substrate, 101, 201, 301: ejection element, 102, 202: drive circuit, 103, 203: selection circuit, 104, 204, 304: power supply electrode, 105, 205, 305: power supply wiring, 106, 206, 306: ground electrode, 109, 209, 309: drive wiring, 110, 210: ejection port

Claims

1. a plurality of ejection elements that eject liquid contained in a liquid chamber from an ejection port by energy generated by an energy element provided on the substrate; a first electrode that applies a voltage to the plurality of ejection elements; a selection circuit for selecting one of the plurality of ejection elements; a second electrode that applies a voltage to the ejection element selected by the selection circuit to cause the ejection element to eject liquid; An ejection element substrate comprising: the plurality of ejection elements are arranged along a first direction, The first electrode is formed on the substrate by solid wiring along the first direction so as to be commonly connected to the plurality of ejection elements.

10. A discharge element substrate comprising:

2. Two of the first electrodes are formed in parallel to each other so as to sandwich the plurality of ejection elements arranged along the first direction.

2. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1.

3. Some of the plurality of ejection elements are connected to one of the first electrodes, The remaining part of the plurality of ejection elements is connected to the other first electrode.

3. The ejection element substrate according to claim 2.

4. The plurality of ejection elements are alternately connected to the one first electrode and the other first electrode.

4. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3.

5. The plurality of ejection elements are sequentially allocated to the one first electrode and the other first electrode in predetermined numbers.

4. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3.

6. The two second electrodes are formed parallel to each other along the first direction so as to sandwich the two first electrodes therebetween.

6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 3, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate for ejecting an ejection element.

7. further comprising a plurality of drive circuits respectively corresponding to the plurality of ejection elements; the selection circuit selects, from the plurality of drive circuits, a drive circuit corresponding to the ejection element to be driven; The second electrode applies a voltage to the ejection element via the selection circuit and the drive circuit.

7. The ejection element substrate according to claim 6.

8. For each of the plurality of ejection elements, the distance between the ejection element and the first electrode is shorter than the distance between the ejection element and the second electrode.

6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles.

9. The first electrode is a power electrode, and the second electrode is a ground electrode.

6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles.

10. The first electrode is a ground electrode, and the second electrode is a power electrode.

6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles.

11. The first electrode is divided into a plurality of parts in the first direction.

6. The ejection element substrate according to claim 1, wherein the ejection element substrate is a substrate having a plurality of nozzles.

12. a recording head including the ejection element substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 5; An image is recorded on a recording material by the liquid discharged from the discharge element substrate. A recording device characterized by:

Images