Liquid Ejection Head Integrated Circuit Substrate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid ejection heads face challenges in enhancing resolution without narrowing the wiring pitch, as increasing the number of ejection ports and electric wirings requires a narrower wiring pitch, making it difficult to maintain high-density ejection port arrangements and efficient wiring connections.
Innovation Solution
The liquid ejection head design includes energy generating devices and integrated circuits arranged on the same substrate, with ejection ports and energy generating devices configured as columns, allowing for high-density ejection port arrangements without the need for narrow wiring pitches, achieved by integrating the integrated circuits and piezoelectric elements on the same substrate and using a three-layer flow path configuration to reduce wiring length and area requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of ejection ports is increased to enhance resolution, then the printing precision is improved, but the wiring pitch must be narrowed which makes the connection region between FPC and wiring difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar wiring arrangement to a three-dimensional wiring structure by routing wirings through the thickness direction of the substrate. This allows multiple wirings to be packed vertically rather than horizontally, effectively increasing the wiring capacity without narrowing the wiring pitch in the plane, thus resolving the contradiction between high-density ejection port arrangement and sufficient connection region.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by routing wirings through multiple layers of the substrate thickness, where wirings are embedded within the substrate structure itself. This nested arrangement allows numerous wirings to be accommodated within the limited lateral space by utilizing the vertical dimension, enabling high-resolution ejection port density without compromising the connection region availability.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of electric wirings is increased to support more ejection ports, then the ejection port density is improved, but the wiring pitch must be narrowed which increases wiring complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the wiring complexity issue by moving from two-dimensional wiring to three-dimensional wiring architecture. By routing wirings through the substrate thickness, the system can accommodate a larger number of ejection ports without proportionally increasing lateral wiring complexity, as the vertical dimension provides additional routing pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wiring into multiple vertical layers within the substrate thickness, allowing each layer to handle a subset of ejection port connections. This segmentation distributes the wiring burden across multiple dimensions, reducing the complexity burden on any single wiring layer while supporting a higher total number of ejection ports.
3Measurement precision
If the connection region between FPC and wiring is narrowed to fit high-density ejection ports, then the ejection port density is improved, but the ease of connection is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains ease of connection by routing FPC connections to the substrate surface at optimized locations rather than requiring access through narrow lateral regions. By utilizing the vertical dimension for wiring routing, the connection region on the substrate surface can be strategically positioned to maintain accessibility, thus preserving ease of connection while achieving high ejection port density.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables enhanced resolution without narrowing the wiring pitch, allowing for high-density ejection port arrangements and reduced wiring complexity, facilitating the production of liquid ejection heads with improved precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element 110, having a positive electrode 111 and a negative electrode 109
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a liquid ejection head whose resolution may be enhanced without narrowing a wiring pitch, and a manufacturing method thereof. To that end, integrated circuits are arranged on a same substrate as that of piezoelectric elements.