MEMS Printhead ASIC Separation for Yield and Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and cost of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in printheads, particularly due to the integration of electronic components, lead to higher production costs, reduced yields, and increased complexity, which complicates the manufacturing process and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A printhead design that separates the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) from the MEMS dice, using a unified on-board controller to manage the firing of fluid jets, thereby reducing the complexity on individual MEMS dice and utilizing a shared substrate for power and signal distribution, allowing for standardized and modular designs that optimize ink ejection processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electronic components are integrated into MEMS printheads, then functionality and control capability are improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The printhead is divided into separate functional modules: MEMS dice for fluid ejection and an ASIC for electronic control. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and optimized independently, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining full control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A substrate is introduced as an intermediary carrier that holds both the MEMS dice and ASIC. This substrate mediates the connection between mechanical fluid handling components and electronic control components, simplifying the integration process and reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electronic components are integrated into MEMS printheads, then control capability is improved, but production yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating MEMS dice from electronic components, each can be manufactured and tested independently with optimized processes. This increases production yield by avoiding the compounding failure risks that would result from integrating multiple complex components into a single monolithic structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If the number of jets on a printhead is increased, then deposition pattern control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The printhead uses multiple identical MEMS dice, each containing multiple jets. This modular segmentation allows the number of jets to be increased by simply adding more dice in an array, rather than increasing the complexity of individual components. The repetitive modular structure maintains manufacturing simplicity while achieving high jet counts for precise deposition control.
4Reliability
If MEMS die complexity is reduced through separation, then manufacturing yield is improved, but integration complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate serves as an intermediary that simplifies integration by providing a common platform for mounting MEMS dice and ASIC. Standardized mounting procedures and pre-established electrical connections on the substrate reduce the actual integration complexity, allowing yield benefits from simplified MEMS design to be realized without proportionally increasing integration difficulty.
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 improves yields, reduces manufacturing costs, enhances design flexibility, and allows for economies of scale by standardizing MEMS dice, while also reducing connection costs and increasing on-board clock speed and data handling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a resistor heats, vaporizing a portion of the fluid in the chamber. This expels fluid from the nozzle to the target
Implementation Method 2
a piezoelectric element may be actuated to fire the jet, expelling the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A print head assembly (PHA) includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) die mounted to a substrate with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The die includes an opening defined in the die, a plurality of nozzles adjacent to the opening in fluid communication with the opening, and a pad to receive electrical control signals. The ASIC includes a communication link and a plurality of transmission lines that transmit electrical signals to the MEMS die.