Molded Die Slivers with Exposed Surfaces for Inkjet Printheads
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for reducing the size of inkjet printhead dies to lower costs result in increased assembly complexities and fragility due to the need for silicon slotting, which adds significant processing costs and weakens the printhead die, especially when multiple slots are required for improved print quality or color capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The development of a thinned, molded printhead die with embedded die slivers, where the molding material is ground down to expose both surfaces of the die slivers, eliminating the need for fluid channels in the substrate and using fluid feed holes to direct ink flow from the back to the front surface, thereby reducing costs and complexity while maintaining die strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fluid delivery slots are formed in the substrate to deliver fluid to ejection elements, then fluid delivery function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and die strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluid delivery function from the silicon substrate by removing the traditional slot-based fluid delivery system. Instead, fluid is delivered through a separate fluid delivery component that interfaces with the substrate, eliminating the need to remove material from the substrate for slot formation. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining die strength while achieving fluid delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary fluid delivery component that mediates between the fluid source and the ejection elements. This intermediary component provides the fluid delivery function without requiring slots in the substrate, thereby maintaining substrate integrity and strength while enabling effective fluid delivery to ejection elements.
2Ease of manufacture
If die size is shrunk to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but assembly complexity increases due to tighter slot pitch requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the printhead die into functional modules: the substrate containing ejection elements, the fluid delivery component, and supporting structures. This segmentation allows the die size to be optimized for cost while the fluid delivery function is handled by a separate component, reducing assembly complexity compared to integrating all functions into a single tightly-constrained die.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the fluid delivery function from the substrate and placing it in a separate component, the patent decouples the size constraints of the substrate from the fluid delivery requirements. This allows the die to be sized optimally for manufacturing cost while the fluid delivery component handles the fluid transport without imposing additional assembly complexity.
3Productivity
If multiple slots are added to improve print quality and speed, then print performance improves, but die fragility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluid delivery function from the substrate, eliminating the need for multiple slots to be cut into the substrate. This extraction prevents the substrate from becoming increasingly fragile with each slot, while the separate fluid delivery component provides the necessary fluid delivery for improved print quality and speed through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid delivery component acts as an intermediary that provides the fluid delivery necessary for high-quality, high-speed printing without requiring multiple slots in the substrate. This intermediary solution maintains substrate integrity and prevents fragility while enabling the print performance improvements through its own internal fluid delivery mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a print cartridge comprises a printhead die that includes a die sliver molded into a molding. The die sliver includes a front surface exposed outside the molding to dispense fluid, and a back surface exposed outside the molding and flush with the molding to receive fluid. Edges of the die sliver contact the molding to form a joint between the die sliver and the molding.