Multilayer Conductor Stacking for Recording Element Substrate Area Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing recording element substrates for liquid ejection apparatuses face challenges in maintaining power efficiency while preventing an increase in substrate area as the number of energy generating elements driven simultaneously increases, leading to deteriorated image quality and higher costs due to increased substrate area and wiring resistance.
Innovation Solution
The recording element substrate employs a multilayer conductor structure with power supply and ground conductors stacked along the substrate thickness, where at least one conductor layer is occupied by a single conductor type, reducing resistance and allowing common conductors to connect multiple energy generating elements, thus minimizing substrate area expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a different conductor is provided for each energy generating element, then voltage stability is improved, but substrate area increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple conductors (power supply and ground conductors) are merged into a single beam portion by stacking them in the thickness direction. This allows multiple conductors to share the same lateral space, reducing substrate area while maintaining individual conductor functionality for voltage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from planar conductor arrangement to three-dimensional stacking. Conductors are arranged in different layers along the thickness direction (Z-axis) rather than spreading out in the plane, enabling multiple conductors to coexist in a compact footprint.
2Productivity
If the number of energy generating elements driven simultaneously is increased, then recording speed is improved, but voltage change and image quality deterioration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The beam portion merges power supply and ground conductors into a unified structure that serves multiple energy generating elements simultaneously. This shared conductor structure maintains stable voltage even when multiple elements are driven at once, enabling high-speed recording without image quality deterioration.
3Area of stationary object
If conductor width is reduced to avoid substrate area increase, then substrate area is reduced, but wiring resistance increases and power efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the conflict between conductor width and substrate area by moving the solution to the thickness direction. Multiple conductors are stacked vertically, allowing each conductor to maintain adequate width for low resistance while the overall structure occupies minimal planar area.
Data Source
AI summary
A recording element substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of energy generating elements arranged on the substrate to form an element row, a plurality of supply ports arranged along the element row to form a supply port row, and a plurality of supply paths extending from the plurality of supply ports along the thickness direction of the substrate, wherein a plurality of beam portions disposed between adjacent supply ports in the direction of the supply port row has a plurality of conductor layers in which a conductor layer including a power supply conductor connected to the energy generating elements and a conductor layer including a ground conductor connected to the energy generating elements, are stacked along the thickness direction of the substrate, and wherein at least one of the plurality of conductor layers is occupied by one power supply conductor or one ground conductor.