Ribbed Ceramic Insulating Substrate for Uniform Glaze Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulating substrates used in thermal print heads face challenges in suppressing the coffee ring effect, which leads to an uneven glaze layer and reduces the number of functional thermal print heads that can be produced from a single substrate.
Innovation Solution
The insulating substrate incorporates a ceramic substrate with a glaze layer and a plurality of ribs formed on the surface, which partitions the applied paste and reduces the volume contributing to the coffee ring effect, thereby suppressing the raising of the glaze layer on the peripheral edge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If glass paste is applied on the major surface and fired to form a glaze layer, then the insulating substrate provides thermal insulation and structural support, but the coffee ring effect causes uneven glaze layer formation and reduces the number of functional thermal print heads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the major surface of the ceramic substrate into multiple regions by forming ribs that extend from the peripheral edge toward the center. These ribs partition the glass paste into separate application regions, preventing the coffee ring effect from affecting the entire surface uniformly. By segmenting the surface, the paste can be applied more evenly in each region, improving glaze layer uniformity while allowing multiple thermal print heads to be formed on different regions of the same substrate.
2Reliability
If the glaze layer thickness is increased to improve coverage, then the thermal insulation performance is enhanced, but the coffee ring effect becomes more pronounced causing greater unevenness on the peripheral edge
Solution Approach 1:
The ribs create distinct paste application regions that limit the lateral flow of glass paste during firing. This segmentation allows thicker glaze layers to be applied without exacerbating the coffee ring effect, as the paste is confined to specific regions bounded by the ribs, maintaining both thermal insulation performance and surface uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ribs introduce local structural features that modify paste behavior specifically in regions where the coffee ring effect would be most problematic (near peripheral edges). The ribs create local boundaries that control paste flow and thickness distribution, allowing different effective glaze characteristics in different regions of the substrate.
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 configuration effectively increases the number of thermal print heads that can be obtained from a single insulating substrate by minimizing the glaze layer's unevenness and ensuring consistent manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
The glaze layer is formed by applying glass paste on the major surface and firing the applied paste
Data Source
AI summary
An insulating substrate comprises a ceramic substrate having a major surface, a plurality of first ribs formed on the major surface, and a glaze layer disposed on the major surface so as to cover the plurality of first ribs. The plurality of first ribs in plan view extend in a first direction and are spaced in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and thus aligned.