Wafer Structure Inkjet Chip Yield Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet chips fabricated using wafer structures less than 6 inches result in high manufacturing costs due to complex processes and limited production capacity, which hinders market competitiveness and efficiency in achieving higher resolution and faster printing speeds.
Innovation Solution
A wafer structure with a silicon substrate fabricated by a semiconductor process, allowing for multiple inkjet chips of varying sizes to be directly formed, each with integrally formed ink-drop generators including an ink-supply chamber and nozzle in a barrier layer, enabling higher resolution and performance while reducing manufacturing costs by optimizing wafer usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional wafer structures less than 6 inches are used to manufacture inkjet chips, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but the manufacturing cost is high and the number of chips per wafer is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional small-wafer manufacturing to a large-wafer structure (12 inches or larger), fundamentally changing the dimensional scale of the manufacturing substrate. This dimensional change enables significantly higher chip yield per wafer while maintaining compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing processes, directly addressing the contradiction between manufacturing cost and productivity
2Speed
If the printing swath is increased to achieve higher printing speed, then the printing speed improves, but the wafer area required increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
By scaling up to large-wafer structures (12 inches or larger), the patent enables the fabrication of inkjet chips with extended printing swaths that can accommodate high-speed printing requirements. The increased wafer dimension provides sufficient area to manufacture chips with printing swaths exceeding 1 inch while maintaining cost efficiency through higher overall yield
3Manufacturing precision
If a nozzle plate is added to the inkjet chip structure to improve printing quality, then the printing quality improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the nozzle structure directly into the inkjet chip substrate through semiconductor manufacturing processes, merging what were previously separate components (nozzle plate and chip) into a single integrated structure. This integration eliminates the need for separate nozzle plate fabrication and alignment steps, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining high printing quality through precise semiconductor-level nozzle formation
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer structure is disclosed and includes a chip substrate and a plurality of inkjet chips. The chip substrate is a silicon substrate which is fabricated by a semiconductor process. The plurality of inkjet chips include at least one first inkjet chip and at least one second inkjet chip. The plurality of inkjet chips are directly formed on the chip substrate by the semiconductor process, respectively, and diced into the at least one first inkjet chip and the at least one second inkjet chip, to be implemented for inkjet printing. Each of the first inkjet chip and the second inkjet chip includes a plurality of ink-drop generators produced by the semiconductor process and formed on the chip substrate. Each ink-drop generator includes a barrier layer, an ink-supply chamber and a nozzle. The ink-supply chamber and the nozzle are integrally formed in the barrier layer.