Wafer Structure for Inkjet Chips Using 12-Inch Substrate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The current inkjet chip manufacturing process using wafers less than 6 inches is inefficient, leading to limited production capacity and increased manufacturing costs due to wasted space and the need for higher resolution and faster printing speeds, which require larger printing swaths and more inkjet chips.
Innovation Solution
A wafer structure of at least 12 inches is used to fabricate a chip substrate with multiple inkjet chips, including first and second inkjet chips of different sizes, arranged in a semiconductor process to maximize chip production and minimize waste, allowing for higher resolution and faster printing while reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a wafer structure of less than 6 inches is used to manufacture inkjet chips, then the manufacturing process is simpler and easier to control, but the printing swath is limited to 0.56 inches and the number of chips produced per wafer is limited, resulting in wasted blank area occupying more than 20% of the entire wafer area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from small wafer (less than 6 inches) to large wafer (12 inches or more), changing the dimensional scale of the manufacturing substrate. This dimensional change allows significantly more inkjet chips to be produced per wafer while maintaining manufacturing process compatibility, thereby increasing productivity without completely abandoning the原有 manufacturing approach
Solution Approach 2:
The large wafer is divided into multiple regions with different printing swath specifications. First inkjet chips with printing swath of 0.56 inches and second inkjet chips with printing swath of more than 1 inch are both produced on the same wafer, allowing efficient utilization of the large wafer area while meeting different market requirements
2Manufacturing precision
If the printing swath of the inkjet chip is increased to meet higher resolution and higher printing speed requirements, then the printing quality is improved, but the overall area required for the inkjet chip is larger, reducing the number of chips that can be manufactured on a limited wafer area
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the wafer are allocated to produce inkjet chips with different printing swath specifications. The wafer is segmented into areas for first inkjet chips (0.56 inches printing swath) and second inkjet chips (more than 1 inch printing swath), allowing each region to be optimized for its specific function while utilizing the entire wafer efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the printing swath parameter by producing multiple specifications of inkjet chips on the same wafer. By maintaining different pitch values for different chip types (first inkjet chip pitch and second inkjet chip pitch), the system can meet different resolution and printing speed requirements while maximizing wafer utilization
3Productivity
If more inkjet chips are produced on a wafer with limited area, then the manufacturing cost can be reduced, but the printing swath becomes smaller, limiting the printing speed and resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer is segmented into multiple production zones, each dedicated to producing inkjet chips with specific printing swath characteristics. This segmentation allows simultaneous production of both compact chips (for high volume) and large-swath chips (for high performance), resolving the contradiction between quantity and quality
Solution Approach 2:
The large wafer structure serves multiple functions: it can produce both first inkjet chips with smaller printing swath and second inkjet chips with larger printing swath. This multi-functionality allows the same manufacturing platform to meet diverse market requirements, from cost-sensitive applications to high-performance applications
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 on a wafer of at least 12 inches. 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.