Wafer Structure for Inkjet Chips with Integrated Nozzles
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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 additional processing steps and limited yield, making them non-competitive in the market, especially when aiming for higher resolution and faster printing speeds.
Innovation Solution
A wafer structure with a silicon substrate fabricated by a semiconductor process that allows for the direct formation of multiple inkjet chips with varying printing swath sizes, where each ink-drop generator has an ink-supply chamber and nozzle integrally formed in a barrier layer, enabling higher resolution and performance while reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional inkjet chips are fabricated using wafer structures less than 6 inches with separate nozzle plate fabrication, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but manufacturing cost increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the nozzle formation process with the inkjet chip fabrication process by integrating nozzle holes directly into the barrier layer of the ink-drop generator during semiconductor manufacturing. This eliminates the separate nozzle plate fabrication and assembly step, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision through integrated process control.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier layer is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a structural support layer, an ink barrier layer, and simultaneously contains the integrated nozzle holes. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, improving manufacturing efficiency without compromising alignment precision.
2Ease of manufacture
If wafer structure size is limited to less than 6 inches, then manufacturing cost can be controlled, but the number of inkjet chips per wafer is limited reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inkjet chip design into modular units that can be efficiently arranged on standard-sized wafers. By optimizing the layout and size of individual inkjet chips with integrated nozzles, more complete chips can be fabricated per wafer, improving productivity while maintaining cost-effectiveness through standard wafer sizes.
3Manufacturing precision
If printing swath is increased to achieve higher resolution and printing speed, then printing quality improves, but the area required per chip increases reducing the number of chips per wafer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameters of the ink-drop generator, particularly the dimensions and configuration of the heating element and ink chamber, to achieve high printing resolution and speed within a compact footprint. This allows larger printing swaths to be achieved without proportionally increasing chip area, thereby maintaining higher yield per wafer.
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 approach enables the production of more inkjet chips on a single substrate, reduces waste, and lowers manufacturing costs while achieving higher resolution and faster printing speeds by integrating ink-supply chambers and nozzles in the semiconductor process, thus enhancing market competitiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a resistance heating layer and a protective layer. A part of the protective layer is formed on the resistance heating layer
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer structure is disclosed and includes a chip substrate and plural inkjet chips having plural ink-drip generators. Each ink-drop generator includes a thermal-barrier layer, a resistance heating layer and a protective layer. The thermal-barrier layer is formed on the chip substrate, the resistance heating layer is formed on the thermal-barrier layer, a part of the protective layer is formed on the resistance heating layer, and the barrier layer is formed on the protective layer. The ink-supply chamber has a bottom in communication with the protective layer, and a top in communication with the nozzle. The thermal-barrier layer has a thickness of 500˜5000 angstroms, the protective layer has a thickness of 150˜3500 angstroms, the resistance heating layer has a thickness of 100˜500 angstroms, the resistance heating layer has a length of 5˜30 microns, and the resistance heating layer has a width of 5˜10 microns.