TW200904643A - Printhead with multiple nozzles sharing single nozzle data - Google Patents

Abstract

An inkjet printhead for use in a printer so that it can print onto a substrate at different print resolutions. The inkjet printhead has an array of nozzles, each nozzle having an ejection aperture and a corresponding actuator for ejecting printing fluid through the ejection aperture. A print engine controller sends print data to the array of nozzles in accordance with a designated print job. During use, the print engine controller can selectively reduce the print resolution by apportioning print data for a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array. The invention recognizes that some print jobs do not require the printhead's best resolution - a lower resolution is completely adequate for the purposes of the document being printed. This is particularly true if the printhead is capable of very high resolutions, say greater than 1200 dpi. By selecting a lower resolution, the print engine controller (PEC) can treat two or more transversely adjacent (but not necessarily contiguous) nozzles as a single virtual nozzle in a printhead with less nozzles. The print data is then shared between the adjacent nozzles - dots required from the virtual nozzle are printed by each the actual nozzles in turn. This serves to extend the operational life of all the nozzles.

Description

200904643 IX. Description of the Invention [Technical Field] The present invention relates to the field of printing, and more particularly to an ink jet printing head for high resolution printing. [Prior Art] — In order to improve the resolution of the printer, efforts are being made to reduce the size of individual nozzle configurations. Since the nozzle pitch on the print head becomes smaller, the smaller nozzle ejects smaller ink droplets that are closer. The print resolution (usually measured in dots per inch (dpi)) can also be improved by moving the nozzle array a number of times over the portion of the media substrate. However, this severely affects the printing rate. Manufacturing micron-sized nozzles can be very difficult. One of the main concerns during design is the operating life of individual nozzles. The microstructure in the nozzle is not strong and will fail due to burn out (oxidation of metal components), confined bubbles, and the like. These microstructures are also affected by problems such as paper dust, ink kogation, and other contaminants. In view of the design efforts of this ink jet print head, the operational life of individual nozzles is maximized while the nozzle size for larger print resolutions is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a print head for an ink jet printer comprising: an array of nozzles disposed in adjacent columns, each nozzle having an injection hole -4-200904643 and Corresponding actuators for ejecting printing fluid through the ejection orifices, each actuator having electrodes spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the columns; and a drive circuit for transmitting electrical power to the electrodes; The electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities, so the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions. By making the polarities of the electrodes in adjacent columns opposite, the perforations in the power plane of the CMOS can be maintained at the outer edges of adjacent columns. This moves a row of narrow, resistive bridges between the perforations to a position where current does not flow through the bridge. This eliminates the impedance of the bridge from the actuator drive circuit. The droplet ejection characteristics of all the nozzles of the entire array can be made uniform by reducing the impedance loss of the actuator away from the power supply side of the print head integrated circuit.

Preferably, the electrodes in each column are offset from their adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In another preferred form, the offset is less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the offset is less than 30 microns. Preferably, the array nozzle is fabricated on an elongated wafer substrate. The wafer substrate extends parallel to the columns of the array, and the driving circuit is a CMOS layer on a surface of the wafer substrate. Power and data are supplied to the CMOS layers along the long edges of the wafer substrate. In another preferred form, the CMOS layer has a top metal layer forming a power plane with a positive voltage 'so that the electrodes having a negative voltage are connected to via holes formed in the holes in the power plane. In yet another preferred form, the CMOS layer has a drive field effect transistor (FET) for each of the actuators in the bottom metal layer. Preferably, the CMOS 009404643 layer has a thickness less than zero. 3 micron metal layer. In some embodiments, the actuators are heater elements for generating a vapor bubble within the printing fluid such that droplets of the printing fluid are ejected from the ejection orifice. Preferably, the heater elements are beams suspended between their individual electrodes so that the heater elements are submerged within the printing fluid. Preferably, the injection holes are elliptical and the major axis of the injection holes is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam. In another preferred form, the major axes of the injection holes in one of the columns are collinear with the major axes of the injection holes in adjacent columns, so that the columns are in one of the columns Each nozzle is aligned with one of the nozzles in the adjacent column. Preferably, the major axes of adjacent injection holes are spaced apart by less than 50 microns. In another preferred form, the major axes of adjacent jets are spaced less than 25 microns apart. In a particularly preferred form, the major axes of adjacent orifices are separated by less than 16 microns. In a particular embodiment ' in the transverse direction of the media feed direction, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1600 nozzles per n (npi). In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3000 npi. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the print head has a print resolution per dot (dpi) & is equal to the nozzle pitch. In a particular embodiment, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead that is configured to print an A4-size medium. Preferably, the array has more than 100,000 nozzles. Accordingly, the present invention provides an inkjet printhead for a printer that can be printed on a substrate with different print resolutions. The inkjet printhead comprises: an array of nozzles, each nozzle a spray hole and a corresponding actuator for jetting the print stream -6 - 200904643 through the spray hole; and a print engine controller for feeding the print data to the nozzle of the array; wherein during use 'The print engine controller can selectively reduce the print resolution by assigning print data to a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array. The present invention recognizes that some printing jobs do not require the best resolution of the print head - a lower resolution is well suited for the purpose of the document to be printed. This is especially true when the print head has a very high resolution (for example, greater than 1 200 dpi). By selecting a lower resolution, the Print Engine Controller (PEC) can treat two or more laterally adjacent (but not contacted) nozzles in a printhead with fewer nozzles as a single virtual nozzle. The adjacent nozzles then share the printed data... - the dots required for the virtual nozzle are printed in turn by each of the actual nozzles. This is used to extend the working life of all nozzles. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is set such that the two nozzles are the closest neighbors in the transverse direction of the movement of the print head relative to the substrate. Preferably, the print engine controller shares the print data equally to the two nozzles in the array. In another preferred form, the two nozzle centers are separated by less than 20 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead and the centers of the two nozzles are spaced apart by less than 16 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In a particular embodiment, the two nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In a particular embodiment, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In the preferred embodiment of 200904643, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3 000 npi. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the print head has a print resolution per dot (dPi) equal to the nozzle pitch. In a particular embodiment, the printhead is constructed for printing A4 size media and the printhead has more than 100,000 nozzles. In some embodiments, when printing at a lower print resolution, the printer operates at a higher print rate. Preferably, the higher printing rate is more than 60 pages per minute. In a preferred form, the print engine controller halves the color planes printed by the adjacent nozzles in a high frequency vibration matrix, the high frequency vibration matrix being optimized for each The lateral displacement of the jetted droplets. Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink jet printhead comprising: an array of nozzles disposed in adjacent columns; each nozzle having an ejection orifice, a chamber for receiving a printing fluid, and a corresponding actuation The actuator is for injecting the printing fluid through the injection hole; each chamber has an individual inlet to re-print the printing fluid, the printing fluid is ejected by the actuator; and the printing fluid supply a channel extending parallel to the adjacent columns to provide an actuator for printing a fluid to each nozzle in the array via the respective inlets; wherein the nozzle inlets are formed in one of the adjacent columns The re-injection flow rate is different from the re-injection flow rate of the nozzle inlets in the other column of the adjacent columns. The nozzle constructed in accordance with the present invention allows a plurality of ink supply channels on one side to be in the array. Since the supply passage is not only supplied to one row of nozzles on one side, the above construction -8 - 200904643 allows the nozzle density on the surface of the print head to be large. However, because the flow rate through each inlet of each column is different, the columns that are further away from the supply channel do not have significantly longer re-injection times. Preferably, the nozzle inlets are constructed in one of the adjacent columns such that the reflow rate is different from the reflow rate of the nozzle inlets in the other column of the adjacent columns. Therefore, the chambers of all the nozzles in the array are re-exposed for a substantially uniform time. In another preferred form, the inlets closest to the supply channel are narrower than the columns remote from the supply channel. In some embodiments, there are two adjacent rows of nozzles on either side of the supply channel. Preferably, the inlet has a flow damped configuration. In a particularly preferred form, the flow damped construction is a column that is designed to create a flow barrier. Columns in the inlet of one column and columns in the inlets of other columns create varying degrees of obstacles. Preferably, the column creates a bubble trap or trap between the side of the column and the sidewall of the inlet. Preferably, the column diffuses to propagate pressure pulses within the print fluid to reduce crosstalk between the nozzles. In some embodiments, the actuators are heater elements for generating a vapor bubble within the printing fluid such that droplets of the printing fluid are ejected from the ejection orifice. Preferably, the heater elements are beams suspended between their individual electrodes so that the heater elements are submerged within the printing fluid. Preferably, the injection holes are elliptical and the major axis of the injection holes is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam. Preferably, the major axes of adjacent orifices are separated by less than 5 microns. In another preferred form, the major axes of adjacent orifices are spaced less than 25 microns apart. In a particularly preferred form, the major axes of adjacent orifices are spaced apart by less than 16 microns. 200904643 In a particular embodiment ' in the transverse direction of the media feed direction, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1600 nozzles (nPi) per turn. In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3000 η. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the print head has a print resolution per dot (dpi) equal to the nozzle pitch. In a particular embodiment, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead that is configured to print an A4-size medium. Preferably, the array has more than 100,000 nozzles. Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink jet printhead comprising: an array of nozzles disposed in a series of columns; each nozzle having an ejection orifice, a chamber for holding a printing fluid, and a heater element; a heater element for generating a vapor bubble in the printing fluid contained in the chamber to eject a droplet of the printing fluid through the ejection orifice; wherein the nozzle, the heater element, and the chamber All of which are elongate configurations having a long dimension that exceeds the other dimensions of each elongate configuration; and the nozzle 'the heater, and the individual long dimension of the chamber are parallel And extending perpendicular to the column direction. In order to increase the nozzle density of the columns, each of the nozzle assemblies ... - chambers, orifices, and heater elements are constructed to have an elongate configuration that is all aligned in the transverse direction of the column direction. This increases the nozzle pitch of the column or the number of nozzles per turn (npi)' while allowing a sufficiently large chamber volume and droplet volume to be maintained for proper pigment density. This also avoids the need to extend the large distance in the paper feed direction (in the case of a page wide printer) or in the scanning direction (in the case of scanning a print head). -10-200904643 Preferably each column in the array is offset relative to its adjacent column, so that none of the equal lengths of the nozzles in a column is equal to the length of the adjacent column Any of the dimensions are collinear. In another preferred form, the print head is a page width print head for printing to a media substrate fed through the print head in the direction of media feed, such that the nozzles are of equal length. Dimensions, parallel to the media feed direction. Preferably, the length of each second nozzle is in the login. In a particularly preferred form, the spray holes of all of the nozzles are formed in a flat top layer that partially defines the chamber; the top layer has an outer surface that, in addition to the spray holes, The rest is flat. In a particularly preferred form, the nozzles of the array are formed on a substrate that extends parallel to the top layer and that is partially defined by sidewalls extending between the top layer and the substrate. The side wall is shaped such that the interior surface of the side wall is at least partially elliptical. Preferably, the side wall is elliptical except for the inlet opening for the printing fluid. In a particularly preferred form, the minor axes of the nozzles in one of the columns and the minor axes of the nozzles in the adjacent column of the media feed direction partially overlap. In another preferred form, the ejection orifices are elliptical. Preferably, the heater elements are beams suspended between their individual electrodes such that during use, the heater elements are submerged within the print fluid. Preferably, the vapor bubble generated by the heater element is elliptical in cross section parallel to the injection hole. In some embodiments, the printhead further includes a supply channel adjacent to the array, the array extending parallel to the columns. In a preferred form ' -11 - 200904643 the nozzles of the array are nozzles of a first array, and the nozzles of the second array are formed on the other side of the supply channel; the second array is a mirror image of the first array However, with respect to the first array offset, none of the long axes of the ejection holes in the first array are collinear with any of the long axes of the second array. Preferably, the long axes of the ejection holes in the first array are offset from the longitudinal axes of the ejection holes in the second array to the lateral direction of the medium feeding direction. Less than 20 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the offset is about 8 microns. In some embodiments, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In a particularly preferred form, the substrate has a width in the media feed direction of less than 3 mm. Accordingly, the present invention provides an ink jet printhead comprising: - an array of nozzles for ejecting droplets of printing fluid to the printing medium as it moves in a printing direction relative to the printing head On the printing medium; wherein the nozzles in the array are spaced apart from each other by less than 10 microns in the vertical direction of the printing direction. Since the nozzles are spaced apart by less than 1 μm in the vertical direction of the printing direction, the print head has a very high "true" print resolution - that is, by the high number of nozzles per turn reaching the high point of each turn number. Preferably, the nozzles in the array spaced apart from each other by less than 10 microns in the vertical direction of the printing direction are also spaced apart from each other by less than 150 microns in the printing direction. In another preferred form, the array has more than 700 -12 - 200904643 nozzles per square millimeter. Preferably, the array of nozzles is supported on a plurality of monolithic wafer substrates, each of which supports more than 10,000 of the nozzles. In another preferred form, each single wafer substrate supports more than 12,000 of the nozzles. In a particularly preferred form, the plurality of monolithic wafer substrates are mounted end to end to form a pagewidth printhead for mounting within the printer, the printer being constructed to feed in the media feed direction The medium passes through the print head; the print head has more than 1 000 0 of the nozzles, and the print head extends 200 mm to 3 30 mm in the lateral direction of the medium feed direction. In some embodiments, the array has more than 140,000 of these nozzles. Optionally, the printhead further includes a plurality of actuators for each of the nozzles, the actuators being disposed in adjacent columns, each actuator having a transverse direction of the columns Electrodes spaced apart from one another for connection to individual drive transistors and a power supply; wherein the electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities, so in adjacent columns The actuator has opposite current flow directions. Preferably, the electrodes in each column are offset from their adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the droplet ejection injectors are fabricated on an elongate wafer substrate that extends parallel to the columns of the actuators and along the The long edge of the wafer substrate supplies power and data. In some embodiments, the printhead has a print engine controller (PEC) 'for sending 歹 ij print data to the array [j nozzle; wherein -13-200904643 during use, by column The print material is assigned to a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array, and the print engine controller can selectively reduce the print resolution. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is set such that the two nozzles are the closest neighbors in the transverse direction of movement of the print head relative to the print media substrate. In a particularly preferred form, the print engine controller shares the printed material equally to the two nozzles in the array. Preferably, the two nozzle centers are separated by less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead and the center of the two nozzles are spaced less than 16 microns apart in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the adjacent nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the lateral direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In another preferred form, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3000 npi. Accordingly, the present invention provides a printhead integrated circuit for an ink jet print head, the print head integrated circuit comprising: a single piece a wafer substrate supporting an array of small droplet ejectors for ejecting droplets of printing fluid onto a print medium, each droplet ejector having a nozzle and an actuator for A droplet of printing fluid is ejected through the nozzle; wherein the array has more than 1 0000 of such droplet ejection injectors. Since a large number of small droplet ejectors are fabricated on a single wafer, the nozzle array has a high nozzle pitch and the print head has a very high "true" print resolution - ie by each The high number of nozzles of 吋 reaches a high number of points per-14-200904643 吋. Preferably, the array has more than 12,000 such small droplet ejectors. In another preferred form, the printing medium moves in a printing direction relative to the printing head; and the nozzles in the array are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction of the printing direction Up to less than 1 〇 micron. In a particularly preferred form, the nozzles in the array spaced apart from each other by less than 10 microns in the vertical direction of the printing direction are also spaced apart from each other by less than 150 microns in the printing direction. In a preferred embodiment, the array has more than 700 such small droplet ejectors per square millimeter. In a particularly preferred form, the actuators are disposed in adjacent columns, each actuator having electrodes spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the columns for connection to an individual drive transistor and a power supply The electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities, so the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions. In yet another preferred form, the electrodes in each column are offset from the adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In a particular embodiment, the monolithic wafer substrate is elongate and extends parallel to the columns of the actuators so that in use, power is supplied along the long edge of the wafer substrate and data. In some forms the inkjet printhead includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits, and further includes a print engine controller (PEC) for feeding printed data to the array of droplet dischargers; , during use, by dispensing a print data to a single small droplet ejector between at least two droplet ejector of the array 'This print -15-200904643 engine controller can selectively reduce this Print resolution. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is such that the two nozzles are the closest neighbors in the transverse direction of the movement of the print head relative to the print media substrate. In a particularly preferred form, the print engine controller shares the print data equally to the two nozzles in the array. Optionally, the centers of the two nozzles are separated by less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead and the centers of the two nozzles are spaced apart by less than 16 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In still another preferred form, the adjacent nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In some embodiments, the inkjet printhead includes a plurality of printhead integrated circuits that are mounted end-to-end to form a pagewidth printhead for a printer, the printer being constructed to The medium feed direction feeds the medium through the print head; the print head has more than one of the nozzles, and the print head extends 200 mm in the transverse direction of the medium feed direction to 3 30 mm. In another preferred form, the array has more than 14 such nozzles. Preferably, the array of droplet ejection injectors has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3 000 npi. Accordingly, the present invention provides a printhead integrated circuit for an inkjet printhead, the printhead integrated circuit comprising: a planar array of small droplet ejector, each droplet ejector having a data distribution a circuit, a drive transistor, a print fluid inlet, an actuator, a chamber, and a nozzle; a chamber configured to hold the print fluid adjacent to the nozzle, -16-200904643 so during use, the drive transistor drives the An actuator to eject a small droplet of the printing fluid through the nozzle; wherein the array has more than 700 of the small droplet ejectors per square pen. The nozzle array has a high nozzle pitch due to the small droplet ejector that is printed on the wafer substrate, and the print head has a very high "true" print resolution - ie by The number of high nozzles per turn reaches the high number of points per turn. Preferably, when the printing medium moves in a printing direction relative to the printing head, the array ejects droplets of the printing fluid onto the printing medium; and the nozzles in the array In the vertical direction of the printing direction, they are spaced apart from each other by less than 1 〇 micrometer. In another preferred form, the nozzles spaced apart from each other by less than 1 〇 in the vertical direction of the printing direction are also spaced apart from each other by less than 150 μm in the printing direction. In a particular embodiment of the invention, a plurality of print head integrated circuits are used within the ink jet print head, each of the print head integrated circuits having more than 10,000 such small droplet ejectors, and preferably, exceeding 12,000 of these nozzle unit cells. In some embodiments, the printhead integrated circuit is elongate and mounted end to end, so the printhead has more than 100,000 such small droplet ejectors, and the printhead is The media feed direction extends from 200 mm to 330 mm in the lateral direction. In another preferred form, the printhead has more than 140,000 such droplet ejection injectors. -17- 200904643 In some preferred forms, the actuators are disposed in adjacent columns. 'Each actuator has electrodes spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the columns for connection to a corresponding drive power The crystal and a power supply; wherein the electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities, so the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions. Preferably, in these embodiments, the electrodes in each column are offset from their adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In another preferred form, the elongate wafer substrate extends parallel to the columns of the actuators and supplies power and data along the long edges of the wafer substrate. In a particular embodiment, the printhead includes a Print Engine Controller (PEC) for use in 歹! J printed materials sent to the squad! The nozzle of J; wherein during printing, the print engine controller selectively reduces the print resolution by assigning print data to a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is such that the two nozzles are the closest neighbors in the transverse direction of movement of the print head relative to the print media substrate. In another preferred form, the print engine controller equally shares the print data to the two nozzles in the array. Preferably, the two nozzle centers are separated by less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead and the two nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 16 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In still another preferred form, the centers of the adjacent nozzles are separated by less than 8 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction by -18-200904643. In some forms, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 16,000 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the nozzle pitch is greater than 300 〇 n p i. Accordingly, the present invention provides a pagewidth inkjet printhead comprising: an array of droplet ejection injectors for ejecting droplets of printing fluid onto a printing medium, the printing medium being fed through The print head in the medium feed direction; each drop ejector having a nozzle and an actuator for ejecting droplets of the print fluid through the nozzle; wherein the array has more than one looooo of the small liquid The ejector is dropped, and the array extends 200 mm to 330 mm in the lateral direction of the medium feeding direction. A pagewidth printhead having a large number of nozzles extending across the width of the media provides a high nozzle pitch and a very high "true" print resolution, i.e., a high number of dots per turn per high number of nozzles. Preferably, the array has more than 140,000 such small droplet ejectors. In another preferred form, the nozzles are spaced apart from each other by less than 1 〇 micrometer in the vertical direction of the media feed direction. In a particularly preferred form, the nozzles spaced apart from each other by less than 10 microns in the vertical direction of the media feed direction are also spaced apart from each other by less than 150 microns in the media feed direction. In a particular embodiment, the array droplet ejector is supported on a plurality of monolithic wafer substrates, each monolithic wafer substrate supporting more than 100,000 droplet ejection injectors, and preferably more than 1 2000 A small droplet ejector. In these embodiments, -19-200904643, it is desirable for the array to have more than 700 droplet ejection devices per square millimeter. Optionally, the actuators are disposed in adjacent columns - each actuator has electrodes spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the columns for connection to an individual drive transistor and a power supply; The electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities, so the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions. Preferably, the electrodes in each column are offset from their adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the droplet ejection injectors are fabricated on an elongate wafer substrate that extends parallel to the columns of the actuators and along the The long edge of the wafer substrate supplies power and data. In some embodiments, the printhead has a print engine controller (PEC) for feeding print data to the nozzles of the array; wherein during use, at least the print data is dispensed to the array A single nozzle between the two nozzles' print engine controller can selectively reduce the print resolution. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is set such that the two nozzles are most adjacent in the transverse direction of movement of the print head relative to the printing medium substrate. In a particularly preferred form, the print engine controller shares the printed material equally to the two nozzles in the array. Preferably, the two nozzles are spaced apart by less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the print head is a page wide print head, and the center of the two nozzles are spaced apart by less than 16 micro -20 - 200904643 meters in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the adjacent nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the lateral direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In another preferred form, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3000 npi. Accordingly, the present invention provides a printhead integrated circuit for an ink jet printer comprising: a single wafer substrate supporting an array of small droplet ejectors for Spraying droplets of the printing fluid onto the printing medium, each droplet ejector having a nozzle and an actuator for ejecting droplets of the printing fluid through the nozzle; with a series of light micro Forming an array on the monolithic wafer substrate: the steps involve exposing an exposed area to light that is focused to project a pattern onto the monolithic substrate; The array has more than 10,000 of these droplet ejection injectors that are constructed to be surrounded by the exposed area. The present invention configures the nozzle array such that the droplet ejector density is very high and reduces the number of exposure steps required. Preferably, the exposed area is less than 9000 m2. Preferably, the monolithic wafer substrate is surrounded by the exposed area. In another preferred form, the optical imaging device is a stepper that simultaneously exposes the entire mask. Optionally, the optical imaging device is a scanner that scans a narrow band of light through the exposure region to expose the mask. Preferably, the single wafer substrate supports more than 12,000 droplet ejection injectors. In these embodiments, it is desirable for the array to have more than -21 - 200904643 700 small droplet ejectors per square millimeter. In some embodiments, the printhead integrated circuit is assembled to a pagewidth printhead having other similar printhead integrated circuits for ejecting droplets of the print fluid onto the print medium, the print The medium is fed through the printhead in the media feed direction; wherein the array has more than 100,000 such small droplet ejectors' and the array extends 200 mm to 330 in the transverse direction of the media feed direction Millimeter. In another preferred form, the nozzles are spaced apart from each other by less than 1 〇 micrometer in the vertical direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the print head has more than 140,000 such small droplet ejectors. In a particularly preferred form, the nozzles spaced apart from each other by less than 1 〇 in the vertical direction of the media feed direction are also spaced apart from each other by less than 150 μm in the media feed direction. Optionally, the actuators are disposed in adjacent columns, each actuator having electrodes spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction of the columns for connection to an individual drive transistor and a power supply; The electrodes of the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite polarities' so that the actuators in adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions. Preferably, the electrodes in each column are offset from their adjacent actuators in the lateral direction of the column so that the electrodes of each of the second actuators are collinear. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the droplet ejection ejector is fabricated on an elongate wafer substrate that extends parallel to the columns of the actuators and along the The long edge of the wafer substrate supplies power and data. -22- 200904643 In some embodiments, the printhead has a Print Engine Controller (PEC) for 歹! J print data is sent to the nozzle of the array! J; wherein during printing, the print engine controller can selectively reduce the print data by dispensing the print data to a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array Print resolution. Preferably, the position of the two nozzles in the array is set such that the two nozzles are the closest neighbors in the transverse direction of movement of the print head relative to the print media substrate. In a particularly preferred form, the print engine controller shares the printed material equally to the two nozzles in the array. Preferably, the two nozzle centers are separated by less than 40 microns. In a particularly preferred form, the printhead is a pagewidth printhead and the center of the two nozzles are spaced less than 16 microns apart in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the adjacent nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the lateral direction of the media feed direction. Preferably, the printhead has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 600 nozzles per n (npi) in the transverse direction of the media feed direction. In another preferred form, the nozzle pitch is greater than 3 000 npi. [Embodiment] The same lithography etching and deposition steps as described in USSN 11 /2 467, filed on October 11, 2005 (our file number ΜΝΝ0 01 US) are used to manufacture the print head shown in the drawings. Integrated circuit (1C). I would like to refer to the contents of this case for reference. The general worker will understand that the print head integrated circuit shown in the drawing has a chamber, a nozzle, and a heater electrode structure, which requires the use of USSN 11/2 46687 filed on October 11, 2005 (we The file number MNN001US) shows different exposure masks. However, -23- 200904643 is the process step for forming the cantilever beam heater element, chamber, and injection hole. Similarly, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) layer is formed in the same manner as discussed in USSN 1 1/246687 (our file number MNN001US) filed on October 1, 2005, except for driving field effect electricity. Outside the crystal (FET). Because of the higher density of the heater elements, the FET needs to be relatively small. Linking Printhead Integrated Circuits Applicants have developed a number of printhead assemblies that use a series of printhead integrated circuits that are joined together to form a pagewidth printhead. In this manner, the print head integrated circuits can be combined into a print head, and the application range of the print heads can be printed from a wide format to a camera and mobile phone having a built-in printer. Each of the print head integrated circuits is mounted end to end on the support member to form a page width print head. The support member mounts the print head assembly circuit into the printer and distributes the ink to the individual integrated circuits. The USSN 1 1 / 2 9 3 8 2 0 case describes an example of this type of print head. The description of the case is hereby incorporated by reference. It should be understood that the term "ink" as used herein shall be interpreted to mean any printing fluid, unless the context clearly indicates that it is merely a coloring agent for image printing media. The print head integrated circuit can likewise eject a recessive (i n v i s i b 1 e) ink, adhesive, medicament, or other functionalized fluid. 1A shows a schematic view of a pagewidth printhead 100 having a series of print head integrated circuits 92 mounted to a support member 94. The curved side 96 allows the nozzles of one of the print head integrated circuits 92 to overlap with the nozzles of adjacent print head integrated circuits in the paper feed direction. The nozzles of each of the columns of the heads are overlapped, providing a continuous printing across the junction between the two head integrated circuits 92. This avoids "banding" in the printed results. In this manner, the individual print head circuits are connected, and any number of print heads can be fabricated using only a different number of print head integrated circuits. The end-to-end configuration of the print head integrated circuit 92 requires the supply of power and data to the bond pads along the long side of each of the print head integrated circuits 92. The control of these connections and the integrated integrated circuit with the print engine controller (PEC) is described in detail in the 1W544764 application (Our file number PUA001US) filed on October 10, 2006. 3200 dpi print head Figure 1 B shows the profile of the nozzle array on the 3 2 0 0 p p (point/吋) print head that the applicant has recently issued. The print head has a "true" 3200 dpi resolution because the nozzle pitch is 3200 dpi instead of a printer with a 320 〇 dpi addressable position but a nozzle pitch of less than 20 〇 d p i. The cross-section shown in Figure 1 B shows eight unit cells of the nozzle array and the top layer is removed. The outline of the injection hole 2 has been shown for the purpose of illustration. "Unit cell" is the smallest repeating unit of the nozzle array and has two complete droplet ejector, and four "half droplet jets" on either side of the complete ejector "". Figure 2 shows a unit cell. The nozzles extend in the transverse direction of the media feed direction 8. The nozzles in the middle four rows are a pigment channel 4. There are two columns extending on either side of the ink supply supply passage 6. The ink from the opposite side of the wafer is fed through the ink! 4 Flows to the ink supply channel 6. Upper and lower ink supply channels 1 〇, 1 2 are pigment channels from -25 to 200904643 (although for larger pigment density, they can print the same color of ink -... for example CC Μ Μ Y print head ). The columns 20, 22 above the feed channel 6 are laterally offset in the media feed direction 8. The columns 2 4, 2 6 below the supply channel 6 are similarly offset along the direction of the media. Further, the columns 20, 2 2 and the columns 2 4, 26 are offset from each other with respect to each other. Thus, the combined nozzle pitch of columns 20 through 26 in the transverse direction of the media feed direction is one quarter of the nozzle pitch of any individual column. The nozzle pitch along each column is approximately 32 microns (nominal 31. 75 micron), so the combined nozzle pitch of all columns of a pigment channel is about 8 microns (nominal 7. 9375 microns). This is equal to the nozzle pitch of 3200 npi, so the print head has a "true" resolution of 3200 dpi. Unit cell Figure 2 is a unit cell of a nozzle array. Each unit cell has the equivalent of four droplet ejectors (two complete droplet ejectors and four "half droplet ejectors" on either side of the complete injectors). The droplet ejector is a nozzle, chamber, drive FET, and drive circuit for a single microelectromechanical (MEMS) fluid ejection device. A general worker will understand that for convenience, a droplet ejector is generally referred to simply as a nozzle; however, it is clear from the use of the content, whether the term refers only to the orifice or the entire MEMS device. The ink feed tube 14 is fed to the upper two nozzle rows 18 via the upper ink supply passage 1 . The lower nozzle row 16 is a different pigment channel that is fed by the feed channel 6. Each nozzle has a combined chamber 28 and a heater element 30 extending between the electrodes 34 and 36. The chambers are elliptical and offset from each other so that their minor axes overlap laterally in the direction of media feed. This -26-200904643 structure allows the chamber volume, nozzle area, and heater size to be substantially the same as the 1 600 shown in the above-referenced USSN 11/246687 application filed on October 11, 2005 (our file MNN 001US). Dpi print head. Similarly, the chamber wall 32 is maintained 4 microns thick and the area of the contacts 34, 36 is still 10 microns X 1 〇 microns. Figure 3 shows a unit cell replica pattern constituting a nozzle array. Each unit cell 38 translates across the wafer to a width X. Adjacent columns are mirrored and shifted by half a width: 〇. 5x = y. As described above, this provides a combined nozzle pitch for a pigment channel (20, 22, 24, 26). 25x. In the illustrated embodiment, χ = 31·75 and y = 7. 9375. This provides a resolution of 3200 dpi without reducing the size of the heater, chamber, or nozzle. Therefore, the print density at the 3200 dpi operation is higher than the 1 600 dpi print head of USSN 1 1 /246687 (Our file MNN 001US) filed on October 1, 2005; or print The head can be operated at 1600 dpi to extend the life of the nozzle with a good print density. This feature of the print head is discussed further below. Heater Contact Configuration The heater element 30 and individual contacts 34, 36 are the same size as the 1600 dpi print head of USSN 11/246687, filed on October 11, 2005 (our file MNN 001US). However, because there are twice the number of contacts, there are twice the number of FET contacts (negative contacts). These FET contacts interrupt the "power plane (CMOS metal layer with positive voltage)". The high density of the holes in the Power Plane' produces a high impedance between the thin metal sheets between the holes. This impedance detracts from the overall efficiency of the printhead and reduces the drive pulse of some heaters relative to other heaters. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer 'C Μ 0 S drive circuit 56 and the heater. The drive circuit 56 of each of the print head integrated circuits is fabricated on the wafer substrate 48 by a plurality of metal layers 40, 42, 44, 45' dielectric materials 41, 43, 47 separating the metal layers, vias 46. Pass through the layers to establish the required interlayer connections. The drive circuit 56 has a drive FET (field effect transistor) 58 for each actuator 30, and the source 54 of the FET 58 is connected to the power plane 40 (a metal layer connected to the position voltage of the power supply) And the drain 52 is connected to the ground plane 42 (on the 〇 voltage or grounded metal layer). Additionally, each of the electrodes 34, 36 or each actuator 30 is coupled to a ground plane 42 and a power plane 40. The power plane 40 is typically the uppermost metal layer, and the ground plane 42 is the first layer below the power plane (separated by the dielectric layer 41). The actuator 30, the ink chamber 28, and the nozzle 2 are fabricated in the power plane. The top of the metal layer 40. Etching through this layer forms apertures 4 6, so the negative electrode 34 can be connected to the ground plane, and the ink flow path 14 can extend from the back of the wafer substrate 48 to the ink chamber 28. As the nozzle density increases, the density of these holes or punctuations through the power plane also increases. Because of the greater density of perforations through the power plane, the gap between the perforations becomes smaller. The thin metal bridge of the metal layer passing through these gaps is a relatively high resistance point. Since the power plane is connected to the supplier ' along the side of the print head integrated circuit', the current flowing to the actuator on the non-supply side of the print head integrated circuit may have to pass through a series of these impedance gaps. The parasitic resistance added to the non-supply side actuators affects the drive current and the liquid spray characteristics that greatly affect these nozzles -28-200904643. The printhead uses several countermeasures to solve this problem. First, the actuators of adjacent columns have opposite current flow directions, i.e., the polarity of the electrodes in one column changes in adjacent columns. For the purposes of this aspect of the print head, the two rows of nozzles adjacent to the supply passage 6 should be considered as a single column as shown in Figure 5A, rather than being staggered as shown in the previous figures. The two columns A, B extend longitudinally along the length of the printhead integrated circuit. All of the negative electrodes 34 are along the outer edges of the two adjacent columns A, B. Power is supplied from one side (referred to as edge 62), and current flows through only a row of thin resistive metal segments 64 before flowing through heater elements 30 in both columns. Therefore, the direction of current flow in column A and the direction of current flow in column B are opposite. The corresponding circuit diagram illustrates the benefits of this configuration. Because of the impedance RA of the thin section between the negative electrodes 34 of column A, the power supply V+ voltage drops. However, the positive electrode 36 of all heaters 30 is at the same voltage (VA = VB) with respect to the ground. The voltage drops as it traverses all of the heaters 30 of the two columns A and B (resistances RHA, RHB, respectively). In the circuits of columns A and B, the impedance RB of the thin bridge portion 66 between the negative electrodes 34 of the column B is deleted.

Fig. 5B shows the case where the polarity of the electrodes of two adjacent columns is not reversed. In this case, the entire row of resistive sections 66 of column B are presented in the circuit. The supply voltage V + drops through the impedance RA to the voltage of the positive electrode 36 of VA--column A. After passing through the impedance Rha of the column A heater, the voltage drops to ground. However, the voltage VA passes through the impedance RB of the thin section 66 between the column B negative electrodes 34, and the voltage at the column B positive electrode 36 falls from V a to VB. Therefore, the voltage drop across column B heater 30 is less than the voltage drop of column A -29-200904643. This changes the drive pulse and thus changes the droplet ejection characteristics. A second strategy for maintaining the integrity of the power plane is to interleave pairs of adjacent electrodes in each column. Referring to Figure 6, each of the negative electrodes 34 is now staggered 'so each second electrode is laterally displaced to the column. The heater contacts 3 4 and 3 6 of adjacent columns are likewise staggered. This serves to make the gaps 64, 66 between the holes through the power plane 40 wider. The wider gap has less electrical impedance and the voltage drop from the heater on the power supply side of the printhead integrated circuit is smaller. FIG. 7 shows a larger section of the power plane 40. The electrodes 34 in the staggered columns 4 1 , 44 correspond to the pigment channels fed by the supply channels 6. The half of the nozzles of the columns 42, 43 with respect to the pigment channels on either side of the two sides - the pigment fed by the supply channel 10 and the pigment channel fed by the supply channel 12 are fed. It will be appreciated that the five-pigment channel printhead integrated circuit has nine columns of negative electrodes that induce the resistance of the heater in the nozzle furthest from the power supply side. The gap between the negative electrodes is widened to greatly reduce the impedance generated by the components. This promotes more uniform droplet discharge characteristics throughout the nozzle array. Efficient Manufacturing The above characteristics increase the density of the nozzles on the wafer. Each individual integrated circuit is approximately 22 mm long, less than 3 mm wide, and capable of supporting more than 10,000 nozzles. This represents a significant increase in the number of nozzles in the Applicant's 1 600 dpi print head integrated circuit (see the example of MNN 001US). In fact, the 3200 dpi printhead nozzle array manufactured as shown in Fig. 12 has 1,28,800 nozzles. -30- 200904643 So many (more than 1 0000) nozzles are located because the entire nozzle array is in the exposure range of the lithography stepper or scanner used to expose the mask (mask) Photolithography is efficient. Fig. 14 schematically shows an optical lithography stepper. The source 102 emits parallel rays 104 of a particular wavelength through the mask 106, which has a pattern to be transmitted to the integrated circuit 92. The pattern is focused through a lens 108 for reducing features and is projected onto a wafer stage 1 1 承载 carrying an integrated circuit (or so-called "die") 92. The area of the wafer stage 110 that is illuminated by the light 104 is referred to as the exposure area 1 1 2 . Unfortunately, the size of the exposure zone 112 is limited to maintain the accuracy of the projected pattern - the entire wafer tray cannot be exposed at the same time. Most lithographic steppers have an exposure area of less than 30 mm X 30 mm. A stepper manufactured by a major manufacturer (ASML, The Netherlands) has an exposed area of 22 mm X 22 mm, which is typical in the industry. The stepper exposes a portion of a die or grain and then steps to another die or another portion of the same die. Having as many nozzles as possible on a single substrate facilitates the compact printhead design and facilitates the precise relationship of the assemblies of the integrated circuits on the support to each other. The nozzle array constructed in accordance with the present invention has more than 100,000 nozzles in the exposure zone. In fact, the entire integrated circuit can be placed in the exposed area, so a single substrate can have more than 14,000 nozzles without having to step and realign each pattern. As will be appreciated by the average worker, the above techniques can be applied to the fabrication of nozzle arrays using photolithographic scanners. 15A to 15C illustrate the operation of the scanner. In the scanner, the light source 102 emits a narrower beam of light 104 whose width -31 - 200904643 is still sufficient to illuminate the entire width of the mask 106. The narrow beam 1〇4 is focused through the smaller lens 108 and is projected onto a portion of the integrated circuit 92 in which the re-exposed area 112 is mounted. The mask 106 and the wafer table 110 move relative to each other in opposite directions, so that the pattern of the mask is scanned through the entire exposure area 1 12 . Obviously, this type of optical imaging device is also suitable for efficiently producing a print head integrated circuit having a large number of nozzles. The flat outer nozzle surface is manufactured as described above by the steps listed in the USSN 1 1 /246687 (our file MNN 001US) cross-reference filed on October 11, 2005. Only change the exposure mask pattern to provide different chamber and heater configurations. As described in USSN 1 1 /246687 (our file MNN 0 0 1 US) filed on October 1st, 2005, the top layer and the chamber wall are integrated to form a single piece of suitable top and wall material. Plasma lift chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Suitable top materials can be tantalum nitride, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxynitride, aluminum nitride, and the like. The top and walls are deposited on a scaffold layer of sacrificial photoresist to form an integrated construction on the passivation layer of the CMOS. FIG. 8 shows a pattern etched into the sacrificial layer 72. The pattern consists of a chamber wall 32 and a columnar structure 68 (discussed below) which are all of uniform thickness. In the illustrated embodiment, the thickness of the walls and posts is 4 microns. These configurations are relatively thin so that there is little depression, if any, in the inner surface of the top layer 70 as the deposited top and wall materials cool. The thick construction in the etched pattern will maintain a relatively large volume of top/wall material. When the material is cooled and shrunk -32- 200904643, the outer surface is pulled inward to create a concave. These depressions make the outer surface uneven, which is disadvantageous. If you wipe or erase the print head, paper dust and other dirt inside. As shown in Figure 9, the outer surface of the top layer 72 is, except for the nozzle 2. By wiping or wiping off, the ink is dried. Refilling the ink flow Referring to Fig. 10, except for the nozzles having a small number of longitudinal ends at the end of the array, each of the ink inlets is supplied with four nozzles during the period and in the case of bubble blocking, a random nozzle is introduced. As indicated by the flow line 74, the E-to-flow ratio away from the inlet 14 to the chamber 28 adjacent to the supply channel 6 is again uniform droplet ejection characteristics, and it is desirable that each nozzle in the array be re-injected. As shown in Figure 11, the inlet 76 and the distal 78 adjacent the chamber are designed to be different sizes. Likewise, the columnar configuration 68 provides a motion restriction to the adjacent nozzle inlet 76 and the remote nozzle inlet 78. The size of the inlet and the position of the column are adjustable, so that the re-injection time of all the nozzles in the array is a uniform position, so as to dampen the movement of the steam bubble in the chamber 28 through the inlet damping pulse, preventing each nozzle ( Cross talk). Furthermore, the column 68 and the inlets 76, 78 gaps 80, 82 can be used as traps in the ink refilling stream. The material on the print head will remain in the depression. Flat and featureless. Easy to remove dust from the inlet supply. At the initial nozzle 14, it is advantageous to refill the chamber 28 for a longer flow. Designed for different levels of flow with the same ink from the entrance to the chamber! Drag, . The pressure pulse of the column can also be designed. Between the sides of the fluid crosstalk between the larger bubbles is -33- 200904643 effect bubble trap or trap. Extended nozzle life Figure 1 2 shows the profile of a pigment channel in a nozzle array, which has the dimensions required for 3200 dpi resolution. It should be understood that the "real" 3 2 00 dpi is a very high resolution... - better than the photographic quality. This resolution goes beyond many printing jobs. Usually a resolution of 1 600 dpi is appropriate. In view of this, the resolution is sacrificed by sharing the print data between two adjacent nozzles. In this manner, the print data normally sent to one of the 600 dpi print heads is instead sent to the adjacent nozzles in the 3200 dpi print head. This mode of operation extends the life of the nozzle by more than two times and allows the printer to operate at very high print rates. In 3200 dPi mode, the printer prints at 60 ppm (full color A4) and in 1600 dpi mode, the rate approaches 120 ppm. An additional benefit of the 1 600 dpi mode is the ability to use this printhead integrated circuit with a print engine controller (PEC) and a flexible printed circuit board that can only be constructed at 16 〇〇 dpi resolution. As shown in Figure 12, the nozzle 83 and nozzle 84 are laterally offset by only 7.93 75 microns. The two nozzles are further spaced apart in absolute relationship, but the displacement in the paper feed direction may indicate the timing of the firing sequence. Since the lateral displacement of 8 microns between adjacent nozzles is small, this shift can be ignored for the purpose of presentation. However, this shift can be resolved by optimizing the high frequency dither (if desired). Bubble, Chamber, and Nozzle Matching Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the nozzle array. Both the injection hole and the chamber wall -34- 200904643 are oval. Configuring the long axis parallel to the media feed direction allows for a high nozzle pitch in the lateral direction of the feed direction while maintaining the desired chamber volume. Furthermore, the short axis of the configuration chamber causes the short axes to overlap in the lateral direction, which also improves the nozzle packing density. Heater 30 is a cantilever beam that extends between its individual electrodes 34 and 36. The elongate beam heater element produces bubbles that are generally elliptical (in a section parallel to the plane of the wafer). The matching bubble 90, the chamber 28, and the ejection orifice 2 promote energy efficient droplet ejection. Low-energy droplet ejection is important for the “self-cooling” print head. Conclusion The printhead integrated circuit shown in the figure provides a choice of "real" 3 200 dpi resolution and a much higher print rate than the 1 600 dpi print rate. Sharing lower resolution prints extends nozzle life and provides compatibility with existing 1 600 dpi print engine controllers and flexible printed circuit boards. A uniform thickness chamber wall pattern has a flat outer nozzle surface that is less prone to blockage. In addition, the actuator contact configuration and the elongated nozzle configuration provide a high nozzle pitch in the lateral direction of the media feed direction while maintaining a thin nozzle array parallel to the media feed direction. The specific embodiments described above are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and illustrative BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a schematic view showing the construction of a joint print head integrated circuit; FIG. 1B is a partial plan view of a nozzle array on the print head integrated circuit of the present invention - 35- 200904643; FIG. 2 is a nozzle array Figure 3 shows a replica pattern of a unit cell constituting a nozzle array; Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a CMOS layer and a heater element passing through a nozzle; Figure 5A schematically shows the opposite in adjacent actuator columns Electrode electrode configuration; Fig. 5B schematically shows an electrode configuration having a typical electrode polarity in an adjacent actuator column; Fig. 6 shows an electrode configuration of the head integrated circuit of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 shows power of a CMOS layer Figure 8 shows the pattern of the sacrificial gantry layer etched into the top/sidewall layer; Figure 9 shows the outer surface at the top after etching the nozzle holes; Figure 10 shows the ink supply flow of the nozzle; Figure 11 shows the different columns Different inlets to each chamber; Figure 12 shows nozzle spacing for a pigment channel: Figure 13 shows an enlarged view of a nozzle array with matching elliptical channels and orifices; Figure 14 is an illustration of a photolithography stepper Intention; and Figs. 15A to 15C schematically illustrate the operation of the photolithography stepper. [Main component symbol description] 2 : (spray) hole (Fig. 1B) 2: Nozzle (Fig. 4) • 36- 200904643 6 : (ink) supply channel 8: medium (paper) feed direction 1 0 : upper ink supply channel 1 2 : Lower ink supply channel 14. Ink feed tube (Fig. 1B) 14: Ink flow path (Fig. 4) 1 4: Nozzle inlet (Fig. 10) 1 6: Lower nozzle column 1 8: Upper nozzle column 20: Column

22: 歹丨J

24: Hey! J

26 :歹丨J 28 : Chamber 3 0 : Heater element (Fig. 2) 30 : Actuator (Fig. 4) 32 : Chamber wall 34 : (Negative) electrode (contact) 3 6 ··(正) Electrode (contact) 3 8 : Unit package 40: Power plane (metal layer) 4 1 : Dielectric layer (material) (Fig. 4) 41 : Column (Fig. 7) 42 : Ground plane (metal layer) (Fig. 4) -37 200904643 42 : Column (Fig. 7) 43: Dielectric layer (material) (Fig. 4) 43: Column (Fig. 7) 44: Metal layer (Fig. 4) 44: Column (Fig. 7) 46: (Guide) hole 4 7 : Dielectric layer (material) 4 8 : Wafer substrate 5 2 : Deuterium 5 4 : Source 56: (CMOS) Driving circuit 5 8 : Field effect transistor 62 : Edge 64 : Impedance metal segment 64 : Gap (Fig. 6) 6 6 : Bridge (Fig. 5 A) 66: Impedance section (Fig. 5B) 6 6 : Clearance (Fig. 6) 68: Column (structure) 7 〇: Top layer 72: Sacrificial layer 74: flow line 76: inlet 78: inlet-38 200904643 80: gap 82: gap 83: nozzle 8 4: nozzle 90: bubble 92: print head integrated circuit 94: support member 96: curved side 9 8 : bond pad 100 : Page width print head 1 0 2 : Light source 104 : Light (ray) 1 0 6 : Mask 1 0 8 : Lens 1 1 0 : Wafer Work table 1 1 2 : Exposure area -39

Claims (1)

200904643 X. Patent Application No. 1 · An ink jet print head for a printer that can be printed on a substrate with different print resolutions, the ink jet print head comprising: an array of nozzles, Each nozzle has an injection orifice and a corresponding actuator for ejecting printing fluid through the ejection orifice; and a print engine controller (PEC) for feeding the print material to the nozzle of the array; wherein in use The print engine controller can selectively reduce the print resolution by assigning print data to a single nozzle between at least two nozzles of the array. 2. The ink jet print head for a printer according to claim 1, wherein a position of the two nozzles in the array is set such that the two nozzles are opposite to the substrate at the print head The middle of the movement is the closest neighbor. 3. The inkjet printhead for a printer of claim 2, wherein the print engine controller equally shares the print data to the two nozzles in the array. 4. The ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 3, wherein the two nozzle centers are separated by less than 40 microns. 5. The inkjet printhead for a printer according to claim 4, wherein the printhead is a pagewidth printhead, and the center of the two nozzles is in a lateral direction of the medium feed direction The phase separation is less than 16 microns. 6. The inkjet printhead for a printer of claim 3, wherein the adjacent nozzle centers are spaced apart by less than 8 microns in the transverse direction of the media feed direction -40-200904643. 7. The ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 1 wherein the print head has a nozzle pitch of more than 1 per ridge in a lateral direction of the medium feed direction. 600 nozzles (npi). 8. The ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 7 wherein the nozzle pitch is greater than 3 000 npi. 9. The ink jet print head for a printer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the print head has a print resolution per dot (dpi) equal to the nozzle pitch. An ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 1, wherein the print head is configured to print an A4 size medium, and the print head has more than 100,000 nozzles . 1 1 . The ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 1, wherein the printer operates at a higher printing rate when printing at a lower print resolution . An ink jet print head for a printer as described in claim 1 wherein the higher print rate is more than 60 pages per minute. 1 3 . The inkjet print head for a printer according to claim 1, wherein the print engine controller halftones the color plane printed by the two nozzles in a high frequency vibration matrix (halftone) The dither matrix is optimized for lateral displacement of the ejected droplets. -41 -