Patent ID: 7488056

Claim:
A fluid ejection device comprising: a substrate; a first fluid feed slat formed in the substrate and having a first fluid feed slot edge; first firing resistors disposed along the first fluid feed slot and first nozzle openings each associated with one of the first firing resistors, wherein the first firing resistors are configured to respond to a first current to heat fluid provided by the first fluid feed slot via a fluid path and eject the fluid from the associated one of the first nozzle openings; first conductive leads extending to respective ones of the first firing resistors, and second conductive leads extending from respective ones of the first firing resistors; and a reference conductor formed on the substrate and configured to conduct the first current from the first firing resistors, wherein the reference conductor is disposed between adjacent ones of the first firing resistors as associated with respective ones of the first nozzle openings, between the first conductive leads and the second conductive loads of one of the first firing resistors and the first conductive leads and the second conductive leads of an adjacent one of the first firing resistors, and under the fluid path in an area between the first fluid feed slot edge and the first firing resistors.