Patent ID: 8573750

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a fluid ejector unit for ejecting a droplet of fluid, the fluid ejector unit comprising an actuator; an integrated circuit; and a conductive trace electrically coupling the fluid ejector unit and the integrated circuit, a portion of the conductive trace comprising a fuse, wherein: the conductive trace and the fuse are configured such that blowing of the fuse disables the fluid ejector unit; the integrated circuit is configured to generate an actuating current when a droplet is to be ejected, and that when the fuse is not blown the actuating current flows through the fuse to the actuator; and when the fuse is blown, the actuating current is prevented from reaching the actuator, wherein: the fluid ejector unit includes a substrate supporting the actuator, the actuator including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material between the first electrode and second electrode, the first electrode is nearer to the substrate than the second electrode and the conductive trace is connected to the second electrode, and the fuse is immediately adjacent the second electrode.