Patent ID: 7399063

Claim:
A micro-electromechanical fluid ejection device that comprises a substrate; drive circuitry arranged on an outlet side of the substrate; a plurality of nozzle chambers and corresponding fluid inlets etched into the substrate; a plurality of support structures positioned on the substrate to cover respective nozzle chambers, each support structure defining a fluid ejection nozzle in fluid communication with the respective nozzle chamber; a plurality of fluid ejecting members arranged in respective support structures and displaceable into and out of the nozzle chambers to eject fluid from respective fluid ejection nozzles; and a plurality of actuators connected to the drive circuitry and to respective fluid ejecting members to displace respective fluid ejecting members into and out of each nozzle chamber on receipt of electrical signals from the drive circuitry to eject ink from each fluid ejection nozzle; wherein each support structure includes a number of arms that are fast with the substrate at one end and extend radially inwardly, and a fluid ejection nozzle rim fast with the arms at an opposite end and defining the fluid ejection nozzle, each fluid ejecting member being interposed between adjacent arms.