Patent ID: 8101438

Claim:
A method of fabricating a printhead integrated circuit configured for backside electrical connections, said method comprising the steps of: providing a wafer comprising a plurality of partially-fabricated nozzle assemblies on a frontside of the wafer and one or more through-silicon connectors extending from said frontside towards a backside of said wafer; depositing a conductive layer on said frontside of said wafer and etching said conductive layer so as to form, concomitantly, an actuator for each nozzle assembly and a frontside contact pad over a head of each through-silicon connector, said frontside contact pad connecting said through-silicon connector to drive circuitry in said wafer; performing further MEMS processing steps to complete formation of said nozzle assemblies, ink supply channels for said nozzle assemblies and said through-silicon connectors; and dividing said wafer into a plurality of individual printhead integrated circuits, each printhead integrated circuit being configured for backside-connection to said drive circuitry via said through-silicon connectors and said contact pads.